Dushinsky (Hasidic dynasty)
Hasidic dynasty in Jerusalem founded by Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis from 1933 to 1948
| Dushinsky | |
|---|---|
| Founded | Jerusalem |
| Founder | Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1868–1948) |
| Leader | Rebbe Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky |
| Headquarters | Yeshivas Beis Yosef Tzvi, Shmuel Hanovi Street, Jerusalem |
| Type | Hasidic dynasty |
| Notes | |
Dushinsky (also Duschinsky) is a Hasidic dynasty based in Jerusalem. It takes its name from Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1868–1948), a Hungarian rabbi who succeeded Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld in 1933 as rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis, the separatist Orthodox community of Jerusalem, and founded the Beis Yosef yeshiva there.[1] His son Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky (1922–2003) and his grandson Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky have led the community since.[2] Members of the family have sat on the Edah HaChareidis rabbinical court for many years, and in 2025 the current rebbe's son-in-law was appointed to it.[3]
In the UK, Dushinsky Trust Limited in Stamford Hill gives grants to Dushinsky-named bodies.[4]
History
Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky
Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky was born in Paks, Hungary, where his father was a scribe. He studied under Moses Pollak, the rabbi of Paks, and then under Simcha Bunim Sofer in Pressburg. In 1895 he was elected rabbi of a breakaway congregation in Galanta, and in 1921 he moved to Khust in Carpatho-Ruthenia.[1]
He visited Palestine in 1932. After the death of Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld he was elected in 1933 to succeed him as rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis. He founded a yeshiva, Beis Yosef, which had hundreds of pupils. The Encyclopaedia Judaica describes him as an active supporter of Agudat Israel who appeared before several commissions of inquiry of the British Mandate government. He did not usually cooperate with the official rabbinate, but during the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 he endorsed its permission for defence and fortification work on the Sabbath.[1] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency called him "chief rabbi of the Agudas Israel in Palestine". He died at the age of 82 and was buried within hours so that the funeral would not fall during Sukkot.[5] Two volumes of his responsa and three volumes of his Bible commentary were published after his death.[1]
Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky
His only son, Yisroel Moshe, was born in 1922, while his father was rabbi of Khust, and came to Jerusalem with him in 1933.[2] He took over the yeshiva when his father died.[1][2] According to Dei'ah veDibur, he sat on the Edah HaChareidis court for more than 40 years; he became its Ravad (head of the court) in 1989 and its Gavad (chief rabbi) in 1996. He died in hospital in late March 2003, on the night of a grandson's wedding at Heichal Maharitz, a newly completed study hall in Beit Shemesh. He was buried near his father in the old cemetery next to the former Shaarei Tzedek Hospital building on Jaffa Road. At the funeral it was announced that his son, Yosef Tzvi, would succeed him as head of the yeshiva and its institutions.[2]
Since 2003
In July 2025 the current rebbe's son-in-law, Shmuel Zalman Shpitz, was appointed a rabbi and judge (moreh tzedek) of the Edah HaChareidis court with the rebbe's blessing. Kikar HaShabbat reported that the appointment was seen in the community as a return to the days when the first two rebbes sat on the court.[3] In 2025 the rebbe led a large prayer and fundraising gathering at the main Dushinsky synagogue in Jerusalem for the Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society.[6]
| Leader | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1868–1948) | 1933–1948 | Rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis from 1933[1] |
| Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky (1922–2003) | 1948–2003 | Ravad of the Edah HaChareidis from 1989, Gavad from 1996[2] |
| Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky | 2003–present | Named successor as head of the yeshiva and institutions[2] |
UK charities
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registered | 28 April 1993[7] |
| Address | 23 Braydon Road, London N16 6QL[7] |
| Area of operation | Israel[7] |
| Trustees | Zvi Levine, Mosche Schischa, Simon Reisner[8] |
| Income, year to 31 March 2025 | £478,598[7] |
| Expenditure, year to 31 March 2025 | £441,958, of which grants £438,684[7][4] |
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kehal Beit Yosef Zvi | £62,958 |
| United Talmidey Harav Dushinsky | £57,039 |
| Congregation Ahavat Yisroel | £51,630 |
| Bezel Hachochma | £47,305 |
| Yeshivat Minchat Yitzchak | £33,400 |
| Mosdos Dushinsky | £26,515 |
| Ahavat Israel Synagogue | £18,000 |
| Others below £15,000 | £137,837 |
| Total | £434,684 |
Simon Reisner is also a trustee of Dushinsky - Manchester Ltd (charity 1216135), registered on 10 December 2025, at Building B, OCC Estate, 105 Eade Road, London N4 1TJ. Its objects include advancing the Orthodox Jewish religion and religious education and relieving poverty.[8][9]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Abraham Schischa, Duschinsky, Joseph Ẓevi ben Israel Encyclopaedia Judaica (Encyclopedia.com), accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Betzalel Kahn, HaRav Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky, zt'l Dei'ah veDibur, 2 April 2003, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chaim Rosenbaum, מינוי רב חדש לבד"ץ העדה החרדית בירושלים: חתנו של האדמו"ר דושינסקיא (in Hebrew: "New rabbi appointed to the Edah HaChareidis court in Jerusalem: the Dushinsky Rebbe's son-in-law") Kikar HaShabbat, 1 July 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dushinsky Trust Limited, Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Rabbi Joseph Dushinsky, Chief Rabbi of Agudas Israel in Palestine, Dies at Age of 82 JTA, 19 October 1948, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Matis Glenn, Tefilah and Fundraising Event in Dushinsky Community Addresses Rise in Cancer Belaaz News, 25 July 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Dushinsky Trust Limited, charity 1020301: full print register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Dushinsky Trust Limited, charity 1020301: trustees register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, Dushinsky - Manchester Ltd, charity 1216135: full print register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.