Toldos Aharon (Hasidic dynasty)
Hasidic group based in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, which grew out of Aharon Roth's Shomer Emunim fellowship and is strongly anti-Zionist
| Toldos Aharon | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 Satu Mare (Szatmár), now Romania |
| Founder | Aharon Roth (1894–1947) |
| Leader | Rebbe Dovid Kohn |
| Headquarters | Mea Shearim, Jerusalem |
| Type | Hasidic dynasty |
| Notes | |
Toldos Aharon (also Toldot Aharon, "Generations of Aharon") is a Hasidic group based in the Mea Shearim neighbourhood of Jerusalem. It grew out of the fellowship that Aharon Roth (1894–1947) called Shomre Emunim ("Guardians of Faith"). The YIVO Encyclopedia describes the group, known as Reb Arele's, as "the most visible representative of radical Hasidic anti-Zionism in Jerusalem".[1] According to Ynet, it numbers nearly 2,000 families and "fiercely opposes Zionism and the State of Israel".[2]
In the UK, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited runs a synagogue at 94 Stamford Hill, London N16 6XS, and its accounts say that it "also raises money for the Grand Rabbi of Toldos Aharon's network of schools and talmudical colleges".[3][4]
History
Aharon Roth
Roth was born in Ungvár. From the age of 16 to 20 he studied Talmud in Vác under Yesha'yahu Silberstein. He then studied Hasidic practice under Galician leaders who had fled to Hungary during the First World War, including Yisakhar Dov Rokeaḥ of Belz and, in particular, Tsevi Elimelekh Shapira of Bluzhev.[1]
After he settled in Satu Mare (Szatmár) in 1920 a small group gathered around him. It grew until he left for Jerusalem in 1925, where he set up a second base, but four years later he returned to Satu Mare.[1] Ynet dates the founding of the group to 1921.[2] Roth criticised the scandals and political struggles of the larger dynasties. He called his group Shomre Emunim, set out rules for its behaviour, dress and hairstyle, and described it as a holy fraternity rather than a royal-style court.[1]
His following provoked resentment, especially among followers of the Satmar rebbe, Yo'el Teitelbaum. By 1936 the conflict had become openly violent, and Roth moved to Beregovo (Beregszász) in Czechoslovakia, although many of his followers and the study hall he had built stayed in Satu Mare. He returned to Jerusalem in late 1939. Most of his Hungarian disciples were later murdered by the Nazis.[1]
In 1942 Roth wrote his two-volume main work, Shomer emunim. Like Teitelbaum, he gave Zionism no redemptive role. He blamed secularism and Zionism for provoking God's anger, and he stated that if proper standards of dress had been kept, the Nazi decrees would not have come about. His other works include Tohorat ha-kodesh (1930), Shulḥan tahor (1933), No'am ha-levavot (1934), Igrot shomer emunim (1942) and Osef mikhtavim (1943); his ethical will was published as Kuntres tsava'ah (1947).[1]
The split and succession
Roth died in 1947. His group then split into two rival bodies: a smaller one, which kept the name Shomre Emunim, followed his son, while the larger one, Toldos Aharon, was led by his son-in-law.[1] The son-in-law, Avrohom Yitzchok Kohn, was succeeded in 1996 by Dovid Kohn, who was 78 at the time of the Ynet report in 2025.[2]
The death of Avrohom Yitzchok Kohn led to a further split. According to Behadrei Haredim, most of the community and the management of its institutions followed his second son, Dovid Kohn, but about a third of the Hasidim followed his eldest son, Shmuel Yaakov Kohn, who set up new institutions under the name Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok. Shmuel Yaakov Kohn was installed as rebbe two weeks after his father's death; in December 2013 the group marked 17 years since its founding, with a third study hall newly built in the Kne Bosem neighbourhood of Beit Shemesh.[5]
| Leader | Role | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Aharon Roth (1894–1947) | Founder of Shomre Emunim | 1920s–1947[1] |
| Avrohom Yitzchok Kohn | Roth's son-in-law; first Rebbe of Toldos Aharon | 1947–1996[1][2] |
| Dovid Kohn | Second son of Avrohom Yitzchok Kohn; Rebbe | 1996–present[2][5] |
Beliefs and practice
