Menachem Mendel Hornstein
Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaCohen Hornstein (18 Nissan 5665/1905 – 25 Cheshvan 5703/1942) was the son-in-law of the Rebbe Rayatz (Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe) - married to his daughter Rebbetzin Sheina.
Life HistoryEdit
Born on 18 Nissan 5665/1905 in Anopol, Volhynia to his father R' Moshe Hornstein, who was a prominent Boyaner chassid, and to his mother Chaya Mushka Hornstein, who was the daughter of the Rebbe Maharash.
He was educated and studied in Anopol. In 5682/1922, at the age of 17, he moved together with his family to Warsaw. In the following years, he studied in Otwock.
His WeddingEdit
On 18 Iyar 5692/1932, the tenaim (engagement) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel with Rebbetzin Sheina took place.
On the day of the tenaim, the Rebbe Rayatz delivered a Chassidic discourse beginning with "Shir HaMaalot L'David Hinei Mah Tov U'Mah Na'im" (A song of ascents of David: Behold how good and how pleasant).
On 10 Sivan 5692/1932, his wedding took place in the city of Landvarov in Poland. From a letter of the Rebbe Rayatz, it appears that this location was specifically chosen: "Due to the current border and document restrictions, we limited the wedding location to a place along the way at the Landvarov station in Poland." During one of the Sheva Brachot meals, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski danced with the Rebbe Rayatz for some time.
From this wedding, a record remains written by the Rebbe describing in detail what happened at the wedding, the customs, etc.
In the winter of 5693/1933, he moved with his wife to live in Paris, where he studied at the university together with the Rebbe for four years.
The couple was childless, but they adopted the son of R' Menachem Mendel's sister, Yekutiel Yaakov Yosef Liss (who perished in the Holocaust), the son of R' Kalman and Sarah Liss (Sarah was the sister of R' Menachem Mendel; she and her husband passed away at a young age).
In the years that followed, they returned to his parents in Otwock, Poland. When the war began, his father R' Moshe Hornstein was ill and confined to bed. R' Menachem Mendel had the opportunity to leave Poland at the beginning of the war but did not want to leave his sick father alone, and remained by his bedside until his passing on 28 Adar 5701/1941. After his father Rabbi Moshe's passing, it was already too late because the gates were locked.
His MartyrdomEdit
When the Rebbe Rayatz left Poland in Tevet 5700/1940, he wanted his daughter and son-in-law to leave with him, but since they were Polish citizens, this was not possible. While the Rebbe Rayatz was in Riga, his efforts resulted in the United States agreeing to give R' Menachem Mendel and Rebbetzin Sheina entry visas to its territory, but these were not actually provided.
When the Rebbe Rayatz arrived in America in Adar 5700/1940, he tried to send them the visa, and they received it in Naples, Italy, from where they planned to travel to America. But during that period, ships stopped leaving Italy for the United States.
The Rebbe Rayatz began to try to obtain a visa for them to another country through which they could exit, but this was in vain, and they remained in the Nazi valley of tears.
At a certain point, information reached the Rebbe about their martyrdom in Treblinka.
In order not to distress the Rebbe Rayatz, they did not reveal this matter to him, as the Rebbe wrote in a letter from 27 Menachem Av 5709/1949 (Igrot Kodesh Vol. 3, p. 173): "I am continuing to investigate about the above, and for now, unless I write otherwise, please arrange for all yahrtzeit customs to be observed on the above-mentioned days but without publicizing it, since in the house of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, they do not know about this. If you reveal this to Landau (referring to Rabbi Pinchas Landau, brother-in-law of R' Menachem Mendel Hornstein - his wife Rachel was the sister of R' Menachem Mendel Hornstein), please add that they should not mention this in their letters here for the above reason."
Only on 25 Cheshvan 5711/1950 did the Rebbe publish what happened to them.
This compilation is dedicated in merit of the youngest daughter of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of righteous and holy memory, my sister-in-law Rebbetzin Sheina, and in merit of her husband, my brother-in-law Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaCohen, son of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka (daughter of the Rebbe Maharash, of righteous and holy memory).Until today there is not sufficiently clear information about them - besides what follows - and therefore their names appear as above, without the addition of blessing formulae afterward -
The printing was delayed all this time because of the pain of those family members who did not know about what follows until now.
...According to the letter of Mr. Mordechai Unrad, may he live, who was in the Treblinka camp, he was there - in the year 5702 (1942) - in the same "barracks" with my brother-in-law Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaCohen. He told him that in the second barracks were his mother - Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka - and his wife - Rebbetzin Sheina. On the 15th of Elul 5702 (1942), the "Kapo" brought to R' Menachem Mendel a note from his wife saying that on the 14th of Elul her mother was taken to be led to the crematorium. On the 3rd of Tishrei 5703 (1942), the Kapo came and told them that on the second day of Rosh Hashanah 5703 (1942), they led his wife to the crematorium. On the 25th of Cheshvan 5703 (1942), when Mr. Mordechai returned from his work, he did not find Rabbi Menachem Mendel in the barracks. Those who worked with him told him that they had taken him from the workplace, along with another group of Jews, in order to lead them to the crematorium.
— Foreword to a compilation of discourses by the Rebbe Rayatz
The chronicle of his life was written by Rabbi Eliyahu Shveicha and printed in the collection of memorabilia from his wedding.
External LinksEdit
- Rabbi Eliyahu Shveicha, Biography of Rabbi Mendel Hornstein Wedding memorabilia, 5th of Nissan 5772 (Third gate, pages 51-74)
- Rabbi Moshe Marinovsky, The Great Wedding in Landrov, Kfar Chabad Weekly, website
- Menachem Ziegelboim, The Landrov Wedding, Beit Moshiach Weekly