Massacre of the Jews of Worms, 1096, commemorated in the Kinah “Mi Yitein Roshi Mayim” by R. Kalonymus b. Yehudah, which we say on Tisha B'Av.

Reb Yisroel Hagar of Vizhnitz, the Ahavas Yisrael (1860-1935). His remains were moved and reburied in Bnai Brak Israel in 1949 from Poland.

Reb Chaim Eliezer Shapira of Munkatch, the Minchas Elazar, 1937, photo above is of the Rebbes Ohel in Munkatch ( with thanks to our friends at Shtetllinks)

Massacre of the Jews of Mayence, 1096, also commemorated in the Kinah ``Mi Yitein Roshi Mayim" by R. Kalonymus b. Yehudah, which we say on Tisha B'Av

Reb Yosef Irgas, Italian Kabbalist, author of Divrei Yosef, and Shomer Emunim, 1730.

Reb Yaakov Shimshon of Shpitivka (1801). He was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezhrech and a close friend of Reb Baruch of Mezhbez. He succeeded his father as Rabbi in Shepetovka, but in 1799 he settled in Tiberias where he met Reb Nachman of Breslov. He died in Tiberias.

The Dinover Rebbe, Reb Yishai Naftoli Hertz who was the son of Reb Dovid - the Dinover Rebbe author of the Tzemach Dovid; Reb Yishai Naftoli Hertz succeeded his father as Av Beis Din of Dinov and died in 5645 (1885); he is buried in Dinov, south east Poland and the Ohel Tomb is preserved even today, as in photo above taken on yarzheit on Monday afternoon 21st May 2007, the photo on the left above is the Ohel Tomb at the top of hill amongst the trees in Dinov Poland see "Dinov" photos of South-East Poland.

Reb Avrohom Wolf of Wolf's Seminary in Bnei Brak

Reb Chaim Yaakov Safran, Kamorna Admor

Reb Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomer, the Ohr Hame’ir (1797)

Reb Chaim Yaakov Safran, Kamorna Admor

Reb Avrohom Mordechai Alter, the Imrei Emes of Ger, 1948., the Imrei Emes of Ger, (1866-1948). Son of Reb Yehudah Leib (Sefas Emes) and great-grandson of the Chidushei Harim. Reb Avrohom Mordechai Alter, the Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes, succeeded his father (the Sefas Emes) as Gerrer Rebbe. It was under his leadership that the Gerrer Chasidus grew to over 100,000 Chassidim. However, most of them were killed at the hands of the Nazis. The Imrei Emes escaped miraculously and rebuilt the Gerrer movement, which centered itself around the Yeshiva Sefas Emet in Yerushalayim. Today the Yeshiva is under the leadership of the current Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Bunam Alter, and his brother, the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter.

Reb Yehuda Rosner, the Imrei Yehuda (1944). Reb Rosner opened a yeshiva in Szekelheid, which he headed throughout his years there. Although he was offered rabbinical positions in larger towns, he refused them on account of his yeshiva. Szekelheid had only 120 Jewish families, and that allowed the Reb to dedicate most of his time and attention to the yeshiva, which ultimately grew until, in the 1930's, it housed over 300 bachurim

Stropkover Rebbe - Rabbi Avrohom Sholom Halberstam 5700, Author of Divrei Sholom, Kashau (Kosice) Slovakia, son of Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam of Shiniva whose yarzheit is 6 Teves 5659, Shiniva Poland.

Avrohom ben Avrohom, the righteous convert, "Ger Tzedeck", Graf Potozki killed al kiddush Hashem in Vilna

Reb Zelig Reuvain Bengis, author of Liflugos Reuvain, av beis din Yerushalayim see www.famousrabbis.com/Bengis

Reb Moshe Blau, Agudas Yisroel activist , and a 6th generation of the Old Yishuv. He was the editor of Agudah's local weekly, Kol Yisroel, and was the brother of Reb Amram Blau of Neturei Karta. From 1933-1945, Reb Blau headed the chareidi community in Jerusalem, working with Yishuv leaders in its dealings with the British Mandate authorities. He died while rescuing Jewish survivors. In 1946, Rabbi Moshe Blau suddenly died in a very dramatic way, at the age of 61: He was on a boat on his way to Europe and the U.S. and died on the Mediterranean island of Messina, where he had been taken off the boat in an effort to perform an emergency operation. His body was flown to Eretz Israel. (1885-1946)

