Yahrtzeits – 19 Shevat
-Rav Binyamin Zev Shapiro of Prague (1718)
-Rav Yitzchak Baruch Sofer, father of the Kaf Hachaim (1905)
-Rav Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim, the Divrei Shmuel (1916 or 1936). Grandson of Rav Avraham of Slonim, the Yesod HaAvodah. He was succeeded by his sons Rav Yissochor Leib and Rav Avraham, the Beis Avraham.
-Rav Shimon Greenfeld of Somihali (Szemihaly), the Maharshag (1930), a student of the Maharam Shick. His nephew and talmid, Rav Shmaya, was 1st Rav of the Satmar Kehilla in Montreal.
-Rav Elimelech Menachem Landau, first Admor of Strikov (1936). During his time, 150 botei medrash of Strikover chassidim were scattered throughout Poland. After his petirah, he was replaced by his son, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Dan, the rav of Kinov, who led the group until he perished al kiddush Hashem in 1944.
-Rav Shmuel Carlebach (1927-1999). Educational director of the Bnei Brak Or Hachaim Seminary and the Beis Yaakov Seminary of Ashdod. Born in Frankfort, Germany. He was sent to Belgium during the War. In 1939, the Carlebach family settled in Tel Aviv. Reb Shmuel merited to be one of the first students of Yeshivas Kol Torah under Rav Yechiel Michel Schlesinger, its founder. In 1946, he learned at Ponovezh and became close to Rav Abba Grossbard and Rav Eliyahu Dessler. After his marriage in 1951, he continued his studies at the Ponovezh Kollel In 1954, Rav Wolf asked him to direct the Or Hachaim Seminary for girls. He headed this institution for thirty years. In1985, he was appointed head of the Seminar Avos of the Ponovezh Institutions of Ashdod, and the educational director of Be’er Miriam in Bnei Brak, and remained in those capacities until his final day.
-Rav Hershel Mashinsky, co-founder of Kupath Ezrah of Rockland County. He began teaching at Yeshiva of Spring Valley in 1947, then after marrying Malka leah Felsenburg and moving to Monsey, at the Talmud Torah and Mesivta Ohr Reuven. (1925-2004)
Today in History – 19 Shevat
· 700 Jews of Basel, Switzerland were burned alive in wooden houses constructed for that purpose in the wake of the Black Plague, 1349.
· After the occupation of Rome by General Berthier, the local republicans dethroned the Pope and Jews removed the yellow badge, 1798.
{Matzav.com Newscenter/Chinuch.org}
It’s also the Yahrtzeit of Horav Chaim Yisroel Belsky zt”l – the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath
Rav Chaim Yisroel ben R’ Dov Halevi zt”l.
Daniel Pearl, HY”D.
“My father’s Jewish, my mother’s Jewish, I’m Jewish.”