Reb Eliezer Hagar, the Dameshek Eliezer , of Vizhnitz, born to the “Ahavas Yisroel” of Vizhnitz, a small town in Bukovina on the eastern slopes of the Capathian Mountains. He married Chava, daughter of Reb Yitzchak Meir of Kapishnitz (1891-1946) . Photo of Grave on Mount of Olives - Har Zeitim Jerusalem. (Photo with thanks to Jerusalem Municipality and M'S').

Reb Avrohom Yitzchak Kook, Chief Rabbi of Israel for 19 years of his life (1935) see www.mizrachi.org/aboutus/leaders/ravkook.asp and www.famousrabbis.com , Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Chief Rabbi of Israel for 19 years of his life (1865-1935). The first chief rabbi of what was then Palestine, Rav Kook was perhaps the most misunderstood figure of his time. Born in Latvia of staunch Chassidic and Misnagid stock, he retained throughout his life a unique blend of the mystical and the rational. He was a thorough master of the entire Halachic, Midrashic, philosophic, ethical, and Kabbalistic literature. He saw the return to Eretz Yisrael as not merely a political phenomenon to save Jews from persecution, but an event of extraordinary historical and theological significance. Rabbi Hutner once said that Rav Kook peered down on our world from great heights and hence his perspective was unique. Above all, Rav Kook pulsated with a sense of the Divine. Though keenly aware of the huge numbers of non-observant Jews, he had a vision of the repentance of the nation. His concept of repentance envisioned in addition to the repentance of the individual, a repentance of the nation as a whole; a repentance which would be joyous and healing. He refused to reject Jews as long as they identified themselves as Jews. He called for and envisioned a spiritual renaissance where "the ancient would be renewed and the new would be sanctified."

Reb Chaim Yehoshua Heshel Rockeach Reb Shia , was Descendant of the Famous Rabbi "Sar" Shulem of Belz, and a grandson of the Premishlaner Rebbe, and Dinover Chassidim , Koznits, The Author "Degel Machane Ephraim" and hence a direct descedant of the Famous Baal Shem Tov who lived in 216 Lordship Road, Stamford Hill, London, and was very close to the Shotzer Rebbe . Buried in Enfield London 5735 - 1975.

Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz , (1886-1948). Pursuing his dream, to “dot the American continent with Hebrew day schools," he founded Torah Umessorah, and he established his "Bais Hamidrash l'Mechanchim" in Monsey, NY.

Reb Yitzchak Tzadikah of Jerba, Tunisia (1880).

Reb Yissachar Ber of Nadvorna (1848)

Reb Yitzchak Yeshaya of Tchetchov, son of the Reb Chaim of Sanz (1943)

Reb Moshe of Boyan-Cracow (1943)

Reb Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk, the Ohr Someach and Meshech Chochma see www.famousrabbis.com/ Or Someach , (1843-1926). In a famous near prophetic passage written before 1926, he presents a brilliant theory of Jewish history in exile and refers to those who forget their origins and think “Berlin is Jerusalem”, and are doomed to destruction (B’chukosai). R' Meir Simcha served as Rabbi of Dvinsk for nearly 40 years. R' Meir Simcha was a strong supporter of the settlement of Eretz Yisrael and greeted the Balfour Declaration with enthusiasm. In 1906 he was offered the position of rabbi of Jerusalem but bowed to the entreaties of his congregants to remain in Dvinsk.

Reb Aryeh Leib Teumim, the author of "Gur Aryeh"

Reb Yeshaya of Przedborz (1756-1831). Born in Lask, near Lodz, he was descended from a rabbinical family. His great-grandfather, Reb Meir Getz, was the Rov of Lask and of Piotrkow. His father, Reb Meir, died when Reb Yeshaya was young, leaving no other son. When he was 14, a wealthy businessman from Przedborz took Reb Yeshaya as a son-in-law. There, he met the Yid Hakadosh, Reb Yaakov Yitzchak. Together, they traveled to Lublin to learn from the Chozeh.

