Difference between revisions of "Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)"

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'''Bobov''' (or '''Bobover Hasidism''') is a [[Hasidic dynasties|Hasidic]] community within [[Haredi Judaism]], originating in Bobowa, Galicia, in southern Poland,<ref name="NYT2005">[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/obituaries/naftali-halberstam-dies-at-74-bobov-hasidims-grand-rabbi.html Naftali Halberstam Dies at 74; Bobov Hasidim's Grand Rabbi]''The New York Times'', March 25, 2005.</ref> and now headquartered in the neighborhood of Borough Park, in Brooklyn, New York.<ref>Mintz, Jerome, 1998 ''Hasidic People'' Harvard University Press p.120.</ref>
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{{short description|'''Galician Hasidic dynasty headquartered in Borough Park, Brooklyn, with courts in Israel including the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit'''}}
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{{Infobox religious group
 +
| name = Bobov
 +
| native_name = חסידות באבוב
 +
| abbreviation =
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| type = [[Hasidic]] court (Haredi Judaism)
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| main_classification = [[Hasidism]] (Sanz line)
 +
| structure = Hereditary rebbe; split courts since 2005
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| leader_title = Bobover Rebbe
 +
| leader_name = [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]]
 +
| leader_title2 = Bobov-45 Rebbe
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| leader_name2 = [[Mordechai Dovid Unger]]
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| founded_date = late 19th century
 +
| founded_place = [[Bobowa]], Galicia
 +
| founder = [[Shlomo Halberstam (first Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]]
 +
| members = About 4,500 households combined (c. 2016)
 +
| area = [[United States]], [[Israel]] and occupied Palestinian territory, [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]], [[Belgium]]
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| language = Yiddish, Hebrew, English
 +
| headquarters = 48th Street, [[Borough Park, Brooklyn]] (main court)
 +
}}
  
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Bobov developed into a leading Hasidic dynasty through the leadership of [[Shlomo Halberstam (third Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]], a Holocaust survivor.
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'''[[Bobov]]''' (or '''Bobover Hasidism'''; Yiddish: בּאָבּאָװ) is a [[Hasidic dynasties|Hasidic]] community within [[Haredi Judaism]], originating in [[Bobowa]], Galicia, in southern Poland, and now headquartered in [[Borough Park, Brooklyn]].<ref name="NYTObit">Andy Newman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/obituaries/naftali-halberstam-dies-at-74-bobov-hasidims-grand-rabbi.html Naftali Halberstam Dies at 74; Bobov Hasidim's Grand Rabbi] ''The New York Times'', 25 March 2005.</ref><ref name="Mintz">Jerome R. Mintz, ''Hasidic People: A Place in the New World'', Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998, p. 120.</ref> The court grew into one of the larger Hasidic dynasties under [[Shlomo Halberstam (third Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]] (1907–2000), a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt the community in New York after 1945.<ref name="EncycBobov">''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' via Encyclopedia.com, [https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bobov Bobov] ''Encyclopedia.com'', accessed September 2026.</ref>
  
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There are currently two independent Bobov communities, each with their own rebbes and institutions. The first, which carries the name Bobov and inherited all Bobov institutions, is led by [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam|Benzion Halberstam]]. The second one, named [[Bobov-45]], broke away from the main group in 2005, and established their own institutions; they are led by [[Mordechai Dovid Unger|Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger Shlita]].
+
There are two independent Bobov communities, each with its own rebbe and institutions. The court that retained the unadorned name [[Bobov]] and the pre-2005 assets is led by [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]]. The breakaway court [[Bobov-45]], formed after the death of [[Naftali Tzvi Halberstam]] in 2005, is led by [[Mordechai Dovid Unger]].<ref name="NYT2005">Andy Newman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/26/nyregion/a-battle-for-succession-takes-no-holiday.html A Battle for Succession Takes No Holiday] ''The New York Times'', 26 March 2005.</ref><ref name="Heilman2017">Samuel C. Heilman, [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780520966482-006/html Bobov: A Clash of Families] in ''Who Will Lead Us? The Story of Five Hasidic Dynasties in America'', Oakland: University of California Press, 2017.</ref> [[Marcin Wodziński]] counted about 3,000 households with mainline Bobov and about 1,500 with Bobov-45 from internal telephone directories around 2016.<ref name="Seforim2018">Seforim Blog, [https://seforimblog.com/2018/09/a-conversation-with-professor-marcin/ A Conversation With Professor Marcin Wodziński on Hasidism] ''The Seforim Blog'', 2 September 2018.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Communities exist in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; [[Monsey, New York]]; Los Angeles; [[Lakewood, New Jersey]]; Linden, New Jersey; Montreal; Toronto; Antwerp; and London.<ref name="NYTObit" /> In Israel the court has branches in [[Jerusalem]], [[Bnei Brak]], [[Ashdod]], [[Elad]], the enclave Kiryas Bobov in [[Bat Yam]], and the West Bank settlement of [[Beitar Illit]].<ref name="Rabinowicz">Tzvi Rabinowicz, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0765760681 Hasidism in Israel: A History of the Hasidic Movement], Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, 2000.</ref><ref name="EncycBobov" />
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
 
