A brief history of the Pittsburgh Dynasty: A Flourishing Chassidus
The history of Pittsburgh Chassidus starts almost 90 years ago. The Rebbe שליט"א’s grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Leifer, זצוק"ל, traveled to America to raise money to marry off his orphaned sisters. Rabbi Yosef was a grandson of Rabbi Mordechai of Nadvorna, the progenitor of many Chasidic sects.
On the boat, Rabbi Yosef was told that there were Chassidic Jews living in Pittsburgh. Rabbi Yosef went to Pittsburgh. The Jews in Pittsburgh begged him to stay and be their leader. Rabbi Yosef’s modesty prevented him from taking the name of a European city for himself. Instead, he called himself the Pittsburgher Rebbe. Though Rabbi Yosef lived in Pittsburgh for over 45 years, he davened to Hashem daily that he not be affected by the spiritual decrepitude found in the United States.
In 1930, Rabbi Yosef sent his three sons to Europe to learn תורה in established Yeshivas. The oldest of the three, Rabbi Avrohom Abba, זצוק"ל, learned in Rachov and married the daughter of Rabbi Issomor of Nadvorna in 1939. Due to the political turmoil in Europe, Rabbi Avrohom Abba’s parents were unable to attend the wedding.
In America, boys were being drafted to fight in the Army. Many parents brought their sons to Rabbi Yosef for a ברכה. Rabbi Yosef had the names of these boys inscribed on a plaque. Throughout the war years, the plaque was always with Rabbi Yosef. He did not stop davening for the young soldiers. When the war ended, every boy whose name was inscribed on the plaque returned home unharmed.
During the Holocaust, the Nazis, ימ"ש, killed Rabbi Avrohom Abba’s two brothers. In addition, Rabbi Yosef and Rabbi Avrohom Abba both lost sons to illness. It took two years for Rabbi Avrohom Abba and his Rebbetzin to make their way to Pittsburgh. After living in Pittsburgh for a short while, Rabbi Avrohom Abba moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he built a shul. For 16 years, Rabbi Avrohom Abba spread Judaism and the warm light of Torah and Chassidus in Newark. Eventually, he even succeeded in opening a Chassidic Yeshiva in Newark.
In 1966, Rabbi Yosef passed away, and Rabbi Avrohom Abba left Newark to take his father’s place in Pittsburgh. Although his father’s shul was much smaller than the shul in Newark and there was no Yeshiva in Pittsburgh, Rabbi Avrohom Abba felt that he owed a debt of gratitude to the community in Pittsburgh that required him to abandon all he had built in Newark. The hand of Hashem was clearly guiding Rabbi Avrohom Abba, as only a short time later Newark was beset by riots.
After spending 3 years in Pittsburgh, Rabbi Avrohom Abba followed his father-in-law and moved to Eretz Yisroel. Upon arrival, he received invitations from many towns and neighborhoods requesting that he settle in their vicinity, each letter describing the place’s spiritual advantages and the assistance he would receive in building a shul. Shortly after reading the letters, Rabbi Avrohom Abba dreamt that he saw a holy man standing at the edge of the ocean. He approached the man who said, “I am Chisdai Ibn Shaprut. Come to Ashdod and I will assist you in spreading the words of the Torah to the people.”
Rabbi Avrohom Abba awoke. The decision was made. Rabbi Avrohom Abba moved to Ashdod in time for Shavuos, 5730. At the time, Ashdod had almost no religious Jews. However, there were many traditional Jews from Georgia (in the former USSR), Morocco, and India. Jewish education was minimal. Rabbi Avrohom Abba slowly built up after school programs for the children. In addition, he started monthly Torah shiurim for adults. With his boundless love for all Jews, Rabbi Avrohom Abba brought thousands of Jews back to full Torah observance.
On עשרה בטבת תש"ן, Rabbi Avrohom Abba passed away. At the funeral, the mantle was passed to the Rebbe שליט"א. In the years since Rabbi Avrohom Abba’s passing, the current Rebbe, Mordechai Yissacher Ber Leifer שליט"א has built up the Chassidus with tremendous success.
The Pittsburgh dynasty is an offshoot and it's Rebbes scions of the Nadvorna Chassidic dynasty.
The chain of the Pittsburgh Dynasty is as follows:
• Grand Rabbi Yoseph Leifer of Pittsburgh, author of Tzidkas Yoseph, son of Rabbi Bertchi of Satmar.
• Grand Rabbi Avraham Abba Leifer of Pittsburgh, author of Emunas Avraham, son of Rabbi Yoseph, and son in law of Rebbe Issamar of Nadvorna.
• Grand Rabbi Mordechai Yissacher Ber Leifer of Pittsburgh, author of Pisgamei Oraisa, son of Rabbi Avraham Abba, son-in-law of Rabbi Isaac Liebes, Av Beis Din of the Iggud HaRabannim Rabbinical Council.