Mayer Alter Horowitz

Mayer Alter Horowitz
Grand Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz

Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim
Term December 2009–
Full name Mayer Alter Horowitz
Born Boston
Predecessor Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Father Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Mother Raichel Ungar

Grand Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz is an American chassidic rabbi, son of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the previous Bostoner Rebbe, a scion of the Boston Hasidic dynasty.[1] Horowitz is currently the Rebbe of the Har Nof, Jerusalem, branch of the Bostoner Hasidic dynasty.[2]

Biography

Horowitz was ordained at Ponevezh Yeshiva, Bnei Brak, Israel and Bais Medrash Gevoha, Lakewood, New Jersey.[3]

In the 1960s, after receiving his ordination, Horowitz returned to the United States and expanded the pioneering work of his father, the Bostoner Rebbe, in medical referral, by establishing Project ROFEH, which later evolved into what is currently known as R.O.F.E.H International, a community based medical referral and hospitality liaison support agency. He continued to be active in the medical referral remotely from Israel until approximately 1999.

From 1969-1989 he was the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Pinchas in Brookline, Massachusetts.[4] With the backing of his father, he was one of the forces behind the establishment of Torah Academy of Boston in the 1980s.[5] In 1984 he and a group of Bostoner Chassidim, with the leadership of his father, immigrated to Israel and helped found Mosdos Boston of Israel, which established the Bostoner Community of Har Nof, Israel, where he became the Senior Rav of the shul Givat Pinchas, and continues in that capacity today as Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem.

The Israel Boston Chassidic Center complex on Ruzhin Street, Har Nof, Jerusalem

In 1980, Horowitz helped establish Kollel Boston in the Bucharim section of Jerusalem with the blessing of his father and the Belzer Rebbe shlit"a. Later, with the establishment of the Bostoner community in Har Nof, the Kollel moved to Har Nof to its present location in Givat Pinchas.

From 1984-1989, Horowitz traveled back and forth between Boston and Har Nof, and beginning in 1989 settled permanently in Har Nof, continuing to lead the Har Nof community until today. In the late 1980s, he established a second shul in Har Nof, called Beis Shlomo, and continued as Senior Rabbi until 1995.

In 1998, he helped his father establish the Bostoner Community in Beitar Illit.

In 2007, he founded Machon HaNesher HaGadol, a publication company, which includes Perush HaMeir, whose goal is to analyze and translate the Rambam's Mishneh Torah in Hebrew and English

In 2009, after the passing of his father, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, he was designated to be the successor of his father in Har Nof, Jerusalem.[6] Additionally, he succeeded his father's position as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of Israel.

Makeup of Moetzes Agudas Yisroel (February 2013)

In the footsteps of his father, Horowitz travels to Jewish communities in Israel, Europe and North America to introduce those communities to the Boston-style of Chassidus. Since becoming Bostoner Rebbe in 2009 he has visited cities such as Waterbury, Connecticut;[7] Chicago, Illinois;[8] Atlanta, Georgia;[9] Dallas, Texas;[10] Denver, Colorado;[11] and Budapest, Hungary;[2] among others.

In the summer of 2012, Horowitz helped launch a weekly magazine publication in conjunction with the The Jerusalem Post called Kosher English, designed for Israeli-Haredi readers to learn and improve their English-language skills, and continues to supervise its publication.[12]

In the Bostoner tradition, Horowitz has composed dozens of original songs and melodies[13] such as "Borey Niv"[14] "Re'ay Nah"[15] and "Yivorechicho"[16]

Grand Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz speaking with Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashav

Family

Grand Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz is the second son of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz and Raichel Unger Leifer. He is a ninth-generation descendant on the male line of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz, the Nikolsburger Rebbe (1726–1778). His eldest brother, Rabbi Pinchos Dovid Horowitz, is the Bostoner-Chuster Rav of Borough Park, Brooklyn, and his younger brother Grand Rabbi Naftali Yehuda Horowitz is the Bostoner Rebbe of Brookline, Boston. His sister Shayna Gittel is married to the Vialopola Rebbe of Flatbush, Brooklyn, and his sister Toba Leah is married to Dayan Rabbi Moshe Chaim Geldzheler of Jerusalem.

References

  1. ↑ Ahren, Raphael (2009-12-11). "The Bostoner Rebbe, the first American-born Hasidic leader Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rettig, Haviv (2010-04-21). "In Budapest, Jewish history... JPost - Jewish World - Jewish News". Jpost.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  3. ↑ "Biography - Rabbi Mayer A. Horowitz". Sites.google.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  4. ↑ Mandel, Patricia (10 February 1978). "Hassidic Judaism Permeates Daily Life". The Day.
  5. ↑ "The Daily Newspaper of Torah Jewry". Hamodia. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  6. ↑ "Three Sons to Succeed Bostoner Rebbe as Admorim of Bostoner Chassidus » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry". Matzav.com. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  7. ↑ Hamodia (20 Jan 2010), pg. C21, "Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof Spend Shabbos in Waterbury"
  8. ↑ Hamodia (2 Mar 2011), pg. C14, "Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim in Chicago"
  9. ↑ Hamodia (3 Mar 2011), pg. C18, "Bostoner Rebbe Visits Atlanta"
  10. ↑ "The Daily Newspaper of Torah Jewry". Hamodia. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  11. ↑ "Bostoner Rebbe to visit the Denver Jewish community". Intermountain Jewish News. 10 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Print Article". Jpost. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  13. ↑ "Freedman Catalogue lookup: Album B-021(b)". Digital.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  14. ↑ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  15. ↑ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  16. ↑ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.

External links