Yaakov Zechariah of Skalik

Rabbi Yaakov Zechariah HaLevi of Skalik known as Reb Yankl Zhuravitcher (Simchat Torah 5646/1885 - 5698/1938), was among the great Chassidim in the Soviet Union. He was from the first group that studied in Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch and was known for his tremendous ahavas Yisroel (love for fellow Jews). He served for a period as the secretary of the Rebbe Rayatz and was one of the ten who took an oath with the Rebbe Rayatz, pledging to sacrifice their lives "to the last drop of blood" for the preservation of Judaism in Russia. After the Rebbe Rayatz left Russia, he became responsible for most of the Jewish activities in the country. He was arrested in 5695/1935, exiled, and disappeared, with evidence suggesting he was killed.

Life History[edit | edit source]

He was born on Simchat Torah 5646/1885 in the town of Shchedrin, to his father Rabbi Zev Wolf HaLevi of Skalik and his mother Mrs. Yehudit.

While he was among the older talmidim (students) in Tomchei Tmimim, he was given the nickname "the Mameh (mother) of the Tmimim," because he would care for every bachur who fell ill, preparing them a cup of tea, porridge, comfortable bedding, etc. The Chassid Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson (who was then among the younger bachurim in Lubavitch) testified that when he was sick, Reb Yankl took great care of him.

He possessed tremendous ahavas Yisroel. The Rebbe Rashab remarked about him that he was comparable to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev in his generation.

Rabbi in Zhuravitz[edit | edit source]

In 5671/1911, Reb Yankl was sent by the Rebbe Rashab to serve as rabbi in the town of Zhuravitz, but most of his time was not spent in the town because he was busy with the Rebbe's missions, which he carried out with mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice).

It is said that because of his frequent absence, the residents considered dismissing him from his position as rabbi, but since he was almost never in town, they couldn't even find him to dismiss him...

In Communist Russia[edit | edit source]

Reb Yankl was engaged in building mikvaos, establishing Talmud Torahs, and ensuring salaries for teachers and yeshiva heads.

He also provided regular reports to the Rebbe Rayatz about the condition of mikvaos and synagogues in various towns. He excelled greatly in his attribute of chesed (kindness).

The Rebbe Rayatz said about him: "If I had twenty 'Yankls,' I would conquer Russia."

Once, Reb Nissan Nemenov remarked about him: "It can definitely be said wholeheartedly, just as Chazal said about Avraham Avinu 'Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given,' so too 'Reb Yaakov Zhuravitcher fulfilled the mivtzaim (outreach campaigns) before they were established by the Rebbe.'"

At a farbrengen on Purim 5686/1926, the Rebbe Rayatz praised him for the cheder he established where 222 children were learning, but urged him to open even more and said to him: "222 is good, but thousands is even better."

And at a farbrengen on 19 Kislev the following year, the Rebbe Rayatz said: "Moscow is now a mother city in Israel, and HaRIZ HaLevi should not be satisfied with three hundred children learning there and say that's enough. Rather, in every three courtyards there should be a synagogue and a cheder, and instead of three hundred students, there should be three thousand."

Reb Yankl was among the ten with whom the Rebbe Rayatz made a covenant that they would follow him on missions, etc., through fire and water.

For approximately six weeks in late summer 5687/1927, he served as secretary to the Rebbe Rayatz, who was then in Malakhovka.

After the Rebbe Rayatz left Russia, it was Reb Yaakov who managed most of the work of maintaining Judaism in Russia.

When his daughter Mrs. Freida was born, her father very much wanted to name her after the Rebbe Nishmaso Eden (the Rebbe Rashab) who had passed away a year earlier, but since a daughter was born, he decided to name her "Freida" which translates to "joy" in Hebrew, with the intention that there would be joy among the Chassidim.

He was very involved in the education of children. It is told that when Reb Yoel Kahn was five years old, he remarked before the Rebbe (who was then the son-in-law of the Nasi): "Reb Yankl of Maskalik is the Rebbe of the boys, Reb Meir Avtzon is the Rebbe of the girls, and the Rebbe (Rayatz) is the Rebbe of all the Rebbes." The Rebbe enjoyed the child's wisdom and brought him a bar of chocolate.

