Remembering the Klausenberger Rebbe on his 29th Yahrtzeit, 9 Tammuz

By Rabbi Chanan Daniel Skurnik, Director of Laniado Development Fund - Mid Atlantic
Posted on 06/27/23

The 9th of Tammuz marks the 29th yahrtzeit of the Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, zt"l. 

Born in 1905 in Rudnik, Poland, the Rebbe would become a Rav in Klausenberg, Romania

at the age of 22. His brilliance, warmth, and piety were reminiscent of his great grandfather, Rav Chaim Sanzer - the saintly Divrei Chaim.  

The Rebbe miraculously survived the Holocaust, although he tragically lost his wife and eleven children. During and after the war, the Rebbe was a beacon of hope and strength for everyone around him despite his own suffering. People were especially moved by the way he would daven - as if he was physically standing before his heavenly Father and expressing himself with genuine emotion.

The Rebbe spent the rest of his life rebuilding world Jewry. Already in the DP camps, he set up a network of schools and batei medreshim called "Shearis Hapleita." He ensured there was kosher meat and other products. The Rebbe facilitated numerous marriages and helped couples start off their lives together.

The Rebbe moved to the US, establishing communities in Brooklyn, NY and Union City, NJ where many disconnected and broken Jews flocked to him for inspiration and to renew their faith in Hashem. The Rebbe remarried to the Nitra Rav's daughter, Chaya Nechama Unger. The shidduch was set up by the kallah's brother-in-law, Rav Michoel Ber Weismandl.

The Rebbe moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1958 and was welcomed with great joy and excitement. The Rebbe continued to rebuild and eventually settled in a neighborhood in the coastal city of Netanya. Twenty five miles north of Tel Aviv, the new Kiryat Sanz neighborhood would boast schools, shuls, an orphanage, old-age home and numerous organizations. 

In 1975 the rebbe opened the famed Laniado Hospital. This unusual endeavour was the result of a vow he made after surviving a gunshot wound during a death march. The rebbe was intimately involved with Laniado, no different than yeshivas and other mosdos he founded. Today, Laniado is the only hospital in Netanya, serving over 500,000 people from all backgrounds and is managed according to halacha.

In 1982, the Rebbe wanted to grow the breadth and depth of Torah study. As a result, he created Mifal HaShas, an innovative learning program which incentivizes the learning and mastery of Talmud. Today, Mifal HaShas has spread throughout the world and is still continuing the rebbe's mission.

The Rebbe's legendary Chumash & Rashi shiurim are recorded in his sefer "Shefa Chaim" and his responsa and insights on various topics are recorded in "Divrei Yatziv."

The Rebbe was filled with Ahavas Yisrael and devoted his life to helping people with their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Even after his passing, the Rebbe's lengthy ethical will was replete with the importance of peace, respect, helping one another, and further dedication to Torah study. Yehi Zichro Baruch.

The author can be reached at dskurnik@laniadofund.org