Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgeman
יחיאל מאיר ב"ר דוד
Tzaddik Nister (Hidden) of RochesterDate of Death:
Thu. December 1, 1938 -
Kislev 8 5699
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Directions to Kever: Britton Road Cemetery in Rochester, New York, Location: See Map picture below
Biographical Notes:
Photo Caption: Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgeman –Burgerman, his son Avroham (wearing hat), grandson Binyomim (standing) and great-grandson Yaakov, Photo Credit: Kalman Burgeman
Bio Information:
The Rav counted among his students two of the Amshinover Admorim.
Credit: David Weider, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Credit: IFJCAH
Credit: Map to the kever of Rav Burgeman, Credit: Mendy Feder
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Where is the source that he was the Chavrusa of Reb Motele?
I think that Reb Yona Landau calls Rav Burgerman te Tzadik Nistar of Rochester, I am not even sure he was an official Rav in Rochester, he was rather Melamed for boys.
he was the melamed of the amshunover rebbes.
he came from poland.
r’ mottele hornostypler was in ukraine!
I think Baruch, you confused him with the Buffalo Rebbe who was the Chavrusa of Reb Mottele.
Joel,
And where is the source tat he wasthe Melamed of the Amshinover Rebbes, was that in Poland or here in the US? (Ren Shimon Shulem M’Amshinov was here pre-war?)
Of course Reb Shimel’le came after the war, during the war he was in Shanghai.
There’s an amazing and a must to hear interview on the Kol Mevasser hot-line with Rabbi Yona Landau regarding this Tzadik.
212-444-1100 press 3 – 1 – 154#
BBZ, thanx for the resource. Interesting interview.
What is a Tzaddik Nister?
Thanks Ben-BZ it is indeed an intriguing interview (in Yiddish) where Rabbi Landau tells some nice stories on Rabbi Burgerman and his history with the Amshinover Rebbes and then later in Rochester NY.
He tells us about a Rabbi Simcha Tillim that already lived in Monsey but wanted to buried in Rochester where he use to live, and that is where he is burried, Baruch maybe you post a photo of Rabbi Tillim.
BBB,
A Tzadik Nistar is a term used on a person that is rather a down-to-earth person but is viewed as someone that is hidding his true holiness etc.
Please correct name to read, Yechiel Meir. ty.
My Husband, Yehuda Leib Burgeman is the great grandson of Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman. I’m confused about the last name. Any information about the Rabbi would be much appreciated.
Could anyone translate the interview into English or comment on some highlights about the interview?
My father, Uncle and me are the sole mle survivors from this Tzadik. The name was Burgerman in Amshinav Poland, but it was truncated to Burgeman at Ellis Island.
Shalom,
I just spoke with Rav Landau and his wife. They related the following stories:
Rav Yechiel Meir Bergman came to Rochester and he was a Rebbe teaching children. A man from Russia with the family name Tehillim wanted his two children to learn from Rav Yechiel Meir. Every day he would walk his children one hour each way to the Rav’s house. this became time consumins so he urged his children to go by themsleves. The first day they returned crying since they were being harasssed by some non-Jews who were pulling their peyoses and making fun of them. The father was trying to strengthen them. The next morning they come out of the house and they saw a big dog and they were scared. The father said don’t be afraid. The dog followed them. The people thought the dog was guarding them. The dog waited for the children as they learned and then accompanied them home. For 1 and 1/2 years the dog accompanined them back and forth.
Rav landau published this story and someone from Monsie called the Rav and said this is a true story. He went to Monsie to meet these people who knew of Rav Yechiel Meir and they told Rav Landau that many people go to his kever for Yoshua. (salvation). The dog must have been a gilgul of someone who was able to teach children but did not so he had to come back as a dog to help the children
After Mr. Tehillim from Russia passed away a friend of Tehillim dreamt that Tehillim came to him to remind him to say kaddish for the Rebbe’s neshama. This dream he discovered was near the Rav’s yahrzeit. On the Rav’s yahrzeit many prayed at his kever to get engaged. .
Another story- Rav Yechiel Meir was teaching in a Hebrew day school. Those days it was moseret nefesh to be a Yid not to work on Shabat. He was a true Tzadik. He was teaching 10 dibrut . He taught the children that one must honr one’s parents except if they tell you to not keep Shabat. The principal heard this, closed the chumash and fired the Tzaddik. When the principal closed the chumash his hands were paralyzed for the rest of his life. Rav Yechiel Meir then started his own heder.
Thanks to Rav Landau’s dedication to revealing the stories of this hidden Tzaddik, the Tzaddik’s soul shines brighter for us today.
Sincerely,
Nechama Sarah Burgeman, the great great daughter in law of Rav Yechiel Meir Bergman
To Ben Bee Zee regarding your post of Sep 21, 2010 at 9:15 am wherein you state the “The name on the post should be corrected to Bargerman.”
Perhaps you would be correct in retrospect; but our name is now Burgeman, and that is how our whole family in Rochester spelled the name. The ‘R’ in English was truncated from the name at Ellis Island, so if one were to correct the English it would be from Rabbi Yechiel Meir Bergman as is now to Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgeman.
I guess Burgerman would be okay too if one were to change the name on the Kever Web site heading, but the whole family in Rochester went by the name Burgeman with the “r” truncated because of Ellis Island spelling, so I would think the name should read Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgeman.
I also heard from my Rabbi just a few minutes ago who listened to most of the long recording that a whole busload of those who were without spouse went to pray at the Rabbi’s Kever, and within a year they were all married. If someone could listen to the message in Yiddish and post those details too and clarify. Thanks.
This is response to the person Miller who posted twice about Rabbi Burgerman’s credentials. I would just say, one does not need a license to be a Tzadik. Being a Tzadik does not requires a CPA certificate. Many of the great, in Jewish history do not have any certificates of authenticity; but rather their learning, deeds, speech and thoughts speak for themselves.
Does anyone have a picture of Rav Yechiel Meir ZT”L. I’d very appreciate if you can share ’em with me. TY
Asher, Reb Yona Landau has one.
proud family mamber of the landau’s
The picture Rabbi Landau has in his book of Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman ZT”L comes from a our family’s 4 generation picture. Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman is holding hands with my Uncle (my Dad’s brother) in the picture, but in the book it is edited to just reflect Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman ZT”L; nevertheless, one can see the hand of my Uncle touching the hand of Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman ZT”L.
Thank You, Baruch!
As of 10 years ago when I visited the Rochester Jewish old aged home there was a Betty Tillim living there, with children in Toronto
When I was in yeshiva in rochester I remember every year on the yartzeit a few busloads of Satmar Chassidim would come to daven there
I am a grandaughter of Mr. Simcha Tillim who is buried next to Rabbi Bergerman.
Simcha Tillim came from Poland not Russia.
The story with the dog was about the Tillim children. That was my uncle Reuven Tillim who lived later in Monsey,N.Y. . It is amazing that today is the 8th day of kislev the yiurzeit and I just discovered the site.
To Avi: The person whom you met at the Jewish Home was Grace Shayna Faiga Tillim A”H, the sister of Betty Sarah Brina A”H, I am her granddaughter (who grew up in Toronto). My great grandfather, Simcha Tillim came to Rochester from Poland in the 1900’s to escape pogroms. He was the one who sent his children to R’ Bergman. I’m proud that I’m continuing our family living in Rochester, NY, where are children can learn in a Yeshiva Day School, Derech HaTorah!
For those who are seeking more info how to get to the kever: Please follow the GPS to: 188 Britton Road Rochester, NY. Once you reach the cemetery you should enter it from the right side entrance (thru the front building) then head straight all the way towards the back till the road curves alittle to the right. The kever has a small metzeiva and it’s in the second row from the road you are on. It has a big metal candle box in the back of the matzeiva (seems it’s the only one with a candle box so it should be easier to find). The exact GPS cordance is: LAT: 43.14.15.N and LONG: 77.37.45.W
Dear all- I am Yechiel Meir’s great-great granddaughter. I grew up in Rochester, and am trying to research Rav Yechiel’s life and history. If anyone who has commented above is willing to speak with me I would be very grateful. I can be reached by email at melissa@tesher.com. Thank you!
I am the mother of Melissa S, and therefore the great-granddaughter of Rav Yechiel. I don’t understand how Yehuda Leib Burgeman is related. Could you please clarify your relationship? I am the daughter of Bessie Burgeman Rubin. Rav Yechiel had four sons, Benjamin, Theodore, Hyman, and Harry (Herschel). Benjamin was the only one who had sons. Their names are Jerry(Jack) and Clarence. They live in Chicago. Jerry, (Yaakov in the four generations picture which I also have) had only one daughter. Clarence had two sons, Michael, who was murdered in Chicago, and Stephen, who lives in Israel and Chicago, is married, but has no children. I have four living cousins who knew Rav Yechiel. I will try to get them to post on this site.
Sorry–correction–Abraham Burgeman had the four sons previously mentionied. Are you, Yehuda Leib Burgeman, a descendent of a brother of Abraham Burgeman?
I forgot to mention that my mother told me that the Tillims were very dear friends of her parents and grandparents.
Judith, Steven Burgeman = Yehuda Leib Burgeman. My Hebrew name given to me at my Brit is Yehuda Leib. I do not live in Israel. I live in the Chicago Area.
