Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart
יהודה ליב ב"ר בנימין
Chief Rabbi, Staszow (Stashov), PolandDate of Death:
Thu. October 7, 1937 -
Cheshvan 2 5698
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Directions to Kever: Roselawn Avenue Cemeteries in Toronto, Canada. Location: To the left of the Krakover Toronto Rebbe’s ohel
Biographical Notes:
Photo Caption: Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart, Credit: Moreshes Chachmei America’s Archives
Photo Caption: Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart, Credit: Ontario Jewish Archives
Photo Caption: Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart, Credit: Ontario Jewish Archives
Source: Jewish Forwards
Credit:
Credit: Shmuel Amsel, Brooklyn, NY
Credit: Shmuel Amsel, Brooklyn, NY
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Rav Graubart was a great Torah giant, his 4 volumes of Shu”t Chavalim Banimim are of great Lomdos like the other Polish Geonim such as the Chelkas Yoav or Rav Yosef Engel.
His brother Rav Yisocher was the Rav in Bendin Poland, he himself was the chief rabbi in Toronto if I remember correctly.
Does anyone know about another rav from Toronto named R’ Yosef Weinreb? He was living there at least by 1900. He was maybe the cheif rabbi of Toronto.
ב”ה
הגאון הגדול ר’ יהודה ליב גרויבארט זצוק”ל
נולד בעיר שרענצק ביום ג’ כסלו שנת תרכ”ב לאביו הגה”ח ר’ בנימין שהיה חסיד ותלמיד להגה”ק מטשעכענאוו זצ”ל ומקורב אצל הרה”ק בעל חידושי הרי”ם מגור זצ”ל, ולאמו מרת דבורה רעכיל נכדת ר’ זעליג ז”ל אב”ד שרענצק.
היה גאון הגאונים בזמנו והיה בקי בש”ס בבלי ירושלמי, פוסקי הראשונים והאחרונים וגם היה לו בקיאות נפלאה בחכמת ישראל וכבר משחר טל ילדותו היה מוכר בעיר שרענצק כעילוי ומתמיד גדול ובהיותו עדיין ילד קטן כבן שבע כבר למד ש”ס ופוסקים וכשנתבגר שלחו אביו ללמוד אצל אחיו הגדול ממנו בשנים ר’ ישכר בעריש זצ”ל – בענדינער רב – מח”ס דברי יששכר, שהיה באותו זמן רב בפלאצק.
בשנת העשרים לימי חייו קיבל סמיכה מהגאון ר’ חיים אלעזר וואקס ראבד”ק קאליש ומח”ס נפש חיה, ובין שאר הדברים כותב “עדותי נאמנה על הרב החריף החסיד מוה”ר יהודא ליב ני’ משרענצק, איך שידיו רב לו בהוראה והוא בקי בהוראה כאחר המורים המפורסמים” (נחתם ביום כ”ה טבת תרמ”ב), וכמו”כ בעת חגותו את הפסח דשנת תרמ”ד אצל הוריו בעיר שרענצק סמך עליו רב העיר הגאון ר’ נתן לייפציגער את ידו עליו לדון ולהורות.
משנת תרמ”ד שמש כאב”ד בעיר יאנאוו פלך פלאצק בפולין, ומשנת תרמ”ח נתקבל בכבוד רב לשמש ברבנות בעיר מאקאוו שהיה בעת ההוא הקיבוץ הכי גדול של תורה ויהדות בפלך לומזשה ועסק שם הרבה בעניני הכלל ותפס ישיבה גדולה, אח”כ קיבל את הרבנות בעיר סטאשעוו פלך ראדום ושם שמש משך של חמשה ועשרים שנה ועל שמו נקרא ‘סטאשובער רב’, בסטאשוב התערב א”ע הרבה בעניני הכלל והיה ראש ‘אסיפת הרבנים’ שהתקיימא בווארשא, והיה שלוחא דרבנן לאסף את הרבנים דפולין ורוסיא לאחדם בענינים העומדים על הפרק.
במלחמת העולם הראשונה בשנת תרע”ה חשדו בו עם עוד רבנים בפולין להיותם מרגלים וגלו אותם לערים רחוקות ברוסיא, שם הראה במיוחד את כוחותיו ועשה הרבה מאוד ליהודי רוסיא לחזקם בגשמיות וברוחניות ואף רשם את כל תהלוכת המלחמה משך ד’ שנים וכל פעולותיו בחיבר ‘ספר זכרון’.
