Difference between revisions of "Belz (Hasidic dynasty)"

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Under the Rebbe's leadership, the Belz Hasidut has grown from a few hundred families at the time of his accession to leadership in 1966, to over 11,000 families, as of 2022.<ref name="born">Landesman, Yerucham. "Born to Lead: How did the Belzer Rebbe breathe new life into a shattered Chassidus?" ''[[Mishpacha]]'', 10 October 2011, pp. 30–51.</ref> Belz is Israel's second largest Hasidic group.
 
Under the Rebbe's leadership, the Belz Hasidut has grown from a few hundred families at the time of his accession to leadership in 1966, to over 11,000 families, as of 2022.<ref name="born">Landesman, Yerucham. "Born to Lead: How did the Belzer Rebbe breathe new life into a shattered Chassidus?" ''[[Mishpacha]]'', 10 October 2011, pp. 30–51.</ref> Belz is Israel's second largest Hasidic group.
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==Communities==
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===Israel===
 
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===United Kingdom===
 
===United Kingdom===
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====London====
 
 
In London, the Belz community is now centred in Stamford Hill.<ref name=jc-20150528>[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/136878/stamford-hill-sect-bans-women-drivers Stamford Hill sect bans women drivers] Simon Rocker ''Jewish Chronicle'' 8 May 2015.</ref> In the 1930s, an early Belz synagogue was on Commercial Road, Limehouse, in the East End of London.<ref>[http://www.jewisheastend.com/belz.html Memories of the Belzer synagogue] Jewish East End.</ref>
 
In London, the Belz community is now centred in Stamford Hill.<ref name=jc-20150528>[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/136878/stamford-hill-sect-bans-women-drivers Stamford Hill sect bans women drivers] Simon Rocker ''Jewish Chronicle'' 8 May 2015.</ref> In the 1930s, an early Belz synagogue was on Commercial Road, Limehouse, in the East End of London.<ref>[http://www.jewisheastend.com/belz.html Memories of the Belzer synagogue] Jewish East End.</ref>
  
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====Salford====
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The British [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] community is centred in the Stamford Hill area of London, with additional communities in Manchester and Westcliff-on-Sea.<ref name="Guardian">Haroon Siddique, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/05/ultra-orthodox-jewish-sect-belz-women-driver-ban-illegal-equality-commission Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect's female driver ban 'unlawful and discriminatory'] ''The Guardian'', 5 June 2015.</ref>
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There is a Belz community centred around Broughton Park in Salford, part of Greater Manchester.
 
There is a Belz community centred around Broughton Park in Salford, part of Greater Manchester.
 
Several UK charities are associated with the Belz movement, including i Salford: [[The Helping Foundation]] | [[The Sympathetic Trust]] | [[Newmarston Ltd]] | [[A W Charitable Trust]] | [[RNH Synagogue & College Ltd]] | [[The Sanz Foundation]] | [[The Reisner Charitable Foundation Ltd]] | [[Broom Foundation]] | [[Newmarston Ltd]] | [[M and M Foundation]] | [[British Friends of Ezrat Yisrael Kiryat Sefer]]
 
Several UK charities are associated with the Belz movement, including i Salford: [[The Helping Foundation]] | [[The Sympathetic Trust]] | [[Newmarston Ltd]] | [[A W Charitable Trust]] | [[RNH Synagogue & College Ltd]] | [[The Sanz Foundation]] | [[The Reisner Charitable Foundation Ltd]] | [[Broom Foundation]] | [[Newmarston Ltd]] | [[M and M Foundation]] | [[British Friends of Ezrat Yisrael Kiryat Sefer]]
  
 
Belz associated schools in the UK include: [[Talmud Torah Tashbar]] | [[Yeshivah Ohr Torah School]] | [[TTMH Belz Day School]] <ref>https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/908393</ref> | [[Bnos Yisroel School Manchester]] | [[Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim School]] | [[Beis Malka Girls School (Hackney)]]
 
