Mordechai Dovid Unger

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Mordechai Dovid Unger
Bobover Rebbe (45)
Term 23 March 2005 – present
Full name Mordechai Dovid Unger
Born 1954
New York
Dynasty Bobov
Predecessor Naftali Halberstam
Father Yaakov Yitzchok Unger
Wife Rivka Halberstam
Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger, right, and the Ruv Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin
Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger, right, and the Ruv Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin
Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger presiding over a Hasidic Tish in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Succos
Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger presiding over a Hasidic Tish in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Succos
Status is disputed with Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam of Bobov

Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger מרדכי דוד אונגער of the Bobov Hasidic movement was born in 1954 to Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Unger of Dombrov. He is a son-in-law of the late Grand Rabbi Naftali Zvi Halberstam of Bobov, the fourth Bobover Rebbe. Rabbi Mordechai Dovid is regarded by many as the Bobover Rebbe ( כ"ק אדמו"ר מבאבוב, שליט"א ).

Following the death of his father-in-law Grand Rabbi Naftali Zvi Halberstam in 2005, a dispute arose as to who should succeed him as Bobover Rebbe. Many claim the title for his son-in-law, Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger, while many others claim the title for his younger brother Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam. A Beth Din is currently deciding this issue among other issues of the Bobover dispute.

In the house of the late Grand Rabbi Naftali Zvi Halberstam, before his funeral took place, his sons-in-law Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger and Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin were both crowned as his successors. This was announced in the presence of the lay president of Bobov Rabbi Moshe Meir Einhorn. Decisions on how to divide the leadership was left to be decided among themselves. On the next day the coronation of Rabbi Mordechai David Unger as Rebbe (אדמו"ר מבאבוב) and Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin as Ruv (אבד"ק באבוב) took place in the Bais Yaakov building on 45th Street in Borough Park. Its current Beth Midrash for Shabbos is located there and is referred to as "Bobov 45". Its temporary headquarters and weekdays synagogue is on 49th Street and 14th Avenue, in the former Beth Yaakov (Balkany) building.

[edit] Rebbes of Bobov

  1. Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (The First) (1847 - 1905) grandson of the Sanzer Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Halberstam
  2. Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam (The First) (1874 - 1941)
  3. Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (The Second) (1907 - 2000)
  4. Rabbi Naftali Halberstam (1931 - 2005)

Disputed:

5. Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger (b. 1954) son-in-law of Rabbi Naftali Halberstam
5. Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam (The Second) (b. 1955) son of Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Preceded by
Grand Rabbi Naftali Zvi Halberstam of Bobov
Rebbe of Bobov
2005–
Succeeded by
Current incumbent