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Elya Svei

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Elya Svei
Elya Svei (left) with Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman and Shmuel Kamenetsky in 1997
Personal
Born
Eliyahu Svei

March 19, 1924
Slabodka, Soviet Union
DiedMarch 26, 2009(2009-03-26) (aged 85)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
ReligionJudaism
BuriedJerusalem, Israel

Elya Svei (March 19, 1924 (Taanis Esther 5684) – March 26, 2009 (Rosh Chodesh Nisan 5769)) was a Russian-born American Haredi Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia together with Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, and was internationally known for his incisive, brilliant, and clear shiurim (lectures), and his ability to offer sage advice to thousands of Jews worldwide. Rav Svei was born in Slabodka, died in Philadelphia, and was buried in Jerusalem.

Biography

Elya Svei was born to Rabbi Shmuel Leib Svei in Slabodka, Soviet Union. When Elya was nine years old, while his father was in the United States collecting funds for the Kovno Kollel, Rabbi Avigdor Miller went to the American Consulate in Kovno and convinced the American ambassador to grant the Svei family, including Elya, visas to join Rabbi Shmuel Leib in the United States.[1]

In the United States, he attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, graduating its Hebrew Parochial High School division in 1941.[2] He was described as being a genuine Beis Medrash talmid (student), and "not the average Mesifta boy."[2]

Rabbi Svei was a primary student of Rabbi Aharon Kotler.[3] Until his illness in the period before his death, he was regarded as one of the leaders of Haredi Jewry, and was a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and chairman of the Rabbinic Administrative Board of Torah Umesorah, until he resigned from both in June 2002, reportedly due to an ideological dispute with his colleagues.[4]

Rabbi Svei's father was a member of the Kovno Kollel in Slabodka and spent his early years there. Rabbi Svei was a son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz,[5] the founder of the Brooklyn branch of the Mir Yeshiva, and was the brother-in-law of Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum.

Rabbi Svei is also known as the Rebbe Muvhak of Rav Shaye Portnoy, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Letorah in Jerusalem. His advice was sought after by the leading Roshei Yeshiva in America – including the deans of his own alma mater – Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. He was the leading force behind the establishment of Sinai Academy in Brooklyn,[6] a middle school and high school catering to the children of primarily non-observant Russian Jewish immigrants.

References

  1. ^ Sholom Friedmann (January 24, 2018). "Our Journey". Ami Magazine. No. 352. pp. 100–101.
  2. ^ a b Eller, Norman (1941). The Scroll (PDF). Torah Vodaath Archives: Yeshiva Torah Vodaath Hebrew Parochial High School. pp. 20 (p. 23 in PDF).
  3. ^ "Rabbi Elya Svei Passes Away". Arutz Sheva. March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  4. ^ Cattan, Nacha (July 6, 2002). "Orthodox Sage Surprises Top Council by Resigning: Move Caps Rabbi Elya Svei's Controversial Career at Agudath Israel". Forward. Retrieved November 2, 2009. [dead link]
  5. ^ "NAFLAH ATERES ROSHEINU: Maran Hagaon Harav Elya Svei zt"l". Matzav.com. March 26, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  6. ^ "Sinai Academy to Present the First Annual Rav Elya Svei zt"l Memorial Award". matzav.com. June 18, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
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