 +
[[Shlomo Halberstam]] (1847–1905), grandson of [[Chaim Halberstam]] of [[Sanz]], established the court in [[Bobowa]]. His son [[Ben Zion Halberstam]] (1874–1941), author of ''Kedushas Tzion'', built a network of yeshivas across Galicia before he and much of his family were murdered in the Holocaust.<ref name="EncycBobov" /> His son [[Shlomo Halberstam (third Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]] escaped via Italy, reached New York in 1946, and reconstituted the court first on Manhattan’s West Side, then Crown Heights, then Borough Park. Encyclopedia.com records that only a few hundred Bobover Hasidim survived the war and that the rebuilt American school system later enrolled about 7,000 pupils.<ref name="EncycBobov" />
 +
 
 +
[[Shlomo Halberstam]] died in 2000 and was succeeded by his son [[Naftali Tzvi Halberstam]] (1931–2005). [[Naftali]] left no sons. On 23 March 2005 a succession fight opened between his half-brother [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]] and his younger son-in-law [[Mordechai Dovid Unger]]. ''The New York Times'' reported punches in the main synagogue on 15th Avenue the morning after the funeral.<ref name="NYT2005" /> A Brooklyn civil case was sent to rabbinic arbitration. On 21 August 2014 a ''beth din'' awarded the name “Bobov”, the historic buildings and almost all assets to [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]], allowed [[Unger]] only a qualified name such as Bobov-45, and ordered a $6.2 million cash allotment to the breakaway side after reported arbitration costs of about $8 million.<ref name="Heilman2017" /><ref name="Bhol2014">Behadrei Haredim, [https://www.bhol.co.il/news/150884 Unequivocal verdict: There is only one Bobov] ''Behadrei Haredim'', 25 August 2014.</ref>
 +
 
 +
== Leadership ==
 +
 
 +
* First Rebbe: [[Shlomo Halberstam (first Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]] (1847–1905)
 +
* Second: [[Ben Zion Halberstam]] (1874–1941)
 +
* Third: [[Shlomo Halberstam (third Bobover rebbe)|Shlomo Halberstam]] (1907–2000)
 +
* Fourth: [[Naftali Tzvi Halberstam]] (1931–2005)
 +
* Fifth (main court): [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]] (born 1955)
 +
* Bobov-45: [[Mordechai Dovid Unger]] (born 1954); dayan [[Yehoshua Rubin]]
 +
 
 +
[[Yaakov Yisroel Meisels]] has been named as Bobover rav of Kiryat Bobov in [[Bat Yam]]. [[Ben Zion Blum]] has been named Bobover dayan in London.<ref name="EncycBobov" />
 +
 
 +
== Politics and Zionism ==
 +
 
 +
Encyclopedia.com states: “The Israeli branch pursues a non-confrontational but non-Zionist stance vis-à-vis the Israeli government. Their sons do not serve in the [[IDF]].”<ref name="EncycBobov" /> That formula is the usual description of both successor courts. Non-Zionist theology has not prevented settlement in [[Beitar Illit]] or receipt of Israeli municipal and educational infrastructure in Haredi towns inside the Green Line and beyond it.<ref name="Rabinowicz" />
 +
 
 +
== Locations ==
 +
 
 +
=== United States ===
 +
 
 +
The world centre is Borough Park. Main-court institutions cluster on 48th Street and 15th Avenue ([[Kehal Shaarei Zion]] / Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion campus). Bobov-45 gathered first on 45th Street and later at 1362 49th Street.<ref name="Heilman2017" /> Other US points include Williamsburg; Monsey and Rockland County; Lakewood and Linden / Union, New Jersey; Los Angeles; and Staten Island congregations registered under Bobov titles.
 +
 
