Aleksander (Hasidic dynasty)

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Now nearly extinct, the Aleksander Hasidim (also written as Alexander) were the second largest Hasidic group in pre-Holocaust Poland. Between the world wars, Hasidic Jews from all over flocked to the small village of Aleksandrów Łódzki near Łódź, to spend the holiest days of the Jewish year under the presence of their spiritual leader, their Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Dancyger (1879-1943). Their rebbe attempted to remain neutral in political issues while emphasizing communal prayer and the study of Torah. He was murdered by the Germans in the concentration camp of Treblinka.

[edit] History

The founder of the dynasty of Aleksander was Rabbi Yechiel Dancyger (1828-1894), the son of Rabbi Fayvl from Grojec, a disciple of Israel Yitzhak Kalish of Vurke.

His son, Yerachmiel Yisroel Yitzchok Dancyger (1853-1910), was even more famous, and accumulated a large group of followers. He was the author of Yismach Yisrael (Hebrew: "Be Joyful, Israel" 1911), which he wrote together with his brother, Shmuel Tsvi (1840-1923), who later succeeded him and authored the Tiferes Shmuel. The teachings of the rebbes who followed stressed ethics, mysticism and ecstatic religious forms, putting less emphasis on studying the Talmud. The followers of the rebbes from Aleksander were primarily merchants and artisans, especially from Warsaw, and also in Łódź, where there were approximately 35 houses of prayer. There were also shtiblekh in numerous other towns, including Belchatow ^[1], Opoczno ^[2], Piotrkow ^[3] … In 1914 his brother Betsalel Yoir (1856-1934) began to serve as a rebbe in Łódź, thus starting a second branch of Alexander. After Shmuel Tsvi's death, the dynasty was continued by his son, Yitzchok Menachem Mendel Dancyger (1880-1943), whose accomplishments included the expansion of religious schools in Łódź and in Aleksander. Unlike many chasidic leaders of that period, he was not interested in politics. During the Second World War, he was in the Warsaw Ghetto. Refusing to leave for the Land of Israel, he died along with his family in Treblinka. Nowadays, the community of chasidim of Aleksander exists mainly in Israel, but there are several small synagogues (shtiblekh) in Boro Park New York, Monsey New York, Laekwood New Jersey Antwerp (Belgium), London (England), and Australia.

The Matzeivos of the Aleksander Rebbes. The Akeidas Yitzchak ordered the graves for be protected from demolition by constructing a massive block of concrete to encompass the grave stones. Aleksandrow Lodzki, Poland.

Grand Rabbi Avraham Menachem Danziger, the previous Aleksanderer Rebbe in Bnei Brak, Israel

• Grand Rabbi Shraga Fayvel Dancyger of Gritsa (d. 1848), disciple of Grand Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak Kalisz of Vurka, served as the rebbe of the Vurker Chasidim for the final six months of his life
  • Grand Rabbi Yechiel Dancyger (1828 - 1894), first rebbe of the Aleksander dynasty
    • Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Yisroel Yitzchok Danziger (1853-1910), author of Yismach Yisroel, son of Rabbi Yechiel
    • Grand Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi (1860 - 1923), author of Tiferes Shmuel, son of Rabbi Yechiel
      • Grand Rabbi Yitzchok Menachem Mendl Dancyger (1880-1943), author of Akeidas Yitzchok, son of the Tiferes Shmuel
      • Rabbi Yitzchok Myer Zynger, Rabbi of Aleksander, son-in-law of Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi
        • Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Fayvl Zynger, Rabbi of Ostrów Mazowiecka, son of Rabbi Yitzchok Myer Zynger
          • Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Zynger (1919-1988), Aleksanderer Rebbe of America, son of Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Zynger
            • Rabbi Yoseph Yitschok Myer Singer of Aleksander of America, son of Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Singer
    • Grand Rabbi Betsalel Yoir Dancyger of Łódź (1856-1934), son of Rabbi Yechiel
      • Grand Rabbi Avrohom Yehudo Dancyger of Łódź (d. 1943), son of Rabbi Betsalel Yoir
      • Grand Rabbi Yehudah Moshe Tyberg-Dancyger (1892-1973), author of Emunas Moshe, son-in-law of Rabbi Betsalel Yoir
        • Grand Rabbi Avrohom Menachem Dancyger (1921-2005), son of the Emunas Moshe
          • Grand Rabbi Yisroel Danziger, present Aleksanderer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Avrohom Menachem
    • Rabbi Yitschok Yosef Sekula, grandson of Rabbi Fayvl of Gritsa
      • Rabbi Yerachmiel Yisroel Sekula of Sadovna, son of Rabbi Yitschok Yosef; after the Shoah a large number of Aleksanderer Chasidim in America prayed in his shul.