בחודש ניסן תר”פ נקרא מטעם קהל עדת ישראל דטאראנטא לבוא אליהם (העיר טראנאטא היה מלא עם פוילישע אידן) ולקבל א”ע עול הרבנית ובחודש אלול דשנה ההוא בא לשם, בשנת תרפ”ז נתקבל לרב ואב”ד בס”ט לואיס מיזורי ואח”כ חזר לטאראנטא.
הספר חבלים בנעימים-דברי יהודה הוציא לאור בחמשה כרכים, ח”א חיבר בהיותו אבד”ק מאקוב פלך לומזה בפולין וברובו דן החיבור בסוגיות הש”ס ונערך בסידור אנציקלופדי’ (יש שם את הסכמותיהם של הגאונים הגדולים בעל שדי חמד, דברי מלכיאל, ר’ חיים ברלין ראב”ד יעליסאוועטגראד, ר’ יחיאל מיכל ראב”ד שעפס, ר’ צבי יחזקאל מיכלזאהן ראב”ד פלאנסק וווארשע, ח”ב חיבר בעת היותו רבה של סטאשוב פלך קיעלץ בפולין והכיל כבר תשובות שהריץ לגאוני הזמן, ב’ חלקים הבאים נתפרסמו עת היות המחבר רב הכולל בס”ט לואיס פלך מיזורי בארה”ב ורבה של טורונטו בקאנאדא והופיע שם כבר תשובות הדנות בהלכה למעשה ובבעיות הזמן, ח”ה האחרון י”ל כבר אחר פטירת המחבר.
גם חיבר עוד שני ספרים והו”ל בטאראנטא, יביע אומר כולל מאמרים ודרשות, ימין ושמאל כולל מאמרים בשאלות שבמחנה ישראל ובין ישראל לעמים.
נפטר ב’ חשון תרצ”ח ומנו”כ מאחורי האוהל של האדמו”ר ר’ נפתלי הורוויץ מקראקא וטאראנטא על ביה”ח הכללי דראוסלען עוועניו.
Does anybody know who his paternal grandfather was? I am descended from Graubarts from Sierpc, not far from Szrensk – the birthplace of Rav Graubart – and a distant cousin, Binyamin, would have been the correct age to be Rav Graubart’s father.
A long biographical article on the passing of Rav Graubart, followed by writings and condolence letters of prominent Rabbanim of that time.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=12086&st=&pgnum=5&hilite=
His children are also being mentioned there as follows:
Rav Binyamin Graubart of Poughipsee, NY
Rav Pinchas Graubart of Fort-Worth, TX
Rav David Graubart of Chicago, IL
Mr. Yaakov Graubart of Chicago, IL
Son-in-laws
Rav Yitzcok Eizik Weintraub of Fort Wayne IN
R’ Avraham Weinberg, Warsaw
R’ Mier Kantor, Lodz, Poland
Mrs. Rachel Pines, Warsaw
R’ Yiroel Chelmer, Warsaw
David Colman,
In the preface of his Sefer Chavalim Banimim Vol 3, he writes some biographical and genealogical information, see;
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=988&st=&pgnum=11
The name of his Paternal Grandfather was Reb Yaakov Graubart, he had two brothers, the three of them had three diffrent surnames, Graubart, Rosenfeld and Auerbach.
Was he the famous Reb Avreme’l Weinberg from the Vaad Harabanim of Warsaw author of “Raishis Bikurim” on Bechoros?
Wow!! thanks for the help.
Since I thanked you all for your help, I have confirmed that I am a cousin to Rav Yehuda Leib on both his mother & father’s branches.
Curios,
No, RA Weinberg the Raishis Bikurim was the SIL of Reb Moshe Kovelsky.
David,
I am happy that you find some genealogical information, how close of a cousin are you? it semms like tha there is quite some Yichus in that family, may their Zechus be Magen on you and your family, and on the rest of us.
YD Miller,
I am a 3rd cousin twice removed from his father’s mother’s side – 2 of his gg grandparents were Falk & Miriam Bilkiewicz & they are my greatgrandfather’s greatgrandparents
I have to sift through a little more info, but it also appears that my 5xgreat grandfather, Yaakov Graubart, was his greatgrandfather.
