Changes
corrected spelling errors
[[Image:Belz hasidic synagogue.jpg|thumb|400px|The hasidic synagogue in Belz, dedicated in 1843]]
'''Belz''' is a [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic dynasty]] named after the town of [[Belz]], a small town in Western [[Ukraine]]. The town has existed since at least the [[10th century]] with the Jewish community being established in around the [[14th century]]. In [[1665]] Jews in Belz got equal rights and duties. The town became home to [[Hasidic Judaism|hasidim]] in the early [[19th century]]. At the beginning of [[World War I]] Belz had 6,100 inhabitants, of which 3,600 were Jewish.
==History==
The founder of the dynasty was [[Rabbi]] [[Shalom Rokeach|Shalom of Belz]], also known as the ''Sar Shalom'', who was inducted as rabbi of Belz in [[1817]]. A great [[Torah]] scholar and legendary miracle worker, Rabbi Shalom personally helped build the city's large and imposing [[synagogue]]. Dedicated in [[1843]], the building resembled an ancient fortress, with three-foot thick walls, a castellated roof and battlements adorned with gilded copper balls. It could seat 5,000 worshippers and had superb acoustics. It stood until the [[Nazism|Nazis]] invaded Belz in late [[1939]]. Though the Germans attempted to destroy the synagogue first by fire and then by dynamite, they were unsuccessful. Finally they conscripted Jewish men to take the building apart, brick by brick.
When Rabbi Shalom died in [[1855]], his youngest son, Rabbi [[Yehoshua Rokeach]] ([[1855]]-[[1894]]), became the next [[Rebbe]]. Belzer chasidus grew in size during Rebbe Yehoshua's tenure and the tenure of his son and successor, Rabbi [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]] ([[1894]]-[[1926]]).
[[Image:Belz1.jpg|thumb|The third Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach]]
Unlike other groups which formed [[yeshiva|yeshivot]] in pre-war Poland, Belz maintained a unique ''yoshvim'' program which produced many outstanding Torah scholars. The ''yoshvim'' were married and unmarried men who remained in the synagogue all day to study the [[Talmud]], [[Jewish services|pray]], and derive inspiration from their Rebbe. They were supported by local businessmen and their food and other necessities were brought to them so they wouldn't have to leave the synagogue for even a short time. Some ''yoshvim'' even slept in the synagogue on a bench. They typically remained in this program until the Rebbe would tell them to return home to their wives and families.
With the passing of Rebbe Yissachar Dov in [[1926]], the mantle of leadership fell on his eldest son, Rabbi [[Aharon Rokeach]], who was 49 years old at the time. A deeply spiritual, almost mystical man, who studied much and slept and ate little, Rebbe Aharon was known for his saintliness and his miracle-working capabilities. Many of his followers reported experiencing miraculous recoveries or successes after receiving his blessing, and flocked to his court by the thousands.
Some of the most learned scholars of the generation were hasidim of Belz, such as Rabbi [[Sholom Mordechai Schwadron]] (Maharsham) and the world-renowned Rabbi [[Chanoch Dov Padwa]] (''Cheishev Ho'ephod''), who was very close to Rebbe Aharon of Belz.
==Escape from Belz==
[[Image:BelzQedushathAaron.JPG|thumb|Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz]]
With the outbreak of [[World War II]] and the Nazi takeover of [[Poland]], the town of Belz was thrown into turmoil. From [[1939]] to [[1944]] it was occupied by [[Germany]] as a part of the [[General Government]]. Belz is situated on the left, north waterside of the Solokiya river (affluent of the Bug river), which was German-Soviet border in 1939-1941.
The "Wonder Rebbe" was at the top of the [[Gestapo]]'s "wanted list" of rabbis targeted for [[extradition]] and [[Nazi extermination camp|extermination]] during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Thanks to the untiring efforts and cash inflow from Belzer hasidim in [[Israel]], [[England]] and the United States, the Rebbe and his half-brother, Rabbi [[Mordechai of Bilgorai]], 22 years his junior, managed to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in one miraculous escape attempt after another. Notwithstanding the watchful presence of Gestapo patrols at every turn, the pair was spirited out of Belz and into Sokal, then Premishlan, then to the [[Cracow]] [[ghetto]], and then to the [[Bochnia]] ghetto.