 +
=== United Kingdom ===
 +
 
 +
London Bobov is centred in Stamford Hill. [[Kahal Chassidim Bobov]] (charity 278823) has its office at 87 Egerton Road, London N16, and states that it advances “the world-wide organisation of Chassidim of the Grand Rabbi Bobov” in the United Kingdom “or elsewhere.”<ref name="GiGKahal">Giving is Great, [https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=278823 Kahal Chassidim Bobov] ''Giving is Great'', accessed September 2026.</ref> [[Mosdos Bobov]] (1151332) is at 253 Kyverdale Road, London N16.<ref name="CCMosdos">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5033365/full-print MOSDOS BOBOV – 1151332] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed September 2026.</ref> JCR-UK records a separate [[Bobov-45]] Beth Hamedrash on Clapton Common from 2006, affiliated to the [[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]], distinct from Kehal Chasidei Bobov of Egerton Road.<ref name="JCRUK">JCR-UK, [https://jewishgen.org/JCR-UK/London/stamford_shteibls/bobov-45.htm Bobov-45 Beth Hamedrash, Clapton Common, London E5] ''JewishGen / JCR-UK'', accessed September 2026.</ref> Manchester / Salford is listed among areas of operation of the [[ABC Trust]].<ref name="CCABC">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4020028/full-print THE ABC TRUST – 1126661] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed September 2026.</ref>
 +
 
 +
=== Canada and Belgium ===
 +
 
 +
Toronto and Montreal have Bobov kehillos; Friends of Bobov Toronto is a US 501(c)(3) that states its purpose as support for Bobov educational and religious institutions in Toronto.<ref name="CauseToronto">Cause IQ, [https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/friends-of-bobov-toronto,463308535/ Friends of Bobov Toronto] ''Cause IQ'', accessed September 2026.</ref> Antwerp is a long-standing European branch.<ref name="EncycBobov" /> UK Bobov charities list Belgium as an area of operation.<ref name="GiGKahal" /><ref name="CCMosdos" />
 +
 
 +
=== Israel inside the Green Line ===
 +
 
 +
Encyclopedia.com records a Bobov community just outside [[Bat Yam]] and large yeshivas in [[Jerusalem]] and [[Bnei Brak]].<ref name="EncycBobov" /> Kiryat Bobov / Kedushat Tzion–Bobov is listed at 12 Kiryat Bobov Street, Bat Yam, under [[Yaakov Yisrael Yashrun Meiselish]], Israeli company number 580045771, covering yeshiva, Talmud Torah, kollel and girls’ schools.<ref name="TorahIndex">Torah Index, [http://www.torahindex.com/EN/Inst/institutionsDetail.aspx?index=1&instID=3853 Kedushat Tzion – Bobov] ''Olam HaTorah / Torah Index'', accessed September 2026.</ref> Further communities are reported in [[Ashdod]], [[Elad]] and Beit Shemesh.<ref name="Rabinowicz" />
 +
 
 +
=== Occupied Palestinian territory ===
 +
 
 +
[[Beitar Illit]] (Betar Illit), established from 1985–1990 on land taken from the Palestinian villages of Husan and Nahalin in the Gush Etzion bloc south-west of Jerusalem, is treated as an illegal settlement under international law. Bobov families were among the Haredi groups that populated the town as it grew into a large ultra-Orthodox city.<ref name="Rabinowicz" /> Both main Bobov and [[Bobov-45]] maintain a presence there. Haredi settlement in [[Beitar Illit]] and [[Modi'in Illit]] has been driven largely by housing costs rather than Religious-Zionist ideology, but it still expands Israeli civilian control over occupied land.<ref name="EncycBobov" /> Published charity filings for UK and US Bobov vehicles name “Israel” as a field of operation and do not publish a line-by-line split between activity inside the 1949 Armistice lines and activity in [[Beitar Illit]] or other occupied territory.
 +
 
 +
== Institutions (main court) ==
 +
 
 +
Samuel Heilman’s account of the 2014 award lists the principal pre-split assets that stayed with [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]]: New and Old Beis Medrash; yeshiva buildings on 48th and 42nd Streets; mesivta buildings; Bnos Zion buildings; Kerem Shlomo; mesivta camp in the Poconos; Camps Shalva, Kerem Shlomo and Gila; and the corporate names Kehal Shaarei Zion, Yeshivah Bnei Zion, Bnos Zion, Mesivta Eitz Chaim, Kollel Zichron Chaim and Ameidei Zion.<ref name="Heilman2017" />
 +
 