Reb Dovid Zvi Shlomo Biderman of Lelov-Jerusalem (1844-1918); made aliyah in 1851. Leader of Chassidic community of Jerusalem. He was the official head of Kollel Warsaw, and in 1883 succeeded his father as Lelover Rebbe.

Reb Yom Tov Lipman Heller, author of Tosfos Yom Tov on Mishnayos, (1579-1654) Became Rov of Cracow in 1643. Reb Gershon Shaul Yom Tov Lipman Heller (1579-1654). Born several days after the death of his father, Nosson, he was raised by his grandfather, Moshe Wallerstein HaLevi Heller in Vienna. At the age of 13, he was sent to study in Prague with the MaHaRaL. At 18, he was appointed a member of the MaHaRaL's judicial court in Prague, a position he held for 27 years. In 1622, he left Prague for Nicholsburg where he served as Rabbi and Av Beis Din. However, after 6 months he was called to serve in Vienna, as Av Beis Din. The post was considered of major importance in the world wide Jewish community as Vienna at that time was one of the largest existing Jewish communities. In 1627, he was chosen to head the Beis Din of Prague. However, after only 6 months, on 4 Jul 1629, he was imprisoned for 40 days after which he was released penniless. He was forbidden to practice his profession as well. By 1630 the ban was lifted and in 1631, he was asked to take a position in Nimerov. In 1634 he was elected rabbi in Ludmir where he remained for a total of 7 years. In 1641 he became Av Beis Din and Rov of the Jewish community in Crakow where he died 13 years later. He is buried in the Crakow cemetery along the fence in the area devoted to the poor and the needy. In addition to his famous Tosefos Yom Tov, one of the most important commentaries on Misha, he authored the Sefer “Tzuras HaBayis,” a detailed explanation of Rashi’s view of the Third Temple as described by Ezekiel, chapters 40-43. ( thank God that descendants of his survived, especially the Famous Goldberg Family such examples of Kindness and torah learning as Nettie Goldberg . ) Photo above is the grave of the Tosfos Yomtov in Krakow - in the Remah old cemetary in Kazimierz district of Krakow.

Reb Yechezkel Sarna, rosh yeshivas Chevron see www.famousrabbis.com/Reb Sarna , Following his earliest years in Horodok, Reb Sarna wandered through several yeshivos and mentors until he finally settled into the life of Slobodka. At that time, Slobodka's beis midrash was filled with some of the great Torah scholars of Lithuania, including Reb Aharon Kotler, Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky, and Reb Eliezer Man Shach. In 5684, the Lithuanian government had decided to revoke the right of yeshiva students to an exemption from army service. After consulting with the Alter, it was decided that part of the yeshiva should be transferred to Eretz Yisroel. It was decided to transfer the yeshiva to Chevron. In 1926, a new mashpia ruchani was appointed: Reb Leib Chasman. After the petirah of the Alter in the winter of 1917, Rav Yechezkel gained recognition as the mussar leader in the citadel of the Alter, along with Reb Leib Chasman. In Av of 1929, blood baths inundated the country; one of the worst hit was the Jewish settlement in Hevron. During the infamous savage massacre by Hevron's Arabs, twenty-four of the yeshiva's students lost their lives. He himself had gone to Yerushalayim on the Thursday prior to the Shabbos of the massacre, but due to the tense situation he was unable to return to Hevron in time for Shabbos. Rebuilding slowly in Yerushalayim, by Rosh Hashanah the yeshiva had already assumed once more the form of a yeshiva in the full sense of that term.

6 Elul

6 Elul

Reb Yekusiel Teitelbaum of Siget, the Yetev Lev

Reb Meir Zvi Ehrentreu , Manchester Yeshiva Rosh Kollel , son in law of Rabbi Segal www.famousrabbis.com/Reb Meir

Reb Reuven Margulios, author of Margualiyos Hayam (1971)

Reb Aryeh Leib Lopian, Rosh Yeshiva of Gateshead (1979)

Reb Chisdai ben Shmuel HaKohen Perachia (1678). He was the author of responsa called Toras Chessed. He died in Salonika (then Turkey, now Greece).

