Biala (Hasidic dynasty)

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Grand Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua Rabinowicz of Biala, author of Chelkas Yehoshua and Seder Hayom

Grand Rabbi David Matisyahu Rabinowicz of Biala - Bnei Brak, zt"l

Grand Rabbi David Matisyahu Rabinowicz of Biala, previous Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak, author of Lehavas David, with his son-in-law Rabbi Wolf Kornreich, presently the Shidlovtzer Rebbe of Jerusalem

Rabbi Yaakov Menachem Rabinowicz, Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

The Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak signing a wedding contract

Grand Rabbi Wolf Kornreich, the Shidlovtzer Rebbe of Jerusalem, a scion of the Biala dynasty, praying at a holy place in Eretz Israel

Grand Rabbi Wolf Kornreich of Shidlovtza

Rabbi Abraham Rabinowicz, the Biala-Ostrover Rebbe of Jerusalem holding a Torah Scroll at a dedication feast for a new Torah scroll in his synagogue

The Biala-Otsrover Rebbe visiting Gush Katif

Rabbi Aaron Shlomo Rabinowicz, Biala Rebbe of America, at the grave of the Holy Jew of Prshiskhe in Poland

Biala Rebbe of America at the grave of Rabbi Nathan David of Shidlovtza

The Biala Rebbe of America on Hannukah

Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, Biala Rebbe of Ramat Aharon

Rabbi Ben-Zion Rabinowicz, Biala Rebbe of Lugano, Switzerland

The Biala (or Biyala, Biale) Hasidic dynasty is originally from Poland. The Rebbes of Biala are descendants from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, known as der heyliger yid ("[the] Holy Jew") of Przysucha, Poland. Their last name is Rabinowicz.

1 History
2 Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Yehudah Rabinowicz of Biala-Prshiskhe
3 Rabbi David Matisyahu Rabinowicz of Biala
4 Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz of Biala-Ramat Aharon
5 Rabbi Ben Zion Rabinowicz of Biala-Lugano
6 Main books of the Biala Sect
7 External links

[edit] History

The Biala dynasty is an offshoot of the Prshiskhe dynasty whose first rebbe was Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, the Holy Jew of Prshiskhe, who was a disciple of the Seer of Lublin. The Seer was a disciple of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk, who was a disciple of the Preacher of Mezritch, who was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism.

Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, the "Holy Jew" of Prshiskhe (1766-1813), disciple of the Chozeh of Lublin.
- Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Rabinowicz of Prshiskhe (d. 1831), son of the Holy Jew.
  - Grand Rabbi Nosson Dovid Rabinowicz of Shidlovtza (d. 1865), son of Rebbe Yerachmiel
    - Grand Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Rabinowicz of Biala the author of Divrei Binah (d. 1905), youngest son of Rebbe Nosson Dovid, son-in-law of Rebbe Yehoshua of Ostrova, author of Toldos Odom.
      - Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Rabinowicz of Biala-Shedlitz, son of the Divrei Binah.
        
        Grand Rabbi Nosson Dovid Rabinowicz, (1899-1947) Biala Rebbe of London, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel
        
        Rabbi Dr. Tzvi (Harry) Rabinowicz, (did not become Rebbe) son of Rabbi Nosson Dovid
        
        Grand Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua Rabinowicz Biala Rebbe of Jerusalem (1900-1981), author of Chelkas Yehoshua and Seder HaYom.
        
        Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Yehudah Rabinowicz, (1923-2003) Biala-Prshiskhe Rebbe of Har Nof, Jerusalem, eldest son of Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua.
        
        Grand Rabbi Elimelech Rabinowicz, Biala Prshiskhe Rebbe of Haifa, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Rabbi Simchah Ben Zion Yitzchok Rabinowicz, of Ramat Shlomo, author of Piskei Tshuvos, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Grand Rabbi Baruch Leib Rabinowitz Prshiskhe Rebbe of London, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Grand Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Menachem Mendel Rabinowicz, Biala-Prshiskhe Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Grand Rabbi Pinchas Rabinowicz, Prshiskhe Rebbe of Sanhedria section of Jerusalem, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Grand Rabbi Rabinowicz, Prshiskhe Rebbe of Bnei Brak
        
        Rabbi M. Rabinowicz, Biala-Prshiskhe Rav of Har Nof, son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
        
        Grand Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu (Reb "Duv'tche") Rabinowicz (1928-1997), author of Lehavas Dovid, Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua.
        
        Grand Rabbi Wolf Kornreich, Shidlovtza Rebbe of Jerusalem, son-in-law of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowicz, Biala Rav of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Grand Rabbi Yaakov Menachem Rabinowicz, Present Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Grand Rabbi Avrohom Rabinowicz, the Biala-Ostrove Rebbe in Jerusalem, son of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Grand Rabbi Yermiah Rabinowicz, Biala-Lentshe Rebbe of Beit Shemesh son of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Grand Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Chaim Eleazar Rabinowicz, Biala Rebbe of America, in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY, son of Rabbi Dovid Matisyahu
        
        Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, the present Biala Rebbe of Ramat Aharon, son of Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua.
        
        Grand Rabbi Betzalel Simchah Menachem Ben-Zion Rabinowicz, author of Mevaser Tov, the present Biala Rebbe of Jerusalem and Lugano, Switzerland; and the Chief Rabbi of Lugano, Switzerland, son of Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua.

