- Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz
Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz (
1886 -7 September 1948 ) was an early leader of American Orthodoxy and founder of key institutions such asTorah Vodaath , aYeshiva in Brooklyn, andTorah U'Mesorah , an outreach and educational organization. He is credited by many to have pioneered authentic Jewish education in theUnited States . His policies were often informed byTorah im Derech Eretz [ [http://www.hawaii.edu/geog_mr/online/biog.html "Ben Zion Weberman (1896-1968): Life and Legacy of an Orthodox Jewish Attorney in New York City During the Interwar Period and Beyond", Moshe Rapaport, University of Hawaii] ] . In the words of RabbiMoshe Feinstein : "Were it not for him, there would be no Torah study and no Fear of Heaven at all in America."Biography
Mendlowitz was born in
Világ ,Hungary , a small town near the border ofPoland , to aHasidic family. He pronounced his family name "Mendelovich". His mother died when he was twelve, and shortly afterwards the family relocated toMezõlabor , where he studied under the local rabbis. Having receivedsemicha at 17, he continued his studies under RabbiSimcha Bunim Schreiber (the "Shevet Sofer", grandson of theChatam Sofer ). Throughout his life, however, he refused to use the title of Rabbi and insisted on being referred to as "Mr. Mendlowitz."At 22 he married in the town of
Humenné , and began to study several Jewish writings not well known in Hungary, including the works of RabbiSamson Raphael Hirsch ; this briefly led to controversy until he could prove the relevance of Hirsch's work in defending the Orthodox viewpoint against attempts at reforming Jewish practice.Activities
He actively sought positions in
Germany and the United States, with the intention of disseminating knowledge of Judaism to Jews previously unexposed to their heritage, and in September 1913, he arrived alone in Philadelphia. He lived inScranton, Pennsylvania for seven years, teaching in the local "Talmud Torah" (afternoon program in Jewish studies). In 1920 he was able to bring his family from Hungary, and settled inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn .The founding members of the
yeshiva Torah Vodaath soon offered him the principalship of the institution. Originally starting off as an elementary school, Rabbi Shraga Feivel soon added the first Yeshiva high school in America. The yeshiva opened its "mesivta" in 1926 and then under Rabbi Mendlowitz' direction, another first in America, a post-graduate program. Rabbi Mendlowitz first appointed RabbiGedalia Schorr to the faculty of the Yeshiva, later to become its principal and Rosh Yeshiva.Despite his devotion to Torah Vodaath he assisted in the founding (both personally and financially) of several similar institutions, such as Mesivta Chaim Berlin (to which he relinquished a number of his top pupils), Telshe Cleveland and Beis Medrash Gevoha. All grew to occupy important places in 20th century American Orthodoxy.
His work in Jewish education extended to several other organisations he founded. Aish Dos was a specialized institution that focused on teaching outreach skills, Torah Umesora was a nationwide umbrella organization for Jewish day schools, and
Beis Medrash Elyon was one of America's first post-graduate yeshivas (which also included akollel ). In 1931 he founded Camp Mesivta, the first yeshiva day camp.References
* Rosenblum, Yonason. Reb Shraga Feivel - The Life and Times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the Architect of Torah in America. Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll Mesorah, 2001, (ISBN 1-57819-797-X).
References
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