Rabbi Yosef Minkowitz

Rabbi Yosef Minkowitz (born 1948) is the director of Beis Rivkah Montreal.

Life History

Born on 26 Tishrei 5708 (1948) in Paris, to his parents Rabbi Naftali Hertz Minkowitz and Mrs. Tanya, daughter of HaRav HaChassid Reb Peretz Chen.

In the winter of 1953, his family arrived in the United States.

In 1967, he was among the first group of 6 Shluchim-students to Tomchei Tmimim Melbourne that the Rebbe personally selected to send to Australia. After two years (25 consecutive months during which the Rebbe did not permit the students to return for visits to the Rebbe's court), they returned to study at the central Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim at 770.

On 8 Tammuz 1969, while returning from a Geisinsky family wedding in Boston, he and his friends miraculously survived a serious car accident.

In 1971, he married Mrs. Pessia (Pesia) Leah, daughter of Reb Moshe Aharon Geisinsky and his wife Mrs. Rivka Dina (Riva), daughter of Reb Zev Wolf Steingart, granddaughter of Rabbi Meir Simcha Chen.

In 1974, he was appointed to serve as director of Beis Rivkah Montreal.

When he began serving as director of the institution, there were 150 students in the school. Under his leadership, the institution steadily grew until its annual enrollment stands at 500 as of 2023.

He was among the initiators of the Lag B'Omer parade in Montreal, which was one of the first places outside of Crown Heights where a parade was held.

In 1983, on the day when a Hachnosas Sefer Torah was scheduled for the communal Torah scroll written by Beis Rivkah Montreal, weather forecasters predicted heavy rain throughout the day. After Rabbi Minkowitz requested the Rebbe's bracha through mazkir Reb Binyamin Klein, in the neighborhood where the Hachnosas Sefer Torah celebration was held, the rain completely stopped for the entire day from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM, while in other neighborhoods of the city the rain continued according to the forecasters' predictions.

Family

• His son Reb Zev Wolf, Shliach at MTC (Montreal Torah Center) under Rabbi Moshe New
• His son Reb Naftali Hertz, Shliach in Sharon (small town in USA)
• His son Reb Shneur Zalman, Shliach in Chevy Chase (town near Washington)
• His son-in-law Reb Shneur Zalman Kaplan, Rosh Yeshiva of Tzierei HaShluchim and Shliach in Kiryat Bialik with his wife Mrs. Freida Devorah

Further Reading

• Shalom Magidman, "Among the Benches of the 'Zal'", Memories of a Chassid, 'Bnei Heichala' Collection Issue 2 Kislev-Teves 5785, page 90