ALEKSANDROW

ALEKSANDROW (Danziger ), influential dynasty of ḥasidic rabbis in Poland active from the second half of the 19^th century (see *Ḥasidism). Their "court" was at *Aleksandrow Lodzki (Yid. Alexander), a small town near Lodz. In contrast to the Ḥasidim of Góra-Kalwaria (Yid. Ger), the Aleksandrow Ḥasidim generally did not take part in Jewish party politics in Poland.

The founder of the dynasty, shraga feivel danziger (d. 1849) of Grójec (Yid. Gryce), was rabbi in the small towns of Sierpc, Gąbin, and Maków; Shraga succeeded his rebbe, R. Isaac of Warka. His son, jehiel, the disciple of Isaac of Warka, settled in Aleksandrow and made it the seat of the "court." Jehiel's son, jerahmeel israel isaac (1853–1910), was the outstanding member of the dynasty. He was learned in a wide variety of subjects and had a keen intellect, and was beloved by the Ḥasidim. A natural leader, Jerahmeel would question his followers about their circumstances and advise them accordingly, consoling, encouraging, and reproving. He had a small circle of learned disciples, but also provided moral guidance to all his followers. He wrote Yismaḥ Yisrael (1911). Jerahmeel's brother and his successor was samuel Ẓevi (d. 1925). The last rabbi of the line, isaac menahem (1880–1943), established a network of Aleksandrow yeshivot in various places. He perished in the concentration camp at *Treblinka. He wrote Akedat Yiẓḥak (1953). After the war, judah moses tiehberg, Jehiel's grandson, head of a yeshivah in Bene-Berak, was declared "Aleksandrow Rabbi." He wrote Kedushat Yiẓḥak (1952) on the Aleksandrow dynasty.

bibliography:

A.H. Zamlung, Eser Zekhuyyot (1931), 58f.; I.M. Bromberg, Admorei Alexander (1952); Aescoly, in: I. Halpern (ed.), Beit Yisrael be-Polin, 2 (1954), 131f.

[Zvi Meir Rabinowitz]