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49-579: Chatam Sofer Memorial , formerly the Old Jewish Cemetery is the burial place and memorial of Moses Sofer , a prominent orthodox rabbi from the 19th century, built on the site of a 17th-century Jewish cemetery in Bratislava , Slovakia . The historical cemetery was mostly destroyed with the construction of the road tunnel under Bratislava Castle in 1943 but negotiations with the clero-fascist Slovak leader Jozef Tiso allowed an important fraction of

98-655: A Head Start Program and rabbinical seminary. During the 1950s and 1960s, many synagogues in Israel were built by Hungarian Jewry, and named Chug Chasam Sofer. This network of synagogues were founded in Tel Aviv , Bnei Brak , Jerusalem , Petach Tikva , Haifa , and Netanya . These synagogues still operate, but have been integrated into the larger community, with no distinct character of their own, besides for that of Bnei Brak, founded by Rabbi Yitzchak Shlomo Ungar, and that of Petach Tikva, founded by Rabbi Shmaryahu Deutch. Rabbi Ungar,

147-476: A kabbalist known for its strict and unusual ritual practices. He was a pupil of Pinchas Horowitz of Frankfurt for one year, leaving in 1776 for the yeshiva of another rabbi, David Tebele Scheuer , in the neighboring city of Mainz where he studied in 1776 and 1777, then returned to his native city. In 1782 Nathan Adler became rabbi of Boskovice , Moravia , and on Adler's advice Sofer went to Prostějov , Moravia. There, on 6 May 1787, Sofer married Sarah,

196-592: A building adjacent to the Memorial was purchased to serve as a hospitality facility, welcoming guests coming to visit the Chatam Sofer's grave and other Jewish sites in Bratislava. Hot and cold refreshments are usually available, as well as bathrooms. The facility will eventually host a shul , mikvah , and other amenities. Moses Sofer Moses Schreiber (1762–1839), known to his own community and Jewish posterity in

245-628: A descendant of the Chasam Sofer, Rabbi Shmuel Ludmir (who has published some of his work). The Dushinsky community considers itself a continuation of the Chasam Sofer dynasty – not by genealogy, but, rather, by school of thought. The founder of the Dushinsky dynasty was Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1865–1948), who was a disciple of Rabbi Simcha Bunim Sofer (the Shevet Sofer ), the son of the Ksav Sofer at

294-464: A descendant of the Chasam Sofer, founded a yeshiva named Machneh Avraham, and a kashrut organization named Chug Chasam Sofer, which are both very active and well known. After Rabbi Ungar's passing in 1994, the yeshiva appointed Rabbi Altman as rabbi and rosh yeshiva, with Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Stern remaining the head of the kashrut organization. The Pressburg institutions in London, England , are headed by

343-626: A general neighborhood synagogue which functions as Givat Shaul's main nusach Ashkenaz synagogue. The Chassan Sofer Yeshiva in New York is considered the American yeshiva of the Chasam Sofer legacy. It was founded by Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld , who was born and raised in Mattersdorf , Austria. His father, Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld, the rabbi of Mattersdorf, whose father, Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld (the Chasan Sofer),

392-484: A local guide at all times. There is an entrance fee of $ 6 per visitor, with an additional $ 20 for access outside of normal operating hours. There is also a strict protocol and dress code to be adhered to including long trousers, hats for men and covered arms for women. Although in theory the site is accessible also to the citizens of Bratislava, in reality the Memorial is visited almost exclusively by foreign Jewish visitors, becoming an important pilgrimage site. In 2020,

441-581: A new style in rabbinic commentary , and some editions of the Talmud contain his emendations and additions. Sofer was born in Frankfurt am Main on September 24, 1762. His father's name was Shmuel and his mother's was Reizel, the daughter of Elchanan. Shmuel's mother, Reizchen was a daughter of the Gaon of Frankfurt , Shmuel Schotten . At the age of nine, Sofer entered the yeshiva of Rabbi Nathan Adler at Frankfurt,

