Hassidic Weddings and Commemorations Fill Israeli Religious News

The wedding of the grandson of the Nadvorna Rebbe, son of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Nayslas and grandson of the Serdaheli Dayan of Bnei Brak, to the daughter of Rabbi Baruch Halberstam, son of the Garlitz Rebbe, was a major event. Hundreds of Hassidim, including other Rebbes and rabbis, attended the celebration at the Municipal Auditorium in Bnei Brak. A highlight was the Nadvorna Rebbe's participation in the "Mitzvah Tantz" dance late at night, accompanied by the singing of "Echad Yachid U'meyuchad" (One, Unique, and Special).

Recent events also included the commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Leib Mintzberg, known as the "Ben Melech," by the Matmidim community. His son led a memorial feast and prayers were offered at his grave. Similarly, the Kretschneff Kiryat Gat Hassidim marked the anniversary of their Rebbe's passing with a memorial feast led by his son, the current Rebbe, who spoke about his father's teachings.

Other celebrations included the engagement of the youngest son of the Ashlag Rebbe, the "Bnei Hichla," to the daughter of Rabbi Uriel Rothenberg. Thousands of Hassidim attended the wedding of the granddaughter of the Vizhnitz Rosh Yeshiva and the Babov Dayan of Bat Yam to the grandson of the Bialla London Rebbe, with the Vizhnitz Rebbe gracing the event from the reception to the late-night dance. The Dushinsky Rebbe was scheduled for a visit to London to raise funds for a Talmud Torah building purchased without government funding.

In a different vein, the Deputy Mayor of Bnei Brak, Yehoshua Mandel, wrote a letter calling for unity within the Vizhnitz Hassidic community, expressing concern for the future of Torah study amidst internal disputes. The article also recounts a story about the Baal Shem Tov and a lost student, and another about the Baal Shem Tov teaching a student the wisdom of understanding animals, which was then forgotten. A somber note was struck with the passing of Rabbi Raziel Steinmetz, a prominent Hassid from Antwerp, who collapsed shortly after arriving in Israel. The article also covered the wedding of the granddaughter of the Nikelsburg Rebbe and the Kretschneff Sighet Rebbe in Monsey, where the Nikelsburg Rebbe danced with his granddaughter. The Kretschneff Jerusalem Rebbe urged his followers to rely solely on God and avoid Zionist ideology on the 61st anniversary of his miraculous survival from a car accident. The Tchernobyl Rebbe held a memorial feast for his father, and the Sanz Rebbe visited Rabbi D. Lando to thank him for his efforts in supporting the Haredi community. Finally, the Dessau and Sulitza Rebbes celebrated the wedding of their granddaughter, the Shidlovtza Rebbe traveled to Poland for the anniversary of Rabbi Natan David of Shidlovtza, and the Skalia and Kapishnitz Rebbes celebrated the wedding of their grandson, with the Skalia Rebbe traveling from the US. A Bar Mitzvah for an orphan grandson of the Drahobitch Rebbe was also attended by many Rebbes, and a fundraising event for the D'Ambrava synagogue in Boro Park featured prominent rabbis.