As a side note, I would appreciate if you could contact me by email: davidcolman@rogers.com – I have another genealogy puzzle that has been vexing me for years & you seem to have a great deal of knowledge and/or resources available & perhaps can point me in the right direction.
http://yizkor.nypl.org/index.php?id=2551
the above link is for the NYPL online memorial book for Szrensk. See page 110 of the book (140 of 628 on the scan counter at top) for a picture of Rav Graubart.
I am the grand daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart. My mother, Devorah, who passed away in 2003, was his youngest daughter.
Thank you for all this information that I would never have had if it hadn’t been for the internet.
http://yizkor.nypl.org/index.php?id=2462
Image 48.
שלום
זקני היה מתלמידיו של הגאון מסטאשוב, ובהיותו צעיר לימים סייע להם הרב בהקמת סניף ה’מזרחי’ בטומשוב לובלסק.
מצאתי בין מסמכים ישנים תמונה של בן הרב – ר’ בנימין גרוברט, ששלח לזקני ז”ל בצעירותו.
אם מישהו מכם מכיר או יודע על צאצאי הנ”ל, אשמח להיות עמו בקשר.
תודה רבה לכולם.
DEAR JOE,I READ YOUR APRIL 4 COMMENT IN HEBREW. I AM THE YOUNGEST SON OF SAID BENJAMIN GRAUBART. I AM ALAWYER ,VERY FLUENT IN HEBREW AND WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. I WORK IN WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK, AND LIVE IN SPRING VALLEY,NY.WARMEST REGARDS ,DANIEL GRAUBART.
To Daniel, Judith and David,
My grandmother was a relation to Rabbi Graubart. She was the only member of her family to survive the Ghetto. I am trying to put the pieces together, but she hid her history out of fear for the rest of her life.
She moved to Toronto in 1968 and I have some photos of her with two men whom my mother has told me were relatives of Rabbi Graubart’s who came to visit Toronto soon after she arrived (1969-early 70’s). In going through her papers I found and address for a Daniel Graubart of Spring Valley as well as a B. Graubart of Fair Lawn NJ.
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.
Daniel
You have mentioned that you are the youngest son of Benjamin Graubart was he related to BoBo Graubart? If so Bo Bo (nickname) was my mother in law’s Father’s brother of Jekutiel Zalman Graubart, son of the deceased Berish Graubart.
Please let me know. We have just been united with several family members that we didn’t know existed.
Sue
I have a picture of Rabbi Leib Graubart along side other Rabbi’s from Bendzin. I recently was sent a family tree that lists Rabbi Leib as a cousin of my husbands Grandfather.
I can email them if you are interested.
Hi,
I’m writing about Rabbi Graubart’s life for Iraynu, a Toronto magazine. I’d love to be in touch with any descendants, relatives, talmidim, or historians who have researched his life story.
The first part, which I am working on right now is based on his autobiography which describes his activities during and immediately following World War One. I’d be happy to send the completed article, be’H when I’m done.
Please contact me at shlomobenyachid@gmail.com
Hi again,
I just wanted to mention that Rabbi Graubart, together with Itche Meir Korolnek had the great zechus of establishing Eitz Chayim School, which is today a large Orthodox day school with three branches in Toronto. In the fifties, Eitz Chayim became the first Orthodox day school in the city.
My father, both of my in-laws, and my husband, studied there, and for that alone I have great Hakoras Hatov to Rabbi Graubart, zatzal, aside from all of the other ways he benefitted the city of Toronto.
I recently visited this kever. I also have obtained a copy of a “Jubille Book” for T”T Eitz Chaim. In it there is a wealth of information about Rav Graubart z”l and his activities, as well as a long biography. I also read somewhere online that in his tzava’ah he asked to be buried near a simple, poor Jew.
I am a scholar, writing about the Polish Yiddish poet, Roza (Graubart) Yakubovitsh (1889-1942), who was a sister of Rabbi Jekutiel Zalman Graubart and a daughter of Rabbi Berish Graubart, the Berdiner Rov. I believe that she perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. I would appreciate any further information about her life.
I am a great-grandson. Daniel Graubart (#15 above) is my uncle, my mother’s youngest brother.
