Great Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’s ©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009

Yisrael AlterYisrael AlterYisrael AlterYisrael Alter,

(12 October 1895 – 20 February 1977),

also known as the Beis YisroelBeis YisroelBeis YisroelBeis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977.

He escaped from Poland during the Holocaust and

settled in Palestine during 1940. In 1945 he learnt that the Nazi regime had murdered his wife, daughter, son and grandchildren. He remarried but had no children.

Rabbi Yisroel (Israel) ben EliezerYisroel (Israel) ben EliezerYisroel (Israel) ben EliezerYisroel (Israel) ben Eliezer

August 27, 1698 (18

Elul) – May 22, 1760),

Often called Baal Baal Baal Baal Shem TovShem TovShem TovShem Tov or BeshtBeshtBeshtBesht, was a Jewish mystical rabbi. He is considered to be the founder of Hasidic Judaism (see also Mezhbizh Hasidic dynasty).

Besht was born to Eliezer and Sara in Okopy (Ukrainian:

Окопи) a small village that over the centuries has been part of Poland, Russia, and is now part of Ukraine, (located in the Borshchivskyi Raion (district) of the Ternopil Oblast). He died in Medzhybizh, which had once been part of Lithuania, then Turkey, Poland and Russia, and is also now in Ukraine, in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Rabbi Yisrael AbuhatzeiraYisrael AbuhatzeiraYisrael AbuhatzeiraYisrael Abuhatzeira known as the Baba SaliBaba SaliBaba SaliBaba Sali (1890-1984) was a leading Moroccan rabbi and kabbalist who was renowned for his ability to work miracles through his prayers.

[1]

He was one of the leaders of the Aliyah of Moroccan Jewry to

Israel, which saw the transfer of nearly the entire population of that community to the Holy Land. His burial place in Netivot, Israel has become a shrine for prayers and petitioners.

Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya KarelitzAvrohom Yeshaya KarelitzAvrohom Yeshaya KarelitzAvrohom Yeshaya Karelitz,

(1878-1953), popularly known by the name of his magnum opus Chazon IshChazon IshChazon IshChazon Ish, was a Belarusian born Orthodox rabbi who became leader of Haredi Judaism in Israel, where his final 20 years, from 1933 to 1953, were spent.

Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida)Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida)Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida)Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida)

(1724(1724(1724(1724----1806) 1806) 1806) 1806)

Chida was one of the most fascinating and multi-faceted figures in Jewish history. Born in Jerusalem, he became a scholar of the first rank and wrote classic works in halacha such as Shaar Yosef, Birkei Yosef and Machzik

Beracha. He was associated with the kabbalist R. Shalom Sharabi and studied under R. Chaim Ibn Attar. He was interested and absorbed by all that he saw and heard in the many places that he traveled and was curious to learn about the new and exotic. He was careful not to insult anyone and to avoid controversy.

Abraham Isaac KookAbraham Isaac KookAbraham Isaac KookAbraham Isaac Kook

(1865–1935)

was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar. He is known in Hebrew

as HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, and by the acronym HaRaAYaH or simply as "HaRav." He was one of the most celebrated and influential Rabbis of the 20th century.

Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson

(April 5, 1902 – June 12, 1994)

known as The The The The RebbeRebbeRebbeRebbe, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad Lubavitch Rebbe,

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn.

In 1950, upon the death of his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, he assumed the leadership of Chabad Lubavitch. He led the movement until his death in 1994, greatly expanding its worldwide activities and founding a network of institutions (as of 2006, in

70 countries) to spread Orthodox Judaism among the Jewish people, with the stated goal of "Jewish unity".

Rabbi Elijah ben Shlomo ZalmanRabbi Elijah ben Shlomo ZalmanRabbi Elijah ben Shlomo ZalmanRabbi Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman,

(April 23, 1720, - October 9, 1797)

known as the Vilna GaonVilna GaonVilna GaonVilna Gaon or Elijah of VilnaElijah of VilnaElijah of VilnaElijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym GraGraGraGra ("GGGGaon RRRRabbi EEEEliyahu"),

[2],

was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, and

the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry of the past few centuries. He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ha'Gaon ha'Chasid mi'Vilna, "the saintly genius from Vilnius."

