Yehuda Leib Tsirelson
Encyclopedia
Yehuda Leib Tsirelson wat the Chief Rabbi
of Bessarabia
, a member of the Romania
n parliament, and a prominent Jewish leader and posek
.
, Moishe Chayim. He was considered a prodigy at a very young age and became the Rabbi of Priluki when he was only nineteen. During that time he began writing for various periodicals in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian
. His articles dealt mainly with ongoing Jewish issues, mostly of a political nature. In 1898 he participated in the first all-Russian Zionist conference in Warsaw
. At first he supported the Mizrakhi
movement and required from secular Zionist letting the religious delegates decide on educational programs of the whole Zionist movement, but later he became disappointed in religious and secular Zionism and finally left the movement becoming less moderate.
In 1908 he was appointed chief official and religious rabbi of Kishinev. In 1911 he was one of the signatories of a letter by 300 prominent Russian Rabbis against the antisemitic Beilis affair case. That same year he received the title of honorable citizen of Russian empire
. In 1912 he was among a core group of Jewish leaders and Rabbis who laid the foundation for the Agudat Israel
movement. In 1918 Bessarabia became part of Romania and Rabbi Tsirelson was nominated Chief Rabbi of the whole Bessarabia. He developed there a Jewish educational system, beginning from kindergarten and ending with yeshiva
. Many prominent rabbis, including future Rabbis of Rybnitsa (Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz) and Bohush
, studied in his yeshiva.
After the Soviet Union collapsed, the new Kishinev yeshiva was established in the building of the old one. In 1920 having knowledge of the Romanian language he was elected to represent the Jews of Bessarabia in the Parliament of Romania
in Bucharest
. In 1922 he became the only Bessarabian Jewish representative in the parliament. While the antisemitism in Romania was strongly growing. In parliament Tsirelson tried to warn about the growing antisemitism in Romania, but the delegates refused to publish his speeches in the parliament periodical. As a result, Tsirelson resisgned from parliament in 1926. In 1920 he established the Agudat Israel branch in Kishinev, which later became autonomous. He chaired two Agudat Israel councils in 1923 and 1929. In 1923 he strongly supported Meir Shapiro
's idea of Daf Yomi
. After the Soviet annexation of Bessarabia he was labeled by communist-backed newspapers as an anti-soviet agent. He most likely died on June 25, 1941 during the first bombardment of Kishinev by German forces.
Most of his works were published after his death in Israel and in the United States. Many streets in big Israeli cities such as Tel-Aviv and Bnei Brak bear his name. His great-nephew is the famous Israeli mathematician Boris Tsirelson
.
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 Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, a member of the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n parliament, and a prominent Jewish leader and posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
.
Biography
Yehuda Leib was born in 1859 to the Rabbi of KozeletsKozelets
Kozelets is a historic town located in Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine. Kozelets is located on the Oster River, a tributary of the Dnieper. The city's estimated population is 8,305 ....
, Moishe Chayim. He was considered a prodigy at a very young age and became the Rabbi of Priluki when he was only nineteen. During that time he began writing for various periodicals in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. His articles dealt mainly with ongoing Jewish issues, mostly of a political nature. In 1898 he participated in the first all-Russian Zionist conference in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. At first he supported the Mizrakhi
Mizrachi (Religious Zionism)
The Mizrachi is the name of the religious Zionist organization founded in 1902 in Vilnius at a world conference of religious Zionists called by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. Bnei Akiva, which was founded in 1929, is the youth movement associated with Mizrachi...
movement and required from secular Zionist letting the religious delegates decide on educational programs of the whole Zionist movement, but later he became disappointed in religious and secular Zionism and finally left the movement becoming less moderate.
In 1908 he was appointed chief official and religious rabbi of Kishinev. In 1911 he was one of the signatories of a letter by 300 prominent Russian Rabbis against the antisemitic Beilis affair case. That same year he received the title of honorable citizen of Russian empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. In 1912 he was among a core group of Jewish leaders and Rabbis who laid the foundation for the Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
movement. In 1918 Bessarabia became part of Romania and Rabbi Tsirelson was nominated Chief Rabbi of the whole Bessarabia. He developed there a Jewish educational system, beginning from kindergarten and ending with yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
. Many prominent rabbis, including future Rabbis of Rybnitsa (Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz) and Bohush
Bohush (Hasidic dynasty)
The Bohush Hasidic dynasty is one of the five dynasties deriving from the Ruzhin dynasty.It was founded by Rebbe Yitzchok Friedman who was the grandson of Reb Yisroel Friedman, the rebbe of the Ruzhin dynasty. Yitzchok Friedman became the leader of the Ruzhin dynasty after the death of his father...
, studied in his yeshiva.
After the Soviet Union collapsed, the new Kishinev yeshiva was established in the building of the old one. In 1920 having knowledge of the Romanian language he was elected to represent the Jews of Bessarabia in the Parliament of Romania
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. In 1922 he became the only Bessarabian Jewish representative in the parliament. While the antisemitism in Romania was strongly growing. In parliament Tsirelson tried to warn about the growing antisemitism in Romania, but the delegates refused to publish his speeches in the parliament periodical. As a result, Tsirelson resisgned from parliament in 1926. In 1920 he established the Agudat Israel branch in Kishinev, which later became autonomous. He chaired two Agudat Israel councils in 1923 and 1929. In 1923 he strongly supported Meir Shapiro
Meir Shapiro
Yehuda Meir Shapiro , , was a prominent Hasidic rabbi and rosh yeshiva, also known as the Lubliner Rav...
's idea of Daf Yomi
Daf Yomi
Daf Yomi "page [of the] day" or "daily folio") is a daily regimen undertaken to study the Babylonian Talmud one folio each day...
. After the Soviet annexation of Bessarabia he was labeled by communist-backed newspapers as an anti-soviet agent. He most likely died on June 25, 1941 during the first bombardment of Kishinev by German forces.
Most of his works were published after his death in Israel and in the United States. Many streets in big Israeli cities such as Tel-Aviv and Bnei Brak bear his name. His great-nephew is the famous Israeli mathematician Boris Tsirelson
Boris Tsirelson
Boris Semyonovich Tsirelson is a Soviet-Israeli mathematician and Professor of Mathematics in the Tel Aviv University in Israel.-Biography:Boris Tsirelson was born in Leningrad to a Russian Jewish family...
.