Birthday (2015) and Yarzheit (2199) of Dan son of Yaakov Avinu (Midrash Tadshe)

Reb Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin, author of Pri Tzadik, Resisei Layla, and other works (1823-1900). The son of Reb Yaakov HaKohen, Rov of Kreisberg, Reb Tzadok studied only the revelead aspects of Torah (halacha and Talmud) until he was 24. Beginning in 1847, he learned only kabbalistic teachings. Rabbi Tzadok became a chasid of the Izbitcher Rebbe and a close friend of Reb Yehudah Leib Eiger. Upon the death of Rebbe Eiger in 1888, he agreed to take over the leadership of the chasidim. Rabbi Tzadok was a prolific writer whose works made an enormous impact with their profound thoughts. Besides writing numerous chidushim, he also wrote scholarly essays on astronomy, geometry, and algebra.

Reb Nachum Mordechai Perlow of Novominsk , see www.famousrabbis.com/ the Novominsker rebbe

Reb Pinchos Shapiro of Koritz

Reb Moshe Yehuda Leib of Peshkan, son of Reb Yitzchak of Bohosh (1947)

Reb Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, the Sadigerer Rebbe , (1820-1883). Reb Avrohom Yaakov married Miriam, the daughter of Reb Aharon Karliner. With the petirah of the Ruzhiner, his position in the town of Sadiger was assumed by his second son, Reb Avrohom Yaakov. During that particular time, Russian Jewry was undergoing a painful and difficult period. Czar Nikolai had embarked on his plan to destroy the Jewish nation; each day brought terrible new decrees, in an attempt to bring the Jews to their knees. When one of the chassidim asked the Ruzhiner in desperation, "Is there nothing that can be done to topple this terrible man?" the Ruzhiner answered him, "My son Avrohom Yaakov, he will topple the Czar...Not long after Reb Avrohom Yaakov became Rebbe, the Czar committed suicide on Purim 1854. On the 8th of Av of 1884, Reb Avrohom Yaakov’s son and successor, Reb Yisroel, had a son, whom he named after his father, Avrohom Yaakov.

Reb Shalom Yosef Friedman, son of Reb Yisroel of Rizhin and brother of Reb Avrohom Yaakov Friedman of Sadigerer (1851)

Reb Simchah Bunim of Pshischa, author of Kol Simchah, (1767-1827) , Reb Simcha Bunim studied in the yeshivos of Mattersdorf and Nikolsburg under the guidance of Reb Mordechai Banet. He became a follower of the Chozeh of Lublin and of the Yid Hakadosh of Pshischa, whom he succeeded as the Rebbe of Pshischa. His writings and homilies express the new approach to Chasidus which placed great emphasis on introspection, self-examination, and intense Torah study. His most famous disciple was Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, The Kotzker Rebbe.

Reb Moshe Elkayam Briah of Kozhnitz (1828)

Reb Shimon of Toledo, son of the Rosh (1342)

Rabeinu Yosef Chayim Ben Eiyahu of Baghdad, Known as the Ben Ish Chai , author of Ben Ish Chai, Od Yosef Chai, Rav Pealim, Ben Yehoyada and Mekabtziel (1834-1909) see HERE FOR FULL HISTORY , Rabbeinu Yosef Chayim of Baghdad, author of Ben Ish Chai, Od Yosef Chai, Rav Pe’alim, Ben Yehoyada, Aderet Eliyahu, and Imrei Bina, and many other works (1832-1904). Both his grandfather, Reb Moshe Chaim, and his father, Reb Eliyahu, served as Rov of Baghdad. Reb Eliyahu and his wife were childless for many years. Finally, 10 years after their marriage, his wife made the long journey from Baghdad to Morocco to request a blessing from the renowned Reb Yaakov Buchatzeira, the Abir Yaakov. The tzaddik blessed her that she would give birth to a child who would one day illuminate the eyes of Jews everywhere. Less than a year later, she gave birth to a boy, who was named Yosef Chaim. As a child, he spent most of his time studying in his father's large library. At the age of 10, he left the Sephardic cheder in which he learned and began to study with his uncle, the tzaddik Reb Dovid Chai Nissim. Reb Dovid later founded the famed Shoshanim LeDavid Yeshiva located in the Beis Yisroel section of Yerushalayim. When his father passed away, Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim was only 25 years old. Nevertheless, the Jews of Baghdad accepted him to fill his fathers position as Rov of Baghdad. His opinion on halachic issues was sought throughout the Sephardi world and is still followed by thousands of people from these communities, and even outside these communities. Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim's son, Reb Yaakov, succeeded him as rav and maggid of Baghdad. His main disciple was the kabbalist and tzaddik Reb Yehuda Moshe Petaya.

