| Chaim Kreiswirth |
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| haredi rabbis in europe | |
| belgian jews | |
| polish rabbis | |
| rosh yeshivas | |
| 1918 births | |
| 2001 deaths | |
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HaGaon Harav Chaim Kreiswirth (1918-2001) served as the longtime Chief Rabbi of Antwerp and founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Merkaz HaTorah in Jerusalem. He was one of the most highly regarded Torah scholars of the last 50 years. EARLY YEARS Rav Chaim was born in Wojnicz, Poland in 1918. He grew up in the outstanding home of his father Rav Avrohom Yosef, where his unique personality was shaped. In his youth, he was well-known for his brilliance, excellent character traits and geniality, dubbed the Cracower Illui (genius) at age 15 in recognition of his prodigious powers of Talmudic analysis. Replete with Torah and piety, he plunged into his Torah studies, spending many years in the famous Torah centers of Poland and Lithuania. Indeed, when the young Chaim applied to Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin , its Rosh Yeshiva of Daf Yomi fame, HaRav Meir Shapiro who tested him, was astounded by his vast proficency in all aspects of Torah, knowing the entire Talmud by heart. The world-renowned R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was very fond of him and gave his sefer on Tractate Zevachim a warm recommendation (unfortunately the manuscript was lost during the war). Additionally, Rav Kreiswirth was fortunate to meet and speak in learning with many other Torah luminaries, among them R. Shimon Shkop , the Rogatchover Gaon , R. Elchonon Wasserman , the Imrei Emes of Gur, R. Menachem Ziemba and R. Aharon Rokeach of Belz. He received Semicha (rabbinical ordination) from the Marcheset , Harav Chanoch Henich Eigess. With the 1939 German invasion of Poland, he was forced to flee. Miraculously, he was saved from a German soldier's bullet when the soldier told him to run off as he shot into the air. He attributed this extraordinary occurrence to the merit of attending to a blind scholar. Reaching Lithiania, he married the daughter of the Slabodka Mashgiach , Rav Avrohom Grodzinski . The couple fled via Vilna to Palestine, where R. Chaim settled into the Yeshiva world and became friendly with the Brisker Rav , the Chazon Ish , the Steipler Gaon , HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and ylct"a HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv . POST-WAR At the end of WWII, he returned to Poland at great personal risk in an attempt to rescue Jewish children who had been sheltered by the Catholic Church for the war's duration, but over whom the church wanted to retain custody. In 1947, he went to the US to serve as Rosh Yeshiva in Skokie, Illinois, where he quickly established a rapport with his students, many of whom would rise to prominence in the burgeoning Orthodox community. In 1953 he returned to rebuild the struggling community in Antwerp, despite concerns that his exceptional talents could be better used on the American continent instead of an insignificant post-holocaust European Kehilla . Among those who at first agonized over this apparent waste were the Chazon Ish, and the Amshinov er and Lubavitcher Rebbe s. With vision, determination and inexhaustible energy, R. Kreiswirth devoted the rest of his life to the Belgian community and became the driving force and inspiration behind its growth. He served as Av Beth Din and Posek in Antwerp and was active in Agudath Israel , revered and consulted by thousands. FINAL DAYS HaRav Chaim died on Sunday the 16th of Teves 5762 (30th December 2001) shortly before midnight, aged 82, after suffering from an illness. Continental European Jewry were especially rocked by the death of their foremost scholar and greatest leader, with thousands coming from all over Europe to participate in the funeral of this great Gadol , who served as the Rov of the distinguished Antwerp community for almost fifty years. Among the eulogizers were Dayan Tuvia Weiss and Dayan Elya Sternbuch of Antwerp, bewailing the great tragedy that had befallen world Jewry. Latterly, the main funeral was held in Jerusalem , where, among many, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, and R. Chaim's son R. Dov Kreiswirth of Lakewood gave eulogies. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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