Rabbi (Menachem) Nachum Goldschmidt

Rabbi (Menachem) Nachum Goldschmidt (Nissan 1905 - 13 Shevat 1976) was a Chassidic scholar who taught Chassidus to the masses through farbrengens and radio broadcasts. He served as a mashpia and directed the Beis Yaakov educational institution in Tel Aviv. He was a member of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, Ezras Achim committee, and other organizations that operated under the direction of our Rebbeim in Eretz Hakodesh.

Life History

Born in Nissan 1905 in Yekaterinoslav to his father, the shochet Rabbi Yitzchak Goldschmidt, son of R' Bentzion and grandson of the chossid R' Yisroel Dov Goldschmidt.

Their family was very connected to the city's Rav - Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe's father. In his youth, R' Nachum merited to learn in cheder on the same bench with the Rebbe and R' Yisroel Aryeh Leib.

In 1923 he traveled to learn by the Frierdiker Rebbe in Rostov, and while in yeshiva received special permission from the Frierdiker Rebbe to review Chassidic maamorim according to the level of the listeners. He also learned in Tomchei Tmimim yeshivos in Kharkov and Nevel.

R' Itche der Matmid said that the entire establishment of Tomchei Tmimim was worthwhile "for Nachumke Goldschmidt."

In 1935 he made aliyah to Eretz Hakodesh, initially living in Balfouria with his uncle Rav Epstein. After some time he continued to Tel Aviv, where Chabad chassidim who were then in the land were concentrated. During the days he worked manually and in the evenings gave Chassidus shiurim. In 1937 he was matched with his wife Mrs. Chaya Dvora Goldschmidt (daughter of R' Yechiel Tzvi Gurary), who was then in Eretz Hakodesh. Immediately after the shidduch, Mrs. Goldschmidt traveled to the Bnos Agudas Yisroel conference held in summer 1937 in Marienbad, and from there continued to Warsaw where her family lived, while R' Nachum remained in Eretz Hakodesh.

After Tishrei 1938 he also traveled to Warsaw. In Teves 1938 their wedding took place, with the bride's uncle Rabbi Shmuel Shlomo Leiner of Radzin performing the kiddushin. The Frierdiker Rebbe surprisingly arrived at one of the sheva brachos celebrations and even delivered a Chassidic maamar there.

Together with his wife Mrs. Chaya Dvora (passed away 21 Iyar 1982), he directed Beis Yaakov educational institutions for twenty years as well as institutions for Holocaust orphan girls.

Due to his extensive knowledge of Toras HaChassidus, he invested his energy in giving Chassidus classes at Beis Rivkah Seminary in Kfar Chabad. Following the Rebbe's instruction, he began giving Tanya classes in Hebrew and Yiddish via radio, which later became the book Biur HaRaNG.

Despite the severe heart condition that struck him, he worked with mesiras nefesh to spread Chassidus, and likewise fought in his final years against the "Who is a Jew" decree.

R' Nachum passed away on 13 Shevat 1976 and is buried on Har HaZeisim in Yerushalayim.

Family

• His uncle, Rabbi Moshe Goldschmidt
• His brother, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Goldschmidt
• His brother, Rabbi Moshe Goldschmidt (Kiryat Malachi)
• His brother-in-law, Rabbi Levi Pressman
• His brother-in-law, Rabbi Frankel
• His son, R' Mordechai Yosef Elazar Goldschmidt
• His son-in-law, Rabbi Shalom DovBer Lipschitz - Chairman of Yad L'Achim
• His son-in-law, R' Moshe Nussbacher

Further Reading

Yosef Ashkenazi, Otzar HaChassidim - The Personalities and Chassidic Teachings of Chabad Mashpi'im in Eretz Hakodesh, published by Chazak, 2012