Shmuel Berenbaum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shmuel Berenbaum |
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In tallis and tefillin
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox |
| Alma mater | Baranowicze yeshiva, Belarus Mir yeshiva, Belarus |
| Personal | |
| Born | Shmuel Berenbaum March 13, 1920 Knyszyn, Poland |
| Died | January 6, 2008 (age 87) Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Children | Gittel Schepansky, Hany Kaminsky, Goldie Sorotzkin, Asher Berenbaum, Yisroel Berenbaum, Avrohom Berenbaum, Chuny Berenbaum, Meir Shimon Berenbaum ,Chaim Shlomo Berenbaum, Leibel Berenbaum |
| Senior posting | |
| Predecessor | Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz |
| Successor | Rabbi Osher Kalmanowitz |
| Position | Rosh yeshiva |
| Yeshiva | Mir yeshiva, Brooklyn, New York |
Shmuel Berenbaum (born March 13, 1920, died January 6, 2008) was an important Orthodox Jewish leader. He was a rabbi and led a special school called the Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Shmuel Berenbaum was born in Knyszyn, a town in Poland. He began his religious studies at a young age. He first attended the Ohel Torah Yeshiva in Baranowicze, which is now in Belarus. There, he learned from a famous rabbi named Elchonon Wasserman.
Later, he moved to study at the Mir Yeshiva. This school was located in the town of Mir, also in Belarus.
Escaping World War II
When World War II started, life became very dangerous for Jewish people in Europe. Rabbi Berenbaum and the other students and teachers of the Mir Yeshiva had to leave their home. They traveled to Vilna, a city where they hoped to find a way to escape.
They waited in Vilna for three weeks to get special papers called visas. These visas would allow them to travel to other countries. They received visas to Curaçao, an island in the Caribbean. A brave Japanese diplomat, Chiune Sugihara, helped them by giving them travel visas.
The yeshiva then began a long and difficult journey. They traveled across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. This trip took more than two months. From Russia, they went to Kobe, Japan, where they stayed for seven months. Finally, the Japanese government helped them settle in Shanghai, China. They lived there safely until the war ended.
Life in America
After World War II, Rabbi Berenbaum and the remaining members of the Mir Yeshiva moved to the United States. They settled in Brooklyn, New York.
Rabbi Berenbaum married the oldest daughter of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz. Rabbi Kalmanowitz was the leader, or rosh yeshiva, of the Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn.
In 1964, after his father-in-law passed away, Rabbi Berenbaum became a rosh yeshiva himself. He shared this important role with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz.
A Dedicated Teacher
Rabbi Berenbaum was known for how hard he studied the Torah, which is a central text in Judaism. He would spend almost all day in the yeshiva's study hall. He loved discussing religious topics with his students.
He had a rule that he would not go to any events, even weddings, until after the afternoon study session at the yeshiva was finished. Because of this, many weddings were held late in the evening so that he could be there.
Rabbi Berenbaum strongly believed that his students should focus only on their religious studies. He did not want them to go to college. Later, he even made it a rule that they could not attend college.
Later Years and Passing
After Rabbi Berenbaum had his first heart attack, the name Refoel was added to his name. This is a Jewish tradition done to pray for healing and a longer life.
Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum passed away on January 6, 2008. He was 87 years old and died at his home in Brooklyn. His funeral was held the next day at the Mir Yeshiva. Tens of thousands of people came to pay their respects. His body was then flown to Israel and buried in the Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem.
Images for kids
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Rabbi Berenbaum's grave in the Sanhedria Cemetery of Jerusalem
