Antwerp

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Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium, home to the second-largest Jewish community in Belgium (after Brussels), and one of the largest, most important, and longest-established Jewish communities in Europe. Before World War II, the community numbered approximately 55,000 people, and today it numbers over 20,000, with a significant portion being members of the city's established Charedi community. The community is one of the oldest and most organized communities that still operates in an ancient "shtetl" style. The community leadership is elected through general elections.

Many Jews live in a large neighborhood near the city center, where signs, shops, and posters can be seen in Hebrew and Yiddish. A large portion of the city's Jews are engaged in commerce and diamond processing. The city has many businesses involved in the diamond industry.

Chabad Institutions in the City

The city has a large and magnificent Chabad synagogue founded by Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Holtzman, who was sent to the city by the Rebbe at the end of 1967 and moved to a larger location in 1982. It is currently managed by the renowned shliach Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki, where prayers are held daily, along with many shiurim and farbrengens.

Alongside it operate the Chabad Yeshiva building, Chabad Semicha Institute, and a Chabad Judaica store.

At the Semicha Institute operating on-site, approximately 15 bochurim are ordained annually, going through a course of study in dayanut and hora'ah, with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Tvardovitch, son-in-law of the Rebbe's shliach in the city, Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki, serving as Rosh Yeshiva and head of the institute.

In 2015, a yeshiva ketana for children of shluchim from Europe was opened by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Tvardovitch. As of 2017, the yeshiva numbers about 50 temimim with Rabbis Yaakov Gourary and Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki on the yeshiva staff.

Local Shluchim

The head shliach in Belgium is Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki, who was sent by the Rebbe in the late 1970s. Alongside Rabbi Slavaticki, Rabbi Mendel Gourary and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Slavaticki, who serves as his father's right hand, operate in the city. Rabbi Menachem Hertz operates in the city suburbs.

In previous years, Rabbi Saadia Liberow operated there, having been sent to the city by the Rebbe in 1958 and was called by the Rebbe the "Ba-Koach" to Belgium, extensively spreading the wellsprings and leaving a deep impression to this day.

At the end of 1967, Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Holtzman (mesharet bakodesh 1954-1960) was sent by the Rebbe to Antwerp, with the Rebbe telling him he would work with the men and telling his wife she would work with the women.

A few weeks after arriving in the city, he opened the first Chabad synagogue in the city and in the 1970s opened a camp. He also printed the Tanya throughout Belgium.

Rabbanim in Antwerp

For many years, HaGaon Rabbi Hillel Medalia (son of Rabbi Shmarya Yehuda Leib Medalia) served as the rabbi of the Shomrei HaDat community in Antwerp. Rabbi Medalia was very close to Chabad and even had several yechidus with the Rebbe. Several years after Rabbi Medalia's passing in 1980, Rabbi Dovid Moshe Lieberman (son-in-law of Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik) was called to serve in his place until his passing in 2022.

Chassidim in Antwerp

• Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik - operated there from 1946 until 1950, when he moved to Montreal, Canada.
• Rabbi Saadia Liberow - after leaving Morocco, settled in Antwerp on the Rebbe's instruction where he operated until his passing in Nissan 1984.
• Rabbi Dovid Eliyahu Moshe Yunik (brother of Rabbi DovBer Yunik) - served as shochet and mohel until his passing in Iyar 1994.
• Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Holtzman who was sent by the Rebbe in late 1967 and was there for over 30 years. At the end of his life, he lived in Crown Heights.
• Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Zilberstein - later moved to Jerusalem, passed away in Adar 2004.
• Rabbi Shmuel Krauss - lived in Antwerp for several years, currently serves as secretary of the Beis Din Tzedek in Crown Heights.
• Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki - the head shliach in the city.
• Rabbi Yaakov Friedrich - one of the veteran and respected members of the Chabad community in Antwerp.
• Rabbi Yaakov Spitzky - shliach in Belgium for more than thirty years. Currently lives in Jerusalem and works as a shliach for overseas students.
• Rabbi Nachum Avraham Yakobovitch - one of the veteran and respected members of the Chabad community in Antwerp.