In their most hair-raising escape attempt, the brothers were driven out of occupied Poland and into [[Hungary]] by a Hungarian counter-intelligence agent who was friendly to Jews. The Rebbe, his brother, and his attendant, shorn of their distinctive beards and sidelocks, were disguised as Russian generals who had been captured at the front and were being taken to [[Budapest]] for questioning. To quell rumors of the Rebbe's disappearance from the ghetto, one of his hasidim dressed up in Rebbe Aharon's clothing and sat in his inner sanctum all day, imitating the way the Rebbe immersed himself in prayer and study. When other hasidim urged the Rebbe's attendant to let them send in their ''kvittlach'' ("notes" or "petitions for blessings"), they heard a perfect imitation of the Rebbe's voice, mumbling his blessings.
The refugees subsequently reported that they had experienced "miracles" at each stage of the escape. Throughout the 250-mile drive across occupied Poland, according to the Hungarian agent, the escape vehicle was enveloped in an "eerie mist" that made it difficult for the car to be detected. When the agent asked the driver to stop along the way and join him for something to eat, leaving the refugees unguarded, the two were unable to locate the car upon their return. They finally identified it by feeling for it in the place they had parked it.
As the refugees passed into Hungary, they were stopped by several patrols. At one checkpoint, their identity was questioned and they were about to be detained when three high-ranking Hungarian officials appeared and ordered that the car be let through. Belzer hasidim believe that those three men were the "first three Belzer Rebbes sent from [[Heaven]]" to expedite Rebbe Aharon's escape.
Rebbe Aharon and Rabbi Mordechai spent eight months in Budapest before receiving highly-rationed [[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] certificates to enter [[British Mandate of Palestine|Palestine]]. In January [[1944]] they boarded the [[Orient Express]] to [[Istanbul]]. Less than two months later, the Nazis invaded Hungary and began deporting its 450,000 Jews.
==Rebuilding the dynasty in Israel==
[[Image:Belzer Rebbe.jpg|250px|thumb|The fifth and present Belzer Rebbe, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)|Grand Rabbi Issachar Dov Rokeach]]]]
Although he had lost his entire family—including his wife, children, grandchildren and in-laws and their families—to the Nazis, Rebbe Aharon re-established his Hasidic court in [[Tel Aviv]], where there was a small Hasidic community. Both he and Rabbi Mordechai (who had lost his wife and daughter) remarried, but only Rabbi Mordechai had a child, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)]], in [[1948]]. Rabbi Mordechai suddenly died a year later at the age of 47. Rebbe Aharon took his brother's son under his wing to groom him as the future successor to the Belz dynasty.
Like some of the other groups originating in [[Poland]], Belzer hasidut was nearly wiped out by [[the Holocaust]]. Some hasidic followers from other communities joined Belz after the war and following the deaths of their rebbes. [[Belz]], like [[Ger (Hasidic dynasty)|Ger]] and [[Satmar]], was comparatively fortunate in that its leadership remained intact and survived the war, as opposed to many other [[Hasidic]] sects which suffered losses both in terms of rank-and-file supporters, as well as the physical decapitation of their leaders.
Rebbe Aharon became an acknowledged leader of [[Torah Judaism|Torah Jewry]] in Israel. He laid the groundwork for the spread of Belzer hasidut through the establishment of schools and [[yeshiva|yeshivot]] in Tel Aviv, [[Bnei Brak]] and [[Jerusalem]]. In [[1950]] the Rebbe moved his court to the [[Jerusalem]] neighborhood of Katamon and established a yeshivah there. His sights set on expanding Belz, he drew up plans for a large yeshivah and study hall in downtown Jerusalem, on a hill behind the original [[Shaare Zedek Medical Center|Shaarei Tzedek Hospital]]. The cornerstone was laid in 1954 and the building was completed in the summer of 1957. One month later, however, the Rebbe died.
Tens of thousands of admirers followed his casket to his burial site in [[Jerusalem]]. His nephew, Yissachar Dov, was nine years old at the time. For the next nine years the movement did not have an active Rebbe. Yissachar Dov married at the age of 17 to the daughter of the [[Vizhnitz]]er Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, and moved to [[Bnei Brak]], [[Israel]] to be close to his new father-in-law. A year later, he returned to Jerusalem to assume leadership of the Belz movement.
A small group of Belzer hasidim do not accept the authority of Rabbi Yissachar Dov; their rebbe is Grand Rabbi [[Yehoshua Rokeach of Machnovka]], a great-grandson of the third Rebbe of Belz, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]].
==Belz today==
[[Image:Belz World Center Outside.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Belzer Beis HaMidrash HaGadol, Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem]]
Since [[1966]], Rebbe Yissachar Dov has presided over both the expansion of Belz educational institutions and the growth of Hasidic populations in [[Israel]], the [[United States]] and [[Europe]]. Like other hasidic groups, the Belz community has established a variety of self-help organizations, including one of the largest patient-advocacy organizations of its kind, a free medical counseling center, and an affordable medical treatment clinic in the [[New York]] area [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r104:E20JN5-225:].
In the early years of his tenure, the new Rebbe adopted a policy of engagement with the [[secular]] government of [[Israel]]. Under the umbrella of the [[Agudat Israel]] political party, he sent delegates to the Israeli [[Knesset]] and instructed his followers to vote in general elections. This stance angered the [[Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)|Satmar]] community. Satmar activists obtained signatures from significant segments of the haredi community in [[Israel]] in an attempt to denounce and ostracize the present Belzer Rebbe. This episode created a lasting rift between the Belzer and Satmar communities.
==The Belz World Center==
[[Image:Belz World Center Inside.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The interior of the Belzer Beis HaMidrash HaGadol in Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem]]
In the 1980s, Rebbe Yissachar Dov spearheaded plans for a huge synagogue to be erected in the [[Kiryat Belz]] neighborhood of [[Jerusalem]]. The building, which would have four entrances accessible to each of the four streets of the hilly neighborhood, would be an enlarged replica of the structure that the first Rebbe of Belz, the Sar Shalom, had built in the town of Belz. It would include a grandiose main sanctuary, smaller study halls, [[Jewish view of marriage|wedding]] and [[Bar Mitzvah]] halls, libraries, and other communal facilities.
Funds for this ambitious project were raised among Belzer hasidim and were supplemented by various [[fund-raising]] projects throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Like the original synagogue of Belz which took 15 years to complete, the new [[Belz Beis HaMedrash HaGadol|Beis HaMedrash HaGadol]] ("The Great Synagogue") that now dominates the northern [[Jerusalem]] skyline also took 15 years to construct and was dedicated in [[2000]]. Its main sanctuary seats 6000 worshippers, making it the largest jewish house of worship in the world{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. A huge ark contains more than 100 [[Sefer Torah|Torah scrolls]]. Nine chandeliers in the main synagogue each contain over 200,000 pieces of [[Czech Republic|Czech]] [[crystal]]. In stark contrast to the majestic synagogue, the simple wooden chair and lectern used by Rebbe Aharon when he came to [[Israel]] in [[1944]] stands in a glass case next to the ark.
==Lineage of Belzer dynastic leadership==
Rebbe Sholom Rokeach, the founder of the Belz dynasty, was a disciple of the [[Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin|Seer of Lublin]]. The Seer was a disciple of Rebbe [[Elimelech of Lizhensk|Elimelech Lipman]] of Lizhensk, author of ''Noam Elimelech''. The Rebbe Elimelech was a disciple of the Rebbe [[Dovber of Mezeritch|Dovber]], the ''Maggid'' (Preacher) of Mezeritch, the primary disciple of the [[Baal Shem Tov]], the founder of Hasidism.
[[Image:Belz Purim5766 2.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Belzer tish. Purim 5766 (2006).]]
*'''First Belzer [[Rebbe]]''' : [[Shalom Rokeach]] of Belz ([[1779]] - [[1855]]), also known as the ''Sar Shalom''. Rebbe from 1817 to 1855. Disciple of the [[Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin|Seer of Lublin]].
**'''Second Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yehoshua Rokeach]] of Belz ([[1825]] - [[1894]])— youngest son of the ''Sar Shalom''. Rebbe from 1855 to 1894.
***'''Third Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]] ([[1854]] - [[1926]]) — son of Yehoshua Rokeach. Rebbe from 1894 to 1926.