490-651: A pun to the Talmudic term chadash asur min haTorah , "'new' is forbidden by the Torah" (referring literally to eating chadash , "new grain", before the Omer offering is given ) as a slogan heralding his opposition to any philosophical, social or practical change to customary Orthodox practice. He did not allow the addition of any secular studies to the curriculum of his Pressburg Yeshiva . The Universal Israelite Congress of 1868-69 in Pest

539-562: A short period of time during the Napoleonic War in Pressburg in 1809, Moses Schreiber retreated to a small vineyard town, Svätý Jur , where he organised a charity for his fellow citizens affected by the war. Sofer's first wife Sarah died childless on 22 July 1812. In 1813 (23 Cheshvan 5573) , he married for the second time, to Sarel (Sarah) (1790–1832, d. 18 Adar II 5592 ), the widowed daughter of Rabbi Akiva Eiger , Rav of Poznań . She

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588-454: A yeshiva. His pupils there included Meir Ash , the rabbi of Uzhhorod . Sofer declined many offers for the rabbinate, but in 1806, he accepted a call to Pressburg ( Pozsony in Hungarian; today Bratislava , capital of Slovakia ). There, he established a yeshiva , which was attended by as many as 500 pupils. Hundreds of these pupils became the rabbis of Hungarian Jewry. Among them were: For

637-531: Is considered Hasidic style, though strictly follows Ashkenaz customs, as did the Chasam Sofer. It has branches in Jerusalem , Bnei Brak , Beitar Illit , El'ad , Haifa , Ashdod , and Boro Park (New York). The Pressburg Yeshiva of Jerusalem ( Hebrew : ישיבת פרשבורג ) is a leading yeshiva located in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem , Israel . It was founded in 1950 by Rabbi Akiva Sofer (known as

686-456: Is located at Nábrežie armádneho generála Ludvíka Svobodu Street and it is bordered by the tram tunnel to the east, a wall to the north, and the River Park development to the south across the street. It is approximately 70 meters distant from the river Danube . There is a public transport bus stop (one in each direction) and a tram stop (also one in each direction) called Chatam Sofer next to

735-449: Is located in Bratislava. It is situated underground below Bratislava Castle , on the left bank of the Danube . The nearby tram and bus stop is named after him. The preservation of these graves has a curious history. The Jewish cemetery in Bratislava was confiscated during the regime in 1943, to build a roadway. Negotiations with the regime enabled the community to preserve the section of

784-575: Is named Beth Chasam Sofer , as is the Erlau Synagogue in Haifa. The chederim are named Talmud Torah Ksav Sofer , after the Chasam Sofer's son; the kollelim and synagogues are named Yad Sofer , after Rabbi Yochanan's father; and the main yeshiva campus in Katamon is named Ohel Shimon MiErlau , after his grandfather. He has authored numerous Torah commentary works, naming them Imrei Sofer . The Erlau community

833-534: Is seen daily by thousands inside public transport buses and trams passing by. Until the 2000s, the area was separated from the Danube by a public park. The Bratislava City Magistrate and Mayor of Bratislava Andrej Ďurkovský sold this land to the company Henbury Development, which constructed the River Park development a few meters away from the site. Following the declaration of independence by Slovakia in 1992, new negotiations were undertaken to restore public access to

882-625: The Daas Sofer ), a great-grandson of Rabbi Moses Sofer (the Chasam Sofer ), who established the original Pressburg Yeshiva in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in 1807. As of 2009 , the rosh yeshiva is Rabbi Simcha Bunim Sofer . The yeshiva building includes a Yeshiva Ketana , Yeshiva Gedolah , and kollel . The main beis medrash doubles as a synagogue where some neighborhood residents also pray on Shabbat . The complex also includes

931-618: The Edah HaChareidis in then- Mandate Palestine . In 1932, Sonnenfeld was succeeded by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky , a disciple of the Shevet Sofer, one of Sofer's grandchildren. Dushinsky founded the Dushinsky Hasidic dynasty in Israel, based on Sofer's teachings. Sofer died in Pressburg on 3 October 1839 ( 25 Tishrei 5600 ). Today, a modern Jewish memorial, containing Sofer's grave and those of many of his associates and family,

