After losing his family, community and yeshiva in Ponovezh, Lithuania during the Holocaust, Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886-1969), the Ponovezh Rav, endeavored to rebuild what was lost in the Land of Israel. He was a dreamer who carried out his vision with a zeal and energy which seemed superhuman. His crowning achievement was rebuilding the beloved yeshiva he lost in his hometown, by establishing the Ponovezh Yeshiva on a dusty hill on the outskirts of the small settlement of Bnei Brak.
Today considered one of the key components of the flourishing postwar Torah world in Israel, the sprawling campus is a vibrant testimony to the Ponovezh Rav’s determination and perseverance. When it opened its doors at the end of 1943 with seven students, he dreamed of a building which would one day be home to hundreds of students. Rav Shmuel Rozovsky was hired as rosh yeshiva and Rav Avraham Abba Grossbard as mashgiach. The yeshiva soon expanded and Rav David Povarsky and later Rav Elazar Menachem Shach were added to the yeshiva faculty. The Ponovezh Rav felt that his energetic building campaigns were the expression of a living Holocaust memorial, as the Torah world of Lithuania would experience a rebirth in the Ponovezh Yeshiva, and its affiliate institutions.
Listen to a previous episode exploring the life and accomplishments of the Ponovezh Rav: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/e/builder-dreamer-the-unstoppable-vision-of-the-ponevezher-rav/
Cross River, a leading financial institution committed to supporting its communities, is proud to sponsor Jewish History Soundbites. As a trusted partner for individuals and businesses, Cross River understands the importance of preserving and celebrating our heritage. By sponsoring this podcast, they demonstrate their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of the communities in which they serve. Visit Cross River at https://www.crossriver.com/
Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform
Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites
For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: yehuda@yehudageberer.com
Great American Jewish Cities #5: Chicago
From Shanghai to East New York: Stories of Bais Hatalmud
A Bittersweet Victory: The 1948 Battle for Jerusalem
Great American Jewish Cities #4: Cincinnati
Wisdom & Dignity: The Life and Lessons of Rav Moshe Shapiro
Great American Jewish Cities #3: Crown Heights
The Crown of Aleppo
Great American Jewish Cities #2: Baltimore
A Kingdom Restored: Belz in the Holy Land
The Center of it All: Great Rabbis in Warsaw
Great American Jewish Cities #1: Far Rockaway
A Pioneering Scholar: The Travels & Works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
King of Galicia: The Divrei Chaim of Sanz
My Father The Netziv: The Extraordinary Life of Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan
A Citadel of Torah: The Presidents, Personalities & Roshei Yeshiva of RIETS/YU Part II
Kaput or Kapust: Chabad Splits Up
The Heritage of a Leader: The Story of Novominsk in America
A Tzadik For All Of Time: The Story of Rav Aryeh Levin
Fighters for Tradition: Profiles in the Hungarian Rabbinate Part II
Fighters for Tradition: Profiles in the Hungarian Rabbinate Part I
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Stories Of Hope With Tzipora Grodko
For Heaven’s Sake
18Forty Podcast
Meaningful People
Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer