Nachum Dov Brayer
Encyclopedia
Nachum Dov Brayer is the present Rebbe of the Boyan
Hasidic
dynasty. He is the grandson of the former Boyaner Rebbe of New York, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman
, who died when he was 11 years old. On Hanukkah
1984, at the age of 25, he was coronated Boyaner Rebbe. He lives in Jerusalem.
academic researcher, student psychologist, and lecturer in Bible, education, and Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University
. His mother, Malka, was the only daughter of the Boyaner Rebbe of New York. On his mother's side, Nachum Dov is the great-grandson of the founder of Boyaner Hasidut, Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman
(also known as the Pachad Yitzchok), the great-great-grandson of the first Sadigura
Rebbe, Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, and the great-great-great-grandson of the founder of Ruzhiner
Hasidut, Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin. He has a brother, Yisroel Avrohom (Yigal) and a sister, Nechama Chaya, wife of Rabbi Gedalyah Block.
When the Boyaner Rebbe of New York died of a stroke on 2 March 1971, the Boyaner Hasidim were left leaderless. They asked the Rebbe's eldest son, Yisroel, to become the next Rebbe, but he declined. The Hasidim then asked the Rebbe's daughter Malka and her husband, Rabbi Dr. Brayer, to offer one of their two young sons for the leadership. The eldest, Yigal, who was studying to be an aerospace engineer, was suggested and then rejected. The lot fell to the younger son, Nachum Dov, who then enrolled at the Ruzhiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem to prepare himself for the task.
Over the years, Brayer was subjected to intense pressure to accept the mantle of leadership, even though he preferred to join a kollel
and dedicate his life to Torah study
. Rabbi Yisrael Alter
of Ger
, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
of Lubavitch
, and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
were among those who prevailed upon him to accept the position, while Boyaner Hasidim kept reminding him of the great moral responsibility he had to keep the dynasty going. Finally he agreed, and on Hanukkah
1984, at the age of 25, he was coronated Boyaner Rebbe.
, Bohush
, Chortkov
, Husiatyn
, and Shtefanesht
. The Rebbe serves as president of the Ruzhiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and has built new Boyaner yeshiva
s and kollels in Israel, Europe and the United States. In Israel, he encouraged the opening of Boyaner batei medrash
(study halls) in young communities such as Ramat Shlomo
, Ramot
, and Beitar Ilit. He does not comment on Israeli politics
.
Being led by an American-born Rebbe, the Hasidut attracts many American students learning in nearby yeshivas. Over the years, these students have been invited to join the Rebbe and his family for the third Shabbat meal
.
The Boyaner Rebbe traditionally lights the first bonfire at the annual Lag BaOmer celebration at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, Israel. This privilege was purchased by Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, the first Sadigura Rebbe, from the Sephardi
guardians of Meron and Safed
; the Sadigura Rebbe bequeathed this honor to his eldest son, Rabbi Yitzchok, the first Boyaner Rebbe, and his progeny. The first hadlakah (lighting) is attended by hundreds of thousands of people each year; in 2001, the crowd was estimated at 300,000.
Boyan (Hasidic dynasty)
Boyan is a Hasidic dynasty named after the town of Boiany in the Ukraine. The Hasidut is presently headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, with communities in Beitar Ilit, Bnei Brak, London, Antwerp, Brooklyn, and Monsey, New York.-First Boyaner Rebbe:...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
dynasty. He is the grandson of the former Boyaner Rebbe of New York, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman
Mordechai Shlomo Friedman
Mordechai Shlomo Friedman , sometimes called Solomon Mordecai Friedman, was the Boyaner Rebbe of New York for over 40 years...
, who died when he was 11 years old. On Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
1984, at the age of 25, he was coronated Boyaner Rebbe. He lives in Jerusalem.
Biography
The Rebbe's father, Rabbi Dr. Menachem Mendel Brayer (1922–2007), was a Modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
academic researcher, student psychologist, and lecturer in Bible, education, and Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
. His mother, Malka, was the only daughter of the Boyaner Rebbe of New York. On his mother's side, Nachum Dov is the great-grandson of the founder of Boyaner Hasidut, Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman
Yitzchok Friedman
Yitzchok Friedman was the founder and first Rebbe of the Boyan Hasidic dynasty. He was known as the Pachad Yitzchok .-Early life:...
(also known as the Pachad Yitzchok), the great-great-grandson of the first Sadigura
Sadigura (Hasidic dynasty)
Sadigura is a Hasidic dynasty, one of the branches of the Ruzhiner dynasty.The dynasty began with Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman of Sadigura now located in Ukraine, who was a son of Rabbi Israel Friedman of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhiner dynasty....
Rebbe, Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, and the great-great-great-grandson of the founder of Ruzhiner
Ruzhin (Hasidic dynasty)
The Ruzhin Hasidic dynasty was founded by Rabbi Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhyn, . Today, Ruzhyn is an urban-type settlement in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Rav Yisroel's father was the Rebbe Sholom Shachne of Prhobisht, who was a son of Rabbi Avrohom "HaMalach"...
