Rav Menachem Mendel Taragin, son of Asher Yehoshua Taragin and Yehudis Abelsom, was born in Sep 1873 in Praile, Latvia and died in Jun 1973 in Baltimore, MD USA at age 99. Another name for Menachem was Rav Menachem Mendel Ben Asher.
Noted events in his life are:
• Yahrtzeit: Sivan 28.
descendants of Mendel Taragin
Taragin is situated in the north eastern part of Lithuania on the shore of Lake Tauragnas, about 15 km south east of the district center Utian (Utena). Historical sources dating from the end of the 16th century mention Taragin as a village and an estate bearing the same name. The estate later belonged to a noble family named Poslovsky. In 1792 regular market days took place there, and several taverns and a workshop for producing alcohol were established.
From Shtetl Links
A Litvisher Yid, I guess, no mention of belonging to Chassidim. Just another of those forgotten Yiddelach who hung tough in America despite the hardships. He seemed to raise a somewhat Jewish family.
Interesting you mention davka this family. "somewhat Jewish" - why, Mendel has at least 2 grandsons who are Ramim at yeshivas - Rav Moshe at Gush Etzion ( see http://www.haretzion.org/faculty.htm ) and Rav Reuven of Yeshivat HaKotel ( see http://www.torahinmotion.org/spkrs_crnr/faculty/bioReuvenShaniTaragin.htm )
ReplyDeleteI see that in the family tree, but I'm not sure about many of the others. Even some of his sons. It's not clear just from seeing it in writing. Aderaba!, if you know more fill in the blanks.
ReplyDeleteMenachem Mendel....no mention of belonging to Chassidim...
ReplyDeleteWhats in a name?
The name Menachem Mendel was around before the Temach Tedek. The Divte Chaim is buried next to a Menachem Mendel, who ALSO wrot a work called Temach Tedek. So it is not suprising that there are Litvish Menachem Mendel's out there. i knoe of a few, but they may be named after chassidish ancestors
ReplyDeletewell, from the Kapote we can see that he wasn't a Chossid. A Chossid would never button it Links af rechts. Unless the negative here was flipped.
ReplyDeleteReb Menachem Mendel of Shklov was a prime Talmid of the Gr"O. Doesn't get more Misnagdic than that.
ReplyDeletei wouldn't call menachem mendel of shklov a misnagid- didn't he have dealing with the tzemach tzedek for joint "aliah". read the movoi of his sefer pe'as halechem
ReplyDelete"Reb Menachem Mendel of Shklov was a prime Talmid of the Gr"O. Doesn't get more Misnagdic than that. "
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, when his work on Avos was published by the family of the Divery Chaim, they were not sure whether it was written by Rav MM Shoklover of Rav MM of Vetebsk, both who lived in Teveria around the same time. Which is why the author is referred to ONLY as Rav MM of Teveria in the hascomos etc. Available in any book store, go take a look.
"He seemed to raise a somewhat Jewish family"
ReplyDeleteJust to set the record straight,.
We are talking about a family that came to te United States in the 1920's. I do not need to eleaborate on the situation of many jewish immigrants to the US at that time. Despite all this Harav Menachem Mendel Taragin Z"TL, was able to influence his family in the U.S. All of his sons and all of his grandchildren, remained ( and remain) strongly religious and pillars of the "frum" orthodox community.
I'm glad hear that from a descendant of his.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell us more about the man? His background, why he came to America, what he did here, and so on?
I do realize the hardships of raising a Jewish family here pre-WWII, and he's to be commended greatly for accomplishing that.
btw, how did you hear about the thread here about your grandfather?