Rachmastrivka (Hasidic dynasty)
Hasidic dynasty, a branch of the Chernobyl (Twersky) dynasty founded in Rotmistrivka, Ukraine, now led from Jerusalem, Borough Park and Lakewood
| Rachmastrivka | |
|---|---|
| Founded | Rotmistrivka (Rakhmistrivke), Ukraine |
| Founder | Yochanan Twersky (1816–1895) |
| Leader | Rebbes Duvid Twersky (Jerusalem); Duvid Moshe Twersky (Borough Park); Yisachar Dov Twersky (Lakewood); Menachem Nochum Twersky (Lakewood) |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem; Borough Park, Brooklyn |
| Type | Hasidic dynasty |
| Notes | |
Rachmastrivka is a Hasidic dynasty, a branch of the Chernobyl or Twersky dynasty. It is named after the village of Rotmistrivka (Yiddish Rakhmistrivke) in Ukraine, where its founder, Yochanan Twersky (1816–1895), the youngest son of Mordechai (Motele) of Chernobyl, made his home.[1][2]
The dynasty has had two rebbes at a time since 1982, one in Jerusalem and one in Borough Park, Brooklyn, while remaining a single court. Since 2023 there have also been Rachmastrivka rebbes in Lakewood.[2][3] Associations bearing its name are registered in Israel, including in the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit, and in New York State, and a London charity raises funds for Rachmastrivka institutions.
History
Chernobyl origins
The Chernobyl dynasty was founded by Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl (1730?–1797), a student of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritsh. His son Mordechai (Motele) (1770?–1837) took the surname Twersky and turned the following into a mass movement; by the 1840s seven of his eight sons were Hasidic leaders in different Ukrainian towns. The eighth son, Yochanan (1816–1895), "made his home in the small village of Rotmistrivka".[1]
Succession
According to Ami magazine, after the death of Rabbi Nuchem Twersky, the last surviving son of Yochanan, his two sons Avrohom Dov and Duvid were both made rebbes but led the Hasidim jointly rather than as two courts. Duvid's son Yochanan succeeded them. After Yochanan's death in 1982 his sons Yisroel Mordechai (in Jerusalem) and Chai Yitzchok Twersky (in America) led the group, which "remained a single unified court".[2] FAA News gives Yochanan's dates as 1903–1982 and Yisroel Mordechai's as 1929–2004.[3]
Borough Park
Chai Yitzchok Twersky, a son of Yochanan, was born in 1931 and grew up in Jerusalem, where he studied under Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer at Yeshiva Etz Chaim.[4][5] Both The Yeshiva World and Matzav.com say that it was he, not his father, who was the son-in-law of the Skverer Rebbe, Yaakov Yosef Twersky. He moved to America and settled in his father-in-law's community of New Square.[4][5] According to The Yeshiva World, in 1982, after the death of his father, the Machnovka Rebbe of Bnei Brak appointed him Rachmastrivka Rebbe in America over his protests; Matzav.com says that he became Rachmastrivke Rebbe in Borough Park in the early 1980s "at the insistence of the Machnovka Rebbe". He shared the leadership with his brother Yisrael Mordechai, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe in Jerusalem.[4][5] He set up a study hall on 45th Street between 12th and 13th Avenues; The Yeshiva World says the group grew from a very small one to thousands of followers.[4] Matzav.com gives the address of the Rachmastrivke Bais Medrash as 1164 45th Street, Borough Park,[5] and Congregation Rachmistrivka is registered with the IRS at 1164 45th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219.[6]
He died on 16 August 2023 aged 92. His funeral was held at the Rachmastrivka study hall in Borough Park, and he was buried in the Rachmastrivka section of Har Shalom cemetery, 44 Hillside Avenue, Airmont.[4][7][5] His son Duvid Moshe Twersky then became Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Borough Park. Yisachar Dov Twersky, rabbi of the Rachmastrivka synagogue at 610 East County Line Road, Lakewood, became Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Lakewood (he was sitting shiva in Borough Park at the time), and a younger son, Menachem Nochum Twersky, became rebbe of the Oak and Vine neighbourhood of Lakewood, with a synagogue at 736 Vine Avenue.[3]
Jerusalem
After the death of Yisroel Mordechai, his eldest son, Duvid Twersky, became Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Jerusalem.[3] Ami reported that he had wanted his uncle Chai Yitzchok to lead the whole group from America, but that his uncle insisted on a rebbe living in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem institutions on Givat Moshe Street house the main study hall and Yeshivas Meor Einayim. Ami says that the court of Yisroel Mordechai had been small and drew few outsiders, but that Duvid Twersky's tishen draw "very large crowds" from many parts of the Orthodox world.[2]