****'''Fourth Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Aharon Rokeach]] ([[1877]] - [[1957]]), also known as ''Reb Arele'' and as the ''Kedushat Aharon''—eldest son of Yissachar Dov (I). Rebbe from 1926 to 1957.
*****Rabbi Shmiel Frankel (1902-1943), dean of Belz—son-in-law of Aharon Rokeach.
***** Rabbi Moshe Rokeach (1904-1943) (called R' Moshele)— son of Aharon Rokeach
***** Rabbi Yisroel Rokeach (1906-1943)— son of Aharon Rokeach
**** Rabbi Yehosua Rokeach of Jaroslaw—son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov, grandfather of the [[Machnovka (Hasidic dynasty)|Machnovker]] Rebbe of Bnei Brak.
**** Rabbi Mordechai of Bilgorai—son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov.
*****'''Fifth Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)]] (b.[[1948]])—only son of [[Mordechai of Bilgorai]]; nephew to Aharon; son-in-law of Rebbe Moshe Hager of [[Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)|Vizhnits]]. Rebbe from 1966 - present.
{{HasidicDynasties}}
==References==
*Israel, Yosef (2005). ''Rescuing the Rebbe of Belz''. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. ISBN 1-57819-059-2.
*Rossoff, Dovid (1998). ''Where Heaven Touches Earth: Jewish Life in Jerusalem from Medieval Times to the Present''. Jerusalem: Guardian Press. ISBN 0-87306-879-3.
*Spiegel, Yisroel (June 28, 2000). ''The Belz Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim: Full Circle''. De'iah Ve'Dibur. [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/korach/features.htm]
==External links==
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5447725737858098635&q=belzer&time=20000 Video tour of the Belz Beit Medrash]
*[http://www.skullcap.com/Belz_in_Pictures/index.htm Belz in Pictures]
{{Hasidic dynasties}}
[[Category:Belz Hasidism| ]]
[[Category:Hasidic dynasties headquartered in Jerusalem]]
[[he:חסידות בעלז]]
[[nl:Belz (chassidische gemeenschap)]]
[[pl:Belz (dynastia chasydzka)]]
[[yi:בעלזא]]
'''Belz''' is a [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic dynasty]] named after the town of [[Belz]], a small town in Western [[Ukraine]]. The town has existed since at least the [[10th century]] with the Jewish community being established in around the [[14th century]]. In [[1665]] Jews in Belz got equal rights and duties. The town became home to [[Hasidic Judaism|hasidim]] in the early [[19th century]]. At the beginning of [[World War I]] Belz had 6,100 inhabitants, of which 3,600 were Jewish.
==History==
The founder of the dynasty was [[Rabbi]] [[Shalom Rokeach|Shalom of Belz]], also known as the ''Sar Shalom'', who was inducted as rabbi of Belz in [[1817]]. A great [[Torah]] scholar and legendary miracle worker, Rabbi Shalom personally helped build the city's large and imposing [[synagogue]]. Dedicated in [[1843]], the building resembled an ancient fortress, with three-foot thick walls, a castellated roof and battlements adorned with gilded copper balls. It could seat 5,000 worshippers and had superb acoustics. It stood until the [[Nazism|Nazis]] invaded Belz in late [[1939]]. Though the Germans attempted to destroy the synagogue first by fire and then by dynamite, they were unsuccessful. Finally they conscripted Jewish men to take the building apart, brick by brick.
When Rabbi Shalom died in [[1855]], his youngest son, Rabbi [[Yehoshua Rokeach]] ([[1855]]-[[1894]]), became the next [[Rebbe]]. Belzer chasidus grew in size during Rebbe Yehoshua's tenure and the tenure of his son and successor, Rabbi [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]] ([[1894]]-[[1926]]).
[[Image:Belz1.jpg|thumb|The third Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach]]
Unlike other groups which formed [[yeshiva|yeshivot]] in pre-war Poland, Belz maintained a unique ''yoshvim'' program which produced many outstanding Torah scholars. The ''yoshvim'' were married and unmarried men who remained in the synagogue all day to study the [[Talmud]], [[Jewish services|pray]], and derive inspiration from their Rebbe. They were supported by local businessmen and their food and other necessities were brought to them so they wouldn't have to leave the synagogue for even a short time. Some ''yoshvim'' even slept in the synagogue on a bench. They typically remained in this program until the Rebbe would tell them to return home to their wives and families.
