Memory Lane: Rav Tzvi Nosson Manuel

It was the year 1921, and a young rov had arrived in America. At the corner of Thirteenth Avenue and Fifty-third street was founded a small and humble shtiebel by the name of Shomrei Shabbos Anshei Sfard by Yidden who bonded together over the oft-challenging endeavor of shmiras Shabbos. They hired Rav Tzvi Nosson Manuel as potentially their first rov in their   

A graduate of the finest Galician and Hungarian Yeshivos, Rav Manuel brought his brilliance and scholarship to the communities of Boro Park and New York City.  

A Star Pupil

Rav Tzvi Nosson was born in the year 1890 in the town of Letna, near Drohobych, in Galicia. His father was Rav Eliezer who was known as a tzaddik, and was learned in nigleh as well as in kabbalah. He was descended from great tzaddikim including the Noda B’yehuda and the Zlochover Maggid. 

In his youth he learned in prominent European yeshivos of the Chassidic persuasion where he began to distinguish himself as a brilliant talmid, and where he forged long-term connections with his illustrious rebbeim. One of these was when he learned under Rav Shimon Greenfeld (known as the Maharshag, he was one of the pillars of horo’oh in prewar Hungary) in Semihali. Another extremely heartfelt connection was with the Arugas Habosem, Rav Moshe Grunwald, in Chust. 

Growing older, he traveled further to Viznitz, where he learned under Rav Yehoshua Baumol. His semicha came from Rav Meir Arik, one of the most widely-known Gedolim in Poland, and a number of other prominent gedolim of the time.  

A Shtiebel in Boro Park 

In 1919, he became the Rav of a Shul in Vienna, and in the following year he married Batsheva, the daughter of the wealthy Reb Aaron Engelman of Boyan, Romania. She was a ninth- generation descendant of the Tosfos Yom Tov. 

For unknown reasons, the couple soon made the decision to emigrate to America, and they arrived in America in the summer of 1921. As noted, Rav Tzvi Nosson was soon hired by Congregation Shomrei Shabbos in Borough Park—where he was, presumably, the first rov of this fledgling shtiebel which would become known as a center for Torah and tefillah over the ensuing century. 

It is interesting to note that one of the signatories on his citizenship affidavit was none other than Joseph Shwartzchild, the son of Selig Moshe Schwarzchild, of 1359 51st Street, whom we profiled last week. This association with the Schwartzchild’s gives us a glimpse into an obscure piece of Boro Park history: Shomrei Shabbos Anshei Novogrod, also known as Silkowitz’s, where the Schwarzchild’s davened (as did the Horowitz’s, and others who were profiled in this column in the past) was originally organized in 1922 as Shomrei Shabbos of Borough Park. Silkowitz’s may have split off from the original Shomrei Shabbos, and this is where Rabbi Manuel may have served as rov.  

Subsequently he became the Rav of the large and prominent Congregation Tiferes Yisroel on Ashford Street in Brownsville. He later accepted a position as a Rov in Poughkeepsie, in Upstate New York, where he served for four years, and from there he moved to the Bronx. 

In 1932, he became the Rav of the great Anshei Zedek Shul at 1311 Morris Avenue in the Bronx, a position in which he would serve for the next 33 years, until his passing. 

Rav Tzvi Nosson was niftar in the summer of 1965, and laid to rest on Har Hamenuchos, following a lifetime of leading his brethren and being dedicated to learning and disseminating Torah.