Dovid Leibowitz

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Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz (1889-1941) was a leading rabbi and disciple of prewar Europe's Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania who went on to found the Rabbinical Seminary of America as its first Rosh yeshiva (dean) in Brooklyn, New York. His son, Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz, heads the yeshiva today.

In his youth he was known as "Reb Dovid Warshawer." As a teenager, he studied in the yeshiva of Radin, where he held private study sessions with his great-uncle, the Chofetz Chaim for 12 hours a day; he also learned there under Rabbi Naftoli Trop.

In 1908, Rabbi Leibowitz transferred to the Slabodka yeshiva, where he learned under the Alter, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. In 1915, Rabbi Leibowitz succeeded his father-in-law as Rabbi of Selechnik. After six years, however, he returned to Slobodka as a founding member of the Slabodka Kollel.

In 1926, Rabbi Leibowitz came to the United States as a fund-raiser for the kollel and was invited to become rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Torah Vodaath. Among his students were Rabbi Gedalia Schorr and Rabbi Avrohom Pam. In 1933, Rabbi Leibowitz founded Yeshivas Rabbenu Yisrael Meir Hacohen (better known today as the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva/Rabbinical Seminary of America in Kew Gardens Hills, New York) There he transplanted to the United States his unique style of Talmud study as well as the Slabodka school of Mussar. The yeshiva has been headed for the past half-century by his son, Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz.

He passed away on December 5th which was a Friday, as to provide proper respect for the deceased, the funeral was held on Sunday the 7th. 1941. Some of the Students made the comment that they heard about the Pearl Harbor attack when they got back from the Funeral.