| Leader | Dates | Base | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yochanan Twersky | 1816–1895 | Rotmistrivka | Founder; youngest son of Mordechai of Chernobyl[1] |
| Avrohom Dov and Duvid Twersky | Joint rebbes after their father Nuchem[2] | ||
| Yochanan Twersky | 1903–1982 | Son of Duvid[2][3] | |
| Yisroel Mordechai Twersky | 1929–2004 | Jerusalem | Son of Yochanan[3] |
| Chai Yitzchok Twersky | 1931–2023 | Borough Park | Son of Yochanan; son-in-law of Yaakov Yosef Twersky of Skver; rebbe from 1982[4][5] |
| Duvid Twersky | Jerusalem | Son of Yisroel Mordechai[3][2] | |
| Duvid Moshe Twersky | Borough Park | Son of Chai Yitzchok; rebbe from 2023[3] | |
| Yisachar Dov Twersky | Lakewood | Rebbe from 2023[3] | |
| Menachem Nochum Twersky | Lakewood (Oak and Vine) | Younger son of Chai Yitzchok; rebbe from 2023[3] |
Institutions in Israel
Associations (amutot) with Rachmastrivka in their names on the Israeli Registrar of Associations include the following.[8][9]
| Association | Number | Registered | Address | Income (latest report) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemach Chonen Chesed, named for Rabbi Yochanan Twersky of Rachmastrivka | 580040913 | 21 February 1983 | 34 David Yellin Street, Jerusalem | ₪277,760 |
| Hatzar HaKodesh Rachmastrivka – Jerusalem (חצר הקודש ראחמיסטריווקא - ירושלים) | 580211449 | 29 October 1992 | 10 Givat Moshe Boulevard, Jerusalem | ₪12,397 (2024) |
| Mif'al Siyua Ezrat Zion VeYerushalayim (מפעל סיוע עזרת ציון וירושלים) | 580288140 | 22 August 1996 | 25 Ezrat Torah Street, Jerusalem | ₪1,100 |
| Kehillat Rachmastrivka Bnei Brak (קהילת ראחמסטריווקא בני ברק) | 580662625 | 27 March 2018 | 3 HaAdmor MiBelz Street, Bnei Brak | ₪1,276,822 (2024) |
| VeChai Achicha Imach Rachmastrivka Bnei Brak (וחי אחיך עמך ראחמיסטריווקא בני ברק) | 580705176 | 20 July 2020 | 10 Rashi Street, Bnei Brak | ₪44,280 |
| Heichalei HaTorah VeHaChesed Rachmastrivka (היכלי התורה והחסד ראחמיסטריווקא) | 580729689 | 31 October 2021 | 110 Kedushat Levi Street, Beitar Illit | ₪747,240 (2024) |
| Kehillat Rachmastrivka Beit Shemesh (קהילת ראחמסטריווקא בית שמש) | 580794196 | 2 July 2024 | 17 Nahar HaYarden Street, Beit Shemesh | ₪74,517 |
| Rachmastrivka Ramat Avraham Beit Shemesh (ראחמיסטריווקא רמת אברהם בית שמש) | 580795748 | 19 July 2024 | 3 HaRav Yisrael Grossman Street, Beit Shemesh | – |
| Igud Bachurei Rachmastrivka VeTen Chelkeinu (איגוד בחורי ראחמסטריווקא ותן חלקנו) | 580811693 | 12 February 2025 | 23 Tzfanya Street, Jerusalem | ₪30,050 |
| Yissachar Zevulun Rachmastrivka Beit Shemesh (יששכר זבולון ראחמסטריווקא בית שמש) | 580835809 | 18 February 2026 | 69 Ben Ish Hai Street, Beit Shemesh | – |
The registered objects of Hatzar HaKodesh Rachmastrivka include running the synagogue in the Gush 80 neighbourhood of Jerusalem and a kollel for the Rachmastrivka Hasidim in Israel. The Chonen Chesed fund makes interest-free loans or grants to needy Rachmastrivka Hasidim, and association 580288140 supports organisations giving aid "within Rachmastrivka Hasidut".[8][9]
Heichalei HaTorah VeHaChesed Rachmastrivka, which runs a kollel and pays stipends, is registered in Beitar Illit.[8] The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ) says Beitar Illit was set up in 1985 on Palestinian-owned land from the villages of Husan (3,430 dunums), Nahhalin (688 dunums) and Wadi Fukin (567 dunums).[10] In its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 the International Court of Justice found that Israel's transfer of settlers to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and its maintenance of their presence there, is contrary to the sixth paragraph of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.[11]
United States
The IRS Business Master File for New York lists these tax-exempt organisations with Rachmastrivka (in various spellings) in their names. Congregation Rachmistrivka Inc is registered on 45th Street, Borough Park, where The Yeshiva World places the Rebbe's study hall.[6][4]
| Organisation | EIN | Address on IRS file | IRS ruling | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congregation Rachmistrivka | 11-2604058 | 1164 45th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 | July 1982 | Church[6] |
| Cong Khal Rachmistrivka | 13-3705895 | 3054 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 | June 1993 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Yaldei Yochonon of Rachmisrivke | 13-3974975 | 145 Route 306, Monsey, NY 10952 | February 1999 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Kolel Chasidei Rachmistrivka | 04-3759823 | 97 Highview Road, Suffern, NY 10901 | July 2003 | Sort name "Talmud Torah Ohr Yochanan"[6] |