980-697: The Holocaust , together with most of their families. After the Holocaust, Rabbi Yochanan re-founded the Chasam Sofer Yeshiva in Pest, together with Rabbi Moshe Stern (the Debretziner Rav) and his brother, Avraham Shmuel Binyamin (II). He then returned to Eger (Erlau) to re-establish his grandfather's Yeshiva. In 1950, he immigrated to Israel, together with his students, and, for a short while, merged his yeshiva with

1029-704: The Machzikei Hadas organisation with the Hasidic Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach of Belz. This was the first effort of Haredi Jews in Europe to create a political party; it was part of the developing identification of the traditional Orthodoxy as a self-defined group. Rabbi Shimon was nominated as a candidate to the Polish Regional Parliament, under the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph . He was elected to

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1078-877: The Old Yishuv , which comprised the Musta'arabim , Sephardim , and Ashkenazim . They also settled in Safed , Tiberias , and Hebron . Together with the Perushim and Hasidim, they formed an approach to Judaism reflecting those of their European counterparts. Notable disciples of the Pressburg Yeshiva who had major influence on mainstream Orthodoxy in Palestine were Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (student of Ktav Sofer ) and Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin (son of Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin , from Brisk , Lithuania ), who, together, in 1919, founded

1127-781: The Pressburg Yeshiva of Rabbi Akiva Sofer ( Daas Sofer ). In 1953, he founded his own Yeshiva in Katamon , Jerusalem, as well as the Institute for Research of the Teachings of the Chasam Sofer . The Institute researches and deciphers hand-written documents penned by the Chasam Sofer, his pupils, and descendants, and has printed hundreds of sefarim . Over the years, Rabbi Yochanan founded many synagogues, chederim , and kollelim , which he named after his ancestors. The Ezrat Torah Campus in Jerusalem

1176-540: The Pressburg Yeshiva . The Dushinsky dynasty has been more integrated into the Hasidic community, with many of their customs derived from Nusach Sefard , but still remains true to the teachings of the Chasam Sofer. This is mainly due to Rabbi Yosef Tzvi's appointment as Chief Rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis , and the Dushinsky alignment with the teachings of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar. Mayor of Bratislava The mayor of Bratislava ( Slovak : Primátor Bratislavy )

1225-669: The "Polish Club", in which he took an active part until his death. Another notable group is Satmar , which was founded by Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum (Ujhel) , who was a Hasid who paid homage to the Chasam Sofer and had similar views to that of Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein. His descendant Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum headed the Edah HaChareidis for many years, living in Israel and later in the United States, where he influenced Orthodox Jewry. Starting in 1830, about twenty disciples of Sofer settled in Palestine , almost all of them in Jerusalem. They joined

1274-586: The Bratislava Castle Hill commenced. The Old Jewish Cemetery continued to be well maintained until 1942-1943, when it was confiscated by the Slovak State and its anti-Semitic clero-fascist leader Catholic priest Jozef Tiso in 1943 to build a roadway and the cemetery was largely demolished. Most of the graves were exhumed and reburied at the Orthodox cemetery in a communal grave behind the beit tahara. Only

1323-479: The Danube, set apart from any houses and quiet as traffic for Bratislava Castle and the city traversed Žižkova Street and other roads above the site. In the 1940s, new structures were erected nearby to serve the International Danube Fair, later to become Park kultúry a oddychu . At the same time, the riverbank was extended and the area filled with roads and tram lines and construction of the tunnel under

1372-617: The Hebrew translation as Moshe Sofer , also known by his main work Chatam Sofer , Chasam Sofer , or Hatam Sofer ( trans. Seal of the Scribe , and acronym for Ch iddushei T oiras M oishe Sofer ), was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was a teacher to thousands and a powerful opponent of the Reform movement in Judaism , which

1421-561: The Hebrew translation of Schreiber (scribe), Sofer's civil surname, along the lines of Sofer's work Chasam Sofer ; as, for instance, Michtav Sofer (son), Ktav Sofer (son), the Shevet Sofer (grandson), the Chasan Sofer (grandson), the Yad Sofer (great-grandson), the Daas Sofer (great-grandson), the Cheshev Sofer , and Imrei Sofer (2x great-grandson). Sofer and his family lived at

