Mordechai Dovid Altein
R' Mordechai Dov Altein was born on 5 Tammuz 5679 in the United States to R' Tzvi Hirsh and Chana Altein, a Galician chassidic family. He studied at Torah Vodaas and drew close to Chabad Chassidus at Achei Temimim through R' Yisrael Jacobson, who later became his father-in-law. He subsequently traveled with a group of bochurim to the yeshiva in Otwock. When the war broke out, the bochurim returned to the United States at the instruction of the Frierdiker Rebbe.
In 5703, he entered into shidduchim. At the tenaim celebration held on Motzei Shabbos, 18 Elul, in the shul in East New York, the Rebbe and Rebbetzin participated. During the celebration, the Rebbe took a taxi home to bring the nusach of tenaim that the Tzemach Tzedek had written in his own handwriting.
In 5704, he married his wife Rachel Dvasha, daughter of R' Yisrael Jacobson.
After his wedding, he directed yeshivos in New Haven and Pittsburgh as a shliach of the Frierdiker Rebbe. He was subsequently sent to the Bronx, where he directed a yeshiva and school and served as community rav for many years, bringing many Yidden closer through his work at the Chabad House there.
The Frierdiker Rebbe wrote of him in a letter: A precious, inward, and naturally serious spirit, with abundant blessing. He is among my chosen beloved ones, whom I love with a special love — one portion above others of his age — for their dedication to their assigned work with true mesiras nefesh.
After his father-in-law R' Jacobson's passing in 5735, he merited to bring the Rebbe an esrog from Calabria each year for the distribution of daled minim — and in most years, one of these esrogim was the one used by the Rebbe.
In 5756, he moved to Eretz Yisrael and lived in Beitar Illit and Kfar Chabad. After several years he returned to the United States and settled in Crown Heights, where he lived until his passing.
He passed away on Sunday, 3 Kislev 5780, at the age of 100 — the elder of Chabad chassidim.
Family
- His brother, R' Yisrael Meir Altein — among the shluchim of the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe; mashpia of the Chabad community in Pittsburgh and the local Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.
- His son-in-law, R' Yitzchak Meir Gurary — mashpia at Tomchei Temimim Montreal.
- His son, R' Avraham Altein — the Rebbe's shliach in Winnipeg and head shliach to Manitoba, Canada; member of the Chassidus Mevueres on Tanya editorial board.
- His son, R' Yaakov Yehuda Leib Altein — author of the Chassidus Mevueres series and member of Vaad L'Hafatzas Sichos.
- His son-in-law, R' Yosef Yitzchak Pinson — the Rebbe's shliach in Nice, France.
- His son-in-law, R' Yosef Akiva Cohen — Rosh Yeshiva of Lubavitch Manchester.
- His son, Hatomim Yosef Yitzchak Altein — who suffered from muscular dystrophy from childhood and loved learning Torah; he passed away on 23 Nissan 5760.
- His son-in-law, R' Yosef Yitzchak Zalmanoff — Tzfat.
Further Reading
R' Avraham Reinitz, "Zechus Rishonim," Beis Moshiach, Issue 1191, p. 21 (5780).