| Eisek Hatorah D'Rachmistrivka | 45-4065282 | 8101 Avenue K, Brooklyn, NY 11236 | August 2013 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Rachmastrivka | 46-0905663 | 130 Lake Street, South Fallsburg, NY 12779 | January 2014 | Church[6] |
| Kolel Rachmistrivka Monsey | 82-2047067 | 6 Horizon Court, Unit 202, Monsey, NY 10952 | February 2018 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Bais Rachmistrivka | 93-3646092 | 2 Hopal Lane, Monsey, NY 10952 | December 2023 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Bais Hamedresh Rachmistirvka | 99-0612507 | 2 Hopal Lane, Monsey, NY 10952 | April 2024 | Church[6] |
| Cong Rachmistrivk of Wmsbg | 93-4947356 | 40 South 9th Street, Apartment 4C, Brooklyn, NY 11249 | July 2024 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Yeshiva Rachmistrivka | 99-4237828 | 5 Monroe Lane, Unit 201, Spring Valley, NY 10977 | January 2025 | Church[6] |
| Congregation Rachmistrivka SV | 99-1608751 | 5 Elaine Place, Unit 101, Spring Valley, NY 10977 | August 2025 | Church[6] |
| Mosdos Rachmistrivka | 39-3995174 | 5 Monroe Lane, Unit 201, Spring Valley, NY 10977 | December 2025 | Public charity[6] |
| Cong Rachmistrivka WB | 33-3542436 | 60 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 | April 2026 | Church[6] |
Tov V'Chesed Rachmistrivka (46-3797768), then at 4319 13th Avenue, Suite 302, Brooklyn, lost its exemption with effect from 15 May 2016 and was reinstated from 15 July 2018. Under the name Congregation Tov V'Chesed Rachmistrivka, at 1164 45th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219, it was again revoked with effect from 15 May 2021.[12]
United Kingdom
The New Rachmistrivke Synagogue Trust (registered charity 1050963, registered 27 November 1995) is a trust at 12 Portland Avenue, London N16 6ET. According to the register, its objectives are to promote Orthodox Judaism, "in particular by assisting Rachmistrivka Synagogue by raising funds for the purpose of building, refurbishing and equipping a new building for a synagogue", and its "main activity ... is to make grants to Rachmistrivka Institutions". It operates in England and Wales and in Israel. Its trustees are Moishe Erlich and Israel Pinchas Karniol (both from 11 June 2024), David Margulies and Malcolm Stern. In the year to 30 September 2025 its income was £2,156,697 and its spending £2,252,063.[13]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Paul Radensky, Chernobil Hasidic Dynasty 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 Eliezer Brand, Leading with Humility // An uplifting visit with Rav Duvid Twersky, the Rachmistrivka Rebbe of Yerushalayim Ami Magazine, 26 September 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 FAA News, NEW ADMORIM CROWNED IN LAKEWOOD FAA News, 20 August 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 The Yeshiva World, BARUCH DAYAN HA'EMES: The Rachmastrivka Rebbe, HaRav Chai Yitzchak Twerski ZT"L The Yeshiva World, 16 August 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Matzav.com, The Rachmastrivke Rebbe, Rav Chai Yitzchok Isaac Twersky zt”l Matzav.com, 16 August 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 Internal Revenue Service, Exempt Organizations Business Master File Extract: New York irs.gov, 13 October 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Joseph Feldman, BDE: Rachmastrivka Rebbe Passes Away VINnews, 16 August 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Registrar of Associations, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Register of associations and public benefit companies: search "ראחמיסטריווקא" data.gov.il, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Registrar of Associations, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Register of associations and public benefit companies: search "ראחמסטריווקא" data.gov.il, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem, "Expanding the settlement of Betar Illit" Warmly welcoming to the US Mideast special envoy G. Mitchell POICA, 9 March 2010, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ International Court of Justice, Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 icj-cij.org, 19 July 2024, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, Automatic Revocation of Exemption List (data download) irs.gov, accessed 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, The New Rachmistrivke Synagogue Trust (1050963): full print Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.