Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)

First Rebbe of Bobov

Bobov originated with Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam who was the grandson of Grand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, in the Galician village of Bobowa.

While most of the early yeshivos ("Talmudical academies") originated in Lithuania, the 19th century saw the opening of similar institutions in Poland. The first yeshiva in Poland was established by the first Bobover Rebbe in 1881 in Vishnitsa where he was rabbi then; and it later moved with him to Bobov.

Second rebbe of Bobov

His work was continued by his son, Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam, author of Kedushas Tzion. The Bobov Yeshiva was originally situated only in the town of Bobov itself. However, under his guidance the Chasidus grew in numbers, with Hasidic youth flocking to Bobov. Subsequently as many as sixty branches of the Yeshiva under the name "Eitz Chaim" were established throughout Galicia.

During World War II the Bobov Hasidic movement was destroyed, the Second Rebbe himself perishing in the Holocaust together with thousands of his followers.

Third Rebbe of Bobov

Barely 300 chasidim survived, and the Rebbe's son Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam took it upon himself to rebuild Bobov. He first settled in the West Side of Manhattan; later moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, The Yeshiva was located on the west side of Brooklyn Avenue at 184 Brooklyn Avenue between Park Place and Prospect Place; it later moved to Borough Park. Rabbi Shlomo was known as a very wise man and a Gaon in Midos (giant in good manners/attributes). He was noted for his steadfastness in not taking sides in disputes. This brought him great popularity and respect.

Over the more than fifty years that Rabbi Shlomo was Rebbe of Bobov; he founded and built a vast network of synagogues, chasidic schools for boys and girls (yeshivas), high schools (mesivtas) and post high school houses of learning. Besides schools, a summer camp for boys was founded in 1957 in the Catskills' Ferndale, NY, and a girls camp "Camp Gila" was founded a couple years later. These institutions span the globe. At the time of his death in August 2000, he was mourned by more followers than his father had in pre-War Poland. His Hebrew date of death was the first of Av the same as that of Aaron the Biblical High Priest (Numbers 33:38), which was noted by many for their similar characteristics of "loving peace" (Oheiv Sholom Veroidef Sholom - Loved peace and pursued peace) (Pirkei Ovos 1:12).

Fourth Rebbe of Bobov

With Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam's death, his son Rabbi Naftali Halberstam Naftali Zvi Halberstam succeeded him. Rabbi Naftali Zvi died on March 23, 2005 (12 days in Adar II, 5765) at age seventy-four leaving a wife, two daughters and two sons in-law, Bobov-45 Ruv Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin and Bobov-45 Rebbe Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger.

Fifth Rebbe of Bobov and Bobov-45

After Grand Rabbi Naftali Halberstam of Bobov died in 2005, a dispute arose among Bobover Hasidim as to who should succeed the dynasty leadership, many preferred Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam, while a lesser group preferred Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger the son in law of the late Rebbe. For seven years, while a prolonged arbitration proceeding at a Beth-Din was going on, both groups claimed the rightful Bobov leadership. After seven years of deliberation, Beth Din ruled that only Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam brother of the previous Rebbe can lay claim as the Bobover Rebbe. However, the ruling allowed Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger to call himself Bobov-45, as long as a distinction is noted. .

Important Bobover literature

In addition to those books revered by all Hasidim, the Bobover Hasidim particularly treasure Kedushas Tzion by the second Bobover Rebbe (published by the third Bobover Rebbe), Likutei Kerem Shlomo and Divrei Shlomo by the third Bobover Rebbe.