With the passing of Rebbe Yissachar Dov in [[1926]], the mantle of leadership fell on his eldest son, Rabbi [[Aharon Rokeach]], who was 49 years old at the time. A deeply spiritual, almost mystical man, who studied much and slept and ate little, Rebbe Aharon was known for his saintliness and his miracle-working capabilities. Many of his followers reported experiencing miraculous recoveries or successes after receiving his blessing, and flocked to his court by the thousands.
Some of the most learned scholars of the generation were hasidim of Belz, such as Rabbi [[Sholom Mordechai Schwadron]] (Maharsham) and the world-renowned Rabbi [[Chanoch Dov Padwa]] (''Cheishev Ho'ephod''), who was very close to Rebbe Aharon of Belz.
==Escape from Belz==
[[Image:BelzQedushathAaron.JPG|thumb|Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz]]
With the outbreak of [[World War II]] and the Nazi takeover of [[Poland]], the town of Belz was thrown into turmoil. From [[1939]] to [[1944]] it was occupied by [[Germany]] as a part of the [[General Government]]. Belz is situated on the left, north waterside of the Solokiya river (affluent of the Bug river), which was German-Soviet border in 1939-1941.
The "Wonder Rebbe" was at the top of the [[Gestapo]]'s "wanted list" of rabbis targeted for [[extradition]] and [[Nazi extermination camp|extermination]] during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Thanks to the untiring efforts and cash inflow from Belzer hasidim in [[Israel]], [[England]] and the United States, the Rebbe and his half-brother, Rabbi [[Mordechai of Bilgorai]], 22 years his junior, managed to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in one miraculous escape attempt after another. Notwithstanding the watchful presence of Gestapo patrols at every turn, the pair was spirited out of Belz and into Sokal, then Premishlan, then to the [[Cracow]] [[ghetto]], and then to the [[Bochnia]] ghetto.
In their most hair-raising escape attempt, the brothers were driven out of occupied Poland and into [[Hungary]] by a Hungarian counter-intelligence agent who was friendly to Jews. The Rebbe, his brother, and his attendant, shorn of their distinctive beards and sidelocks, were disguised as Russian generals who had been captured at the front and were being taken to [[Budapest]] for questioning. To quell rumors of the Rebbe's disappearance from the ghetto, one of his hasidim dressed up in Rebbe Aharon's clothing and sat in his inner sanctum all day, imitating the way the Rebbe immersed himself in prayer and study. When other hasidim urged the Rebbe's attendant to let them send in their ''kvittlach'' ("notes" or "petitions for blessings"), they heard a perfect imitation of the Rebbe's voice, mumbling his blessings.
The refugees subsequently reported that they had experienced "miracles" at each stage of the escape. Throughout the 250-mile drive across occupied Poland, according to the Hungarian agent, the escape vehicle was enveloped in an "eerie mist" that made it difficult for the car to be detected. When the agent asked the driver to stop along the way and join him for something to eat, leaving the refugees unguarded, the two were unable to locate the car upon their return. They finally identified it by feeling for it in the place they had parked it.
As the refugees passed into Hungary, they were stopped by several patrols. At one checkpoint, their identity was questioned and they were about to be detained when three high-ranking Hungarian officials appeared and ordered that the car be let through. Belzer hasidim believe that those three men were the "first three Belzer Rebbes sent from [[Heaven]]" to expedite Rebbe Aharon's escape.
Rebbe Aharon and Rabbi Mordechai spent eight months in Budapest before receiving highly-rationed [[Jewish Agency for Israel|Jewish Agency]] certificates to enter [[British Mandate of Palestine|Palestine]]. In January [[1944]] they boarded the [[Orient Express]] to [[Istanbul]]. Less than two months later, the Nazis invaded Hungary and began deporting its 450,000 Jews.