[edit] Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Yehudah Rabinowicz of Biala-Prshiskhe

Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi Yehudah Rabinowicz was known as the Biala-Prshiskhe Rebbe (1923-2003). Born 1923, he was the first-born son of the previous Biala Rebbe, known as the Chelkas Yehoshua. He became Rebbe after his father died in 1982 and opened his yeshiva in the Har Nof section of Jerusalem. [1] He was succeeded by his sons.

Following the death of Yerachmiel Tzvi, one of his sons, Rabbi M. Rabinowicz, became Biala-Prshiskhe Rav of Har Nof.

His eldest son, Rabbi Elimelech Rabinowicz, became the Biala Prshiskhe Rebbe of Haifa.

One of his sons is Rabbi Simchah Ben Zion Isaac Rabinowicz, the author of Piskei Tshuvos, a popular commentary on the Jewish legal classic Mishneh Brurah.

[edit] Rabbi David Matisyahu Rabinowicz of Biala

Rabbi David Matisyahu Rabinowicz of Biala was Biala Rebbe in Bnei Brak, Israel. He authored Lehavas Dovid. He was well known for his warm prayers and his self-sacrifice for serving God. He travelled around the world to spread Hassidic teachings. He was commissioned by his father to open yeshivos around the Holy Land. His father called him "nekudas libi", the "focus of my heart". He died in 1997.

Rabbi David Matisyahu of Biala had two daughters from his first wife, the daughter of Rabbi Shedrowitzsky, who died at a young age, and five sons from his second wife, the daughter of Rabbi Berkowitz, who survives him and presently resides in Bnei Brak. One of his sons-in-law and four of his sons succeeded him as Rebbe.

- His oldest daughter (Rebbetzin Devorah) married Rabbi Yehudah Zev Wolf Kornreich, presently the Shidlovtza Rebbe of Jerusalem.
- His second daughter (Rebbetzin Chavah) married Rabbi Yaakov Hager, son of the Seret Viznitz Rebbe of Haifa.
- Rabbi David Matisyahu's oldest son, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowicz, Biala Rav of Bnei Brak.
- His second son is Rabbi Yaakov Menachem Rabinowicz, the Biala Rebbe of Bnei Brak. (He is the son-in-law of the late Kretshnifer Rebbe of Jerusalem.)
- His third son is Rabbi Avraham Rabinowicz, the Biala-Ostrov Rebbe of Jerusalem.
- His fourth son is Rabbi Yermiah Rabinowicz, the Biala-Lentshne Rebbe of Beth Shemesh.
- His fifth son is Rabbi Aaron Shlomo Chaim Eleazar Rabinowicz, the Biala Rebbe of America. His Hasidic court is located in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY. His official website is, www.bialayeshiva.com. (He is the son-in-law of the Dezher Rebbe of Boro Park).

[edit] Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz of Biala-Ramat Aharon

Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz, shlit"a, is the son of Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua Rabinowicz of Biala, zt"l. He is the Biala Rebbe of the Ramat Aharon section of Bnei Brak, E. Israel.

[edit] Rabbi Ben Zion Rabinowicz of Biala-Lugano

Rabbi Ben-Zion Rabinowicz of Biala was born in Poland January 30th 1935 - 26th Shevat 5695. He is the youngest son of Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala. During the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, his father who was not yet the Rebbe, was caught whilst trying to escape to his brother in London and was sent to Siberia by the Russians. The young Ben-zion and his sister escaped with many other children across Europe eastwards into Russia and then down into Iran (Persia).

They were eventually brought to the Holy Land by Zionists, who were kidnapping children from Iran and bringing them to the Holy Land. The Ponevezher Rov - Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman, heard that there were some special children in this group from Poland of ancesters of famous Rebbes. He rescued the young Rebbe-to-be and his sister from the anti-religious Zionist Jewish Agency. After the war their father made it to Palestine and was reunited with his children. Rabbi Ben Zion married Rebetzin Beila Bracha Babad. He learned in the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, and in the Gateshead yeshiva in England.

He became chief Rabbi of Lugano, Switzerland, in 1980. He became Rebbe in 1981 upon the passing of his father, as did his brothers. His first wife died in 1995, and in 1998 the Rebbe remarried the widow Rebetzin Steinwurtzel, the mother-in-law of the present Karlin-Stolin Rebbe. In addition to his position as the chief rabbi of Lugano, Switzerland, the Rebbe also spends much time in Jerusalem and Safed in Israel, where he has synagogues.

In Safed the Rebbe began a congregation in the old Kosover Synagogue. He does a lot of work helping to teach unaffiliated Jews learn about their Jewish heritage. He has written a series of books of Hassidic discourses in Hebrew called Mevaser Tov, two of which have been translated into English as The Merit of the Righteous Women and The Reward of the Righteous Women.[2]

[edit] Main books of the Biala Sect

The main books of the Biala Sect are Toldos Adam (by Rebbe Yehoshua of Ostrova, the father-in-law of the first Biala Rebbe), Divrei Binah (by the first Biala Rebbe), Chelkas Yehoshua and Seder HaYom (by Rebbe Yechiel Yehoshua). A translation of Seder HaYom into English has recently been published by the Biala Rebbe of America. Rebbe David Matisyahu of Biala-Bnei Brak wrote Lehavas David. Rebbe Ben-Zion of Biala-Lugano wrote Mevaser Tov, parts of which have been translated into English. The version of the prayer-book used by Biala Hasidim is called Siddur Chelkas Yehoshua.