273:(OU), eventually being described as one of their "chief experts", and ultimately served in that capacity for more than 28 years. In 2004, Belsky ruled that water that might contain microscopic nonkosher organisms is kosher even if it is unfiltered. That same year, he ruled that "gruesome" slaughtering of animals at
334:
Though some have misunderstood my position, I completely agree that, given firsthand knowledge or credible evidence of child abuse or molestation, one should definitely go to the authorities. This is not only a theoretical position that I hold, but also one that I have personally
373:
Belsky resided in
Brooklyn. In 2012, he suffered a serious medical emergency. At that time, the name Chaim was added to his name. After his recovery, he returned to Yeshiva Torah Vodaas. In 2013, the annual Yeshiva dinner honored Belsky and highlighted 50 young men who earned
37:
702:
837:
778:
804:
326:
District
Attorney privately warned Belsky to cease and desist writing letters defending Kolko, or risk prosecution. Belsky later clarified his position in a letter to the
234:(religious court) under Yitzchok Isaac Liebes, Baruch Leizerowski and Herschel Kurzrock. Some events that he addressed with this beth din were: the aftermath of the
869:
277:, then the largest glatt kosher meat producer in the United States, appeared not to violate kosher laws as long as the animal "felt nothing". He later ruled on a
312:, yeshiva. Further, he condemned the victim and his parents for reporting the sexual abuse to the police, and wrote that one who does so "has no share in the
626:
486:
381:
Belsky was re-hospitalized in
January 2016 and he died during the evening of January 28, 2016, which corresponded to the Hebrew calendar date of 19
1002:
365:
about a divorce case, Belsky described a court-ordered child custody order as "a joke" since it interfered with observance of the Jewish
Sabbath.
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and Martin
Wolmark which approved the use of physical violence against Jews who were civilly divorced, yet refused to give a
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406:(Kiryat Sefer 2005, 2006, 2011, and 2008 respectively) - Lectures edited and adapted by Moshe Armel and Reuven Mathieson
249:
651:
525:
Rabbi
Gershon Tannenbaum (February 5, 2016). "We've Lost Our Guiding Light - Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, Zt"l (1938-2016)".
884:
543:
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289:
154:
42:
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779:"Bad Rabbi: Tales of Extortion and Torture Depict a Divorce Broker's Brutal Grip on the Orthodox Community"
1017:
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285:, saying that food that had been sold by Doheny prior to the scandal could still be considered kosher.
987:
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199:(rabbinical ordination) from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, and again in 1965, when he received it from
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805:"Symbolic Line Divides Jews in Borough Park; A Debate Over Strictures for Sabbath Observance"
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According to court documents, Belsky was alleged to have served on a beth din together with
228:
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179:
138:
952:
739:
707:
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200:
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Yisroel Belsky was the son of Berel and Chana Tzirel Belsky. His maternal grandfather was
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Belsky publicly defended confessed sexual abuser Yosef Kolko, who taught children at a
274:
270:
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142:
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36:
627:"Statement from the Rabbinical Council of California on Doheny Meats | Los Angeles"
300:, where 35 of Belsky's students received their rabbinical ordination certificates.
293:
216:
146:
94:
909:"Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Belsky zt'l Passes Away | Everyday Jewish Living | OU Life"
838:"Man who won't grant religious divorce to ex-wife is given rabbinical sanction"
281:
scandal surrounding Doheny Meats, which had been videoed violating the laws of
458:"Torah Vodaath Marks First Yahrtzeit of Hagaon Harav Chaim Yisroel Belsky ZTL"
440:"Torah Vodaath marks first yartzeit of Hagaon Harav Chaim Yisroel Belsky ZT"L"
292:. In September 2005, he was the keynote speaker at the Igud Horabbonim Annual
870:"Yeshiva Torah Vodaath Dinner to Pay tribute to Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlit"a"
849:
574:
404:
Einei
Yisroel on Chumash (currently Bereishis, Shemos, Vayikra, and Devarim)
761:
New York – RCA Says Rabbi Belsky
Clarifies His Position In Letter To Them"
652:"Passover Kosher Meat Scandal in Los Angeles Latest in String of Mishaps"
398:
231:
195:
187:
412:, questions and answers on a wide variety of topics, (Kiryat Sefer 2008)
254:
316:." Belsky was criticized for his actions in this regard. According to
382:
240:
162:
124:
79:
266:
134:
130:
98:
561:"Rabbis' Rules and Indian Wigs Stir Crisis in Orthodox Brooklyn"
355:
957:
215:. Belsky would later go on to lead Torah Vodaas himself as its
735:"Connecting the World to Jewish News, Culture, and Opinion"
703:"Connecting the World to Jewish News, Culture, and Opinion"
677:"Hynes Refuses To Name Orthodox Child Sex Abusers - News –"
288:
Belsky served as rabbi of the summer camp network run by
611:"Videos Cited in Calling Kosher Slaughterhouse Inhumane"
508:
487:"The Legacy of Rav Chaim Yisroel Belsky zt"l at the OU"
129:(August 22, 1938 – January 28, 2016) was an American
821:"Religious Divorce Dispute Leads to Secular Protest"
112:
104:
90:
68:
49:
21:
509:"The Beth Din-Rabbinical Alliance of America Inc"
160:Belsky served for more than 28 years as a senior
506:Igud HaRabonim (Rabbinical Alliance of America)
605:
603:
358:, referring to them as amateurs and populists.
