General16:50 · Jul 7

Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Cohen, Belz Hasidic Leader, Dies at 94 After Lifelong Devotion

Behadrei HaredimReligious

Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba

Key points

01Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Cohen, a Belz Hasidic elder, died at age 94 in Bnei Brak.
02He survived the Holocaust in Budapest, enduring Nazi persecution and family separation.
03Cohen emigrated to Australia in 1948, helping found Melbourne’s first Jewish prayer quorum.
04In 1971, he moved to Israel, dedicating himself to Torah study and community leadership.
05He founded multiple mikvahs in Israel, including the major Belz World Center mikvah in Jerusalem.
06His funeral procession passed key synagogues and ended at Segula Cemetery in Petah Tikva.

In this story

People

Shmuel Yehuda Cohen, Yaakov Chaim, Leah, Rabbi Yitzchak Shlomo Ungar, Rabbi Aharon Rokeach, Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach, Rabbi Moshe Friedman

OrganizationsBelz Hasidic Dynasty, Bergen-Belsen, Chug Hatam Sofer Yeshiva, Bohush Hasidic Court

PlacesBudapest, Australia, Melbourne, Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, Givatayim, Petah Tikva

The story · English

Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Cohen, a revered elder of the Belz Hasidic community and a key figure in its development, passed away at the age of 94. Born in Budapest in 1932 to Rabbi Yaakov Chaim and Leah, he survived the Holocaust, during which his family endured Nazi persecution, including internment in protective houses and near execution at the Danube River. His father was taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp but returned after the war through the efforts of Rabbi Yitzchak Shlomo Ungar.

After the war, Cohen studied in prominent yeshivas in Hungary and maintained a lifelong connection to his mentors. In 1948, as communist rule intensified, his family emigrated to Australia, settling in Melbourne where they helped establish the first Jewish prayer quorum and community infrastructure. He married the daughter of a close Hasidic family and was deeply connected to Melbourne’s rabbinic leadership.

In 1971, Cohen immigrated to Israel, settling in Bnei Brak. Known for his heartfelt prayer and dedication to Torah study, he was closely associated with leading rabbis, including Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz and Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach. He devoted significant efforts to promoting ritual purity, founding several mikvahs in Israel, notably the grand mikvah at the Belz World Center in Jerusalem, contributing greatly to the community’s spiritual infrastructure.

In his later years, Cohen withdrew from business to focus entirely on Torah study and communal support, co-founding an evening study group for homeowners. He was known for his humility and gratitude, even as his health declined. His funeral procession in Bnei Brak passed through key synagogues and ended at Segula Cemetery in Petah Tikva, with mourners honoring his request to pass by the grave of the Bohush Rebbe in Givatayim.

Rabbi Cohen’s life was marked by resilience, leadership, and dedication to Jewish continuity, leaving a lasting legacy within the Belz Hasidic dynasty and the broader Jewish world.

Read the original at Behadrei Haredim