Reb Yissachor Dov Goldstein, head of Kolel Shomrei Hachomos, author of the Likutei He’aros on the Teshuvos Chasam Sofer (1988)

Reb Menachem Manish Safrin, the Komarna Rebbe of Bnei Brak (1990)

Reb Yisroel Mishklov, author of Pe'as Hashulchan , , who led the aliya of the talmidim of the Vilna Gaon (1839)

Reb Yaakov Chaim Sofer, author of Kaf Hachaim, see www.famousrabbis.com/ Kaf Hachaim , (1870-1939). Born in Baghdad and studied there under great Sephardi sages such as the Ben Ish Chai and Reb Abdalah Somech. In 1904, he embarked on the long and arduous journey to Eretz Yisroel, in order to pray at the graves of tzaddikim. After visiting Yerushalayim, he decided to settle there permanently. Once in Yerushalayim, he began to study in the kabbalistic Beis Kel yeshiva in the Old City. This yeshiva, founded by Rav Gedalya Chayon, attracted many of the city's great kabbalistic sages, among them the Rashash, who eventually became its rosh yeshiva. In 1909, Reb Yaakov Chaim transferred to the newly founded Shoshanim leDavid yeshiva, located in the Beis Yisrael section of Yerushalayim. In addition to the Kaf Hachaim, he authored Kol Yaakov (on the laws of writing sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos, as well as various kavanos required for the writing and the donning of tefillin), Yagel Yaakov (a compendium of the Shabbos drashos he delivered while he was in aveilus for his father),and Yismach Yisrael (other chiddushim on the parsha).

Reb Moshe Rivkes, author of Beer Hagolah on Shulchan Aruch, 1672 , . He was one of four great tzadikim of Vilna who lived at the tragic time of the massacres at the hands of the Cossacks in 1655, along with Rav Ephraim (the ShaarEphraim), Rav Shabbsai Cohen (the Shach), and Rav Shmuel Koidenaver. Approximately 25,000 Jews were killed in and around Vilna.

Reb Yitzchak Eizik of Ziditchov (1873)

Sassover Rebbe , Rabbi Simcha Rubin , died London 5763 -2003 . Buried at the Federation Cemetary Edmonton in the Ohel with his father . see PHOTOS of Sassover Rebbe

Reb Yitzchak Alfasi, the RIF

Reb Ezra Harari Raful, mekubal of the Aleppo community

Reb Yidele Horowitz , The Djikover Rebbe who lived in Yerushalayimand moved to London , England and died the same day as Dayan Weiss in 1989 ,( both had been married to the same lady ) buried in Enfield London ( see www.famousrabbis.com/ Reb Yidele )

Reb Yehuda (Reb Yidele ) Horowitz of Dzikov (1905-1989), the only son of Reb Alter Yechezkel, Rebbe of Dzikov, one of the large and important chassidic dynasties in Galicia. However, Yehuda fled any honor or publicity and was never to be seen in the public eye. Reb Yidele was born in Vishnitz where his father lived after he married the daughter of the Vishnitzer Rebbe, the Ahavas Yisroel. When he was still a young boy his father sent him to Tarnov to learn under the posek hador Reb Meir Arik, with whom he stayed for 5 years. In 1927 Reb Yidele married his first cousin, the daughter of his uncle Reb Chaim Meir of Vishnitz. They were never zoche to have children and years later they divorced. In 1936 Reb Yidele accepted the position of dayan in Klausenberg. Every day for half a year Reb Yidele had a six hour chavrusa in Choshen Mishpot with his close friend Reb Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss zt'l (who later became rov of Yerushalayim and interestingly was niftar on the same day as Reb Yidele in 1989 , and they had both been married to the same woman, Reb Yidele divorced his wife and Dayan Weiss married her ). In 1944, when the Nazis invaded Hungary, Reb Yidele escaped to Romania. In 1946, he moved to Eretz Yisrael. After a few years in Tel Aviv, Reb Yidele moved to Yerushalayim and made his home in the beis hamedrash of Reb Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, the rov of Yerushalayim.

Dayan Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (1902-1989) author of Minchas Yitzchak; av beis din in Grosswardein, Romania before WW2, then in Manchester, England (1949-1969), then and av beis din of The Eidah Chareidis in Yerushalayim (1972-1989). see www.famousrabbis.com/ Dayan Weiss , As a young child he basked in the rays of the Zhiditchover Rebbe of Delina, Reb Yehuda Zvi Eichenstein. Reb Yitzchok Yaakov used to have a daily 3 hour chavrusa with his father for many years, during which Reb Yosef Yehuda taught his son the derech that he had acquired from his Rebbe, the Arugas Habosem zt'l. For 13 years Reb Yitzchok Yaakov lived in Delina, until the First World War broke out in 1914 and difficult times came upon the residents of the town. The Russians laid siege to the city and subjected the city to heavy bombardment. Reb Yosef Yehuda decided to seek refuge in Hungary and left Delina for Munkatch, where he had lived until his marriage. In Adar 1944, the Nazis invaded Hungary and immediately started to erect ghettos into which they settled the Yidden. Rav Weiss recorded and documented his harrowing trials and tribulations that he experienced in the war, and his miraculous survival, in the first volume of his sefer Minchas Yitzchok in a special section called "Pirsumei Nissa."

Reb Dovid Pardo of Sarajevo, author of Chasdei Dovid on the Tosefta, and Maskil L'Dovid on Rashi, 1792.

Reb Yaakov Mutzafi, Mekubal , Rov of the Sefardic Eida Chareidis in Yerushalayim (1983)

Reb Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) . The most prominent student of the Vilna Gaon, Rav Chaim established the Volozhin yeshiva in 1803, which was to become the classic model of Lithuanian yeshiva. His most famous work was Nefesh Hachaim, in which he emphasizes the power of Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos to bring a Jew close to G-d. He also authored Ruach Chaim, a commentary on Pirke Avos, and Nishmas Chaim, a collection of responsa.

Reb Moshe Horowitz, Bostoner Rebbe in New York

Reb Nissim Yagen, born in Yerushalayim to Chacham Yaakov. Although for his living he ran a soap and detergent store in the Machane Yehuda market, Chacham Yaakov was a regular at HaRav Mordechai Sharabi's beis hamedrash. His grandfather was a noted scholar from Aleppo who merited gilui Eliyahu Hanovi. Reb Nissim was the oldest son in a family of 14 children; they lived in an apartment of one and a half rooms. He studied in a local cheder and yeshiva ketana, and then for a short period in Slobodke yeshiva in Bnei Brak. When he was 20, he went to Lakewood to learn with Reb Aharon Kotler and Reb Shneur Kotler for 4 years. He also became close to the mashgiach Reb Nosson Wachtfogel. He married a year later and continued his studies in several kollelim. During this time, he regularly attended the mussar shmuessim of Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz and Reb Sholom Schwadron. His first appointment was as rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohel Moed. His first step in reaching out to the secular community was to organize a religious community in Givat Ada near Haifa on behalf of Yeshivas Ohr Somayach. He became the rov of the community which numbered 100 families. When he returned to Jerusalem a few years later, he was appointed the mashgiach in Yeshivas Or Baruch in Bayit Vegan. It was during the 1973 Yom Kippur War that Reb Nissim resolved to dedicate his life to helping Jews return to Judaism; shortly after the war, he founded Arachim. He may truly be considered among the founding fathers of the Teshuva Movement. In 1979 he founded Kehilas Yaakov Kollel on Yosef Ben Matityahu street for baalei tshuva which he continued to run until the end of his life. (1940-1999)

Rav Elazar Menachem Mendel of Lelov (1935-2001). Born on 4 Menachem Av to the Admor of Lelov, Reb Moshe Mordechai, he learned with the Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak as a youth. In 1958, he married the righteous daughter of HaRav Shimon Aharon Hershkowitz, the ga'avad of Slavita. In 1965, he founded his beis medrash on Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Brak. After the petirah of his mother in 1978, he established the Or Menachem network of kollelim. He also founded Kehal Ateres Moshe of the Lelover Chassidim of the United States, now headed by Reb Alter Elazar Menachem's son, Reb Dovid Tzvi Shlomo.

15 Sivan

16 Sivan

Birth, in 1565 BCE, and Yarzheit, in 1446 BCE (or 1436 BCE) of Yehudah, son of Yaakov Avinu

Rabbi Eisenberg , (son in law of the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva Rav Mordecai Gifter, see www.famousrabbis.com/ Rav Gifter)

Reb Tzvi Hirsh Broide, rosh yeshivas Kelm , His wife was Rebbetzin Nechamah Leba Broide, the daughter of the Alter if Kelm. He became very close to his talmid Yechezkel Levenstein, the future mashgiach of Mir and Ponevezh.

