Ben Zion Halberstam (The First)

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Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam in his later years.

Ben Zion Halberstam (pronounced Ben Tzion) (1874–1941) was the leader of the Bobover Hasidim. At the age of thirty-one he succeeded his father, Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1847–1905) as the Rebbe ("grand rabbi") of Bobov thus being crowned as the spiritual leader of thousands of Hasidim.

Rabbi Ben Zion of Bobov

He was a scion of Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1798–1876). He was the author of a Hassidic commentary on the Bible called Kedushas Tzion. Rabbi Ben Zion was murdered by the Nazis in 1941, and was succeeded by his son Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1907–2000), who brought the Bobover dynasty to the United States.

Ben Zion Halberstam married his relative Chaya Freidel Halberstam, a granddaughter of Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz. Together they had 11 children.

1) Devorah Leah Halberstam married her relative Yaakov Yisrael Twerski from Hornistipol (born in 1898 - died in 1973).They had the following children 1, Rabbi Shloimy Twersky son in law of Reaabi Yoseph of Pittsburgh, 2,Rabbi Mordchai Twerskey son in law of Rabbi Shulem of Brighton, Rabbi Avrohm Yeshia, 4, Rabbi Ahron son in law of Rabbi Alexander of Kolbisova, 5, Rabbi Mechel son in law of Rabbi Stein of Felteshan.

2) Rivka Beila Halberstam married her mothers cousin Yecheskel Shraga Halberstam , and later married married Chaim Perlman, She had the following children 1 Esther, 2, Rabbi Yankush.

3) Nechama Golda Halberstam married Moshe Stempel. Moshe Stempel was murdered by the Nazis together with his father-in-law Ben Zion Halberstam. After the Second World War Nechama Golda remarried to Yehosua Meir Freshwater of Sassov, She had the following children 1, Rabbi leibel Stempel, Shoshana who married Reb Zeev Wolf Stern, 3, Rabbbi Benzion Freshwater son in law of Turka ruv, 4, Rabbi Shloima freshwater son in law of Rabbi Gedalyah Schorr.

4) Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (born 1907) married Bluma Rachel Teitelbaum. His first wife did not survive the war. He remarried to Frieda Rubin, 1, He had Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Of bobov he was the son in law of Rabbi Yoseph of Dejsh, Rabbi Benzion Aryeh Leibush son in law of Rabbi Moshe Wachamn 3, Necama married Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Tauber, 4, Devorah Leah married Rabbi Yhonoson Binyuman Goldberger, 5, Malka marreid Rabbi Benzion Blum, 6, Sarah Married Rabbi Yaakov Meisels, 7, Esther Married Rabbi Burch Avrohm Horowitz.

5) Bracha Halberstam married her relative Shlomo Rubin (died in 1941) She later remarried Rabbi Yehida Lemerger of Serentch, she had 1, Tzvi Hersch Rubin Halberstam, 2, Miriam who married Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Weinfeld.

6) Gitsche Halberstam married Mordechai Shraga Lipschitz (died in 1984), They had 1, Rabbi Benzion Lipschitz, 2,Shulem Eliezer Lipschitz son in law of Rabbi Mendel Brachafeld.

7) Chaim Yehoshua Halberstam (born in 1912 - died in Siberia in 1943) married his relative Leah Halberstam, They had 1, Yaakov Yoseph Halberstam son in law of Rabbi Ahron Teitelbaum, 2, Rabbi Burech Duvid Halberstam son in law of Rabbi Chaim Meisels of Sorvosh.

8) Yecheskel Dovid Halberstam (1914–1978) married his relative Rachel Rivka Horowitz, They had 1,Rabbi Yechiel Halberstam son in law of Rabbi Aahron Teitelbaum of Tchenchkovitz, 2, Rabbi Chaim Halberstam son in law of Rabbi Yitzchock Eizek Liebes of Greiding, 3, Rabbi Benzion Halberstam son in law of Rabbi Feivel Halberstam of Kshanov, Rabbi Shloima son in law of Rabbi Yisroel Sochet.

9) Moshe Aaron Halberstam (born in 1920).

10) Shaindel Raatze Halberstam married a disciple of her father, Yisrael Dov Weitz of Biale Bilitz, They had Rabbi Benzion Weitz.

11) Malka Halberstam married Yisrael Jacober.

Bobov Lineage is talked about in the book Nor The Moon By Night ISBN 0-87306-767-3.