Reb Yaakov Yisrael of Tcherkas, son of the Magid of Chernobyl and author of Emek Tefilla (1876)

Reb Yaakov Gezundtheit of Warsaw (1878)

Reb Avrohom Yissochor, the Chesed LeAvraham of Radomsk (1843-1892). The 2nd Rebbe of Radomsk, following, Reb Shlomo HaCohen Rabinowicz (1801-1866), the Tiferes Shlomo.

Rabbi Joseph Bloch of France 1875-1970 , whose son was the famous Rabbi Elie Bloch of Metz, France. Please see here for full history and photos of Rabbin Joseph Bloch including manuscripts of his works.

15 Elul

16 Elul

Reb Chanoch Henach Eiges of Vilna, author of Marcheshes

Reb Yaakov Koppel Chassid, the chazzan of the Baal Shem Tov and founder of the Kosov-Vizhnitz dynasty (1787)

Reb Avroham Landau, the Strikover Rebbe of Bnei Brak (1917-2001). Born in the city of Kinov, in the Ostrovtze region of Poland. His father, Reb Yaakov Yitzchok Dan Hy"d, served as rav of the city Avraham was raised by his grandfather, Reb Elimelech Menachem Mendel, one of the greatest admorim of Poland before the Holocaust. At the age of 13, Avraham began to study in the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. When the Second World War broke out, he was at his parents' home and he fled with his father to Lodz, from which the family fled to Warsaw, and from there, at the directive of his father, young Avrohom fled to Baranowitz. A week after his arrival in Baranowitz he fled to Vilna, during Chanukah 1939. There, he began to study under the Griz (Rav Velvel Soloveitchik) of Brisk. In 1946, he married a great-granddaughter of the Chiddushei Harim of Gur. After their marriage he learned that his father and eight of his siblings had perished in the Holocaust, and that only he and his sister remained alive from the entire Strikover dynasty.

Reb Yaakov Kopel Reich of Kolomay, student of the Baal Shem Tov, and the Chazan in his Beis Midrash, founder of Kosov-Vizhnitz Chassidus, 1769, Av Beis Din in Budapest.

Reb Chaim Benveniste (1603-1673). A disciple of Reb Yosef Trani. Born in Constantinople, he was appointed Rov of Tita (near Izmir) in 1644. In 1658, he was appointed one of the rabbis of Izmir. He became an adherent of Reb Shabsai Tzvi (1665-67) but subsequently repented. He authored a very important work called Kenesses HaGedolah, a digest of halachic material from the time of Rav Yosef Caro until his own time.

Holy Grave Tomb of the "MaHaRal of Prague"