I am the great grandson of Rabbi Y. L. Graubart. My father was Rabbi Samuel Weingart. His father was Rabbi Irving Weingart and his mother was Hilda Graubart Weingart, Rabbi Yehuda Graubart’s daughter. I would be very interested in receiving any photographs of Rabbi Yehuda Graubart and/or his family as I have none and would like to educate my daughter on her heritage. I am also the great grandson of Rabbi Betzalel Epstein of Talin and later Cincinnati. Unfortunately my father, Rabbi Samuel Weingart passed away on August 19, 2011 and I no longer have him as a resource so any information would be greatly appreciated. My email is bdweingart@sbcglobal.net and I reside in St. Louis. Thanks!
Bruce, see here in Haperdes – Ellul 5637 a Mazel Tov greeting for your Grandfather upon the birth of your father.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=12084&st=&pgnum=41&hilite=
Letters by two of Rabbi Graubart’s sons of Chicago:
http://archive.org/stream/chaimbloch00reel02#page/n371/mode/1up
I’m the great grandson of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart’s zzl brother, Rabbi Menachem Tzvi Graubart zzl. I have a good amount of information about the family as well as all of Rabbi Y. L. Graubart’s seforim including some which I’ve translated to English.
Rabbi Graubart’s wife was the daughter of Rabbi Alexander Zisskind Lipshitz the rabbi of Ozerkov. His other daughter Golda Yitta married Rabbi Yitzchok Yehuda Hagerman. he printed shut Shay Lmorah from his father, Iam a great grandchild of them. if anyone has any info about the lipshits family or about any response in seforim where any one of the hagermans or Lipshitz is metioned please contact me at my email kaszovitzabraham @yahoo.com.
Abaraham,
So Reb Moshe Hagerman HY”D from the famous photo at the holocaust, is a cousin of yours, his father Reb Yitzchok Platiel Hagerman was a brother to Reb Moshe Yoel the father of reb Yitzchok Yehuda:
http://www.ivelt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=325674#p325674
Is this true?
Y D Miller
Yes I mey a grandson of Rabbi Yitzchok Paltiel Hagerman of Elkosh, who verified it as his uncle the dayan of elkosh. would you know of any sefer zikoron of elkosh because R Moshe Yoel in his sefer talks about a grandfather of his R Dovid Elkisher a mekubal I think a Talmud of the Kotzker. Do you have any info.?
Y D Miller
Yes. would you know of any sefer zikoron of elkosh because R Moshe Yoel in his sefer talks about a grandfather of his R Dovid Elkisher a mekubal I think a Talmud of the Kotzker. Do you have any info.?
http://www.jpress.org.il/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_TAUHE&Type=text/html&Locale=hebrew-skin-custom&Path=CGS/1920/08/27&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar01909&PageLabel=19
I am a great grandson of YLG, my father was Rabbi Alexander Z. Graubart and my Grandfather was Rabbi Phillip (Pinchas?) Graubart. I wish I knew more about my family and would love to connect with anybody who may be able to help….especially those relatives of mine who have posted on this page. Please feel free to email me at egraubart@urj.org or post here and I will continue to check. It means the world to me to read through all of these comments. Thanks to all.
does any one of the graubarts know who was yehuda leib grobart rabbi in some town in poland, he was a uncle for reb yehuda leib from toronto, his father’s brother ? was he a rav indeed ? and where ?
I’m also a great grandson of Yehudah Leib Graubart (and one of Eytan’s brothers). I visited Staszow, Poland in the summer of 2008 and went to the library in the center of the town (with some Polish friends, who could translate). There I found several books on Staszow’s prominent Jews, which included pages on Yehudah Leib. The librarian also pointed out where the synagogue was (now part of an office building but there is a plaque signifying where the shul used to be) and the rabbi’s home.
Later on that trip, I happened to be walking past an active shul in Warsaw on a Saturday. An American Hasidic Jew greeted me and we started talking. He could tell I was Jewish despite my secular appearance. In the course of the conversation, I related my family heritage and he was quite impressed when hearing of Rav Yehuda Leib, whose teachings are still closely studied (of course, he also no doubt wondered how one of his great grandchildren had become so secular)
as mentioned above in hebrew, Rav Graubart’s zzl father was Binyamin zzl.
my e-mail is matt at mysimplecity.com
I am a great grandson oh Yehuda Leib, grandson of Benjamin, son of Eve Graubart and Leonard Satz, nephew of Daniel Graubart who posted above. Eytan, Jonathan, I am named after your grandfather Pinchas.
Phil
pjsatz@gmail.com
I am interested to know about a David Graubart who at some time lived at 11 Riverside Drive, New York (but I believe deceased in around 2009) and in the context of a piece of genealogical research, I am keen to get in contact with his living descendants.
