The Sanz (or Tsanz) Hasidic dynasty was founded by Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (1793–1876) who was the rabbi of Nowy Sącz (Sanz, Yiddish: צאנז Tsanz) and the author of the work Divrei Chaim by which name he is known as well. He was a son-in-law of Rabbi Boruch Frankel Thumim (1760–1828), the rabbi of Lipník nad Bečvou (לייפניק Leipnik) and author of the work Boruch Taam.
The Divrei Chaim was a disciple of Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz, who was a disciple of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, the leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism.
The Divrei Chaim had fourteen children; his seven sons were:
- Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam (1814–1898) of Shinive;
- Rabbi Duvid Halberstam (1821–1894) of Kshaniv;
- Rabbi Myer Nosson Halberstam (1827–1855), father of Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam, the first Bobover Rebbe;
- Rabbi Boruch Halberstam (1829–1906) of Gorlice (גארליץ Gorlitz);
- Rabbi Aharon Halberstam, his successor in Nowy Sącz;
- Rabbi Shulem Lazer Halberstam of Ratzfert (1862–1944), who was murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust;
- Rabbi Yeshaye Halberstam of Czchów (טשחויווTshkhoiv) (1864–1944), who was also murdered by the Nazis;
and seven daughters; among them a daughter Reitza who married Rabbi Mordecai Dov Twerski, the Admor of Hornsteipl.
Grand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (1793–1876) of SanzRabbi Mayer Noson Halberstam (1827–1855), son of Rabbi Chaim of SanzGrand Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1847–1905), first Bobover Rebbe, author of Ateres Shlomo, son of Rabbi Mayer NosonGrand Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam (1874–1941), second Bobover Rebbe, author of Kedushas Tzion, son of Rabbi Shlomo HalberstamGrand Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1907–2000), third Bobover Rebbe, son of Rabbi Ben ZionGrand Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Halberstam (1931–2005) fourth Bobover Rebbe, son of Rabbi Shlomo HalberstamGrand Rabbi Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (born 1955), present Bobover Rebbe, son of Rabbi Shlomo (II)Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger (born 1954) present Bobov-45 Rebbe, son-in-law of Rabbi Naftali TzviGrand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of SanzRabbi Aaron Halberstam (1826–1903), Sanzer Rav; son of Rabbi ChaimRabbi Arye Leibish Halberstam (1852–1935), Sanzer Rav; son of Rabbi AaronRabbi Mordechai Zev Halberstam (1882–1942), Sanzer Rav; son of Rabbi Aryeh LeibishRabbi Boruch Halberstam (1903–1942), Gribover Rav; son of Rabbi Mordechai ZevRabbi Naftali Halberstam, Sanz-Gribover Rebbe in Boro Park, son of Rabbi BoruchThe following dynasties stem from Rabbi Boruch Halberstam, the Gorlitser Rov:
Grand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of SanzGrand Rabbi Boruch Halberstam of Gorlitz, son of Rabbi Chaim of SanzGrand Rabbi Elisha Halberstam (1860–1941) – died in SiberiaGrand Rabbi Boruch Halberstam (died 1982) of Gorlitz-Bnei Brak, son-in-law of Rabbi Yisochor Shlomo Teichtal of Pishtian, author of Eim Habonim S'meichoGrand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (1793–1876) of Sanz.Grand Rabbi Baruch Halberstam (1829–1906) of Gorlitz, son of Rabbi Chaim of SanzGrand Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Halberstam (1851–1918), of Ridnik, son of Rabbi BaruchGrand Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam (1904–1994), the First Sanz Klausenberger Rebbe, son of Rabbi TzviGrand Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Halberstam, present Sanzer Rebbe in Kiryat Sanz, Netanya, Israel, son of Rabbi Yekusiel YehudahGrand Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Halberstam, present Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe in Brooklyn, New York, USA, son of Rabbi Yekusiel YehudahGrand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of SanzGrand Rabbi Baruch Halberstam of Gorlitz, son of Rabbi Chaim of SanzGrand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam (1870–1941), the first Zhmigroder Rebbe, a son of Rabbi Boruch of Gorlitz; died in the Omsk forest, Siberia.Grand Rabbi Yaakov Halberstam (1902–1967), the Tshakover Rebbe, son-in-law of the Shotzer RebbeGrand Rabbi Meir Halberstam, Tshakover Rebbe of Bnei BrakGrand Rabbi Naftali Halberstam, Tshakover Rebbe of JerusalemRabbi Moshe Halberstam, Rosh Yeshiva of Tshakove in Jerusalem, halachic authority and member of the Edah HaChareidis, died in 2006.Rabbi Chacham Tzvi Halberstam (1937–1972), author of Toldot ha-Maggid mi-Kozhnits.Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, rabbi of the Shikkun Gimel district of Bnei BrakGrand Rabbi Naftali Elimelech Halberstam, Leipniker Rebbe of Bnei BrakGrand Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (1909–7 January 2007), the second Zhmigroder Rebbe, son-in-law of the Stretiner Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Yehuda Tsvi Brandwein. Author of Arye Sho'ag, died in Netanya. In his youth he studied under the Tshebiner Rov and Rabbi Meir Shapiro. During World War II had to leave Zhmigrid for Kraków, then Lviv and eventually Siberia. He served as a rebbe in Petah Tikva, where he found the Divrei Chaim Synagogue, Yafo and Bnei Brak. For a short period in 1950 he lived in Antwerp.Grand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, Sanz-Zhmigroder Rebbe of Borough Park (50th Street), son of Rabbi Aryeh LeibishGrand Rabbi Yehosua Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Antwerp, son of Rabbi Aryeh LeibishGrand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Aryeh LeibishGrand Rabbi Yisrael Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of AmericaGrand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Borough Park (43rd Street), son of Rabbi YisraelThe main Hasidic works revered by the Sanz Dynasty are Divrei Chaim, by Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Tsanz and Divrei Yechezkel by his son, Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam.
The place name Sanz in Poland should not be confused with the city Sens in France, for which another name is Shanz, as in Tos'fos Shanz, the title of famous commentators of the Talmud. Shanz is also sometimes spelled Shantz.
