Shlomo Polachek

Rabbi

Shlomo Polachek

The Meitscheter Illui

Rosh yeshiva at RIETS
Personal life
Born| 1877

Sinichinitz, near Meitchet, Grodno

Died| July 9, 1928
Known for| Rosh yeshiva at RIETS, Yeshiva University
Occupation| Talmudic scholar, Rosh yeshiva
Religious life
Denomination| Orthodox
Senior posting

Students

* Menachem Perr, Nosson Meir Wachtfogel, Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Isaac Tendler, Zalman Levine, Mordechai Stern, Nisan Waxman

Shlomo Polachek (Hebrew: שלמה פוליצ'ק; 1877 - July 9, 1928) known as "the Meitscheter Illui" was born in Sinichinitz, near Meitchet, Grodna. He was an important Talmudic scholar and one of the earliest roshei yeshiva in America.

## Biography

[edit]

He entered the Volozhin yeshiva when he was only twelve years old, and remained there until its close in the winter of 1892. He then went to learn with his mentor, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, in Brisk for the next four years. Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman attested that he personally heard from Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, regarding Polachek in 1896, “Aza meshunediger illui vi der Meitsheter hob ich in leben nit gezen — I’ve never met a genius like the Meitscheter in my entire life.”[1]

Polachek went on to become the rosh yeshiva in yeshivos in Lida and Białystok. At the invitation of Rabbi Dr. Dov Revel, Polachek arrived in America in 1922 to become a rosh yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) the rabbinical school of Yeshiva University and its Yeshiva College, America's first yeshiva. He taught at RIETS for six years until his sudden passing in 1928.[2][3]

## Views

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Polachek held some broad-minded views relative to some of his contemporaries. For example, Jeffrey S. Gurock writes in Judaism's Encounter with American Sports (Indiana University Press):[4]

> ...Polachek was silent on the importance of gyms and teams within the school [Yeshiva University]. But reportedly he did harbor a positive view of yeshivas encouraging students physical fitness. It was a Maimonidean-style point of view that [Bernard] Revel could have counted upon if he were ever challenged about what was going on in his Torah school...

> — Jeffrey S. Gurock (2005). Judaism's Encounter with American Sports. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34700-9.

Following the sudden passing of Polachek in 1928, more than 15,000 people at gathered at his funeral outside the Yeshiva on the Lower East Side.[1] Among those who eulogized him were Rabbi Boruch Ber Lebowitz.

Rabbi Shimon Shkop was persuaded to replace him for a short period of time.[5]

## Family

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His children were notable in their own right, including daughter Rebbetzin Libby Mowshowitz (married to Rabbi Dr. Israel Mowshowitz), a son who received a PhD, and another son who became a doctor .[6]

## Prominent Students

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Some of Polachek's prominent students included:

* Rabbi Menachem Perr[7]
* Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
* Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg
* Rabbi Isaac Tendler
* Rabbi Zalman Levine
* Rabbi Mordechai Stern
* Rabbi Nisan Waxman

## Observance of his Yahrtzeit

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Each year on the 21st of Tammuz, there is a pilgrimage to his grave at the Mount Judah Cemetery in Ridgewood, Queens.

## See also

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* Brisk yeshivas and methods
* Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Spector, for whom RIETS is named)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Safier, David & Geberer, Yehuda (15 July 2020). "Rav Boruch Ber's Hesped on East Broadway".`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. ^ yutorah.org: "Rabbi Shlomo Polachek"
3. ^ "Yeshiva College pre-1934". bklyn-genealogy-info.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05.
4. ^ Jeffrey S. Gurock (2005). Judaism's Encounter with American Sports. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34700-9.
5. ^ Levine, Yitzchok: "Time In A Bottle: RIETS, Circa 1928" Jewish Press, December 29, 2004
6. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths: MOWSHOWITZ, LIBBY". New York Times. 1998-06-17. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
7. ^ Perr, Yechiel Yitzchok (2011). Tzidkus Stands Forever: The Life and Lessons of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Perr. Yechiel Yitzchok Perr. ISBN 978-1-4662-4951-6.

* W. Helmreich. The World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Judaism. Yale University Press, 1986 (Revised Edition, 2000).
* M. Sherman. Orthodox Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Press, 1996.
* http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Molchadz/mol085.html

* v
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Volozhin Yeshiva

Faculty|

Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin
Eliezer Fried
Refael Shapiro
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (Beis Halevi)
Chaim Soloveitchik
Chaim of Volozhin
Yitzchak Volozhin

Location
Valozhyn, Belarus

Alumni|

Shmuel Alexandrov
Meir Bar-Ilan
Zelig Reuven Bengis
Micha Josef Berdyczewski
Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin
Hayim Nahman Bialik
David Cohen
Israel Davidson
Alter Asher Droyanov
Baruch Epstein
Moshe Mordechai Epstein
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
Abraham Harkavy
Shmuel Yitzchak Hillman
Jacob Joseph
Nachum Kaplan
Chaim Mordechai Katz
Abraham Isaac Kook
Moyshe Kulbak
Moshe Landyski
Boruch Ber Leibowitz
Aryeh Levin
Isser Zalman Meltzer
Samuel Mohilever
Shlomo Polachek
Yitzhak Isaac Halevy Rabinowitz
Yitzchak Yaacov Reines
Mnachem Risikoff
Zundel Salant
Refael Shapiro
Shimon Shkop
Chaim Soloveitchik
Zalman Sorotzkin
Elchonon Wasserman
Kalman Zev Wissotzky

* See also: Valozhyn, Belarus

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Roshei Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University

Rosh HaYeshiva Emeritus
Norman Lamm
Dean
Michael Taubes
Dean Emeritus
Menachem Penner
Senior Mashgiach Ruchani
Yosef Blau
Mashgichim
Ely Bacon
Josh Blass
Roshei Yeshiva
Elchanan Adler
Assaf Bednarsh
Eliyahu Ben Haim
J. David Bleich
Yitzchok Cohen
Daniel Feldman
Menachem Genack
Meir Goldwicht
David Hirsch
Dovid Horwitz
Elyakim Koenigsberg
Dovid Miller
Yaakov Neuburger
Hershel Reichman
Michael Rosensweig
Hershel Schachter
Ezra Schwartz
Eli Baruch Shulman
Baruch Simon
Zvi Sobolofsky
Daniel Stein
Mayer Twersky
Jeremy Wieder
Mordechai Willig

Former Roshei Yeshiva
Avraham Eliezer Alperstein
Nisson Alpert
Yosef Leib Arnest
Samuel Belkin
Yehuda David Bernstein
Abba Bronspiegel
Ahron Dovid Burack
Avigdor Cyperstein
Solomon Drillman
Henoch Fishman
Yitzchok Ginsberg
Ozer Glickman
Yerucham Gorelick
Aharon Kahn
Michael Katz
Shlomo Nosson Kotler
Yaakov Moshe Lessin
Aharon Lichtenstein
Zvulun Lieberman
Dovid Lifshitz
Moses Meir Matlin
Shraga Feivel Paretzky
Yehuda Parnes
Shlomo Polachek
Moshe Aharon Poleyeff
Elazar Meir Preil
Bernard Revel
Shimon Romm
Yonason Sacks
Melech Schachter
Moshe Shatzkes
Shimon Shkop
Ahron Soloveichik
Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Moshe Soloveichik
Ephraim M. Steinberg
Moshe Tendler
Shmuel Volk
Joseph Weiss
Shalom Elchanan Yaffe
Gershon Yankelewitz
Mendel Zaks

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

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