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Chasidim of Nowy Sacz
[Yiddish, Sandzer chasidim] - a Chasidic group
founded around the year 1830 by Chaim Halberstam
(1793-1876), known as
the "Sandzer Rebe", who advocated an ascetic lifestyle. His
teachings
were laid out in three tracts titled Divrei Chaim [Hebrew,
The Words of
Chaim; the title may also be translated as The Stories of
Life]. In the
first, published in 1864, he discussed divorce law and the
principles of
ritual cleanliness; the second included rabbinical responses
(1875);
and the third, published a year after the author's death,
included
holiday and Sabbath sermons.
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Chaim's oldest son Aron (1826-1903) succeeded
him, and his other sons founded Chasidic centers in many
Galician towns.
David (1818-1893) began a dynasty in Cieszanow, and Baruch
(1829-1906)
established one in Gorlice. His most talented son, Ezechiel
Shraga
(1815-98), was active in Sieniawa, near Lezajsk. His son
Moshe (?-1918)
became the tzaddik of Nowy Sacz in 1903, after Aron's death.
Moshe was
followed by: Chaim's son-in-law, Yitzhak Tobias of Glogow
Malopolski
(?-1927), his son, Jozef Menachem (?-1935), and Aron's son,
the last
tzaddik of Nowy Sacz, Mordechai Zeev Halberstam of Grybow
(?-1942), who
was killed by the Nazis in the Tarnow ghetto.
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on the internet
Text from Alina Cala, Hanna Wegrzynek and
Gabriela Zalewska:
"Historia i kultura Zydow polskich. Slownik",
edited by WSiP
During the interwar period, Halberstam's
descendants became the most widespread dynasty of tzaddikim
in Western
Galicia, continuing the basic teachings of Chaim, which in
time became
synonymous with traditionalism and backwardness, and were
ridiculed by
other Chasidic groups. The Chasidic dynasty of Nowy Sacz
opposed
political engagement among his followers, even in the Agudas
Isroel
party. The Galician tzaddikim were against secular education
for boys,
and also forbid the study of the Polish language.
(A.C./CM)
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