When his good friend, the Chassid Reb Refael Nachman Kahn, was sent by the KGB to exile in Siberia, Reb Yankl took great care of his family. For example: on Pesach, he went to Reb Polle's home and conducted the Seder for Reb Polle's wife and children, and only afterward did he go to his own home to make the Seder with his family.

The Arrest[edit | edit source]

R' Yaakov Moskolik in a photo taken during his arrest. From the investigation file.

He was among those "wanted" by the NKVD. They tried to arrest him many times, but each time they came to arrest him, he proved to them that he had no connection to whom they were looking for, until he was arrested in the wave of arrests in Moscow in the year 5695 (1935).

They waited for him outside his home with his picture, and at that time in one of the cheders, the Rabbi gave punishment to one student, and that student went outside angrily and told them that the person they were looking for was R' Yankl. And they arrested R' Yankl and exiled him to Kazakhstan together with R' Shlomo Matusov, R' Meir Avtzon, R' Chaim Elazar Gurevitch, R' Menachem Mendel Gurevitch, and R' Yitzchak Goldin.

It is told that on one of the occasions when they transferred the accused chassidim from one detention center to another - it was on Simchas Torah. They waited in the square next to the detention building for a vehicle to take them to exile. Everyone was broken and crushed while R' Yankl said to them: "Heint s'iz doch Simchas Torah! M'darf zein b'simcha!" Today is Simchas Torah and we need to be joyful! He stood up and broke into dance together with his friends. The policemen who were present were sure that their minds had become deranged and therefore did not interfere with their dancing, when in fact it was the joy of Simchas Torah.

They would send him pages of Chassidus within Russian reading books. Once, while he was engaged in studying Chassidus, the guard caught him and he was separated from his friends.

Killed Al Kiddush Hashem[edit | edit source]

During the exile period in Kazakhstan, the chassidim saw him being transported in an open car without a roof. A few days later, one of the non-Jewish women who worked there related that he was killed by shooting al kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-d's name). This was in the summer of 5698 (1938).

It is told that before his killing, R' Yankl danced and said: "They are killing me because I kept Shabbos, and because I circumcised my sons, etc."

24 Teves[edit | edit source]

When R' Simcha Gorodetzky traveled to the Rebbe for the first time, family members asked him to ask the Rebbe what to do regarding the yahrzeit day since they knew nothing about the day of his passing. When he presented the question to the Rebbe, the Rebbe answered: "Ihm felt gornisht... er iz shoin lang in di hoiche oilamos (another version: in Gan Eden)... oib di mishpacha vil - ken men opshtelin 24 Teves." He lacks nothing... he is already for a long time in the higher worlds (another version: in Gan Eden)... if the family wants - they can establish 24 Teves as the yahrzeit.

When R' Yaakov's daughter, Mrs. Bluma Halperin, traveled to the Rebbe, she asked why specifically 24 Teves and not 10 Shevat, which seemed to her a more appropriate date, since it is connected to the Frierdiker Rebbe. After the Rebbe gave her several answers, and she was still not convinced because of the pain that stemmed from Communism and more, the Rebbe's face became serious, he raised himself slightly and leaned with his fists on the table. His fists changed from red to white and from white to red, and then he said: "A Yid vos hot oisgefirt dem alten Rebin's kavana!" ("How could it be otherwise?! After all, he was a Jew who carried out the intention of the Alter Rebbe!")

Family[edit | edit source]

First wife:

Mrs. Miriam Rachel (daughter of R' Tovia Margolin)

His son:

R' Menachem Mendel
His daughter-in-law: Mrs. Tzipa Elka.

His daughters:

Mrs. Freida Raskin (wife of R' Shaul).
Mrs. Bluma Galperin (wife of R' Shimon).
His grandson R' Reuven Galperin.

Second wife:

Mrs. Sima Klivenov (sister-in-law of R' Yochanan Gordon)

External Links[edit | edit source]

Hoshivani BaMachashachim... Ki Elecha Nasati Nafshi, A collection of letters and correspondence sent to his friends - within the Teshurah from the wedding of the Zilberstrom family, Shevat 5777/2017
Memories of his grandson Rabbi Shlomo Galperin, within the Teshurah from the wedding of his grandchildren's families Chen-Greenberg, Tevet 5782/2021
Teshurah Neimark-Brock Cheshvan 5785/2024