Chaim Kreiswirth
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Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth (1918-2001) was an Orthodox rabbi who served as the longtime Chief Rabbi of Antwerp, Belgium. He was the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the Merkaz HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem. He was a highly regarded Torah scholar.
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[edit] Early years
Chaim was born in Wojnicz, Poland in 1918, the son of Rabbi Avrohom Yosef Kreiswirth. In his youth, he was well-known for his brilliance, excellent character traits and geniality, dubbed the "Cracower Illui" at age 15 in recognition of his prodigious powers of Talmudic analysis.
Chaim plunged into his Torah studies, spending many years in the famous Torah centers of Poland and Lithuania. Indeed, when the young Chaim applied to the yeshiva Chachmei Lublin, he was tested by its Rosh Yeshiva of Daf Yomi fame, Rabbi Meir Shapiro. The latter was astounded by Chaim's vast proficiency in all aspects of Torah, knowing the entire Talmud by heart.
The world-renowned Rabbi 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 World War II).
Rabbi Kreiswirth was fortunate to meet and speak in learning with many other Torah luminaries, among them Rabbi Shimon Shkop, the Rogatchover Gaon, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, the Imrei Emes of Gur, Rabbi Menachem Zemba and Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz. He received Semicha from the Marcheset, Rabbi Chanoch Henich Eigess.
[edit] Second World War
With the 1939 German invasion of Poland, Chaim 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 Lithuania, he married the daughter of the Slabodka Mashgiach, Rabbi Avrohom Grodzinski. The couple fled via Vilna to Palestine, where he settled into the yeshiva world and became friendly with many famous personalities, including the Brisker Rav, the Chazon Ish, the Steipler, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rabbi Yosef Sholom Eliashiv.
[edit] Post-World War II
At the end of World War II, Rabbi Kreiswirth 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, Rabbi Kreiswirth moved to the United States to serve as Rosh Yeshiva in Hebrew Theological College 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 Amshinover and Lubavitcher Rebbes.
With vision, determination and inexhaustible energy, Rabbi 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.
[edit] Final days
Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth died on Sunday 30 December 2001 (16 Tevet 5762 on the Hebrew calendar) shortly before midnight, aged 82, after suffering from an illness.
Continental European Jewry were especially rocked by the death of their foremost scholar and leader, with thousands coming from all over Europe to participate in the funeral of the man who had served as Rabbi of the distinguished Antwerp community for almost fifty years. Among the eulogizers were Dayan Tuvia Weiss and Dayan Elya Sternbuch of Antwerp.
Latterly, the main funeral was held in Jerusalem, where, among many, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel and Rabbi Kreiswirth's son Rabbi Dov Kreiswirth of Lakewood gave eulogies.
