Yosef Levi Shano

Rabbi Yosef Levi Shano was a prominent Chassid and A Beacon of Chassidic Life in Early Montreal

Early Life and Military Evasion

At age 20, while living in Poland in the late 1800s, Yosef Levi Shano was already married to Rochel Leah and had their first child, Rivkah. Facing conscription into the army—a dangerous prospect for an observant Jew—he took decisive action. He collaborated with a doctor to create a deliberate blemish on his thumb, having the nail permanently removed. The doctor then provided documentation stating Shano was ineligible for military service due to this injury.

However, someone informed the authorities that the wound was self-inflicted. Upon receiving a summons to explain the injury, Shano, understanding the gravity of the charge of evading military service, sought guidance from the Sfas Emes (the Gerrer Rebbe).

He arrived at the Rebbe's residence in the middle of the night with another friend facing similar circumstances. His friend went in first, crying "Rebbe what should I do?" The Sfas Emes advised the friend to become a mohel and ended the audience. When Shano entered, the Rebbe gave him different counsel: "Du nutzt in America, un America vet dir nisht beiten" (You are useful in America and America will not change you).

Immigration to Montreal

In the early 1900s, following the Sfas Emes's blessing, Shano immigrated to Montreal with Rochel Leah and their two young children. He maintained his traditional Chassidic appearance, wearing the spodik (traditional fur hat) and a spotless long black beketshe (traditional coat), despite the prevailing trend of assimilation among North American Jews.

Professional Life

Teaching at Talmud Torah

His first employment in Montreal was teaching at the local Talmud Torah, where Jewish children attending public schools would receive after-school religious education. While this provided employment, it didn't generate sufficient income for the family's needs.

Career as a Shochet

To better provide for his family and enable them to eat chicken and meat, Shano trained as a shochet (ritual slaughterer). He approached this role with characteristic perfectionism and religious dedication. However that all changed, Once, business was slow and Yosef Levi fell asleep in his booth. When a customer walked in, he woke up. But while he shechted the customer’s chicken, his yarmulke slipped off his head for a moment. Was this a sign he lacked yiras Shamayim? Should he stop doing shechitah?

Shortly afterward he received an answer to his questions, but it wasn’t what he expected. He found out that after he left work on Friday afternoon, before Shabbos, the market continued to take chickens from customers and kill them, as if Yosef Levi had slaughtered them according to halachah. On the spot, Yosef Levi made a promise to only shecht for himself.

Work at Lehman Brothers Clothing Company

Shano found employment as a presser at the Lehman Brothers Clothing Company. To compensate for not working on Shabbos, he worked two additional hours on other days, resulting in 12-hour shifts. His daily routine began at 4 AM with Gemara study and prayers before work. His perfectionism was noted even in this role—his granddaughter, Rebbetzin Kviat, remarked that it made perfect sense for him to be a presser as he was a perfectionist and his clothing was never even slightly out of place.

Religious Challenges and Triumphs

The Succos Incident

A significant challenge arose during Succos when his Jewish employer, who acknowledged Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, refused to recognize Succos. After much pleading and tears, recalling their shared heritage from the alte heim, Shano convinced his boss to allow him the main festival days off, but was ordered to return for Chol Hamoed.

When Shano continued davening at shul on Chol Hamoed morning instead of returning to work at 11 AM, his employer called to fire him. Shano responded with unwavering faith, stating, "I will not desecrate the holiness of Chol Hamoed. Surely Hashem will send me another job in the merit of keeping Chol Hamoed."

Period of Hardship

This decision led to severe financial difficulties. The family's savings depleted, and the grocer refused further credit. His children sought work—some delivering newspapers, others delivering groceries. The family experienced real hunger, with Rivkah recalling how quickly food would disappear from plates during meals.

Divine Providence

On Chanukah, while the family was eating latkes and playing dreidel without pennies due to their poverty, his former employer appeared at their door. The boss described a series of troubles that had befallen his business since firing Shano—water pipe issues, broken machines, and electrical problems. Attributing these difficulties to divine punishment, he rehired Shano with a raise and full religious accommodation, including Shabbos, Yom Tov, and Chol Hamoed off.

Family Life and Values

Marriage and Children

Married to Rochel Leah, they raised a family in Montreal. Their daughter Rivkah showed exceptional respect for her father, a devotion that would later influence his return from Poland. The family maintained strict religious observance, with Rochel Leah's thorough holiday cleaning serving as a calendar for their neighbors.

Personal Principles

Shano was known for his absolute honesty, telling his grandson Mottel Chaiton never to cheat anyone of even "less than a penny." His perfectionism extended to both religious observance and personal appearance.

Return to Poland and Final Years

After his wife's death and several children's relocation to Chicago, Shano felt drawn back to the alte heim. In 1931, he returned to Poland, serving as a gabbai in a Warsaw synagogue for five years. During this time, he promoted American practices he admired, encouraging generous charitable giving and emphasizing the importance of cleanliness, particularly under fingernails, to prevent illness.

His return to Montreal came at the heartfelt plea of his daughter Rivkah, who wrote, "I cannot live any longer without you." Her son Aaron Chaiton noted that "You never saw respect for a father like my mother had."

Connection to Lubavitch

During World War II, when nine Lubavitcher students arrived in Montreal via Shanghai as refugees, Shano finally fulfilled his dream of spending time with chassidim in Montreal. He was particularly moved by their joyous celebration of Simchas Torah in 1942 at the Nusach Ari shul, where the refugees, despite not knowing the fate of their families, danced with incredible joy and performed acrobatic feats. That evening, watching Rabbi Moshe Elya Gerlitzky give a drasha and then return to dancing with renewed vigor, Shano told his son-in-law Noteh Rosenblum, "I like him. He is full of energy. You should take him for a son-in-law. If need be, you should sell your last shirt for him to be part of your family." After they established the first full-time yeshivah, he sent his youngest grandson, Aaron Chaiton, to study there.

Chabad Descendants

Reb Yosef Levi has many descendants who are deeply Rooted in the Chabad community. Among his many descendants, the Andrusier, Gerlitzky, Chaiton, and Lerner families proudly trace their lineage back to him, carrying forward his legacy with dedication and faith.