Belz associated schools in the UK include: [[Talmud Torah Tashbar]] | [[Yeshivah Ohr Torah School]] | [[TTMH Belz Day School]] <ref>https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/908393</ref> | [[Bnos Yisroel School Manchester]] | [[Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim School]] | [[Beis Malka Girls School (Hackney)]]
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* London (Stamford Hill): Main hub with boys' school [[Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass]], girls' school [[Beis Malka]], and synagogues [[Chasidey Belz Beth Hamedresh]] at Clapton Common and St Kilda's Road. A new state-of-the-art central beis midrash and Talmud Torah facility was opened in 2017.<ref name="Channel4">[https://www.channel4.com/news/jewish-hasidic-driving-ban-women-belz-bais-malka Jewish sect schools back down over driving ban] ''Channel 4 News'', May 2015.</ref>
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* Manchester: Two dedicated synagogues ([[Belz Manchester]] at 28 Broom Lane and another in the Salford area).
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* Westcliff-on-Sea: Smaller community with plans for a new synagogue and mikveh.
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===Israel===
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The centre of [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] is in [[Jerusalem]], with communities in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Kiryat Belz. The main landmark is the [[Belz Great Synagogue]] in Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem (completed 2002). [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] participates in discussions on Haredi service in the [[IDF]] and has approved limited core curriculum in its schools while opposing full conscription.<ref name="YIVO" />
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===United States===
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[[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] maintains sizable communities in Brooklyn (Borough Park), Monsey and Lakewood with dedicated yeshivas and synagogues following the same insular model.
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==Political and social role==
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[[Belz (Hasidic dynasty)]] has been affiliated with [[Agudat Yisrael]] since the post-Holocaust period and forms part of the [[Agudat Yisrael]] faction within [[United Torah Judaism]] ([[UTJ]]) in [[Israel]]. The current Rebbe [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach]] guides this faction. [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] has taken pragmatic positions on some Haredi issues including education and [[IDF]] service protocols but remains opposed to full conscription. It is not prominently linked to West Bank settlements.
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==Belz yeshivas==
 
==Belz yeshivas==
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*[[Mordechai Rokeach]] (1902–1949), rabbi
 
*[[Mordechai Rokeach]] (1902–1949), rabbi
  
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==Key events and controversies==
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* 2015 female driving ban: UK leadership issued guidance barring children of mothers who drove from [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] schools, based on advice from the Rebbe in [[Israel]]. The policy was retracted after investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="Channel4" />
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* 2017 Rebbe visit: Thousands attended the visit by [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach]] to London to open the new facility.
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==Timeline==
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* 1779: Birth of [[Shalom Rokeach]].<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1817: [[Shalom Rokeach]] establishes the [[Belz Hasidic dynasty]] court in Belz.<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1855: Death of first Rebbe; succeeded by [[Yehoshua Rokeach]].<ref name="JVL" />
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* 1894: Death of second Rebbe; succeeded by [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (third)]].<ref name="JVL" />
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* 1914–1918: Court flees to Hungary during World War I.<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1926: Death of third Rebbe; succeeded by [[Aharon Rokeach]].<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1939–1944: Holocaust decimates most of the family; [[Aharon Rokeach]] and brother escape to [[Israel]].<ref name="YadVashem" />
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* 1944: Rebbes arrive in [[Israel]] and begin rebuilding.<ref name="YadVashem" />
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* 1948: Birth of current Rebbe [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach]] in [[Israel]].<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1957: Death of fourth Rebbe [[Aharon Rokeach]].<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 1966: Current Rebbe [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach]] assumes leadership.<ref name="YIVO" />
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* 2015: UK driving ban controversy.<ref name="Guardian" />
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* 2017: Current Rebbe [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach]] visits UK to open new London facility.<ref name="Channel4" />
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
*[[Belz non profits in the US]]
 
*[[Belz non profits in the US]]
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* [[Agudat Yisrael]]
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* [[United Torah Judaism]]
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* [[Haredi Judaism]]
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==
 
*https://www.timesofisrael.com/belz-hasidic-sect-to-begin-teaching-core-curriculum-more-said-to-follow/
 
*https://www.timesofisrael.com/belz-hasidic-sect-to-begin-teaching-core-curriculum-more-said-to-follow/
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==Notes==
 
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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[[Category:Hasidic dynasties]]
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[[Category:Haredi Judaism]]
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[[Category:Jewish organisations in the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Religion in Israel]]

Revision as of 09:45, 5 May 2026

A Hasidic sect originally located in the town of Belz in eastern Galicia near Lvov in what is now Ukraine. The Belz Hasidic Dynasty was founded by Rabbi Shalom Rokeaḥ (1783–1855), a devoted disciple of Ya‘akov Yitsḥak Horowitz, the so-called Seer of Lublin. Rokeaḥ established his famous court in Belz around 1817, attracting many followers from Poland, Galicia, and Hungary. He was known as both a miracle worker and a Talmudist, and maintained a close relationship with the Galician non-Hasidic rabbinate of his time. His everyday life was simple, and he was the first rebbe who did not dress in white (as was common for kabbalists and early Hasidic leaders).

Political parties associated with Belz

Belz today

Since 1966, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach has presided over both the expansion of Belz educational institutions and the growth of Hasidic populations in Israel, the United States, and Europe. Like other Hasidic groups, the Belz community has established a variety of self-help organizations, including one of the largest patient-advocacy organizations of its kind, a free medical counseling center, and an affordable medical treatment clinic in the New York area.[1]

Under the Rebbe's leadership, the Belz Hasidut has grown from a few hundred families at the time of his accession to leadership in 1966, to over 11,000 families, as of 2022.[2] Belz is Israel's second largest Hasidic group.