==Rebuilding the dynasty in Israel==
[[Image:Belzer Rebbe.jpg|250px|thumb|The fifth and present Belzer Rebbe, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)|Grand Rabbi Issachar Dov Rokeach]]]]
Although he had lost his entire family—including his wife, children, grandchildren and in-laws and their families—to the Nazis, Rebbe Aharon re-established his Hasidic court in [[Tel Aviv]], where there was a small Hasidic community. Both he and Rabbi Mordechai (who had lost his wife and daughter) remarried, but only Rabbi Mordechai had a child, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)]], in [[1948]]. Rabbi Mordechai suddenly died a year later at the age of 47. Rebbe Aharon took his brother's son under his wing to groom him as the future successor to the Belz dynasty.
Like some of the other groups originating in [[Poland]], Belzer hasidut was nearly wiped out by [[the Holocaust]]. Some hasidic followers from other communities joined Belz after the war and following the deaths of their rebbes. [[Belz]], like [[Ger (Hasidic dynasty)|Ger]] and [[Satmar]], was comparatively fortunate in that its leadership remained intact and survived the war, as opposed to many other [[Hasidic]] sects which suffered losses both in terms of rank-and-file supporters, as well as the physical decapitation of their leaders.
Rebbe Aharon became an acknowledged leader of [[Torah Judaism|Torah Jewry]] in Israel. He laid the groundwork for the spread of Belzer hasidut through the establishment of schools and [[yeshiva|yeshivot]] in Tel Aviv, [[Bnei Brak]] and [[Jerusalem]]. In [[1950]] the Rebbe moved his court to the [[Jerusalem]] neighborhood of Katamon and established a yeshivah there. His sights set on expanding Belz, he drew up plans for a large yeshivah and study hall in downtown Jerusalem, on a hill behind the original [[Shaare Zedek Medical Center|Shaarei Tzedek Hospital]]. The cornerstone was laid in 1954 and the building was completed in the summer of 1957. One month later, however, the Rebbe died.
Tens of thousands of admirers followed his casket to his burial site in [[Jerusalem]]. His nephew, Yissachar Dov, was nine years old at the time. For the next nine years the movement did not have an active Rebbe. Yissachar Dov married at the age of 17 to the daughter of the [[Vizhnitz]]er Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, and moved to [[Bnei Brak]], [[Israel]] to be close to his new father-in-law. A year later, he returned to Jerusalem to assume leadership of the Belz movement.
A small group of Belzer hasidim do not accept the authority of Rabbi Yissachar Dov; their rebbe is Grand Rabbi [[Yehoshua Rokeach of Machnovka]], a great-grandson of the third Rebbe of Belz, [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]].
==Belz today==
[[Image:Belz World Center Outside.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Belzer Beis HaMidrash HaGadol, Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem]]
Since [[1966]], Rebbe Yissachar Dov has presided over both the expansion of Belz educational institutions and the growth of Hasidic populations in [[Israel]], the [[United States]] and [[Europe]]. Like other hasidic groups, the Belz community has established a variety of self-help organizations, including one of the largest patient-advocacy organizations of its kind, a free medical counseling center, and an affordable medical treatment clinic in the [[New York]] area [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r104:E20JN5-225:].
In the early years of his tenure, the new Rebbe adopted a policy of engagement with the [[secular]] government of [[Israel]]. Under the umbrella of the [[Agudat Israel]] political party, he sent delegates to the Israeli [[Knesset]] and instructed his followers to vote in general elections. This stance angered the [[Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)|Satmar]] community. Satmar activists obtained signatures from significant segments of the haredi community in [[Israel]] in an attempt to denounce and ostracize the present Belzer Rebbe. This episode created a lasting rift between the Belzer and Satmar communities.
==The Belz World Center==
[[Image:Belz World Center Inside.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The interior of the Belzer Beis HaMidrash HaGadol in Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem]]
In the 1980s, Rebbe Yissachar Dov spearheaded plans for a huge synagogue to be erected in the [[Kiryat Belz]] neighborhood of [[Jerusalem]]. The building, which would have four entrances accessible to each of the four streets of the hilly neighborhood, would be an enlarged replica of the structure that the first Rebbe of Belz, the Sar Shalom, had built in the town of Belz. It would include a grandiose main sanctuary, smaller study halls, [[Jewish view of marriage|wedding]] and [[Bar Mitzvah]] halls, libraries, and other communal facilities.
