(L-R) Rachmastrifker Rebbe of NY; Chernobyler Bnei Brak; Chernobyler of NY; Moredechai Twersky, son of Chernobyler of NY

Chernobyl (Yiddish: טשערנאָביל) is a Hasidic dynasty that was founded by Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, known by the name of his work as the Meor Einayim. The dynasty is named after the northern Ukrainian town of Chernobyl, where Rabbi Nachum served as the maggid (lit. '[communal] preacher'). The lineage has continued to exist to this day, although not always with the name Chernobyl. Today there are several rebbes named Chernobyl. The central court is in Bnei Brak, headed by Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky.

The name "Chernobyl dynasty" is also used as a general term for the sects of the descendants of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl; the dynasties of Chernobyl, Skver, Trisk, Rachmastrivka, Hornosteipel, and in the past even the dynasties of Machnovka (today this court practices Belz customary), Makarov and Shpikov and the dynasties that branched out of these dynasties.

Lineage of the Chernobyl rebbes

• Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, founder of the dynasty, was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of the Hasidic movement) and of the Maggid of Mezritch, and author of the books Me'or Einayim and Yesamach Lev. His father was Rabbi Zvi Hirsch son of Rabbi Nachum Gaon of Narinsk. He served as a Maggid Meisharim in the communities of Narynsk, Pogrebishti and Chernobyl, and was poor most of his life. He died on the 11th of Cheshvan 1798.
• Rabbi Mordechai Twersky of Chernobyl, known as the Maggid of Chernobyl, was the son of Rabbi Menachem Nachum and Sarah. He was married to the daughter of Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin and a second time to Feiga, the daughter of Rabbi Dovid Leikas. He used to turn around in the towns and receive Maggidus letters from many of them. Unlike his father, he was rich and traveled in a horse-drawn carriage. His teachings were gathered in the book Likutei Torah. He died on 24 May 1837, and was buried in Ignatowka, near Kyiv, and left eight sons and three daughters.
• Rabbi Aaron Twersky of Chernobyl, the son of Rabbi Mordechai and Chaya Sara. He was born in 1784, and his name was given to him after his grandfather, Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin, and in his youth his father forced him to serve as rebbe, and since then a he traveled a lot through the surrounding cities. Upon the death of his father, he took his place in the leadership of his community and the Maggiding of Chernobyl and other communities. He was the president of the charity fund Kupath Rabbi Meir Baal Haness of Kollel Volhyn, and was active in strengthening the settling the land. He died on 21 November 1871, leaving behind six children. His sons were born from his second wife.

The Chernobyl dynasty

The founder of the Chernobyl dynasty was Rebbe (Menachem) Nochum, the Meor Einayim, a disciple of Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov, who established the Hasidic movement. He was also a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch:

Scions

Scions of the Chernobyl dynasty include:

• Grand Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski, the Chernobyler Rebbe of Bnei Brak;
• Grand Rabbi Yeshaya Twersky, the Chernobyler Rebbe of Borough Park, Brooklyn;
• The Chernobyler Rebbe of Ashdod;
• Grand Rabbi David Twersky, of New Square, NY, leader of Skver, the largest current Hasidic dynasty originating from Chernobyl;
• Grand Rabbi Michel Twersky, the Skverer Rebbe of Boro Park;
• Grand Rabbi Michel Twerski, the Hornosteipler Rebbe of Milwaukee;
• Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dov Ber Twerski, the Hornosteipel-Denver Rebbe of Flatbush, Brooklyn;
• Grand Rabbi Shalom Shachna Friedman, the Hornosteipler Rebbe of Jerusalem;
• Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, author and psychiatrist;
• Rabbi Aaron Twerski, retired Dean of Hofstra Law School;
• Rabbi Dovid Twersky, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Jerusalem;
• Rabbi Chai Yitzchok Twersky, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Borough Park, Brooklyn;
• Grand Rabbi Menachem Mendel Matisyohu Twersky, the Trisker Rebbe of London;
  • Grand Rabbi Yitzchok Duvid Twersky of Trisk-Tolna. Son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Matisyohu
• Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Eichenstein, the Trisker Rebbe of Jerusalem;
• Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg, the Tolner Rebbe of Jerusalem;
• Rabbi Amitai Twersky, the Tolner Rebbe of Ashdod;
• Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Twerski, son of Reb Mottel Twerski of Flatbush, Rosh Yeshiva Hebrew Theological College and Rav of Bais Chaim Dovid Lincolnwood, Illinois;
• Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky, the Tolner Rebbe of Boston and a professor and head of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University;
  • Rabbi Mayer Twersky, son of Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky of Boston, Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanon Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University;
  • Rabbi Mosheh Twersky, son of Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky of Boston, Rosh Mesivta of Yeshiva Toras Moshe in Jerusalem, Israel.
• Grand Rabbi Yitzhak Aharon Korff, grandson of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Korff, Zvhil–Mezbuz Rebbe of Boston.

• 
  Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twersky, Chernobyler Rebbe of Boro Park – the last Chernobyler Rebbe to serve in Chernobyl
• 
  Grand Rabbi David Twersky, Skverer Rebbe, a scion of the Chernobyl dynasty
• 
  Zvhil-Mezbuz Rebbe of Boston, Grand Rabbi Y. A. Korff (center), and Rabbi Yitzhak (Isadore) Twersky, Tolna Rebbe of Boston (left)

Notes

Sources

• Yitschak Alfasi (2006). תורת החסידות [Torat haChasidut] (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Mosad Harav Kook. pp. 297–373.

External links

• Rebbes of Makarow-Berdichev (Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty) Archived 14 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine – site (in Russian and English) of Zalman Shklyar (Russia, Moscow, icq 277236854)
• Tolner Rebbes
• The Talnoye Interest Group
• WebCite query result
• The Hornosteiple shul in Milwaukee Beth Jehudah
• Chernobler Rebbe...