Reb Yehuda Loew, the Maharal, 1609 (great grandfather of Alter Rebbe) , Reb Yehuda Loew, the "Maharal of Prague" (1525-1609). Born in Posen, Poland, on the night of the Pesach Seder, to a distinguished family of rabbis that traced its ancestry to King David. He was the youngest of four brothers. The Maharal married at the age of 32 to Pearl. He had six girls and one boy who was named after the Maharal's father, Beztalel. In 1553 he was elected rabbi of Nikolsburg and the Province of Moravia, where he remained for the following 20 years. In 1573 he moved to Prague, where he opened a yeshiva. In 1592 the Maharal accepted the position of rabbi in Posen, returning to Prague in 1598 to serve as its chief rabbi. The Maharal castigated the educational methods of his day where boys were taught at a very young age and insisted that children must be taught in accordance with their intellectual maturity. One of his leading disciples was Reb Yom Tov Heller, author of the classic mishnaic commentary, Tosafos Yom Tov, who, in his introduction informs us that the Maharal greatly encouraged group study of the Mishna. At the same time, he was fully conversant with the scientific knowledge of his time as well as friendly with some of the contemporary eminent scientists. His disciple, Dovid Ganz, worked in the observatory of Tycho Brahe, the distinguished astronomer. He was a prolific writer, and his works include: Tiferes Yisrael on the greatness of Torah and mitzvos; Netivos Olam, on ethics; Be'er Hagolah, a commentary on rabbinic sayings; Netzach Yisrael, on exile and redemption; Or Chadash, on the book of Esther; Ner Mitzvah, on Chanukah; Gevuros Hashem, on the Exodus; and many others. He was held in great esteem by his contemporaries and has had a profound impact on all streams of Judaism, the "Maharal was the father of the approach of the Gaon of Vilna on the one hand, and of the father of Chasidus, on the other hand." He has been described as a Kabbalist who wrote in philosophic garb.

Harav Abdullah Somech, Rebbe of Ben Ish Chai and head of Iraqi Jewry

Reb Ze’ev Nachum, Rov of Elkush and Biala, father of Reb Avrohom Borenstein of Sochachov (1885).

Reb Chaim Benbenishti, author of Knesses Hagedola

Reb Yaakov of Orleans a Tosafist, student of Rabeinu Tam, who was killed, 1189

Reb Yaakov HaLevi Segal Moellin, "the MaHaRiL" of Mayence, author of Minhagei MaHaRiL, the primary source of Minhagei Ashkenaz, 1427

Rabbi Karp gave shiurim in Daf HaYomi for close to 30 years beginning in 5727 (1967). The shiurim on these pages are recordings of live shiurim given from 5729 – 5735 (1969 - 1975) in the Lubavitcher shul in Montreal, Canada.The library of his shiurim comprises well over 2,500 audio cassettes. ( Please see here for full history )

There is a web site at www.kolavrohom.com which is dedicated to the memory of Harav HaChosid, Harav HaGaon Rav Avrohom Karp ZT"L who passed away who passed away on the 19th of Elul, 5758. Rabbi Karp was born on the 15th of Teves, 5680 (1920) in Frampol, Poland. That website has a full free library of his recorded Daf Hayomi Shiur in Yiddish .

Reb Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, Rosh Yeshivas of Ponovezh (1886-1969) see www.famousrabbis.com/ Ponevezhe and www.famousrabbis.com/Rov . Born in Kuhl, Lithuania, a small town of about 500 of which about a third were Jews. At the age of 14 he went to the Telshe Yeshiva, where he learned until he was twenty, under the direct inspiration of Reb Eliezer Gordon, who saw his potential . He then spent a half year in Novardok, after which he spent three years in Radin under the Chofetz Chaim. He married the daughter of the rov of Vidzh, and took over there at the end of 5671 (1911), when his father-in-law became the rov of Wilkomir. With the passing of Reb Itzele Rabinowitz on the 21st of Adar I in 1919, Reb Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman was appointed the new rav of Ponevezh at the age of 33. He was elected to the Lithuanian parliament. He immigrated to Israel in 1940 and built Kiryat Ha YesHiva in Bnei Brak and Batei Avot orphanages. And saved many children/orphans from the hands of irreligious zionists , especially the Yaldei Tehran - children who escaped from Nazi Europe by walking across Europe to Tehran . ( including the famous Biala Rebbe - Rabbi BenZion Rabinowitz ) .