Communities

United Kingdom

In London, the Belz community is now centred in Stamford Hill.[3] In the 1930s, an early Belz synagogue was on Commercial Road, Limehouse, in the East End of London.[4]

The British Belz Hasidic dynasty community is centred in the Stamford Hill area of London, with additional communities in Manchester and Westcliff-on-Sea.[5]

There is a Belz community centred around Broughton Park in Salford, part of Greater Manchester. Several UK charities are associated with the Belz movement, including i Salford: The Helping Foundation | The Sympathetic Trust | Newmarston Ltd | A W Charitable Trust | RNH Synagogue & College Ltd | The Sanz Foundation | The Reisner Charitable Foundation Ltd | Broom Foundation | Newmarston Ltd | M and M Foundation | British Friends of Ezrat Yisrael Kiryat Sefer

Belz associated schools in the UK include: Talmud Torah Tashbar | Yeshivah Ohr Torah School | TTMH Belz Day School [6] | Bnos Yisroel School Manchester | Talmud Torah Chinuch Norim School | Beis Malka Girls School (Hackney)

  • London (Stamford Hill): Main hub with boys' school Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass, girls' school Beis Malka, and synagogues Chasidey Belz Beth Hamedresh at Clapton Common and St Kilda's Road. A new state-of-the-art central beis midrash and Talmud Torah facility was opened in 2017.[7]
  • Manchester: Two dedicated synagogues (Belz Manchester at 28 Broom Lane and another in the Salford area).
  • Westcliff-on-Sea: Smaller community with plans for a new synagogue and mikveh.

Israel

The centre of Belz Hasidic dynasty is in Jerusalem, with communities in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Kiryat Belz. The main landmark is the Belz Great Synagogue in Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem (completed 2002). Belz Hasidic dynasty participates in discussions on Haredi service in the IDF and has approved limited core curriculum in its schools while opposing full conscription.[8]

United States

Belz Hasidic dynasty maintains sizable communities in Brooklyn (Borough Park), Monsey and Lakewood with dedicated yeshivas and synagogues following the same insular model.

Political and social role

Belz (Hasidic dynasty) has been affiliated with Agudat Yisrael since the post-Holocaust period and forms part of the Agudat Yisrael faction within United Torah Judaism (UTJ) in Israel. The current Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach guides this faction. Belz Hasidic dynasty has taken pragmatic positions on some Haredi issues including education and IDF service protocols but remains opposed to full conscription. It is not prominently linked to West Bank settlements.


Belz yeshivas

Belz maintains 12 yeshivas in Israel: 7 yeshiva gedolas (including two in Ashdod, and one each in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Betar, Bet shemesh, and Haifa); 5 yeshiva ketanas (in Telzstone, Bnei Brak, Ashdod, Beit Hilkia, and Komemiyut); and 7 other yeshiva ketanas around the world — in Antwerp, London, Montreal, Monsey, and three in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and one in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The Belz network of girls' schools are under the names Bnos Belz and Beis Malka.

The rapper Shyne, who converted to Judaism, studied with Hasidim from the Belz group in Jerusalem.[9]

Notable Belz Hasidim


Key events and controversies

  • 2015 female driving ban: UK leadership issued guidance barring children of mothers who drove from Belz Hasidic dynasty schools, based on advice from the Rebbe in Israel. The policy was retracted after investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.[5][7]
  • 2017 Rebbe visit: Thousands attended the visit by Yissachar Dov Rokeach to London to open the new facility.

Timeline

See also

Resources

Notes

  1. ↑ Tribute to Rabbi Yisocher Dov Rokeach, the Belzer Rebbe, Upon His Visit to New York – Hon. Jerrold Nadler |20 June 1995, Congressional Record, 104th Congress (1995–1996)
  2. ↑ Landesman, Yerucham. "Born to Lead: How did the Belzer Rebbe breathe new life into a shattered Chassidus?" Mishpacha, 10 October 2011, pp. 30–51.
  3. ↑ Stamford Hill sect bans women drivers Simon Rocker Jewish Chronicle 8 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Memories of the Belzer synagogue Jewish East End.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Haroon Siddique, Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect's female driver ban 'unlawful and discriminatory' The Guardian, 5 June 2015.
  6. ↑ https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/908393
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jewish sect schools back down over driving ban Channel 4 News, May 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named YIVO
  9. ↑ Shyne: The Bad-Boy Rap Star Who's Now a Chassid CrownHeights.info - Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch News
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JVL
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named YadVashem
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