The YIVO Encyclopedia says that the group's growth, its prominent place in Mea Shearim, its distinctive gold "Jerusalemite" robes and white knitted skullcaps, and its "vocal opposition to any intrusions on their sectarian values" have put it at the forefront of the anti-Zionist camp.[1] According to Ynet, men wear striped caftans that change colour between weekdays and the Sabbath. Women wear a tightly wrapped black headscarf, white on the Sabbath, and shaving the head is treated as an obligation.[2]
The sociologist Sima Zalcberg-Blak of Ariel University spent seven years studying the group's women for her book They Still Sit and Sew. She told Ynet that men and women in the group have limited formal education and that their main language is Yiddish. Girls' schools teach Jewish history but do not mention Zionism, and girls are taught the Bible orally in an adapted Yiddish version. The group officially forbids the use of technology, though she found that some women use devices without their husbands' knowledge.[2]
In 2025 Dovid Kohn, who is himself a kohen, set up a kollel for kohanim to study the laws of Temple service in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Participants study from 4:40 to 7:00 a.m. and receive a stipend of $500 a month.[6]
Communities
- Jerusalem: the group's centre is in Mea Shearim.[1][2]
- Beit Shemesh: in February 2025 thousands attended the wedding of the rebbe's granddaughter to a grandson of the Kretchnif rebbe at the Heichal HaSimcha hall in the Har Tov industrial zone of Beit Shemesh.[7]
- Harish, Tiberias and further Beit Shemesh associations: see Institutions in Israel.[8]
- London: see UK charities below.
Institutions in Israel
The group's associations (amutot) on the Israeli Registrar of Associations include the following. The oldest, Mosdos Toldos Aharon, was registered in 1983; its objects cover religion, education, welfare, charity, support for yeshiva students, teachers and rabbis including their housing, and buying property for the yeshiva.[9][8]
| Association | Number | Registered | Address | Objects (summary) | Latest reported income (₪) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mosdos Toldos Aharon (Ottoman-law association: Yeshivat veTalmud Torah Toldos Aharon) | 580019479 | 29 June 1983 | 35 Shivtei Yisrael Street, Jerusalem | Religion, education, welfare and charity; support for yeshiva students, teachers and rabbis | 9,115,130 (2025)[9] |
| Tzedakat Toldos Aharon | 580583623 | 19 December 2013 | 48 Shivtei Yisrael Street, Jerusalem | Kollel, yeshiva, Passover food aid, soup kitchen, support for poor families | 4,471,841 (2024)[8] |
| Merkazei Chinuch veRevacha Toldos Aharon | 580685972 | 22 July 2019 | 91 Mea Shearim Street, Jerusalem | Talmud Torah, yeshiva and kollel; aid to the needy | 2,025,552 (2025)[8] |
| Yedidei Kahal Toldos Aharon | 580704872 | 15 July 2020 | 31 Shivtei Yisrael Street, Jerusalem | Kollel, yeshiva, support for large families, subsidised Passover matzah | 987,586 (2024)[8] |
| Ne'emanei Toldos Aharon | 580639987 | 15 May 2017 | 87/1 Unger Street, Mea Shearim, Jerusalem | Yeshivas and kollels; support for poor families | [8] |
| Hachnasat Orchim Pat Shacharit Toldos Aharon | 580719763 | 16 March 2021 | 15 HaRav Salant Street, Jerusalem | Kollel, support for families in distress, soup kitchen | [8] |
| Chasadim Tovim Toldos Aharon | 580825628 | 17 September 2025 | 1 Netzivin Street, Jerusalem | Financial and food aid to needy families; funds for widows and orphans | [8] |
| Mishpacha Tomechet Toldos Aharon | 580825370 | 16 September 2025 | 8 Spitzer Street, Jerusalem | Charity for the needy, Torah students and large families | [8] |
| Mosdos Toldos Aharon Harish | 580701431 | 11 May 2020 | 19 Shoham Street, Harish | Kindergartens, Talmud Torah, help for pupils with learning difficulties | [8] |
| Merkaz Torani Toldos Aharon – Harish | 580743573 | 15 May 2022 | 508 Mea Shearim Street, Jerusalem | Culture and leisure for children; Torah and religious services; buildings | [8] |
| Keren HaBinyan Toldos Aharon – Ramat Beit Shemesh | 580680650 | 30 April 2019 | 8 Rabbi Yehoshua Street, Beit Shemesh | Support for bodies building public and religious buildings | [8] |
| Kupa shel Tzedaka Toldos Aharon Beit Shemesh | 580847796 | 17 September 2026 | 49 Ben Ish Chai Street, Beit Shemesh | Weekly and monthly charity payments to the needy | [8] |