Reb Eliyahu Lopian (1872-1970), author of Lev Eliyahu; mashgiach of Kelm; Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Etz Chaim in London, and mashgiach at Kfar Chassidim. R' Shalom Schwadron (1911-1997) was one of his talmidim. After having dedicated 25 years of his life to Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, Reb Elyah passed the leadership of the yeshivah over to Rav Greenspan. Reb Elyah moved to Israel in 5710 (1950), when he was 76 years old.

Reb Moshe Aryeh Freund, Av Beis Din of Yerushalayim. Born in Honiad, Hungary, to Reb Yisroel Freund, Av Beis Din of Honiad, and Sara, the daughter of the Rov of Honiad, Reb Zev Goldberger. He could trace his family back to the Rema, the Maharshal, the Shach, and the Beis Yosef. When he was 16, he married his cousin, the daughter of Reb Boruch Goldberger. Before World War II, he served as Rosh Yeshiva in Satmar. In 1944, he was taken to Aushwitz, where his wife and nine children were murdered. In 1951, he settled in Yerushalayim as Rov of the Satmar community. In 1969, he was invited to preside over the beis din of the Eida Hachareidis. (1894-1996)

Reb Avrohom Sternhertz, elder of Breslover chassidim

The Rebbe Reb Yehonosson Eibeshitz, Rov of AHU(Altuna-Hamburg-Wandsback) and Metz, and author of Urim V'tumim ,Yaaros Dvash and Kereisi UFleisi 1764 ----5524 . See our special feature with gravestones of the Rebbe Reb Yehonossan , Born in Cracow, he became head of the Prague yeshiva at the age of twenty-one. In 1741 he became Rabbi in Metz, and in 1750 he became Rabbi of Altona/ Hamburg/ Wandsbeck (AHU), where he had major disagreements with Reb Yaakov Emden and leaders of German Jewry . He was learned in many areas, including halacha, kabbalah, philosophy and science. He was the author of many halachic works, as well as collections of sermons and unpublished works on kabbalah and "Kemayas" , some of which are still in the library in Metz . Thirty of his works in the area of halacha have been published.

Reb Yaakov HaLevi ben Moshe Moellin (the Maharil). Born in Mainz, Germany, he was the primary disciple of Reb Shalom of Neustadt. The Maharil authored Minhagei Maharil, the primary source of Minhagei Ashkenaz, cited frequently by the Rema in Shulchan Aruch. The Maharil lived through the meass slaughter of Jews in Austria in 1420 and the Hussite wars in 1421, which brought suffering to the Jews of Bavaria and the Rhine. (1365-1427) see here for photos of gravesite in Worms .

Reb Boruch Yitzchak Levine (1910-1988). His paternal grandfather was Reb Menachem Nachum, who was very close to the Chofetz Chaim and was a talmidim of Reb Nachum of Horodna, the Chofetz Chaim’s mentor. His maternal grandfather was Reb Yehuda Leib Davidson, a talmid of Reb Yisroel Salanter, who served as Rov in Des Moines, Iowa, and later in Ohio and Los Angeles. Shortloy after his Bar Mitzvah, Reb Boruch Yitzchak went to learn in Grodna under Rav Shimon Shkop, then to Baranovich to learn under Reb Elchonon Wasserman for 3 years. He moved to Eretz Yisroel in 1938 and headed for the Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikva. Within a few months, he married the daughter of Reb Avrohom Yitzchak Tikochinsky. Shortly thereafter, he became Rov of the Mekor Chaim suburb of Yerushalayim and started a yeshiva there with the assistance of Reb Eizek Sher of Slobodka.