 +
[[Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion]] (EIN 11-2202774) is the accredited higher yeshiva on the Borough Park 48th Street campus, also housing the kehillah’s main synagogue and library.<ref name="EncycBobov" /> Related US corporations include Bobover Yeshivah Bnei Zion (11-1753991), Bnos Zion of Bobov Inc. (11-2288765), Amidei Zion of Bobov Inc. (11-2575751), Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov (11-2428571), Talmudical Seminary of Bobov (38-3726543) and United Bobov International Inc. (11-2589111).<ref name="CauseShaarei">Cause IQ, [https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/congregation-khal-shaarei-zion-bobov,854005332/ Congregation Khal Shaarei Zion Bobov] ''Cause IQ'', accessed September 2026.</ref> Bobov In Israel Inc. (13-1912599) and Bobov Foundation Inc. (35-2317929) appear on IRS auto-revocation lists.
 +
 
 +
== Institutions (Bobov-45) ==
 +
 
 +
[[Bobov-45]] built a parallel set of schools, halls and congregations after 2005. US filings include Congregation Bobov 45 (82-1954183), Yeshiva Ketana of Bobov 45 Inc. (47-5018408) and Chevra Kadisha of Bobov 45 (84-3109913). ''Mishpacha'' reported building programmes said to exceed $170 million and nearly 4,000 pupils in Borough Park ''mosdos'' alone.<ref name="Mishpacha">Mishpacha, [https://mishpacha.com/my-rebbe-my-rebbi/ My Rebbe, My Rebbi] ''Mishpacha'', accessed September 2026.</ref>
 +
 
 +
== UK and US money to Israel and occupied territory ==
 +
 
 +
Several Britain-registered vehicles tied to Bobov list '''Israel''' (and often the United States and Belgium) among their operating countries. Commission summaries do not state whether grants stay inside the Green Line or reach [[Beitar Illit]].
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|+ UK charities linked to Bobov that list Israel as an area of operation
 +
! Charity !! Number !! Office !! Stated overseas areas !! Notes
 +
|-
 +
| [[Kahal Chassidim Bobov]] || 278823 || 87 Egerton Road, London N16 || Israel, United States, Belgium, Austria || Objects: advancement of the Bobov organisation “in the United Kingdom or elsewhere”; grant-making and voucher system; latest reported income about £2.59 million (year to March 2025).<ref name="GiGKahal" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Mosdos Bobov]] || 1151332 || 253 Kyverdale Road, London N16 || Israel, United States, Belgium || Grants to individuals and organisations; income £63,367 (year to 31 July 2024).<ref name="CCMosdos" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[ABC Trust]] (working names include Association of the Bobov Community; British Friends of Tzidkas Eretz Hakodesh Israel) || 1126661 || Hackney / Haringey / Salford || Israel, United States || Objects include advancing education “in Israel and in United States of America.”<ref name="CCABC" />
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
The [[Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association]] (313890), controlled by the [[Freshwater]] family of Bobov descent, has made large UK grants to Bobov-named bodies, including Bobov Cheder Trust (£1.749 million across 2020–22), Kahal Chasidim Bobov (£358,000 across 2018–22), Bobov Foundation F.O. (£162,000) and Friends of Bobov Foundation (£23,000), as well as Israeli and “Eretz Yisrael” institutions such as Chibas Yerushalayim Kollel, Brisk Yeshiva and British Friends of Kupath Ha'ir.<ref name="Thirdsector">Jenna Pudelek, [http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity-commission-tells-jewish-charity-appoint-least-one-fully-independent-trustee/governance/article/1224872 Charity Commission tells Jewish charity to appoint at least one 'fully independent' trustee] ''Third Sector'', 16 December 2013.</ref> Those published lines name the grantee, not the street address in [[Beitar Illit]] or Bat Yam.
 +
 
 +
In the United States, Congregation Bobov London Inc. (83-4683775) is a Brooklyn corporation; Friends of Bobov Toronto raises money in the US for Canadian Bobov schools.<ref name="CauseToronto" /> Historic “Bobov In Israel Inc.” is revoked. Public 990 extracts for living Bobov congregations typically describe synagogue and school support and do not itemise transfers to West Bank settlements.
 +
 
 +
== Freshwater family ==
 +
 
 +
[[Benzion Freshwater|Benzion Schalom Eliezer Freshwater]] and [[Solomon Freshwater]] are sons of [[Osias Freshwater]] (1897–1976) and [[Nechama Golda Stempel]] (née Halberstam), widowed daughter of the second Bobover Rebbe [[Ben Zion Halberstam]]. They are therefore descendants of the dynasty.<ref name="Thirdsector" /> The Yeshiva World reported that the brothers gave “generous backing” to a [[Bobov-45]] girls’ school renovation on 15th Avenue in Borough Park.<ref name="Mishpacha" /> Through [[Mayfair Charities]] and the [[Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association]] they are major British funders of Haredi education, including Bobov vehicles that themselves list Israel as a field of work.
 +
 