1470-496: The cemetery containing the graves of the rabbis to be preserved encased in concrete . Later, when the tunnel was converted for public transport trams a tram stop was constructed above the site. In 2002 a modern memorial was erected above the site and it was partially opened to the public. The fenced area of the Chatam Sofer Memorial is roughly equivalent to the area of the former Old Jewish Cemetery of Bratislava . It

1519-448: The cemetery including Sofer's grave, enclosed in concrete, below the surface of the new road. The regime complied, possibly as a consequence of a large bribe (according to one story), foreign pressure (according to another story), or for fear of a curse if the graves were destroyed (according to yet another story). Following the declaration of independence by Slovakia in 1992, new negotiations were undertaken to restore public access to

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1568-592: The daughter of Moses Jerwitz, the rabbi of Prostějov. Sofer became a member of the Chevra Kadisha , and eventually became head of the yeshiva in Prostějov. In 1794 Sofer became rabbi of Strážnice after he had received government permission to settle there. In 1797, he became rabbi of Mattersdorf , one of the seven communities (known as the Siebengemeinden , or Sheva Kehillot ) of Burgenland , where he established

1617-498: The end of Zamocka Street, where the Hotel Ibis is now located. Sofer led the community of Pressburg for 33 years, until his death in 1839. It was his influence and determination that kept the Reform movement out of the city. From the late 18th century onwards, movements which eventually developed into Reform Judaism began to develop. Synagogues subscribing to these new views began to appear in centres such as Berlin and Hamburg . Sofer

1666-522: The groups and called themselves Status Quo . Sofer's most notable student, Rabbi Moshe Schick , together with Sofer's sons, the rabbis Shmuel Binyamin and Shimon , took an active role in arguing against the Reform movement. They showed relative tolerance for heterogeneity within the Orthodox camp. Others, such as the more zealous Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein , supported a more stringent position in orthodoxy. In 1877, Rabbi Moshe Schick demonstrated support for

1715-571: The memorial. In the 17th century, Jews were allowed to settle in the area below Bratislava Castle on the estates of the Counts of the Pálffy family. The Jewish community established a graveyard near the river Danube which served until 1847. Since then, the Jewish community has used the Orthodox and Neolog cemetery located on Žižkova Street nearby. Until the mid-20th century the area was immediately adjacent to

1764-416: The most precious section, where famous Bratislava rabbis were buried – 23 graves surrounding the Chatam Sofer's tomb – was preserved on the original site; members of the Jewish community helped to renovate the burial grounds of the Chatam Sofer after the war. Negotiations with the regime enabled the community to preserve this section of the cemetery including the Chasam Sofer's grave, enclosed in concrete, below

1813-681: The name and follow the legacy of the Chatam Sofer. The most notable recent living descendant and heir to the Sofer legacy was Rabbi Yochanan Sofer . Yochanan was a direct descendant and fifth generation to the Chatam Sofer. He was the leader of the Erlau movement, whose progenitor was his grandfather, Rabbi Shimon Sofer of Erlau, a grandson of the Chatam Sofer, and son of the Ktav Sofer . Yochanan's father, Rabbi Moshe Sofer (II) ( Dayan of Erlau), and grandfather, Rabbi Shimon ( Av Beth Din of Erlau), perished in

1862-698: The preserved graves. In the mid-1990s, the International Committee for Preservation of Gravesites of Geonai Pressburg was formed to support and oversee relocation of tram tracks and construction of a mausoleum. In 1999, the Mayor of Bratislava , Jozef Moravčík , Chairman of the Committee Romi Cohn and Chairman of the Bratislava Jewish Religious Community Peter Salner signed a Memorandum of Understanding to allow access to

1911-474: The preserved graves. In the mid-1990s, the International Committee for Preservation of Gravesites of Geonai Pressburg was formed, to support and oversee relocation of tram tracks and building of a mausoleum. Construction of the mausoleum was completed after overcoming numerous technical and religious issues, and opened on 8 July 2002. Access to the mausoleum can be arranged through the local Jewish community organisation. Many synagogues and yeshivas worldwide bear