Hasidut, Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin. He has a brother, Yisroel Avrohom (Yigal) and a sister, Nechama Chaya, wife of Rabbi Gedalyah Block.
When the Boyaner Rebbe of New York died of a stroke on 2 March 1971, the Boyaner Hasidim were left leaderless. They asked the Rebbe's eldest son, Yisroel, to become the next Rebbe, but he declined. The Hasidim then asked the Rebbe's daughter Malka and her husband, Rabbi Dr. Brayer, to offer one of their two young sons for the leadership. The eldest, Yigal, who was studying to be an aerospace engineer, was suggested and then rejected. The lot fell to the younger son, Nachum Dov, who then enrolled at the Ruzhiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem to prepare himself for the task.
Over the years, Brayer was subjected to intense pressure to accept the mantle of leadership, even though he preferred to join a kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
and dedicate his life to Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
. Rabbi Yisrael Alter
Yisrael Alter
Yisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
of Ger
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
Menachem Mendel Schneersohn also known as the Tzemach Tzedek was an Orthodox rabbi and the third Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement.-Biography:...
of Lubavitch
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
, and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
were among those who prevailed upon him to accept the position, while Boyaner Hasidim kept reminding him of the great moral responsibility he had to keep the dynasty going. Finally he agreed, and on Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
1984, at the age of 25, he was coronated Boyaner Rebbe.
Current activities
The Rebbe is the leader of more than 1,000 Boyaner Hasidim, making Boyan the largest of the Ruzhiner dynasties (the others are SadiguraSadigura (Hasidic dynasty)
Sadigura is a Hasidic dynasty, one of the branches of the Ruzhiner dynasty.The dynasty began with Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman of Sadigura now located in Ukraine, who was a son of Rabbi Israel Friedman of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhiner dynasty....
, Bohush
Bohush (Hasidic dynasty)
The Bohush Hasidic dynasty is one of the five dynasties deriving from the Ruzhin dynasty.It was founded by Rebbe Yitzchok Friedman who was the grandson of Reb Yisroel Friedman, the rebbe of the Ruzhin dynasty. Yitzchok Friedman became the leader of the Ruzhin dynasty after the death of his father...
, Chortkov
Chortkov (Hasidic dynasty)
Chortkov is a Hasidic dynasty that originated in Chortkov, present-day Ukraine. It had a large following before the Second World War, but most of its adherents perished in the Holocaust....
, Husiatyn
Husiatyn (Hasidic dynasty)
Husiatyn is the name of a Hasidic dynasty, whose founder was a scion of the Ruzhiner dynasty. Husiatyn is located in present-day Ukraine.It started with the Rebbe Rabbi Mordechai Shraga Feivish Friedman, the youngest son of Rabbi Israel Friedmann of Rizhin...
, and Shtefanesht
Shtefanesht (Hasidic dynasty)
After the passing of Rabbi Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhin in 1851, his fourth son, Menachem Nuchem Friedman, born in 1823, settled in the town of Shtefanesht, Romania, and subsequently founded the Shtefanesht Hasidic dynasty. In 1869 he died and his only son, Avraham Mattisyahu succeeded him.Reb...
. The Rebbe serves as president of the Ruzhiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and has built new Boyaner 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...
s and kollels in Israel, Europe and the United States. In Israel, he encouraged the opening of Boyaner batei medrash
Beth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
(study halls) in young communities such as Ramat Shlomo
Ramat Shlomo
Ramat Shlomo Heights) is a large Jewish housing development in northern East Jerusalem. The population, mostly ultra-Orthodox, is 18,000-20,000....
, Ramot
Ramot
Ramot , also known as Ramot Alon , is a large housing development in northwestern Jerusalem. Because part of Ramot lies north of the Green Line in East Jerusalem, the international community considers Ramot an Israeli settlement that is illegal under international law. Israel disputes this and...
, and Beitar Ilit. He does not comment on Israeli politics
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
.
Being led by an American-born Rebbe, the Hasidut attracts many American students learning in nearby yeshivas. Over the years, these students have been invited to join the Rebbe and his family for the third Shabbat meal
Seudah Shlishit
Seudah Shlishit is the "third meal" customarily eaten by Sabbath-observing Jews on Shabbat .-Practices:According to Halakha, the meal is to be eaten in the afternoon...
.
The Boyaner Rebbe traditionally lights the first bonfire at the annual Lag BaOmer celebration at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, Israel. This privilege was purchased by Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, the first Sadigura Rebbe, from the Sephardi
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
guardians of Meron and Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
; the Sadigura Rebbe bequeathed this honor to his eldest son, Rabbi Yitzchok, the first Boyaner Rebbe, and his progeny. The first hadlakah (lighting) is attended by hundreds of thousands of people each year; in 2001, the crowd was estimated at 300,000.