Funds for this ambitious project were raised among Belzer hasidim and were supplemented by various [[fund-raising]] projects throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Like the original synagogue of Belz which took 15 years to complete, the new [[Belz Beis HaMedrash HaGadol|Beis HaMedrash HaGadol]] ("The Great Synagogue") that now dominates the northern [[Jerusalem]] skyline also took 15 years to construct and was dedicated in [[2000]]. Its main sanctuary seats 6000 worshippers, making it the largest jewish house of worship in the world{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. A huge ark contains more than 100 [[Sefer Torah|Torah scrolls]]. Nine chandeliers in the main synagogue each contain over 200,000 pieces of [[Czech Republic|Czech]] [[crystal]]. In stark contrast to the majestic synagogue, the simple wooden chair and lectern used by Rebbe Aharon when he came to [[Israel]] in [[1944]] stands in a glass case next to the ark.
==Lineage of Belzer dynastic leadership==
Rebbe Sholom Rokeach, the founder of the Belz dynasty, was a disciple of the [[Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin|Seer of Lublin]]. The Seer was a disciple of Rebbe [[Elimelech of Lizhensk|Elimelech Lipman]] of Lizhensk, author of ''Noam Elimelech''. The Rebbe Elimelech was a disciple of the Rebbe [[Dovber of Mezeritch|Dovber]], the ''Maggid'' (Preacher) of Mezeritch, the primary disciple of the [[Baal Shem Tov]], the founder of Hasidism.
[[Image:Belz Purim5766 2.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Belzer tish. Purim 5766 (2006).]]
*'''First Belzer [[Rebbe]]''' : [[Shalom Rokeach]] of Belz ([[1779]] - [[1855]]), also known as the ''Sar Shalom''. Rebbe from 1817 to 1855. Disciple of the [[Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin|Seer of Lublin]].
**'''Second Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yehoshua Rokeach]] of Belz ([[1825]] - [[1894]])— youngest son of the ''Sar Shalom''. Rebbe from 1855 to 1894.
***'''Third Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)]] ([[1854]] - [[1926]]) — son of Yehoshua Rokeach. Rebbe from 1894 to 1926.
****'''Fourth Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Aharon Rokeach]] ([[1877]] - [[1957]]), also known as ''Reb Arele'' and as the ''Kedushat Aharon''—eldest son of Yissachar Dov (I). Rebbe from 1926 to 1957.
*****Rabbi Shmiel Frankel (1902-1943), dean of Belz—son-in-law of Aharon Rokeach.
***** Rabbi Moshe Rokeach (1904-1943) (called R' Moshele)— son of Aharon Rokeach
***** Rabbi Yisroel Rokeach (1906-1943)— son of Aharon Rokeach
**** Rabbi Yehosua Rokeach of Jaroslaw—son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov, grandfather of the [[Machnovka (Hasidic dynasty)|Machnovker]] Rebbe of Bnei Brak.
**** Rabbi Mordechai of Bilgorai—son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov.
*****'''Fifth Belzer Rebbe''' : [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)]] (b.[[1948]])—only son of [[Mordechai of Bilgorai]]; nephew to Aharon; son-in-law of Rebbe Moshe Hager of [[Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)|Vizhnits]]. Rebbe from 1966 - present.
{{HasidicDynasties}}
==References==
*Israel, Yosef (2005). ''Rescuing the Rebbe of Belz''. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. ISBN 1-57819-059-2.
*Rossoff, Dovid (1998). ''Where Heaven Touches Earth: Jewish Life in Jerusalem from Medieval Times to the Present''. Jerusalem: Guardian Press. ISBN 0-87306-879-3.
*Spiegel, Yisroel (June 28, 2000). ''The Belz Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim: Full Circle''. De'iah Ve'Dibur. [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/korach/features.htm]
==External links==
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5447725737858098635&q=belzer&time=20000 Video tour of the Belz Beit Medrash]
*[http://www.skullcap.com/Belz_in_Pictures/index.htm Belz in Pictures]
{{Hasidic dynasties}}
[[Category:Belz Hasidism| ]]
[[Category:Hasidic dynasties headquartered in Jerusalem]]
[[he:חסידות בעלז]]
[[nl:Belz (chassidische gemeenschap)]]
[[pl:Belz (dynastia chasydzka)]]
[[yi:בעלזא]]
