Rabbi Boruch Greenfield, (1872–1956), was a rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

 and Torah

Torah

Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 scholar. He was fondly known as Reb Burech Hermanshtater.

Born in Michalovce

Michalovce

Michalovce is a town on the Laborec river in eastern Slovakia, with a population around 40,000. It is the biggest town of the Michalovce District in the Košice Region.-Geography:...

, Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 (then Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

), as a young child he was already recognized by all who met him as an extremely devout and diligent student. He learned in Kisvadara by the famed author of the Arugas Habosem, Rabbi Moshe Greenwald

Moshe Greenwald

Moshe Greenwald , also spelled Grunwald, was the Rav of Chust, Hungary and progenitor of the Puppa Hasidic dynasty through his five sons. He was also the author of Arugas Habosem, a book of responsa covering a wide breadth of halakhic issues.He was the eldest son of Rabbi Amram Greenwald , one of...

 and soon became one of the top students there. Reb Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam

Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam

Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam, , known as the Shinever Rov , was the eldest son of the Divrei Chaim, Rabbi Chaim Halbertam of Sanz. He was famous for his disagreements with his father on matters of halakha...

, the Shinover Rebbe, spoke very highly of Reb Boruch held him in high esteem. Rabbi Boruch Greenfield married Rivkah Weinberger in 1891 in Stropkov

Stropkov

Stropkov is a town in Stropkov District, Prešov Region, Slovakia.-History:Stropkov is an economical, social and cultural centre of north Zemplín...

 where he founded a small yeshiva

Yeshiva

Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

 at that time. Later he became the Dayan of Shebesh, Potneck, and Hermenshtat, where he founded the Orthodox Sephardic community he served as the interim Rabbi of Klausenberg (where he was also instrumental in founding the Orthodox Sephardic community) shortly before coming to the USA.

In 1923 he immigrated to the USA where he served as the Rabbi in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

, Pittston, Pennsylvania

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Pittston is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. It gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an active anthracite coal mining city, drawing a large portion of its labor force from European immigrants. The population was...

, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...

, The Bronx

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...

, New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and the Lower East Side

Lower East Side

The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....

 at the 52 Cannon Street Shul. He was extremely upset with the laxness in which Torah Judaism was being led and he fought this laxness fiercely. In 1935 he moved to Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

 and upon his arrival was offered a number of high rabbinical posts. As in previous times during his life, due to his great humility he declined sch positions, but was, however, one of the leaders of the Edah HaChareidis.

Reb Borech was close with the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, and they learned together daily for a period of time. He was also close to the Belzer Rebbe Rabbi Aharon Rokeach

Aharon Rokeach

Aharon Rokeach was the fourth Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He led the movement from 1926 until his death in 1957....

 who highly respected Reb Borech and spoke well of him.

Besides his fame as a great Torah Scholar, Rabbi Greenfield was talented musically and a baal tefillah Chazan. In 1975 a sefer with a small collection of his writings was printed under the name Ohel Boruch.

Reb Burech had five children that reached adulthood. The oldest was Mariam, married to Reb Nusen Baumhaft, the Rosh Yeshiva of Klausenberg. Mariam and her husband, together with fourteen of their children, perished in the Holocaust. The second child was Ruchel who married a fine Torah scholar by the name of Reb Ahron Klausner. They had two children. The third child was Eidel, married to Reb Shimon Fischman; they were childless. The fourth child was Mirel, married to Reb Chaim Pall. She died during childbirth and was left childless. The fifth child, Sarah, married Reb Dovid Yaakov Friedman and they had six daughters.

Sources

1. Ohel Boruch
2. Moshian Shel Yisroel, by Shloima Yankel Gelbman
5. Lkoros Hayhadus BTranselvany by Tzvi Yaakov Abraham pub. 1951

External links

• The Chevra Shas — (Talmud study group)