The heading, Have Yichus, Will Travel, might have appeared above the following notice which attracted the attention of the city’s Jewish community when it ran in The Toronto Star on various dates in 1957 and the late 1950s:
“GRAND RABBI J. RABINOWICZ.
“Kishinower Rabbi, one of the world famous rabbis from Europe, now in New York, has arrived in city. He is the son of Skolier Rabbi, son-in-law of Turrsker Rabbi Twersky, 7th generation of Holy Baalshemtov. People who desire to see the Rabbi for their personal problems, good wishes and advice, can call to this address or by appointment, 492 Palmerston Blvd., Toronto. LE 1-3238. The Rabbi is leaving city, Wednesday, July 17.”
Those identifiers — Kishinev/Kishinower, son of the Skolya (Skolier) Rebbe, son-in-law of a Twersky of Trisk/Turisk, plus the “Baal Shem Tov” lineage claim — line up very closely with Rabbi Yisrael Rabinowitz, often described in later sources as the Kishinev / Chisinau Rebbe (and associated with Skolya and later Trisk), who lived in New York after immigrating in 1948.
Grand Rabbi (Rebbe) Yisrael Rabinowitz (often styled “the Kishinever/Chisinau Rebbe”) was a Hasidic leader born in 1905, the son of the Admor of Skolya (Skole/Skolye). He married into the Twersky (Trisk) dynasty and became a son-in-law of Rabbi Mordechai Zusya Twersky.
After his marriage he lived in Kishinev (Chisinau), where he established a beit midrash/yeshiva and served as a rebbe. He later moved to London, founding a large beit midrash known as Ohel Yisrael, before immigrating in 1948 to the United States, living first in New York (Brooklyn) and later in Miami Beach, where his court was also associated with the name Trisk.
Toward the end of his life he moved to Israel, establishing a beit midrash in Tel Aviv, and he is credited with publishing Torah teachings in a work titled Yismach Yisrael.
The Toronto Star clipping captures him in mid-career: in July 1957, while based in New York, he visited Toronto briefly, receiving people “for their personal problems… and advice” at 492 Palmerston Blvd, and departing after a few days or weeks.
He died, likely in Tel Aviv, in September 1971. How great that he shared his deep learning and special gifts with the Toronto community. ♦