Reb Mordechai Dov Ber of Hornesteipel, grandson of the Mitteler Rebbe, author of Haemek Sheelah, 1903

Reb Uri, the Seraph of Strelisk, author of Imrei Kodesh, 1826

Reb Yitzchak Menachem Danziger , the Alexander Rebbe, killed in Treblinka with eight of his children

Reb Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, Chafetz Chaim, Mishnah Berurah and Shmiras HaLashon, (1838-1933) See Special feature here , As a 9-year-old boy, he entered the yeshiva in Vilna. After marrying at 17 years of age, he continued his Torah studies, in spite of extreme poverty, spending every waking moment engrossed in the holy books. The Chofetz Chaim who refused to accept a post as rabbi, opened a general store. His wife, insisting that he continue his Torah studies, managed the store. In 1869 he founded the Yeshivah of Radin. When he was 35 (1873) he published his first book, "Chofetz Chaim" - "Shmiras Haloshon", a compilation of the laws concerning loshon hara - forbidding gossip and slander, lessons in using ones speech constructively . He ultimately published over 20 books. Some important ones are Ahavas Chessed (Love of Kindness) on the mitzvah of lending money, Machaneh Yisroel (The Jewish Camp) for Jews serving in non-Jewish armies, and Nidchei Yisroel (The Scattered of Israel) for Jews who moved to places where there were few religious Jews, particularly America. Probably the most important book he wrote was the Mishna Berurah, a six volume commentary on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, which deals with the general laws of daily conduct, such as prayers, tefillin, blessings, Shabbat, and Festivals. It consists of 6 volumes and took 25 years to complete. Below is the photo of the grave of the Chofetz Chaim .

Reb Naftali Katz, author of Semichas Chachomim, descendent of the Maharal. Born in Ostracha Ukraine in 1649 and died in Istanbul 24 Elul 5479 (1719). He married Esther Sheindl the daughter of Shmuel Shmelke Zak of Ostraha and headed the Yeshiva that his father-in-law built for him. After Rabbi Shmuel died he succeeded him as Rabbi and Av Beis Din. In 1704 he became Rabbi of Frankfurt on Maine until 1711, when a fire broke out in his home and spread from there burning down several hundred homes. Rabbi Naftali was jailed and accused of setting the fire. When he was released, he left for Prague and Breslau and stayed with Zvi Ashkenazi (the Chacham Zvi). They both excommunicated Nechemia Chayun who wrote a book in favor of Shabetai Zvi. He had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters, all married into notable families. Yakov Israel, son of Chacham Zvi, known as Yakov Emden Yavetz, married Rabbi Naftali's daughter Rachel.

Reb Yechezkel Abramsky, Dayan in Slutsk and London, author of Chazon Yechezkel. Student of Reb Chaim Brisker, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. He later made aliyah to Eretz Yisroel where he headed the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

Reb Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov, (1721-1786), student of Baal Shem Tov, then the Maggid of Mezritch. His disciples included Reb Yehoshua Heshel of Apta.

Reb Noson Adler, teacher of the Chasam Sofer, author of Mishnah DiRabi Nasan, 1800

Reb Shulem Rokeach of Belz, founder of Belz Chassidus (1779-1867) , known as the " SAR SHULEM" of Belz . Orphaned at a young age, he was brought up by his uncle, Rav Yissochar Ber, Rav of Skol. He was nurtured by his mentors, the Chozeh of Lublin, Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, the Maggid of Koznitz, and Rav Uri of Strelisk. Among his early students was Rav Shlomo Kluger of Brody. Since the beginnings of the movement, the misnagdim had accused chasidim of devoting too much time to joyous celebrations in fellowship with their rebbes, at the expense of Torah study, which is the bedrock of Judaism. By stressing the overriding importance of in-depth Torah study, the Belzer Rebbe removed the stigma of superficiality that had plagued Chasidism. He was succeeded by his illustrious son, Reb Yehoshua. In the 1940s, the Nazis all but wiped out the splendor that was Belz. After the Holocaust, the disconsolate scattered remnants of Belzer Chasidus - under the leadership of the surviving scion of the Belz dynasty, the young Rabbi Yisachar Dov - miraculously restored the former grandeur of Belz.

King Saul - Shaul Hamelech committed suicide when he saw Yehonossan and his other two sons had been killed in battle .( book of Samuel )

Reb Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, rosh yeshivas Shaar Hashomayim, father of Reb Shlomo Zalman

Reb Yaakov Halevi Lipschitz, author of Zichron Yaakov

Mrs Gothelf (1995), sister of Biala Rebbe, Lugano