YosefYosefYosefYosef Chaim Chaim Chaim Chaim

(1 September 1832 – 30 August 1909) was a leading Hakham (Sephardic Rabbi), authority on Jewish law (Halakha) and Master Kabbalist. He is best known as author of the work on Halakha Ben Ish ChaiBen Ish ChaiBen Ish ChaiBen Ish Chai ("Son of Man (who) Lives"), by which title he is also known.

Rabbi Ovadia YOvadia YOvadia YOvadia Yosefosefosefosef

(born Abdullah Youssef, 1920 Basra, Iraq) is a Mizrahi Haredi rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and recognized halakhic authority. He is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, although he himself is Iraqi, not Sephardi. Yosef is also the current spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli

Knesset. He is highly revered in the religious world, especially in the Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, for his erudition and Torah scholarship. He is among the most important poskim of the past few generations and is regarded by many as the foremost Rabbinical authority and a source of Da'at Torah. He has been referred to as the Posek HaDor ("Posek of the present

Generation"), Gadol HaDor ("great/est (one of) the generation"), Maor Yisrael ("The Light of Israel") and Maran.

Yaakov Yisrael KanievskyYaakov Yisrael KanievskyYaakov Yisrael KanievskyYaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as The SteipThe SteipThe SteipThe Steiplerlerlerler or The The The The Steipler GaonSteipler GaonSteipler GaonSteipler Gaon

(1899–1985)

was a rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and posek ("decisor" of Jewish law).

He was born in the Ukrainian town of Horensteipl, from which his appellation, "the Steipler", was later derived. He was the son of Chaim Peretz, who was a Chernobyl Chassid and the local shochet. Around the age of 11, Kanievsky entered the Novardok yeshiva, studying under its famed dean, Rabbi Yosef Yoizel Horowitz.

Rabbi Aryeh LevinAryeh LevinAryeh LevinAryeh Levin

(March 22, 1885 - March 28, 1969), known as Reb Reb Reb Reb AryehAryehAryehAryeh, was an Orthodox rabbi dubbed the "Father of Prisoners" for his visits to members of the Jewish underground imprisoned in the Central Prison of Jerusalem in the Russian

Compound during the British Mandate. He was also known as the "Tzadik ("saint") of Jerusalem" for his work on behalf of the poor and the sick.

Chaim Hezekiah MediniChaim Hezekiah MediniChaim Hezekiah MediniChaim Hezekiah Medini (born 7 Cheshvan 5593 (1833),

Jerusalem – died 24 Kislev 1904, Hebron), also known as the Sede ChemedSede ChemedSede ChemedSede Chemed - the title of his chief halakhic work - was a rabbinical scholar during the nineteenth century. His name was originally

Chizkiyahu, Chaim was added during a period of serious illness. This led to his initials spelling Chacham, appropriately a play on words that also means a sage, although spelled differently it was pronounced similarly.

Moses MaimonidesMoses MaimonidesMoses MaimonidesMoses Maimonides, also known as Rabbi Moshe ben Rabbi Moshe ben Rabbi Moshe ben Rabbi Moshe ben MaimonMaimonMaimonMaimon or the acronym the RambamRambamRambamRambam

was born in Cordoba, Spain on March 30, 1135, and died in Egypt on December 13, 1204.

One of the greatest Torah scholars of all time, he was a rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain, Morocco and Egypt during the Middle Ages.

He was the preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher.

Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man ShachRabbi Elazar Menachem Man ShachRabbi Elazar Menachem Man ShachRabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach (or Rav Leizer Rav Leizer Rav Leizer Rav Leizer ShachShachShachShach)

(January 22, 1898 - November 2, 2001)

Was a leading Eastern European-born and educated Haredi rabbi who settled and lived in modern Israel.

He was the rosh yeshiva ("dean") of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak the pre-eminent yeshiva of Lithuanian Jewry, and founded the

Degel HaTorah political party representing Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jews in the Israeli Knesset, many of whom considered him to be the Gadol HaDor ("great one of the generation") and used the honorific Maran ("[our] master") when referring to him.

He was recognized as a Talmudic scholar par excellence by scholars such as Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik (the Brisker Rav) and Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer in their approbations to his works; he authored the Avi Ezri a commentary on the Mishneh Torah.

