Bluzhev
בלאזוב, or Bluzhev, is a Galitzianer chassidus from Blazowa, Poland. It is a תולדה of the אב חסידות of דינוב, or Dinov, a Galitzianer chassidus from Dinow, Poland.
The Bluzhever dynasty begins with the fifth-generation chossid Rav Tzvi Elimelech Spira (formerly Langsam), the first Dinover Rebbe, known as the B'nei Yissaschar. It continues with the B'nei Yissaschar's son Rav Dovid Spira, the second Dinover Rebbe, known as the Tzemach Dovid. The dynasty continues with the Tzemach Dovid's son Rav Tzvi Elimelech Spira, the first Bluzhever Rebbe, known as the Tzvi L'tzadik. The dynasty continues with the Tzvi L'tzadik's son Rav Yehoshua Spira, the first Ribotitcher Rebbe, known as the Keren Yeshua. The dynasty continues with the Keren Yeshua's son Rav Yisroel Spira, the second Bluzhever Rebbe, sometimes known as the Frierdiker Rebbe. The dynasty continues with the Frierdiker Rebbe's son Rav Tzvi Yehuda Spira, the third Bluzhever Rebbe, sometimes referred to as the Mahartzi.[1] The dynasty continues today with the Mahartzi's three sons: Rav Avraham Yaakov, Rav Moshe Menachem, and Rav Yehoshua Yosef Spira.[2] All three are Rebbes based in Boro Park, New York with Bluzhever, Ribotitcher, and Dinover Chassidim today.
The state of Bluzhev today:
Today, the B'nei Yissaschar is very well known due to his namesake sefer and the numerous other seforim he authored on all the different parts of the Torah. The Frierdiker Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Spira, is also pretty well known today due to his experiences (well-documented in Yaffa Eliach's Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust) and leadership role during the Holocaust (the Rebbe might very well have been the most senior Rebbe to have lived through and been liberated from the Camps), as well as his role as the senior member of the Mo'etzes Gedolei Ha'Torah in America. It should be noted, however, that all of the previous Bluzhever, Ribotitcher, and Dinover Rebbes were renowned and respected in their respective times.
Unfortunately, Galitzia, and especially Western Galitzia, where Bluzhev, Ribotitch, and Dinov are located, was decimated during the Holocaust. While the Rebbe himself miraculously survived B"H, the Rebbe's entire family and virtually all of the chassidim from Bluzhev, Ribotitch, and Dinov were wiped out.[3] In fact, it would probably not be a stretch to claim that most of the Bluzhever chassidim alive today are descendants of Bluzhevers, Ribotitchers, and Dinovers who came to America before the Holocaust. However, even when it comes to those who made it to America before or after the Holocaust, Bluzhev was still hit hard; most Bluzhevers, Ribotitchers, and Dinovers became *frei*, or, l'havdil elef havdalos, became Yeshivish, Modern Orthodox, or joined a different chassidus. Thus, due to the tremendous scale of its destruction, it has taken Bluzhev a good number of decades to regain its footing. However, B"H, BA"H, Bluzhev is finally rebuilding. All 3 Bluzhever Rebbes have active Batei Midrash. There are an estimated 200 Bluzhever chassidim today, mainly based in Brooklyn, Lakewood, and Monsey.
This wikipedia page will be constantly improved upon. Feel free to edit. Tonight is ליל א׳ ד׳חנוכה, תשפ״א.
References
- ↑ "Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov". Rabbi Shimon. Retrieved 12/10/20. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Three Bluzhever Rebbes to Succeed Their Father". Matzav. Retrieved 12/10/20. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ Manekin, Rachel. "Galicia". YIVO Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12/10/20. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help)
This article "Bluzhev" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Bluzhev. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