Reb Aharon of Karlin, the "Beis Aaron", 1872.The son of Reb Asher of Stolin. He was named for his illustrious grandfather, Reb Aharon of Karlin, the first Karliner Rebbe, and thus he is also known as Reb Aharon the Second Perlov of Karlin.

Reb Yerucham Levovitz, mashgiach Yeshivas Mir see www.famousrabbis.com/Rabbi Levovitz , Jews first began to settle in the town of Mir early in the 17th century, long after the town was established. The town is mentioned in records for 1345. There were over eight hundred Jews in Mir by 1806. By the end of the 19th century, there were more than 3,000 Jews in Mir (62% of the town population). The Mir Yeshiva was founded in 1815. During WWI the Mir Yeshiva headed by Reb Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, moved to Poltava, in the Ukraine and did not return until 1921. Reb Yerucham was born around the year 1874. In his teens, he went to learn in the Slabodka Yeshiva, becoming one of the top students of the Alter of Slabodka, Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel. In his early 20s, he attended Reb Simcha Zissel's yeshiva, the famous Talmud Torah of Kelm. After Reb Yerucham's marriage, he learned in seclusion for eight years, covering the entire Shas. Then he became the mashgiach of the Chafetz Chaim' s yeshiva in Radin. He became mashgiach at Mir in 1910, a position he kept for 26 years. He was niftar in 1936. Among his talmidim were Reb Shimon Schwab and Reb Dovid Povarsky, who later became rosh yeshiva of Ponevezh. His shmuessen were published posthumously by his students, in Daas Chochma U'mussar, Daas Torah and other sefarim.

Reb Yisochor Ber, the ``Saba Kadisha" of Radushitcz, 1843 , Radoszyce), (1765-1843). A disciple of Reb Yaacov Yitzchak, the Chozeh of Lublin, and Reb Yaakov Yitzchak of Pshis'cha.

Reb Yisrael Zev Gustman (1908-1991), a talmid of Reb Shimon Shkop in Grodno, a dayan on the Vilna beis din of Reb Chaim Ozer, rosh yeshiva Netzach Yisrael , Reb Gustman became rosh yeshiva of Ramailles when he was still a young man in Vilna. He served on the beis din of Reb Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky. In fact, he was the youngest dayan in the history of Vilna (at age 19). When the Nazis invaded Vilna, they stormed the yeshiva and invaded Reb Zeev Gustman's private dwelling. Brutally they beat him until he collapsed. By a miracle he was spared, and he fled for his life. In 1961, Reb Gustman moved to Eretz Yisroel and transferred his yeshiva, Netzach Yisroel Ramailles, to the Rechavia section of Yerushalayim. Today its rosh yeshiva is his son- in-law, R' Michel Berniker. One of his first students in Yerushalayim was Reb Moshe Francis, Rosh Kollel of the Chicago Community Kollel. Another talmid was Reb Moshe Lipke, Rosh Kollel of Y'kar Mordechai in Yerushalayim.

Reb Shmuel Hominer of Yerushalayim, author of Eved Hamelech , on the Chumash, and Ikarai Dinim, a summary of the laws of loshon hora with analysis.

Reb Yehuda ibn Atar (1656-1733). He was a student of Reb Vidal HaTzorfati and Reb Menachem Serero. He was the Rav, the Av Beis Din and the Rosh Yeshiva Yeshiva in Fez for 40 years. His book Minchas Yehudah is his commentary on the Torah.

20 Sivan

21 Sivan

Declared a fast day in the Polish communities to commemorate the 5408-09 [1648-49] Chmeilnitzki massacres, [Magen Avraham: 580].

Reb Shloime’le Shapiro, grandson of Reb Zvi Elimelech of Dinov (the Bnei Yissoscher), son of Reb Elazar of Dinov (author of Yode’ei Binah) and grandfather of Reb Chaim Elazar Shapiro (the Minchas Elazar). He became Rov of Munkancz in 1881. (1893).

Reb Shimon ben Gamliel, Reb Yishmael ben Elisha Cohen Gadol, Reb Chanina Sgan Cohanim, of the Ten Martyrs killed by the Romans, commemorated in the Kinah ``Eileh Ezkera" we say on Yom Kippur, and ``Arzei Halevanon" we say on Tisha B'Av. (Megillas Taanis). Once a fast day, (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 580:2).

Reb Yonoson ben Uziel, student of Hillel, author of Targum "Yonoson Ben Uziel" on the whole Tenach. See our feature explaining lighting and candle and praying today for all single people looking for their soulmate and for pictures of the Tomb in Amuka , Israel