Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin

For other people named Yisroel Friedman, see Yisroel Friedman (disambiguation).
Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin
TitleRuzhiner Rebbe
Personal
Born
Yisroel Friedman

October 5, 1796
Pohrebyshche, Russian Empire
DiedOctober 9, 1850(1850-10-09) (aged 54)
Sadigura, then Austria
ReligionJudaism
SpouseSarah, Malka
ChildrenSholom Yosef
Chaya Malka
Avrohom Yaakov
Gittel Tova
Menachem Nochum
Miriam
Dov Ber
Dovid Moshe
Leah
Mordechai Shraga[1]
Parents
  • Rabbi Sholom Shachne (father)
  • Chava (mother)
Signature
Began1813
Ended1850
DynastyRuzhin

Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn (Hebrew: ישראל פרידמן מרוז'ין) (5 October 1796[2] – 9 October 1850[3]), also called Israel Ruzhin, was a Hasidic rebbe in 19th-century Ukraine and Austria. Known as Der Heiliger Ruzhiner (Yiddish: דער הייליגער רוזשינער, "The holy one from Ruzhyn"), he conducted his court with regal pomp and splendor. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, who was said to be jealous of the Rebbe's wealth and influence,[4] had the Rebbe imprisoned for nearly two years on an unsubstantiated murder charge. After his release, the Rebbe fled to Austria, where he re-established his court in Sadigura, Bukovina (Carpathian Mountains), attracted thousands of Hasidim, provided for the Hasidic community in Israel, and inaugurated the construction of the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Friedman was the first and only Ruzhiner Rebbe. However, his sons and grandsons founded their own dynasties, collectively known as the "House of Ruzhin". These dynasties, which follow many of the traditions of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, are Bohush, Boyan, Chortkov, Husiatyn, Sadigura, and Shtefanesht. The founders of the Vizhnitz, Skver, and Vasloi Hasidic dynasties were related to the Ruzhiner Rebbe through his daughters.[5]

  1. ^ Brayer, Rabbi Menachem (2003). The House of Rizhin: Chassidus and the Rizhiner dynasty. Mesorah Publications. p. 114. ISBN 1-57819-794-5.
  2. ^ Assaf, David (2002). The Regal Way: The life and times of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin. Stanford University Press. p. 31. ISBN 0-8047-4468-8.
  3. ^ Assaf, The Regal Way, p. 170.
  4. ^ Friedman, Yisroel (1997). The Golden Dynasty: Ruzhin, the royal house of Chassidus. Kest-Lebovits Jewish Heritage & Roots Library. p. 12.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference je was invoked but never defined (see the help page).