This David Graubart submitted a memorial page to Yad Vashem concerning his mother Feiga Graubert (nee Schonfled) who perished in the holocaust. The page states that Feiga was born in 1882 in Munkacs, Carpathian Ruritania (at the time in Hungary, then in Czechoslokia and today Mukacevo in Western Ukraine). Her husband was Yehuda Leib Graubart. This Feiga was living in or visitng Antwerp during WW2 and is listed as a widow. She perished in 1942.
Is this Yehuda Leib Graubert the legendary Rabbi of Totonto (in other words, was his wife Feiga)?
Also can anyone make any further connections concerning the above, in particular the David Graubert from NY ?
Thanks
Barry
Barry, I can tell you about David Graubart….you can email me at davidmartinburns@gmail.com
where is the grave of Rabbi Jekutiel Zalman Graubart and a daughter of Rabbi Berish Graubart. Is there any documentation on his whereabouts in the U.S.
I found him in 1927 Rabbi of Bnai Emunah see here http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pagefeed/hebrewbooks_org_27654_187.pdf
Interestingly his and his fathers manuscripts ended up in NYU
there are 2 manuscripts from him
1 http://aleph.nli.org.il:80/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000168713&local_base=NNLMSS
2 http://garfield.jtsa.edu:8881/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=246028&local_base=GEN01
and two unpublished manuscripts from his father
1 http://aleph.nli.org.il:80/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000168700&local_base=NNLMSS
2 http://aleph.nli.org.il:80/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000168708&local_base=NNLMSS
As I noted above, I, too, am a great-grandson of Rav Yehudah Leib Graubart (his son Benjamin was my grandfather, and Benjamin’s oldest daughter Hilda was my mother). Daniel Graubart, who passed away last year, was my uncle (my mother’s youngest brother). Philip Satz is a first cousin; his mother Eve was my mother’s sister.
I grew up and still live in Toronto. Rav Graubart established the first Eruv in Toronto. The following story is told about him. Whether or not it is true or mythical, it would seem to reflect his personality ( considering the fact that he asked to be buried next to a simple Jew ). The story is that he was berated by someone for allowing the construction of the Eruv. The Rav replied that the Eruv was not put up for people like the complainant who does not need it but rather for the “Yiddishe frau ” who carries home groceries after shopping in Kensington market (a market that was in the Jewish area of Toronto in those days) on Shabbes. The story was related by the son of a later principal of Eitz Chaim Talmud Torah.
It is noted in the prenumeranten section of sefer Imrei Emes Pietrkov 1921 by Rabbi Yechiel Michel Goldshlag
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/5522
where Rabbi Yehudah Leib Graubart – a son of the sister of the author – contributed to the publication of the sefer.
So it seems Rabbi Graubarts mothers maiden name was Goldshlag (or Goldzlak)
Nechemiah MSS,
As YD Miller wrote above, “In the preface of his Sefer Chavalim Banimim Vol 3, he writes some biographical and genealogical information” which includes his mother’s ancestry. Rabbi Goldshlag was a rabbi in Sierpc, where the Graubarts immigrated to from Moravia.
I am very interested to know more about the Shtashov – toronto connection. My Great grandfather came from Shtashov in 1910 to Toronto. He died when my grand father was only 12, so sadly, so much of that history & connection was lost. Although there is lots of info on my Family once in Toronto, I know almost nothing about anything before that, except that my great grand mother came from a tiny town called Slipia. It’s almost a sure bet that my great grandfather would have know R’ Graubart, and I’d love to chat, email or meet with any of R’ Graubart’s eineklach or anyone else who might be able to fill in some the many blanks of what Shtashov was at the turn of the previous century.
aviposluns@gmail.com!
my understanding is that Rav Graubart was the rav at the Henry St. Shul. Can anyone confirm that?
Aviposluns@gmail.com
I just found the grave of Eliyahu Graubart in Monsey, NY. On it is says Rav Binyamin was his father and he is descended from The RAMAH. Is this the same family?
My name is Steven Graubart, great grandson of Yehuda Leib Graubart, grandson of Benjamin Graubart, son of Eli Graubart, nephew of Daniel Gaubart, nephew of Eve Graubart. My email is sgraubar@yahoo.com. There is no letter “t” in my email address.
And nephew of Hilda Graubart.