Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Rabbi from Jerusalem

Harold Sharfman, in "The First Rabbi" writes:
That year, (1870, HT) there arrived in America, a unique personality, a Jerusalemite, a Judean diplomat without portfolio, who became an American citizen before returning to the Land of Israel. He was Hayyim Zevi Sneersohn, a grand-grandson of Shneor Zalman, Rabbi of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chasidism.

Reb Chayim Tzvi was, according to Loebtree, the great grandson of The Alter Rebbe, and a grandson of HaRaHa"K Reb Moshe N"E. He had immigrated to then-Palestine with his mother in 1840 (aged 8?) and was recognized as a prodigy. By 1860 he was traveling to the Far East and as far as Australia to raise funds for the poor of Israel.

Sharfman continues:

In May 1870 he traveled to Cincinnati, where he told audiences that he felt he could discern the finger of G-d pointing to a day "not far distant, he hoped, when the great deliverance would take place and the land [of Israel] be restored to the Jewish people."

"He stressed the need to purchase land and erect buildings, because the restoration would not be accomplished just by the word of G-D. He pointed out that Abraham too, bought land, even though it had been divinely promised to him."

He had one son, Moshe, no grandchildren are known. He passed away in South Africa in 1881-1882 as a young man, while raising funds for the Needy of Israel.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember reading about him in a yiddish newspaper (Der Blatt?)circa 1998. They had a lengthy article on him, and said there that he was a shadar, collecting for E"Y.
He arrived in the US for that purpose, and successfully raised quite a substantial amount of money from xtians and Jews, amid high praise from President Grant - who wanted him to stay in America, and wanted to appoint him as Chief Rabbi of the US. I'm not sure about this, but I also think he received high praise from Samuel Clemens, aka "Mark Twain."
Interestingly, I remember that he went on to collect in Australia, where he was arrested for impersonating a Charity collector (he actually was one). It seems that other collectors didn't like the competition and tried to convince the local officials there that he was a charlatan.
Somehow he convinced them of his innocence and ended up freed from jail, and successfully brought much needed funds for the Holy Land.
He died in S. Africa while collecting funds. I wonder what happened to his child(ren)?
I don't remember much else about what was written there, but he seems to have been quite an interesting and charismatic individual.
Interestingly, his grandfather R' Moshe passed away in 1877 - only a few years before the passing of his grandson.

Anonymous said...

He was also influential in having the US consul in Romania deposed and a new one installed by President Grant. I find it hard to believe that "Der Blatt" would mention the Zionist aspect of Reb Chaim Zvi. Maybe.

Anonymous said...

There is a complete biography of Reb Chaim Zvi published by Mesod Horav Kuk in 1973 called Rebbe Chaim Zvi Schneurson (Hebrew) by the noted historian Israel Klausner.The book also includes his picture dressed in oriental levush.He does have a beard.
If I recall correctly a footnote in the early pages of this work traces his yichus to rav Moshe son of the Baal Hatanya.
The previous comments capture the personna of this man very well.
I gather that he was not "retzini". He was more of a shtikel "letz".
I doubt he had much shaychus to the Chabad community in Jslm or chevron except for nominal membership.
I think Reb Eisenstein talks about him in his Ozar Zichronosai (memoirs).
I saw on auction several years ago a letter from sale from a great grandson of his in Chicag also called Schneersohn. I had never heard of this person previously.The letter head states Horav ploni ben ploni ben ploni neched habaal hatanya ben rav baruch ! As if rav Baruch was the creator of the Schneersohn dynasty. Of course this was a way of taking his yichus back another dor ...
Very interesting subject keep up the good work.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

I did see the book as being available at the Bar Ilan library, is it available for viewing at JTS, YU, Columbia?

What do you mean by "tracing his lineage"? Was he not a son of reb Moshe?

Anonymous said...

He was not a son of Rav Moshe ben Admor hazaken N"E. He was a grandson or great grandson.We need to check the book .
I am sure that NYPL, Columbia or JTS has the book. YU does too.
I also recall that the Encyclopedi Judaica has an entry for him and there was something about his world trip published somewhere in Englsih perhaps in a journal called AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY.
I also think that Pres. Grant received him in the White House during his trip here.
I bet Yaari has something about him in his wonderful volume about Shadarim from eretz Israel

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Yes, Sahrfman mentions a meeting with President Grant who was very impressed with him.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous:

The link that he posted to the Schneersohn family tree has him listed as being a son of Reb Moshe, born 1783, died 1877. That would make him a son of Reb Moshe the son of the Alter Rebbe, no?

Anonymous said...

As my rosh yeshiva would say lamir zen in gemore , Lets check the books about the relationship between Reb Chaim Zvi Schneersohn and rav Moshe.

Anonymous said...

The tree you linked shows that R' Moshe was his grandfather
(R' Moshes daughter was:
Sarah Rivkah SHNEURSON m. Nachum Yosef SHNEURSOHN.
Chaim Tzvi SHNEURSOHN was their son.)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, my bad.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

It is interesting to note that RCZ did visit and lecture in what seems to me to be Reform Temples and Seminaries, including the New York Historical Society, as well as Non-Jewish institutions, such as the Cooper Institute. Something not very acceptable amongst other Shadarim.

Anonymous said...

The most famous Shadar to visit the states was Rav (Hacham) Rapahel Chaim Karigal of Hebron who came here in the late colonial period. He styaed for about 1 year. He was in NYC and Newport and had an influence on the local Jews and non jews including the Rev. Ezra Stiles president of Yale college.There were also other shadarim who cam ehere to collect funds.