Boston (Hasidic dynasty)

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The New England Chassidic Center on Beacon Street, Brookline Mass.
The New England Chassidic Center on Beacon Street, Brookline Mass.

Boston is a Hasidic sect, named after Boston, Massachusetts. The senior of the Bostoner Rebbes is currently Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz. His community is headquartered in the town of Brookline and their central synagogue, Beis Pinchos, is on Beacon Street. He spends several months a year in the Har Nof section of Jerusalem, Israel, where he established a community of hasidim who are mostly from the original Boston community.

[edit] Origins

Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz, the first Bostoner Rebbe, a scion of the Rebbe Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg and the Lelov dynasty, first arrived in Boston in 1915 from the Land of Israel via Europe. Shortly after his arrival, Rabbi Pinchas David was accepted as Rebbe by the Jewish community of Boston. In 1939, the Bostoner Rebbe moved to Brooklyn, and opened the Bostoner Beis Medrash of Williamsburg. After his death in 1941, his son Rav Moshe succeeded him. In 1943, Rav Levi Yitzchok became another Bostoner Rebbe and built the New England Chassidic Center.

Reb Moshe later founded the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Crown Heights and the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Borough Park. In 1985, upon the passing of Reb Moshe, his sons Reb Avrohom Horowitz and Reb Pinchas Dovid succeeded their father. In 2006 the Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park moved to Beit Shemesh in Israel to lead his sizeable community in that growing city. Reb Avrohom's younger brother Reb Pinchas Dovid, moved to Flatbush In 1989 and founded Yeshiva Darchei Noam and brought Bostoner Chassidus to his new Bais Medrash in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.

The Bostoner Rebbe of Brookline MA, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz, became very popular and because of his seniority is commonly considered "The Bostoner Rebbe"

There are also Bostoner communities in the Borough Park and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn, Lawrence, Monsey, Highland Park, and Beitar Illit in Israel.


[edit] Lineage of the Boston dynasty

  • Grand Rabbi Pinchos Duvid Horowitz (1876-1941) first Bostoner Rebbe
    • Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz, the Bostoner Rebbe in Brookline and Har Nof – son of Rabbi Pinchas David Horowitz
      • Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz, Chuster Ruv – son of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok
        • Rabbi Moshe Shimon Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Betar Illit - eldest son of the Chuster Ruv
        • Rabbi Yisroel Aharon Horowitz - son of the Chuster Ruv and son-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchok Arie Weiss, Horodonka Rebbe of Manchester, England
        • Reb Shia'le Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Monsey - son of the Chuster Ruv
        • Rabbi Yechiel Mechel Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Highland Park - son of the Chuster Ruv
      • Rabbi Naftuli Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv – son of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok
      • Rabbi Moshe Chaim Geldzahler of Har Nof, Bostoner Dayan – son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok
      • Rabbi Yosef Frankel Vyelipoler Rov of Flatbush, New York – son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok
      • Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz, of Har Nof – son of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok


    • Grand Rabbi Moshe Horowitz (d. 1985) Bostoner Rebbe of New York – son of Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz.
      • Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom Horowitz, present Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park and Ramat Beit Shemesh – son of Grand Rabbi Moshe
        • Rabbi Yankel Horowitz of Lawrence, NY – son of Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom
        • Rabbi Yisroel Yona Horowitz of Boro Park – son of Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom
      • Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz, present Bostoner Rebbe of Flatbush – son of Grand Rabbi Moshe Horowitz
        • Rabbi Chaim Avrohom Horowitz of Monsey – son of Grand Rabbi Pinchos Duvid of Flatbush

[edit] References

  • Bostoner Rebbes
  • Moshe D. Sherman Orthodox Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook pp 94-96