 +
== Selected US non-profits with “Bobov” in the title ==
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|+ IRS-listed organisations (selection)
 +
! EIN !! Name !! City !! State
 +
|-
 +
| 11-1753991 || [[Bobover Yeshivah Bnei Zion]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
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| 11-2202774 || [[Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 11-2288765 || [[Bnos Zion of Bobov Inc.]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 11-2575751 || [[Amidei Zion of Bobov Inc.]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 11-2428571 || [[Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 11-2589111 || [[United Bobov International Inc.]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 13-1912599 || [[Bobov In Israel Inc.]] (revoked) || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 82-1954183 || [[Congregation Bobov 45]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 47-5018408 || [[Yeshiva Ketana of Bobov 45 Inc.]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 84-3109913 || [[Chevra Kadisha of Bobov 45]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 83-4683775 || [[Congregation Bobov London Inc.]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|-
 +
| 46-3308535 || [[Friends of Bobov Toronto]] || Brooklyn || New York
 +
|}
  
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Bobov communities are found in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn; in Monsey, New York; Los Angeles; Lakewood, New Jersey; Montreal; Toronto; Antwerp; and London.<ref name=NYT2005/> In Israel, Bobov has large branches in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Ashdod, Elad, an enclave, "Kiryas Bobov", in Bat Yam and in the illegal settlement of [[Beitar Illit]].<ref>Tzvi Rabinowicz ''[https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0765760681 Hasidism in Israel: A History of the Hasidic Movement]''  2000</ref>
 
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
*[[Benzion Freshwater]] <ref name="Thirdsector">Pudelek, Jenna, [http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity-commission-tells-jewish-charity-appoint-least-one-fully-independent-trustee/governance/article/1224872 Charity Commission tells Jewish charity to appoint at least one 'fully independent' trustee] Thirdsector.co.uk, 16 December 2013</ref> is the son of [[Osias Freshwater]] (1897–1976), born in the village of Sassov, Galicia, Poland, who emigrated to England in 1939. His wife and three children died in the Holocaust. In 1947 he married [[Nechama Golda Stempel]] ''née'' Halberstam, widowed daughter of Rabbi [[Ben Zion Halberstam]], the second [[Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)|Bobover]] [[Rebbe]], and they had two sons, Benzion and Solomon. Shlomo and Benzion Freshwater are thus descendants of the [[Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)|Bobov dynasty]].
 
*[[Benzion Freshwater]] <ref name="Thirdsector">Pudelek, Jenna, [http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity-commission-tells-jewish-charity-appoint-least-one-fully-independent-trustee/governance/article/1224872 Charity Commission tells Jewish charity to appoint at least one 'fully independent' trustee] Thirdsector.co.uk, 16 December 2013</ref> is the son of [[Osias Freshwater]] (1897–1976), born in the village of Sassov, Galicia, Poland, who emigrated to England in 1939. His wife and three children died in the Holocaust. In 1947 he married [[Nechama Golda Stempel]] ''née'' Halberstam, widowed daughter of Rabbi [[Ben Zion Halberstam]], the second [[Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)|Bobover]] [[Rebbe]], and they had two sons, Benzion and Solomon. Shlomo and Benzion Freshwater are thus descendants of the [[Bobov (Hasidic dynasty)|Bobov dynasty]].
 +
* [[Bobov-45]]
 +
* [[Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam]]
 +
* [[Mordechai Dovid Unger]]
 +
* [[Naftali Tzvi Halberstam]]
 +
* [[Benzion Freshwater]]
 +
* [[Bobov non profits in the US]]
 +
* [[Beitar Illit]]
 +
* [[Hasidic dynasties]]
 +
* [[Agudath Israel of America]]
 +
* [[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]]
 +
 +
== External links ==
 +
 +
* [https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=278823 Kahal Chassidim Bobov (UK charity 278823)]
 +
* [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5033365/full-print Mosdos Bobov (UK charity 1151332)]
 +
* [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4020028/full-print ABC Trust (UK charity 1126661)]
 +
* [https://jewishgen.org/JCR-UK/London/stamford_shteibls/bobov-45.htm JCR-UK: Bobov-45, Stamford Hill]
 +
* [https://www.5tjt.com/bobover-rebbes-triumphant-visit-to-israel/ Five Towns Jewish Times: Bobover Rebbe’s visit to Israel]
 +
 +
== Resources ==
 +
 +
* Shlomo Shamir, [https://archive.ph/tvmaF A Hasidic Sect Discovers Democracy] ''Haaretz'', 24 September 2007.
 +
* [https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/12/30/coronavirus-brings-soldiers-and-haredim-closer-together/ Israel Hayom, coronavirus and Haredim], 30 December 2020.
 +
 +
== Notes ==
 +
 +
<references />
  
