I would like to pass on a little known weekly source which focuses
on rabbinic genealogy which RavSIGgers may not be aware of, the New
York Jewish Press's "Machberes" column, which is subtitled "News of
the Yeshivish and Chasidishe World." The January 3 edition, for
example, contains not only a list of about one hundred rabbis
attending the annual Agudat Israel of America convention, but
focuses on two rabbinical families which originated in Matersdorf.
It first notes a compilation of customs of the Jewish community of
Matersdorf written by Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber, and notes that he is
the son of R. Shlomo Goldhaber, and also the son-in-law of R. Bunim
Yoel Toiseg of Jerusalem, son of R. Yisrael Toiseg (d. 1967).
R. Yisrael, it further states, was the son-in-law of R. Yosef
Pressburger (d. 1923), the son-in-law of R. Aaron Singer (d. 1868).

The column further notes that R. Moses Sofer (1762-1839), the famous
Chasam Sofer was the Rabbi of Matersdorf >from 1797-1806, and that
the Chasam Sofer's son R. Shimon Sofer (1821-1883) also served as
rabbi of the community. It states that another rabbi of the
community was the Chasam Sofer's son-in-law, Rabbi Dov Ehrenfeld
(d. 1821), whose son was R. Shmuel Ehrenfeld (1835-1878),
grandfather of R. Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld (1859-1926), father of
R. Shmuel Ehrenfeld (1891-1980), father of R. Simcha Bunim
Ehrenfeld, who currently resides in Boro Park. Additional
biographical material is included.

This type of extensive background genealogical material is not
unusual for the column.

Larry Tauber

I am resending this message to avoid potential confusion introduced
by a typo. Please disregard my previous message and note the
corrected spelling of "Twersky" in all references.

[Moderator's Note: If you are receiving the digest, Mr. Tauber's
first message has already been deleted.]

On 2003.01.06, I wrote:

I would like to pass on a little known weekly source which focuses
on rabbinic genealogy which RavSIGgers may not be aware of, the New
York Jewish Press's "Machberes" column

I received several private replies regarding my posting of
genealogical information contained in last week's Jewish Press
"Machberes" column. So for those who don't have access, this week's
edition did not disappoint. A little over thirty contemporary
rabbis are listed as attending a gathering with the Skverer Rebbe
in the Five Towns area. The column proceeds with several anecdotes
concerning the Skverer Rebbe and gives a short geneaolgy. It lists
the current rebbe, Rabbi Yechiel Michal TWERSKY and his brother,
Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel TWERSKY, sons of the previous Skverer
Rebbe of Boro Park, Rabbi Dovid TWERSKY (1921-2001), son of the
previous rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak TWERSKY (1888-1941), who came to the
US in 1923. Rabbi Yechiel Michal TWERSKY's father-in-law, Rabbi
Nochum TWERSKY, is also mentioned.

Also of interest this week for Ravsiggers is a article concerning
the 100th anniversary of Agudath HaRabbanim. It mentions more than
25 of the leading American Halachic authorities over the past 100
years, with a number of photographs, including R. Yakov Yosef (first
and only Chief Rabbi of NYC) who died on the day the Agudah was
established, R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Aharon Kotler, and R. Joseph
Soloveitchik. Some readers might have differing views over the
article's recounting of the Agudah's philosphical battles with the
Conservative and Reform movements, but the work of its WWII rescue
committee, the Va'ad HaTozlah, which is mentioned, was truly
remarkable.

Larry Tauber

Dear RavSiggers:

Since I haven't received any objections, I will continue with my
weekly report on the Jewish Press Machberes column for those who don't
have access to it. This week's column reports on the passing of Rabbi
Aaron Zvi LANDAU (1927-2003), the Veretzkyer Rav of Flatbush. Rabbi
LANDAU, who was born in Veretksy, Hungary, was the son of Rabbi
Yechezkel Shraga LANDAU (1902-1907), son of Rabbi Yitzchak Mayer, who
died in the Holocaust in 1944), a rabbinical court judge in Yassin and
Neitra. Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga LANDAU married his cousin, Chaya
Dreizel LANDAU (1905-1984), the daughter of Rabbi Shalom Noah LANDAU.
Rabbi Shalom Noah LANDAU and Rabbi Yitzchak Mayer LANDAU were the sons
of Rabbi Moshe Dov LANDAU (d. 1899).

Rabbi Aaron Zvi Landau married Shprintza, the daughter of Rabbi
Yechiel Mechel BRANDWEIN (1871-1939), the Turka-Streitiner rebbe. He
was the son of Rabbi Aaron BRANDWEIN (1842-1906), a student of the
Ruzhiner rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael FRIEDMAN, and son of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh
BRANDWEIN (d. 1883 Safed). A number of the members of the BRANDWEIN
family are mentioned in Neil Rosenstein's "The Unbroken Chain."

The chain of Torah did not end with the passing of Rabbi LANDAU. His
children include: Rabbi Yitzchak Mayer LANDAU, Rabbi Yechiel LANDAU,
Frumi BLEIER, who married Rabbi Binyamin BLEIER, Tzurel, who married
Rabbi Yitzchak BROWN, Leah, who married Rabbi Aryeh WALD, and the new
Verektsky rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Noah, who married Esther, the daughter
of Rabbi Mordechai Dov TWERSKI (1925-1998), son of Yaakov Yisrael
TWERSKI (1898-1973). I believe that this branch of the TWERSKI family
is also covered in "The Unbroken Chain" and is distantly related to
the Skverer rebbe mentioned last week.

May Rabbi LANDAU's memory be a blessing for all of Israel.

I received a private inquiry regarding last week's column as to
information concerning the town of Skvira. If you have any thoughts,
please e-mailto:Ljbisel@...

In addition to the Machberes column, this Week's Jewish Presss contains
a full page history of the Jews of Ireland, listing the name of several
rabbis, Jewish lord mayors, and community leaders. There is also a
weekly column on Poland (entitled Po-Lin) which this weeks recounts the
history of the Jewish community of Chelm.

To think some people I know say they only get the Jewish Press for the
ads! (This paper should really pay me an advertising fee).

Shabbat Shalom.

Larry Tauber

[Moderator's Note: Many of the articles are directly available at their
website http://www.jewishpress.com Unfortunately, the Machberes column
is not.]