Memory Lane: Rav Elozor Twersky, Faltishaner Rebbe

Skvyra 

The fourth son of Rav Dovid of Skvyra was Rav Shloime Twersky, who assumed the place of his father in Skver, after his passing in 1920. He was married to Rebbetzin Feiga, the daughter of Rav Aryeh Leibish Rokeach of Magrov, who was the son of Rav Yehoshua of Belz. Their son was born to them on 29 Tishrei 1892, and was named for his maternal ancestor Rav Elozor Rokeach of Amsterdam, author of Ma’ase Rokeach (1665-1742)—as his illustrious grandfather, Rav Shiel’e of Belz served as his sandak. 

Growing up, the boy spent much time in the home of his grandfather, the Magrover Rov, and was deeply beloved by his uncle, Rav Yisachar Dov of Belz. As a young bachur, he became known for his fierce hasmodoh, and his intense iyun in learning. By the time he was fifteen, he was known in Belz as a Talmid Chochom muflag, who was baki in much of Shas. 

Faltishan 

Located in the Shotz (Suceava) region of Bukovina, is the hamlet of Falticeni—about 25 km away. 

Rav Elozor had begun to struggle with health issues, and so he reckoned that the Faltishan region—which was heavily wooded, and filled with forests—would be better for his health. The blissful state—with the Faltishaner Rebbe leading the Yidden in the wooded hamlet with tzidkus and great avodah—went on for a number of years. Then, his Rebbetzin tragically suffered a stroke, R”l, which would paralyze her for the rest of her life. With this began a new phase in the Rebbe’s avodah; he dedicated his life to caring for his Rebbetzin, sacrificing immeasurably, standing at the ready for her every need. 

He moved his family to Bucharest, Romania, a larger city, where they had access to better medical care. In hindsight, this move saved the family from the fate that was visited upon the Jews of Faltishan, when the Nazis arrived there; the Twersky family remained safe in Bucharest. His successor in Faltishan was his son in law, Rav Yisroel Avrohom Stein, later of Boro Park. 

During this time, the Rebbe’s home was open to a non-stop flow of refugees. Among the visitors were their cousins, Rav Aaron of Belz and his brother Rav Mordechai of Bilgoray (the father of the current Belzer Rebbe). 

Boro Park 

In 1949, the Rebbe finally made it to America, after a difficult journey, given the state of his Rebbetzin. They settled in Boro Park, in the recently vacated Beis Medrash of his uncle, the previous Skverer Rebbe, who had recently moved to Williamsburg. After a while, he purchased a Beis Medrash on 49th Street—where Faltishan continues to this day. 

The Rebbe never wavered in his intense hasmodoh; learning was all anyone saw him do. “He was baki in kol haTorah kulah,” remembers one grandson, who is himself a prominent rov. The Rebbe was known to recall much of the Torah based on the “tzuras hadaf,” including every se’if kotton in shulchan Aruch. He was an oved Hashem with every fiber of his being, and would fast on many days. 

He was especially close to Satmar Rebbe, his uncle the Skverer Rebbe, the Boyaner Rebbe, and the Skulener Rebbe—whom he had himself encouraged to become a Rebbe back in Romania. He never allowed his chidushei Torah to be published, but in one candid moment pointed to the bookshelf and told his grandson, “Had I published my chiddushim, they would take up more space than this.” The great ga’on, Rav Shmelke Taubenfeld once remarked: The Faltishaner Rebbe can’t be caught with a mistake in a Bi’ur Hagro!” 

Upon his passing, the Faltishaner Rebbe left behind an incredible legacy in his children; his son Rav Avrohom Shmuel, Faltishaner Rebbe; his son in law, Rav Yisroel Avrohom Stein, Faltishaner Rov; and his son in law Rav Aaron Aryeh Katz, Rov of Beis Aaron in Flatbush—whose children and grandchildren serve as prominent Rabbonim and Dayonim, carrying on the golden legacy of Torah with mesirus nefesh illustrated by their illustrious patriarch in Boro Park of yesteryear.