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==Notes==
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[[Category:Israel]]
−
<references/>
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[[Category:Anti-Zionism]]
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[[Category:Zionist movement]]
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[[Category:Yeshivas in the West Bank]]
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[[Category:Zionism in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 10:36, 14 September 2026

Galician Hasidic dynasty headquartered in Borough Park, Brooklyn, with courts in Israel including the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit


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Bobov
Founded late 19th century Bobowa, Galicia
Founder Shlomo Halberstam
Leader Bobover Rebbe Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam
Headquarters 48th Street, Borough Park, Brooklyn (main court)
Type Hasidic court (Haredi Judaism)

Bobov (or Bobover Hasidism; Yiddish: בּאָבּאָװ) is a Hasidic community within Haredi Judaism, originating in Bobowa, Galicia, in southern Poland, and now headquartered in Borough Park, Brooklyn.[1][2] The court grew into one of the larger Hasidic dynasties under Shlomo Halberstam (1907–2000), a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt the community in New York after 1945.[3]

There are two independent Bobov communities, each with its own rebbe and institutions. The court that retained the unadorned name Bobov and the pre-2005 assets is led by Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam. The breakaway court Bobov-45, formed after the death of Naftali Tzvi Halberstam in 2005, is led by Mordechai Dovid Unger.[4][5] Marcin Wodziński counted about 3,000 households with mainline Bobov and about 1,500 with Bobov-45 from internal telephone directories around 2016.[6]

Communities exist in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Monsey, New York; Los Angeles; Lakewood, New Jersey; Linden, New Jersey; Montreal; Toronto; Antwerp; and London.[1] In Israel the court has branches in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Ashdod, Elad, the enclave Kiryas Bobov in Bat Yam, and the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit.[7][3]

History

Shlomo Halberstam (1847–1905), grandson of Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, established the court in Bobowa. His son Ben Zion Halberstam (1874–1941), author of Kedushas Tzion, built a network of yeshivas across Galicia before he and much of his family were murdered in the Holocaust.[3] His son Shlomo Halberstam escaped via Italy, reached New York in 1946, and reconstituted the court first on Manhattan’s West Side, then Crown Heights, then Borough Park. Encyclopedia.com records that only a few hundred Bobover Hasidim survived the war and that the rebuilt American school system later enrolled about 7,000 pupils.[3]

Shlomo Halberstam died in 2000 and was succeeded by his son Naftali Tzvi Halberstam (1931–2005). Naftali left no sons. On 23 March 2005 a succession fight opened between his half-brother Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam and his younger son-in-law Mordechai Dovid Unger. The New York Times reported punches in the main synagogue on 15th Avenue the morning after the funeral.[4] A Brooklyn civil case was sent to rabbinic arbitration. On 21 August 2014 a beth din awarded the name “Bobov”, the historic buildings and almost all assets to Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam, allowed Unger only a qualified name such as Bobov-45, and ordered a $6.2 million cash allotment to the breakaway side after reported arbitration costs of about $8 million.[5][8]

Leadership

Yaakov Yisroel Meisels has been named as Bobover rav of Kiryat Bobov in Bat Yam. Ben Zion Blum has been named Bobover dayan in London.[3]

Politics and Zionism

Encyclopedia.com states: “The Israeli branch pursues a non-confrontational but non-Zionist stance vis-à-vis the Israeli government. Their sons do not serve in the IDF.”[3] That formula is the usual description of both successor courts. Non-Zionist theology has not prevented settlement in Beitar Illit or receipt of Israeli municipal and educational infrastructure in Haredi towns inside the Green Line and beyond it.[7]

Locations

United States

The world centre is Borough Park. Main-court institutions cluster on 48th Street and 15th Avenue (Kehal Shaarei Zion / Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion campus). Bobov-45 gathered first on 45th Street and later at 1362 49th Street.[5] Other US points include Williamsburg; Monsey and Rockland County; Lakewood and Linden / Union, New Jersey; Los Angeles; and Staten Island congregations registered under Bobov titles.

United Kingdom

London Bobov is centred in Stamford Hill. Kahal Chassidim Bobov (charity 278823) has its office at 87 Egerton Road, London N16, and states that it advances “the world-wide organisation of Chassidim of the Grand Rabbi Bobov” in the United Kingdom “or elsewhere.”[9] Mosdos Bobov (1151332) is at 253 Kyverdale Road, London N16.[10] JCR-UK records a separate Bobov-45 Beth Hamedrash on Clapton Common from 2006, affiliated to the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, distinct from Kehal Chasidei Bobov of Egerton Road.[11] Manchester / Salford is listed among areas of operation of the ABC Trust.[12]

Canada and Belgium

Toronto and Montreal have Bobov kehillos; Friends of Bobov Toronto is a US 501(c)(3) that states its purpose as support for Bobov educational and religious institutions in Toronto.[13] Antwerp is a long-standing European branch.[3] UK Bobov charities list Belgium as an area of operation.[9][10]

Israel inside the Green Line

Encyclopedia.com records a Bobov community just outside Bat Yam and large yeshivas in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak.[3] Kiryat Bobov / Kedushat Tzion–Bobov is listed at 12 Kiryat Bobov Street, Bat Yam, under Yaakov Yisrael Yashrun Meiselish, Israeli company number 580045771, covering yeshiva, Talmud Torah, kollel and girls’ schools.[14] Further communities are reported in Ashdod, Elad and Beit Shemesh.[7]

Occupied Palestinian territory

Beitar Illit (Betar Illit), established from 1985–1990 on land taken from the Palestinian villages of Husan and Nahalin in the Gush Etzion bloc south-west of Jerusalem, is treated as an illegal settlement under international law. Bobov families were among the Haredi groups that populated the town as it grew into a large ultra-Orthodox city.[7] Both main Bobov and Bobov-45 maintain a presence there. Haredi settlement in Beitar Illit and Modi'in Illit has been driven largely by housing costs rather than Religious-Zionist ideology, but it still expands Israeli civilian control over occupied land.[3] Published charity filings for UK and US Bobov vehicles name “Israel” as a field of operation and do not publish a line-by-line split between activity inside the 1949 Armistice lines and activity in Beitar Illit or other occupied territory.

Institutions (main court)

Samuel Heilman’s account of the 2014 award lists the principal pre-split assets that stayed with Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam: New and Old Beis Medrash; yeshiva buildings on 48th and 42nd Streets; mesivta buildings; Bnos Zion buildings; Kerem Shlomo; mesivta camp in the Poconos; Camps Shalva, Kerem Shlomo and Gila; and the corporate names Kehal Shaarei Zion, Yeshivah Bnei Zion, Bnos Zion, Mesivta Eitz Chaim, Kollel Zichron Chaim and Ameidei Zion.[5]

Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion (EIN 11-2202774) is the accredited higher yeshiva on the Borough Park 48th Street campus, also housing the kehillah’s main synagogue and library.[3] Related US corporations include Bobover Yeshivah Bnei Zion (11-1753991), Bnos Zion of Bobov Inc. (11-2288765), Amidei Zion of Bobov Inc. (11-2575751), Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov (11-2428571), Talmudical Seminary of Bobov (38-3726543) and United Bobov International Inc. (11-2589111).[15] Bobov In Israel Inc. (13-1912599) and Bobov Foundation Inc. (35-2317929) appear on IRS auto-revocation lists.

Institutions (Bobov-45)

Bobov-45 built a parallel set of schools, halls and congregations after 2005. US filings include Congregation Bobov 45 (82-1954183), Yeshiva Ketana of Bobov 45 Inc. (47-5018408) and Chevra Kadisha of Bobov 45 (84-3109913). Mishpacha reported building programmes said to exceed $170 million and nearly 4,000 pupils in Borough Park mosdos alone.[16]

UK and US money to Israel and occupied territory

Several Britain-registered vehicles tied to Bobov list Israel (and often the United States and Belgium) among their operating countries. Commission summaries do not state whether grants stay inside the Green Line or reach Beitar Illit.

UK charities linked to Bobov that list Israel as an area of operation
Charity Number Office Stated overseas areas Notes
Kahal Chassidim Bobov 278823 87 Egerton Road, London N16 Israel, United States, Belgium, Austria Objects: advancement of the Bobov organisation “in the United Kingdom or elsewhere”; grant-making and voucher system; latest reported income about £2.59 million (year to March 2025).[9]
Mosdos Bobov 1151332 253 Kyverdale Road, London N16 Israel, United States, Belgium Grants to individuals and organisations; income £63,367 (year to 31 July 2024).[10]
ABC Trust (working names include Association of the Bobov Community; British Friends of Tzidkas Eretz Hakodesh Israel) 1126661 Hackney / Haringey / Salford Israel, United States Objects include advancing education “in Israel and in United States of America.”[12]

The Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association (313890), controlled by the Freshwater family of Bobov descent, has made large UK grants to Bobov-named bodies, including Bobov Cheder Trust (£1.749 million across 2020–22), Kahal Chasidim Bobov (£358,000 across 2018–22), Bobov Foundation F.O. (£162,000) and Friends of Bobov Foundation (£23,000), as well as Israeli and “Eretz Yisrael” institutions such as Chibas Yerushalayim Kollel, Brisk Yeshiva and British Friends of Kupath Ha'ir.[17] Those published lines name the grantee, not the street address in Beitar Illit or Bat Yam.

