Hasidim Gather in Western Ukrainian Town of Belz
Approximately a thousand and five hundred Hasidim Jews are expected to come to the town of Belz in Lviv Region on 15-16 April to honour the memory of Tzaddik rabbis buried in the town cemetery.
Portal.Lviv.ua reported with reference to Vishnevskij.com.ua that such pilgrimages are conducted once in two years.
According to Wikipedia, Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz. The town has existed since at least the 10th century, with the Jewish community being established during the 14th century. The town became home to Hasidic Judaism in the early 19th century. At the beginning of World War II, Belz had 6,100 inhabitants, of which 3,600 were Jewish.
The founder of the dynasty was Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, also known as the Sar Shalom, who was inducted as rabbi of Belz in 1817. He personally helped build the city's large and imposing synagogue. Dedicated in 1843, the building resembled an ancient fortress, with 3-foot-thick (0.91 m) walls, a castellated roof and battlements adorned with gilded copper balls. It could seat 5,000 worshippers and had superb acoustics. It stood until the Nazis invaded Belz in late 1939.
Many of the rabbi’s teachings are preserved in an anthology entitled Midbar Kodesh.
He reigned as rebbe from 1817 until his death in 1855. In addition to leading his Hasidim, he defended the beleagured Jews of his district to the governor.
