Mayer Alter Horowitz

Mayer Alter Horowitz
Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem

Rabbi Horowitz at a Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Har Nof, 2013
Term December 2009–
Full name Mayer Alter Horowitz
Born Boston, Massachusetts
Predecessor Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Father Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Mother Raichel Ungar

Mayer Alter Horowitz is an American Hasidic rabbi. Since 2009, he has been the Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem.[1]

Early life and education

Mayer Alter Horowitz was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner Rebbe, and Raichel Unger Leifer.[2] He is a ninth-generation descendant on the male line of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz, the Nikolsburger Rebbe (1726–1778). His older 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, Massachusetts. His sister Shayna Gittel is married to the Vialopola Rebbe of Flatbush, and his sister Toba Leah is married to Dayan Rabbi Moshe Chaim Geldzheler of Jerusalem.

Horowitz received his rabbinic ordination at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey.[3]

Activities in the United States

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 to 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]

Move to Israel

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

In 1984 he and a group of Bostoner Hasidim, with the leadership of his father, immigrated to Israel and helped found Mosdos Boston of Israel, which established the Bostoner community of Har Nof. He became the Senior Rav of the Givat Pinchas synagogue, and continues in that capacity today as Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem. In 1980, Horowitz helped establish Kollel Boston in the Bukharim quarter of Jerusalem. The Kollel moved to Har Nof with the establishment of the Bostoner community there.

From 1984 to 1989, Horowitz traveled back and forth between Boston and Har Nof, and beginning in 1989 settled permanently in Har Nof. 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

As Grand Rabbi

Makeup of Moetzes Agudas Yisroel (February 2013)

In 2009, after the death of his father, he was designated to succeed his father in Har Nof.[6] He also took his father's position as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of Israel.

Horowitz frequently travels to Jewish communities in Israel, Europe, and North America to introduce these communities to Bostoner Hasidut. Since becoming Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem in 2009, he has visited cities such as Waterbury, Connecticut,[7] Chicago,[8] Atlanta,[9] Dallas,[10] Denver,[11] Budapest,[1] and Memphis [1] 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 to help Israeli Haredi readers learn and improve their English-language skills; he 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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rettig, Haviv (2010-04-21). "In Budapest, Jewish history... JPost - Jewish World - Jewish News". Jpost.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  2. ↑ 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.
  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

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, November 02, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.