[edit] Alexander Hasidism Today

The present Aleksander Rebbe in Boro Park

Grand Rabbi Israel Danziger, the present Alexanderer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Israel (wearing a fur hat)

After the Holocaust, the Jewish world was in a daze. Many chassidim who lost their Rebbes joined other chassidic groups with similar teachings. Many Aleksander chassidim believed that Chassedei Aleksander was completely destroyed. Many survivors sought to find a new Rebbe and to rebuild Aleksander chassidus. The chassidim first approached the son of the Betzalel Yair, nephew of the Akeidas Yitzchak, Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Zynger, and asked him to become the Rebbe of Aleksander. Zynger, who worked as a diamond dealer in Boro Park at the time, rejected the request to assume leadership of Aleksander chassidus, claiming that Aleksander was wiped out and there was nothing left to lead. The surviving chassidim later went to the Emunas Moshe, Rabbi Yehudah Moshe Tyberg-Dancyger, the son in law of the Betzalel Yair, and asked him to assume the role of Rebbe. The Emunas Moshe was pressed until he relented and assumed the role of Rebbe. The Present Rebbe of Aleksander lives in Bnei Berak, and is the Emunas Moshe's grandson. As the Emunas Moshe rebuilt Aleksander Chassidus and built new institutions in Israel, his brother in law Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Zynger saw that Aleksander Chassidus was thriving and decided to become the Rebbe. However, he is criticized for rejecting the chassidim when first asked, and only after new institutions were built and chassidim emerged from the war did he suddenly decide to appoint himself as Rebbe.

At present, the Aleksander Rebbe lives in Bnei Berak, and the smaller Zynger branch of Aleksander live in Boro Park. The Present Aleksander Rebbe of Bnei Berak is a descendant of the Baal HaTanya. R'Zynger in Boro Park who has a small gathering, is a philanthropist who boasts stronger lineage to the founding Aleksander Rebbes. There is little or no conflict between the two branches of Aleksander chassidim. Today there are around seven hundred Aleksander chassidim living in communities in Bnei Berak, Jerusalem, Boro Park, Antwerp, London, and Australia. ^[4]

[edit] Important Alexander literature

In addition to those books revered by all Hasidim, the most important book to the Alexander dynasty is Yismach Yisrael, by the second Aleksander Rebbe, and also the Tiferes Shmiel by the third Aleksander Rebbe, and the Sefer Akeidas Yitzchock by the fourth Rebbe Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger. The sefer Emunas Moshe by the fifth Alexander Rebbe Rabbi Yehuda Moshe Danziger. and now the new sefer of the late Alexander Rebbe Imrei Menachem by Grand Rabbi Avrohom Menachem Danziger of blessed memory.

[edit] References

1. ^ Belchatow, Poland (Page 19)
2. ^ http://web.mit.edu/maz/wolf/65-179/wolf76.txt
3. ^ Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland (Pages 98- 105 )
4. ^ Emuros Tehuros

[edit] External links

• Obituary of Grand Rabbi Avrohom Menachem Dancyger of Aleksander