1960-719: The separatist policies of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in Germany. His son studied at the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary , which taught secular studies and was headed by Azriel Hildesheimer . Hirsch, however, did not reciprocate. He was surprised at what he described as Schick's halakhic contortions in condemning even those "status quo" communities that clearly adhered to halakhah. Hillel Lichtenstein opposed Hildesheimer and his son Hirsh in their speaking German to give sermons and their tending toward Modern Zionism . In 1871, Shimon Sofer, Chief Rabbi of Kraków , founded

2009-538: The site. The architect of the new Chatam Sofer Memorial was Slovak Martin Kvasnica and the construction was undertaken by the company Raft. Construction of the mausoleum was completed after overcoming numerous technical, financial and religious issues and it opened on July 8, 2002. Since 2002, the site is accessible to the public with restrictions. All visits must be arranged through the local Jewish Community at least 48 hours in advance and visitors must be accompanied by

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2058-407: The surface of the new road. Several explanations have been offered for the regime's compliance with the community's desires, One says it as a consequence of a large bribe while others cite foreign pressure or for fear of a curse if the graves were destroyed. This construction allowed the area of the cemetery to become one of the main access points to the Bratislava city center and today, the memorial

2107-648: Was a grandson of the Chasam Sofer. Rabbi Shmuel was rabbi of Mattersdorf from 1926 until 1938, when the congregation was dispersed by the Nazis. He escaped to America, and immediately re-established the Chasan Sofer Yeshiva in the Lower East Side , from where it was later relocated to Boro Park . After his death, he was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld. The yeshiva currently enrolls over 400 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and operates

2156-750: Was attracting many Jews in the Austrian Empire , and beyond. As Rav of the city of Pressburg , he advocated for strong communal life, first-class education, and uncompromising opposition to Reform and radical change. Sofer established a yeshiva in Pozsony ( Pressburg in German; today Bratislava , Slovakia), the Pressburg Yeshiva , which became the most influential yeshiva in Central Europe, producing hundreds of future leaders of Hungarian Jewry. This yeshiva continued to function until World War II ; afterward, it

2205-403: Was established in the year 1827. For Sofer, Judaism as previously practiced was the only form of Judaism acceptable. In his view, the rules and tenets of Judaism had never changed — and cannot ever change. This became the defining idea for the opponents to Reform, and in some form, it has continued to influence the Orthodox response to innovation in Jewish doctrine and practice. Sofer applied

2254-524: Was influential in affecting the direction of Judaism in Europe. To try to unify all streams of Judaism under one constitution, the Orthodox offered the Shulchan Aruch and surrounding codes as the ruling code of law and observance. The reformists dismissed this notation and in response, many Orthodox rabbis resigned from the Congress to form their own social and political groups. Hungarian Jewry split into two major institutionally sectarian groups, Orthodox and Neolog . Some communities refused to join either of

2303-428: Was profoundly opposed to the reformers, and attacked them in his speeches and writings. For example, in a responsum of 1816, he forbade the congregation in Vienna to allow a performance in the synagogue of a cantata they had commissioned from the composer Ignaz Moscheles , because it would involve a mixed choir. In the same spirit, he contested the founders of the Reformschule (Reform synagogue) in Pozsony, which

2352-578: Was relocated to Jerusalem , under the leadership of the Chasam Sofer's great-grandson, Rabbi Akiva Sofer (the Daas Sofer ). Sofer published very little during his lifetime; however, his post-humously published works include more than a thousand responsa , novellae on the Talmud , sermons, biblical and liturgical commentaries, and religious poetry. He is an authority who is quoted extensively in Orthodox Jewish scholarship. Many of his responsa are required reading for semicha (rabbinic ordination) candidates. His chiddushim (original Torah insights) sparked

2401-472: Was the widow of Rabbi Avraham Moshe Kalischer (1788–1812), Rabbi of Piła , the son of Rabbi Yehuda Kalischer, author of Hayod Hachazoka . With his second wife, Sofer had three sons and eight daughters. All three of his sons became rabbis: Avrohom Shmuel Binyamin Sofer (known as the Ktav Sofer or Ksav Sofer ); Shimon Sofer (known as the Michtav Sofer ), who became the Rav of Kraków ; and Yozef Yozpa Sofer . Sofer's descendants named their works after

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