| Toldos Aharon Tveria – Tzedakat Rabbi Meir Baal Haness | 580828309 | 11 November 2025 | 13 Derech Maran, Tiberias | Kollel, synagogues and study halls | [8] |
Several other Toldos Aharon associations have been struck off, including the Toldos Aharon Hasidim institutions in Beit Shemesh (580196541, registered 1991), a building fund for the yeshiva and synagogue in Mea Shearim (580434850, 2005), a Beit Shemesh building fund (580632123, 2016) and Toldos Aharon – Kiryat Yam (580458768, 2006).[8][9]
UK charities
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registered | 22 July 2015[3] |
| Address | First Floor, 94 Stamford Hill, London N16 6XS[3] |
| Areas of operation | Hackney; Israel[3] |
| Trustees | Joseph Alexander Goldstein (chair), Abraham Just, Leah Reiner[10] |
| Company | Incorporated 18 March 2015 as a private company limited by guarantee; registered office 137 Wargrave Avenue, London N15 6TX; nature of business: cultural education[11] |
| Directors | Joseph Alexander Goldstein and Abraham Just (both since 18 March 2015); Leah Reiner (since 12 October 2021); Chaim Reiner (18 March 2015 – 12 October 2021)[12] |
| Persons with significant control | Chaim Reiner, Abraham Just and Joseph Alexander Goldstein, each with significant influence or control (notified 18 March 2017)[13] |
| Income, year to 31 March 2025 | £931,233 (donations £889,669)[3][4] |
| Expenditure, year to 31 March 2025 | £813,501, of which grants £795,915[3][4] |
The trust's 2025 accounts say that its synagogue "continues to be used daily for prayer and for study", and that it "also raises money for the Grand Rabbi of Toldos Aharon's network of schools and talmudical colleges" (PDF p. 4).[4] Abraham Just is also a trustee of Mosdos Toldos Aron Limited (charity 1203714), registered on 23 June 2023, at 59 Darenth Road, London N16 6ES. It had an income of £1,858,110 in the year to 31 March 2026 and operates throughout England and in Israel.[10][14]
See also
- Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok
- Shmuel Yaakov Kohn
- Shomer Emunim (Hasidic dynasty)
- Neturei Karta
- Edah HaChareidis
- Toldos Aharon Trust Limited
Notes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Adam S. Ferziger, Roth, Aharon YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Eliezer Hayun, 'More strict than the rest': A rare look at Israel's most insular Hasidic sect Ynetnews, 9 March 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited, charity 1162774: full print register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Toldos Aharon Trust Limited, Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Shlomo Greenberg, Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok celebrates seventeen years to founding (in Hebrew) Behadrei Haredim, 22 December 2013, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ The Yeshiva World, Footsteps of Moshiach: Toldos Aharon Rebbe Is Training Kohanim For Avodas Beis HaMikdash The Yeshiva World, 26 June 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ The Yeshiva World, Thousands Attend Chasuanh Of Grandchildren of Toldos Aharon And Kretchnif Rebbes The Yeshiva World, 12 February 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 Registrar of Associations, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Register of associations and public benefit companies: search "תולדות אהרן" data.gov.il, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Registrar of Associations, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Register of associations and public benefit companies: search "תולדות אהרון" data.gov.il, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited, charity 1162774: trustees register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited (09496295): overview Find and update company information, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited (09496295): officers Find and update company information, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, Toldos Aharon Trust Limited (09496295): persons with significant control Find and update company information, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, Mosdos Toldos Aron Limited, charity 1203714: full print register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 27 October 2026.