Does anybody know where the picture above was taken as I am a Burgeman and could be some relation since it isn’t a common surname.
R Burgeman – How would knowing where the picture was taken help? There are unrelated persons with the surname Burgeman. Who were your grandparents and great grandparents and where were they from? This will help you determine your heritage.
The above should be addressed to N Burgeman, not R Burgeman.
I visited the Kever of the Tzadik yesterday, i dont know who to contact, but the tombstone of Mr. Tilim (directly behind the tzadiks kever) is knocked down it was to heavy to lift
it seems like a few of the tombstones around the bais hakevaros were knocked down…
does money needed to be funded to fix them? is that the responsibility of the caretakers of the bais Hakevarose?
Michael Burgeman (Meir), named after Yechiel Meir, has a daughter Samantha. (Samantha Bat Meir Chuna). She is the Great, Great, Great Granddaughter of Rabbi Yechiel Meir.
Reb Yechiel Mayer came to the USA on 2/12/1921, he’s listed as “Chila Majera Burgerman” and his wife as “Ruchla Burgerman”, both of same age born in 1857, they both were born and lived in Zyrardow which is an outskirt of Mszczonow (=Amshinov), Poland.
They sailed from Southampton to NY via the Adriatic. On the records it lists a daughter Mrs. Lichar still residing in Zyrardow and they’re heading towards Chicago where they had their son Paul living.
In the Polish records available on JRI-Poland I found a David Burgerman who died in 1903 in Mszczonow, probably his father.
On his occupation, he’s described as a “teacher”
Hello All, I am the great, great granddaughter of Yechiel Meir. His grandson, Benjamin, who lived to Chicago, also had a daughter, Ruth, who had a son, Allen Glass, and two daughters, me and Sandra Rabin. Allen has two sons, Barry and Adam (Yechiel Mier’s great great great grandsons). Barry has a son ( Madden Glass) and a daughter, Yechiel Meir’s great, great, great, great grandchildren ( 5 generations of descendants). Sandra also has two sons, Alec and Jake Rabin, and I have 2 daughters. So, there are 6 other male descendants (from Ruth), in addition to Steven. Thanks for the stories!
Thanks Susan for updating and completing!
Thank you all for your and information. For Aaron Feder – MCA could you pin point me to the records you mention, so I could get copies of these records. Specifically you mention “Reb Yechiel Mayer came to the USA on 2/12/1921, he’s listed as “Chila Majera Burgerman” and his wife as “Ruchla Burgerman”, both of same age born in 1857, they both were born and lived in Zyrardow which is an outskirt of Mszczonow (=Amshinov), Poland.
They sailed from Southampton to NY via the Adriatic. On the records it lists a daughter Mrs. Lichar still residing in Zyrardow and they’re heading towards Chicago where they had their son Paul living. n the Polish records available on JRI-Poland I found a David Burgerman who died in 1903 in Mszczonow, probably his father.”
Thank you for this information. Does anyone have contact information for Aaron Feder – MCA? I am looking for proof of birth, polish residency and date left Poland for Rabbi Yechiel Meir Burgerman (Burgeman).
There are more relatives. My name is Elona Litvintchouk. I am the great qranddaughter of Hyman Bergmen. Hyman had 2 daughters Janice and Carole. I am Janice’s granddaughter.
Miriam. How are you a great granddaughter of (Grace), and what was her Married name, her husband’s name etc.
My email address is chaimschechter1@gmail.com
Mrs. Miriam I. Wolf.
I see already – on Geni. – everything.
Mrs. R. Wagner is your mother.
And (Betty) Sarah Breina was your grandmother. It wasn’t so clear whose granddaughter you were saying you were. I thought you were saying that (Grace) was your grandmother, and I know – from Yisroeil ‘Yitzchok’ Tehillim, that she never, married – because she couldn’t find a religious boy. [That’s what she answered Simcha the son of Yakov ‘Chaim’ son of Reuven Eliezer (Lester) when – during her yearly Passover stay in her older years. – he asked her why she never married? She answered “Do you think that there where no boys that I liked, or that didn’t like me? But – because they were not religious, – I knew, if I’ll come home with one of them, my father won’t survive it. So I couldn’t do it!”] – & therefore didn’t have any children. Her Sheino Feigo Bath Reb Simcho’s memory should be forever blessed.
My sister, Pennye Vilinsky and I (Mindy Kannard) are the great great great granddaughters of Rev Yechiel. Our mother, Janice (Burgeman) Winterman, grew up knowing him, and said what a kind, gentle and devout person he was. I visit his grave often.
Revision from Mindy Kannard. I put one too many “greats” in my comment. My sister Pennye and I are great great grandchildren of Yechiel Meir.