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Mayer Alter Horowitz

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Mayer Alter Horowitz
Horowitz in 2013
TitleBostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem
Personal life
Born
Mayer Alter Horowitz

Boston, Massachusetts
Parents
  • Levi Yitzchak Horowitz (father)
  • Raichel Ungar (mother)
Religious life
ReligionJudaism
Jewish leader
PredecessorLevi Yitzchak Horowitz

Mayer Alter Horowitz is an American Hasidic rabbi. Since 2009, he has been the Bostoner rebbe of Jerusalem.[1]

Early life and education

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Horowitz was born in Boston, the son of Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner rebbe, and Raichel Unger Leifer.[2] He is a ninth-generation descendant in the male line of Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz, the Nikolsburger rebbe. His older brother, Pinchos Dovid Horowitz, is the Bostoner-Chuster rabbi of Borough Park, Brooklyn, and his younger brother, Naftali Yehuda Horowitz, is the Bostoner rebbe of Brookline, Massachusetts.

Horowitz received his rabbinic ordination at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey.[3]

From 1969 to 1989 he was the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Pinchas in Brookline, Massachusetts.[4]

Move to Israel

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The Israel Boston Chassidic Center complex on Ruzhin Street, Har Nof, Jerusalem

In 1984 he and a group of Bostoner Hasidim immigrated to Israel and helped found Mosdos Boston of Israel, which established the Bostoner community of Har Nof. He became the Senior Rabbi of the Givat Pinchas synagogue, continuing in that capacity as Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem. In 1980, Horowitz helped establish Kollel Boston in the Bukharim quarter of Jerusalem. The Kollel moved to Har Nof with the establishment of the Bostoner community there.

From 1984 to 1989, Horowitz traveled back and forth between Boston and Har Nof, and beginning in 1989 settled permanently in Har Nof. In the late 1980s, he established a second synagogue in Har Nof, called Beis Shlomo, and continued as Senior Rabbi until 1995.

In 1998, he helped his father establish the Bostoner Community in Beitar Illit.

In 2007, he founded Machon HaNesher HaGadol, a publication company.

As Grand Rabbi

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In 2009, after the death of his father, he was designated to succeed his father in Har Nof.[5] He also took his father's position as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of Israel.

Horowitz frequently travels to Jewish communities in Israel, Europe, and North America to proselytize for Bostoner Hasidism. Since becoming Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem in 2009, he has visited Waterbury, Connecticut,[6] Chicago,[7] Atlanta,[8] Dallas,[9] Denver,[10] and Budapest,[1] among others.

In the summer of 2012, Horowitz helped launch a weekly magazine publication in conjunction with The Jerusalem Post called Kosher English, designed to help Israeli Haredi readers learn and improve their English-language skills, and supervises its publication.[11]

In the Bostoner tradition, Horowitz has composed dozens of original songs and melodies[12] including "Borey Niv"[13] "Re'ay Nah"[14] and "Yivorechicho"[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rettig, Haviv (2010-04-21). "In Budapest, Jewish history... JPost - Jewish World - Jewish News". Jpost.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  2. ^ Ahren, Raphael (2009-12-11). "The Bostoner Rebbe, the first American-born Hasidic leader Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  3. ^ "Biography - Rabbi Mayer A. Horowitz". Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  4. ^ Mandel, Patricia (10 February 1978). "Hassidic Judaism Permeates Daily Life". The Day.
  5. ^ "Three Sons to Succeed Bostoner Rebbe as Admorim of Bostoner Chassidus » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry". Matzav.com. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  6. ^ Hamodia (20 Jan 2010), pg. C21, "Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof Spend Shabbos in Waterbury"
  7. ^ Hamodia (2 Mar 2011), pg. C14, "Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim in Chicago"
  8. ^ Hamodia (3 Mar 2011), pg. C18, "Bostoner Rebbe Visits Atlanta"
  9. ^ "The Daily Newspaper of Torah Jewry". Hamodia. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  10. ^ "Bostoner Rebbe to visit the Denver Jewish community". Intermountain Jewish News. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Print Article". Jpost. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  12. ^ "Freedman Catalogue lookup: Album B-021(b)". Digital.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  13. ^ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "View Song". Djsa.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-22.[permanent dead link]
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