Sar Shalom SharabiSar Shalom SharabiSar Shalom SharabiSar Shalom Sharabi also known as the Rashashthe Rashashthe Rashashthe Rashash

(Jewish Sharab, Yemen 1720 - Jerusalem 1777/(10 shevat 5537))

Was a Yemenite Rabbi, Halachist, Chazzan and Kabbalist. In later life he became the Rosh Yeshiva of Bet El Yeshiva. He was one of

the Jewish world's foremost masters of Kabbalah, Torah, Talmud and Halacha in the 18th Century, and one of the first Yemenite Jews to have a major influence on the wider Jewish world. He is now considered to rank among the Acharonim, to be the direct successor to the Ari and one of the most important Oriental Rabbis in history.

Jacob ben Meir TamJacob ben Meir TamJacob ben Meir TamJacob ben Meir Tam, universally known as Rabbenu Rabbenu Rabbenu Rabbenu TamTamTamTam

(c. 1100–c. 1171) Was one of the Baalei Tosafot whose commentary appears in every edition of Talmud opposite the commentary of Rashi. He was also a renowned Rabbinic authority and communal leader.

Moshe FeinsteinMoshe FeinsteinMoshe FeinsteinMoshe Feinstein

(March 3, 1895–March 23, 1986) was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek (an authoritative adjudicator of questions related to Jewish law), who was world-renowned for his expertise in

Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme rabbinic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America. In the Orthodox world, it is universal to refer to him simply as "Rav Moshe" or "Reb Moshe."

Yosef Shlomo KahanemanYosef Shlomo KahanemanYosef Shlomo KahanemanYosef Shlomo Kahaneman

(1886-1969)

was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva. He was a renowned Torah and Talmudic scholar. Rabbi Kahaneman was born in Kuhl, Lithuania, a small town of about 500 of which about a third were

Jews. At the age of 14 he went to study Talmud at the Telshe yeshiva, where he studied Torah until he was twenty, under the direct inspiration of Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, who saw his potential. Another mentor of his in Telshe at the time was Rabbi Shimon Shkop. He then spent a half year in Novardok yeshiva, after which he

spent three years in Raduń Yeshiva studying under the tutelage of the Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Naftoli Trop. He married the daughter of the rabbi of Vidzh, and became rabbi there at the end of 1911, when his father-

in-law became the rabbi of Vilkomir (Ukmergė).

JJJJoseph ben Ephraim Karooseph ben Ephraim Karooseph ben Ephraim Karooseph ben Ephraim Karo, also spelled Caro, or Qaro,

(Toledo, 1488 – Safed, 1575)

was author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch, which is still authoritative for all Jews pertaining to their respective communities. To this end he is often referred

to as hahahaha----MechaberMechaberMechaberMechaber (Hebrew: "The Author") and as MaranMaranMaranMaran (Aramaic: "Our Master")

Shneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi

(September 4,

1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S.),

was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia. He was the author of many works, and is best known for

Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Tanya and his Siddur Torah Or compiled according to the Nusach Ari. He is also known as Shneur Zalman Baruchovitch, Reb Shneur Zalman, Shneur Zalman Baruchovitch, Reb Shneur Zalman, Shneur Zalman Baruchovitch, Reb Shneur Zalman, Shneur Zalman Baruchovitch, Reb Shneur Zalman, RaZaSh, Baal HaTanya vehaShulchan AruchRaZaSh, Baal HaTanya vehaShulchan AruchRaZaSh, Baal HaTanya vehaShulchan AruchRaZaSh, Baal HaTanya vehaShulchan Aruch, the Alter Alter Alter Alter RebbeRebbeRebbeRebbe ("Old Rebbe" in Yiddish), Admor HaZakenAdmor HaZakenAdmor HaZakenAdmor HaZaken ("Old

Rebbe" in Hebrew), Rabbeinu HaZokeinRabbeinu HaZokeinRabbeinu HaZokeinRabbeinu HaZokein, Rabbeinu Rabbeinu Rabbeinu Rabbeinu HaGodolHaGodolHaGodolHaGodol, the GRaZGRaZGRaZGRaZ or ThThThThe Rave Rave Rave Rav.

Great Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’sGreat Rabbi’s ©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009©Erlinda Cruz 2009

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