Rabbi Dovid Kviat was a Rosh Yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...

 in the Mirrer Yeshiva

Mir yeshiva (Brooklyn)

The Mir yeshiva , commonly known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, is officially registered with the College Board as the Mirrer Yeshiva Central Institute. It is a prominent, Haredi yeshiva located in Brooklyn, New York known for its excellence in talmudic studies.Its long-time Rosh Yeshiva was...

 in Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

 and the Rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

 of the Agudas Yisroel

Agudath Israel of America

Agudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...

 Synagogue of 18th Avenue.

Rabbi Kviat was one of the last “Alte Mirrer”, the title given to those who studied in the Mirrer Yeshiva

Mir yeshiva (Poland)

The Mir yeshiva , commonly known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, was a Haredi yeshiva located in the town of Mir, Russian Empire...

 in Poland, and who survived the hands of the Nazis by fleeing with the entire Yeshiva through Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

 to Kobe, Japan (through the efforts of Chiune Sugihara

Chiune Sugihara

was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan. Most of the Jews who escaped were refugees from...

); and on to Shanghai, China.

Biography

Rabbi Kviat was born in Białystok, Poland. His father was Rabbi Avrohom Eliezer Kviat. Rav Avrohom Eliezer was a student of both the Slabodka Yeshiva

Slabodka yeshiva

Hebron Yeshiva, also known as Yeshivas Hevron, or Knesses Yisroel, and originally as Slabodka Yeshiva, is known colloquially as the "mother of yeshivas" and was devoted to high=level study of the Talmud. The yeshiva was located in the Lithuanian town of Slabodka, adjacent to Kovno , now...

 as well as the Novardok yeshiva

Novardok yeshiva

The Novardok yeshiva in Navahrudak, then the Russian Empire, was one of the biggest and most important yeshivas in pre-World War II Europe, and a powerful force within the Mussar movement. The yeshiva was established in 1896, together with a Kollel for married men, under the direction of Rabbi...

 in Europe, although he was a Slonimer

Slonim (Hasidic dynasty)

Slonim is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the town of Slonim, which is now in Belarus.Today, there are two Slonimer Rebbes, both in Israel: one resides in Jerusalem and the other in Bnei Brak...

 Chasid

Hasidic Judaism

Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...

. Rav Dovid had two older brothers, Yaakov and Yisroel.

The Kviat family was extremely poor as were most residents of Białystok at the time. At the age of three, Rav Dovid's mother, Chaya Reisha, died. Reb Dovid’s aunt helped take care of him after that.

The Torah education system in Białystok was unique in that the Cheder

Cheder

A Cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.-History:...

 and the Mesivta

Mesivta

Mesivta is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva high school for boys. The term is commonly used in the United States to describe a yeshiva that emphasizes Talmudic studies for boys in grades 9 through 11 or 12; alternately, it refers to the religious studies track in a yeshiva high school that offers both...

 Yeshiva were both in the same city and under the same educational system. Most other cities only had a cheder.

Reb Dovid’s two older brothers continued after Mesivta in the Slominer Yeshiva called Toras Chesed. For some reason, Reb Dovid chose to go to one of the Lithuanian

Lithuanian Jews

Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...

 Yeshivos instead of the Slominer Yeshiva. The choices were between the Yeshivos of Kaminetz and Mir. Reb Dovid chose Mir.

Rabbi Kviat is most famous for his works on the Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

 entitled “Sukas Dovid.” Rav Kviat has written commentaries on the bible and the Jewish holiday

Jewish holiday

Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...

s, also named “Sukas Dovid.”

He was interred on the Mount of Olives

Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...

.