In the United States, Congregation Bobov London Inc. (83-4683775) is a Brooklyn corporation; Friends of Bobov Toronto raises money in the US for Canadian Bobov schools.[13] Historic “Bobov In Israel Inc.” is revoked. Public 990 extracts for living Bobov congregations typically describe synagogue and school support and do not itemise transfers to West Bank settlements.

Freshwater family

Benzion Schalom Eliezer Freshwater and Solomon Freshwater are sons of Osias Freshwater (1897–1976) and Nechama Golda Stempel (née Halberstam), widowed daughter of the second Bobover Rebbe Ben Zion Halberstam. They are therefore descendants of the dynasty.[17] The Yeshiva World reported that the brothers gave “generous backing” to a Bobov-45 girls’ school renovation on 15th Avenue in Borough Park.[16] Through Mayfair Charities and the Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association they are major British funders of Haredi education, including Bobov vehicles that themselves list Israel as a field of work.

Selected US non-profits with “Bobov” in the title

IRS-listed organisations (selection)
EIN Name City State
11-1753991 Bobover Yeshivah Bnei Zion Brooklyn New York
11-2202774 Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion Brooklyn New York
11-2288765 Bnos Zion of Bobov Inc. Brooklyn New York
11-2575751 Amidei Zion of Bobov Inc. Brooklyn New York
11-2428571 Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov Brooklyn New York
11-2589111 United Bobov International Inc. Brooklyn New York
13-1912599 Bobov In Israel Inc. (revoked) Brooklyn New York
82-1954183 Congregation Bobov 45 Brooklyn New York
47-5018408 Yeshiva Ketana of Bobov 45 Inc. Brooklyn New York
84-3109913 Chevra Kadisha of Bobov 45 Brooklyn New York
83-4683775 Congregation Bobov London Inc. Brooklyn New York
46-3308535 Friends of Bobov Toronto Brooklyn New York

See also

External links

Resources

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Andy Newman, Naftali Halberstam Dies at 74; Bobov Hasidim's Grand Rabbi The New York Times, 25 March 2005.
  2. ↑ Jerome R. Mintz, Hasidic People: A Place in the New World, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998, p. 120.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Encyclopaedia Judaica via Encyclopedia.com, Bobov Encyclopedia.com, accessed September 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Andy Newman, A Battle for Succession Takes No Holiday The New York Times, 26 March 2005.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Samuel C. Heilman, Bobov: A Clash of Families in Who Will Lead Us? The Story of Five Hasidic Dynasties in America, Oakland: University of California Press, 2017.
  6. ↑ Seforim Blog, A Conversation With Professor Marcin Wodziński on Hasidism The Seforim Blog, 2 September 2018.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Tzvi Rabinowicz, Hasidism in Israel: A History of the Hasidic Movement, Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, 2000.
  8. ↑ Behadrei Haredim, Unequivocal verdict: There is only one Bobov Behadrei Haredim, 25 August 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Giving is Great, Kahal Chassidim Bobov Giving is Great, accessed September 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Charity Commission, MOSDOS BOBOV – 1151332 Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed September 2026.
  11. ↑ JCR-UK, Bobov-45 Beth Hamedrash, Clapton Common, London E5 JewishGen / JCR-UK, accessed September 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Charity Commission, THE ABC TRUST – 1126661 Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed September 2026.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cause IQ, Friends of Bobov Toronto Cause IQ, accessed September 2026.
  14. ↑ Torah Index, Kedushat Tzion – Bobov Olam HaTorah / Torah Index, accessed September 2026.
  15. ↑ Cause IQ, Congregation Khal Shaarei Zion Bobov Cause IQ, accessed September 2026.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Mishpacha, My Rebbe, My Rebbi Mishpacha, accessed September 2026.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Jenna Pudelek, Charity Commission tells Jewish charity to appoint at least one 'fully independent' trustee Third Sector, 16 December 2013. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Thirdsector" defined multiple times with different content
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