Naftali Tzvi Halberstam (Hebrew: ר' נפתלי צבי הלברשטאם, June 10, 1931 – March 23, 2005) was the fourth Grand Rebbe of Bobov. He succeeded his father, Shlomo Halberstam, as Grand Rebbe from August 2000 until March 2005. His death led to a succession crisis within Bobov.[3]
Naftali Halberstam | |
|---|---|
 Naftali Halberstam on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot | |
| Title | Fourth Bobover Rebbe |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Naftali Tzvi Halberstam June 10, 1931 [25 Sivan, 5691] |
| Died | March 23, 2005 (aged 73) [12 Adar, 5765] |
| Spouse | Hesa |
| Parent |
|
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Jewish leader | |
| Predecessor | Shlomo Halberstam |
| Successor | Benzion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (Bobov)[1] Mordechai David Unger (Bobov-45)[2] |
Early life
editNaftali Tzvi Halberstam was born in Bobowa, Poland to Shlomo Halberstam, the third Bobover Rebbe.[4][5][6] His mother and two siblings were murdered in the Holocaust.[7] Towards the end of the war, Naftali's father had arranged for him to go to Mandatory Palestine.[7] Shlomo remained in Europe, and Naftali was unsure if his father had survived the war.[7] Halberstam lived for several years in Israel, where he received his rabbinical ordination.[7]
Career
editIn 1951, after discovering that his father had indeed survived the war and relocated to New York in the late 1940s, he joined him there,[7] and discovered that his father had meanwhile remarried. Halberstam, who was described by Samuel Heilman as "[living] in the shadow of his father" during this period,[7] also had a half-brother, Ben Zion.[8] Upon his father's death in 2000, Halberstam became the Grand Rebbe of Bobov in Borough Park, Brooklyn, at age 69.[8] Ill with Parkinson's disease, he died on March 23, 2005[8] and was buried next to his father in Floral Park Cemetery, in Deans, New Jersey.[9] His death led to a succession crisis in Bobov, with some Bobovers supporting his half-brother, while others followed his son-in-law, Mordechai Dovid Unger.[3]
Personal life
editHalberstam left no sons,[9] only two daughters. His older daughter is married to Yehoshua Rubin, the current Bobov-45 dayan (judge). His younger daughter is married to Unger, the first Bobov-45 Rebbe.[8] Halberstam's wife, Hesa,[7] died on May 15, 2011 (11 Iyar, 5771) aged 80.
Rebbes of Bobov
edit- Shlomo Halberstam (1847–1905) grandson of the Sanzer Rebbe, Chaim Halberstam
- Ben Zion Halberstam (1874–1941)
- Shlomo Halberstam (1907–2000)
- Naftali Halberstam (1931–2005)
- Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (b.1955), current Rebbe, younger son of Shlomo Halberstam[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Nathan-Kazis, Josh (April 15, 2016) "Bobov-De Blasio Ties Under Spotlight", The Forward. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ Heilman 2013, p. 238.
- ^ a b (March 26, 2005) "A Battle for Succession Takes No Holiday", The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ (March 25, 2005) "Naftali Halberstam, 74; Led Bobov Hasidic Sect After Father's Death", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ "Rebbe Naftali Tzvi Halberstam". kevarim.com.
- ^ "Remembering the Rebbetzin". Mishpacha.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fox, Margalit (March 25, 2005) "Naftali Halberstam Dies at 74; Bobov Hasidim's Grand Rabbi", The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Heilman 2013, p. 236.
- ^ a b (March 24, 2005) "Several Thousand Attend Grand Rabbi's Funeral in Brooklyn", The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
Sources
edit- Heilman, Samuel C. (December 2013). "What's in a Name? The Dilemma of Title and Geography for Contemporary Hasidism". Jewish History. 27 (2–4): 221–240. doi:10.1007/s10835-013-9187-5. S2CID 254602685. ProQuest 1460841654. Retrieved July 19, 2023.