Dovber Baumgarten

Born in Brooklyn on 25 Menachem Av 5682 to Reb Zev Baumgarten and Mrs. Miryl. As a bochur, he was among the first temimim with whom the Frierdiker Rebbe established the central Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva at 770 upon arriving in America in 5700.

After the Holocaust, many Lubavitcher chassidim were in DP camps in Germany. The Frierdiker Rebbe wanted to send them wine for Arba Kosos as a Pesach gift from America. Reb Berel, who was living in Crown Heights and involved in wine production, was instructed by the Rebbe to arrange a list of how many people needed wine for Arba Kosos and send them wine according to Rav Chaim Naeh's shiur.

On the second day of Shavuos 5704, the Frierdiker Rebbe appointed him to serve on a panel of three temimim (together with Reb Meir Greenberg and Reb Mendel Feldman) to function as a "beis din" overseeing Tomchei Temimim and Achei Temimim yeshivos across America. Following his yeshiva studies, the Frierdiker Rebbe appointed him as head of the Achei Temimim division at the Brooklyn branch.

Shlichus Work

When the Rebbe assumed leadership, he began calling on yungeleit to spread Yiddishkeit to those who weren't yet frum. Reb Baumgarten led these efforts and later in 5715 was among the founders of the central Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and its main activists.

In 5716, the Rebbe began sending him to various countries in Europe and South America. In 5718, the Rebbe sent him as the first permanent shliach to Buenos Aires, Argentina, which had the largest Jewish kehilla in South America at the time. This marked the beginning of Chabad activities in South America. Upon arriving in Argentina, he received special horaos from the Rebbe, including publishing the Rebbe Rashab's Kuntres U'Maayan in Spanish.

He pioneered meetings with university students and was also active in Milan, Italy.

Personal Correspondence

Throughout his life, he wrote many letters to his yedidim, some becoming essential historical documents of Chabad chassidus. After the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus, the Rebbe requested his letters to his chaver Reb Tzvi Shusterman, keeping them in his private desk throughout his nesius.

In a personal letter from winter 5732, he wrote about himself: "I taught as Rosh Yeshiva at Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva for five years with great hatzlacha, both in transforming the talmidim's situation completely for the good and in sending talmidim to yeshivos. I succeeded in sending 35 talmidim to Eretz Hakodesh and North America, and those I couldn't convince to go to Tomchei Temimim went to Kol Torah, Slobodka, Ponovezh and similar yeshivos. My talmidim were known for their Torah knowledge and yiras Shamayim."

Passing

His work in Argentina continued until he passed away on 16 Adar I 5738 while visiting England. His passing came after the Rebbe's heart attack in 5738, when he and two other chassidim gave their years for the Rebbe's life before the Aron Kodesh, and all three passed away that year.

His matzeiva (headstone) reads: "Involved in tzarchei tzibur and accomplished much, returned many from sin, spread Torah to the masses and was moser nefesh in spreading Yiddishkeit and chassidus, the Rebbe's shliach in Argentina."

Family

• Brother: Reb Menachem Mendel Baumgarten of Crown Heights
• Sister: Mrs. Yachit, wife of Reb Sholom Ber Eichhorn
• Son: Reb Pinchas Shlomo Baumgarten - Mashpia of Chabad Buenos Aires
• Daughter: Tziril, wife of Reb Avraham Lipsker
• Daughter: Hena Rivka, wife of Reb Menachem Dov Chaim Salik

Additional Sources

• Yosef Ashkenazi's Otzar HaChassidim - Personalities and Chassidic Teachings of Chabad Mashpiim Worldwide (Chazak Publishing, 5774)
• History of Temimim in America by Reb Yosef Yitzchak Keller