Chaim Mordechai Katz
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Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz (1894-1964) was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among American Jewry’s foremost religious leaders.
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[edit] Pre-War Years
Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz was born in 1894 in Shadova (Seduva), Lithunania. As a young man, Rabbi Katz studied in the yeshiva in Shadova, under the tutelage of the town’s Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch. In 1910, Rabbi Katz went to study in the Knesses Beis Yitzchak yeshiva in Slobodka for a year, following which, in 1911, he returned to study under Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch, who had been appointed as Chief Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in Telz.
In 1914, Rabbi Katz went to the Volozhin Yeshiva for two years where he was ordained a Rabbi by Rabbi Refael Shapiro, the son-in-law of the Netziv. In 1916 he studied under Rabbi Shlomo Poliatchik, the renowned Maitziter Illuy. In 1918 he returned to Telz, where he married the Perel Leah, the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch.
In 1920, Rabbi Katz assisted his father in law in the founding of a preparatory school for young men (Mechina), which would prepare younger students for study in the yeshiva proper. Rabbi Katz was appointed Director (Menahel) of the Mechina.
In 1922, a postgraduate institute (Kollel) was founded in Telz and Rabbi Katz was appointed Head of the Institute (Rosh Hakollel).
In 1930, numerous tragedies befell Rabbi Katz. His father, wife and third oldest child (Shmuel, aged six) died, as did his father in law Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch.
In 1934, Rabbi Katz was one of the founders of the Zeirei Agudath Israel in Lithuania and he served as the head of the Board of Action (Va’ad Hapoel). Together with his brother in law, Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch, he also served as one of the editors of the Agudah newspaper in Lithuania: “Dos Yiddishe Lebben”.
He participated in the first Knessiah Gedolah of the Agudath Israel in 1923 and at the third Knessiah Gedolah in 1937 he was appointed a member of the International Action Committee (Va’ad Hapoel Ha’olami).
In 1931, Rabbi Katz married Chaya Kravitz, who was the niece of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch.
[edit] World War II and move to the USA
In 1940, Rabbi Katz and his brother in law Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch managed to travel out of Soviet occupied Lithuania and make their way to the United States, in the hope of re-establishing the Rabbinical College of Telshe and bringing over its faculty and student body. Both Rabbi Katz and Rabbi Bloch were unable to bring their wives and children, the fate of whom remained unknown to them until 1944.
In October 1942 Rabbi Katz and his brother in law Rabbi Bloch re-established the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio. Together, in 1943 they established a Jewish day school: The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.
Towards the end of the war, both Rabbi Katz and Rabbi Bloch found out that their families had been killed by Nazi forces in Telz in 1941.
In 1946 Rabbi Katz married Esther Mindle Mandel.
In 1947 Rabbi Katz and Rabbi Bloch established a Hebrew School for girls in Cleveland called Yavneh, under the framework of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.
[edit] Telz Cleveland
In 1954 Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch died, and Rabbi Katz became head of the yeshiva (Rosh Yeshiva).
In addition to running the yeshiva, Rabbi Katz remained very communally active, both locally, nationally and internationally.
Rabbi Katz served as a member on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of the Agudath Israel. Together with Rabbi Aharon Kotler, he undertook to ensure the financial needs of the Chinuch Atzmai (religious education network in Israel) were met, encouraging the students of the yeshiva to raise funds for Chinuch Atzmai in their vacation period.
In 1957 the yeshiva moved from downtown Cleveland to its present-day location in Wickliffe, Ohio, on the outskirts of Cleveland.
In winter of 1958 Rabbi Katz was hospitalized for a serious heart attack. Despite his health, Rabbi Katz continued to actively run the yeshiva and remained active in the wider community.
In 1960 he established Telshe Chicago - a branch of the yeshiva in Chicago, Illinois.
On Tuesday morning, January 1st 1963, a fire broke out in one of the three dormitories at the yeshiva. Two students died in the fire and local authorities closed the remaining two dormitories as a safety measure. Rabbi Katz guided the yeshiva through the difficult period, again, rebuilding.
In 1963 he participated at the Knessiah Gedolah of the Agudath Israel in Jerusalem, where he spoke on numerous occasions.
On November 17th 1964 Rabbi Katz suffered a massive heart attack and died.
His son Rabbi Yaakov Zev (Velvel) Katz founded and leads the Cedar-Green Community Kollel in Beachwood Ohio, officially named Kollel Yad Chaim Mordechai, after his father.
[edit] Personality
Affectionately known by his students as Reb Mottel, Rabbi Katz was a Lithuanian born and trained Rabbi who was catapaulted into a very different social setting than he was accustomed. Despite the great differences in American perspective, he successfully bridged any gaps with his students, and succeeded in educating and inspiring them. Under his leadership, the Telz Yeshiva grew to its largest. He was a master educator and communal activist who was exacting in his attention to detail. He used to say: “To a big man there are no such things as small things”.
[edit] References
- Be'er Mechokek - Published by Rabbi Yaakov Z. Katz, Wickliffe, Ohio 1989.