332:
520:
518:
153:, and rabbi of the summer camp network run by
8:
481:
479:
347:(Jewish divorce document) to their wives.
35:
18:
609:McNeil Jr., Donald J. (December 1, 2004)
594:
470:
885:"Torah Vodaas Dean in Serious Condition"
350:In 2000, Belsky sided against rabbis in
252:from India; surrogate motherhood; and a
428:
434:
432:
544:"The Water's Fine, But is it Kosher?"
203:. Beginning at age 17, he studied at
7:
953:MP3 lectures by Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
819:Oppenheimer, Mark (January 3, 2011)
538:
536:
410:Sha'alos U'Teshuvos Shulchan Halevi
931:, New York: Mesorah Publications,
542:Berger, Joseph (November 7, 2004)
416:Rav Belsky on Alternative Medicine
14:
883:Israel, David (22 January 2016).
803:Barnes, Julian E. (June 2, 2000)
269:. In 1987, he transferred to the
227:Belsky served as a member of the
958:Memories of Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
559:Daniel J. Wakin (May 14, 2004).
354:who established a controversial
1003:Authors of books on Jewish law
1:
777:Samaha, Albert (2013-12-04).
328:Rabbinical Council of America
193:In 1962, Belsky received his
998:21st-century American rabbis
993:20th-century American rabbis
238:and freeing its widows from
1008:Torah Vodaath rosh yeshivas
767:. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
296:. The event doubled as the
1034:
927:Finkelman, Shimon (2017),
836:Shin, Annys (2011-09-27).
1013:Burials at Har HaMenuchot
978:Beth Medrash Elyon alumni
361:In a 2011 interview with
290:Agudath Israel of America
155:Agudath Israel of America
34:
324:Ocean County, New Jersey
174:Early life and education
16:American rabbi and posek
246:New York City tap water
973:American Haredi rabbis
352:Borough Park, Brooklyn
337:
265:position was with the
116:Berel and Chana Belsky
310:Lakewood, New Jersey
258:scandal in Monsey.
236:September 11 attacks
184:Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
151:Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
145:. He was one of the
27:Chaim Yisroel HaLevi
842:The Washington Post
911:. 29 January 2016.
825:The New York Times
809:The New York Times
615:The New York Times
566:The New York Times
548:The New York Times
489:. 11 February 2016
397:(Brooklyn 2002) -
363:The New York Times
205:Beth Medrash Elyon
938:978-1-4226-1951-3
701:Gary Rosenblatt.
223:Rabbinical career
213:Yaakov Kamenetsky
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759:(June 12, 2013)
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298:chag ha'semikhah
229:Iggud HaRabbonim
209:Monsey, New York
180:Binyomin Wilhelm
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72:January 28, 2016
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633:. 29 March 2013
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319:The Jewish Week
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261:Belsky's first
250:human-hair wigs
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201:Moshe Feinstein
182:, a founder of
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166:advisor to the
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658:. 5 April 2013
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341:Mendel Epstein
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275:Agriprocessors
271:Orthodox Union
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168:Orthodox Union
147:roshei yeshiva
143:Haredi Judaism
123:Chaim Yisroel
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76:(aged 77)
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715:on 2016-03-02
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369:Personal life
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314:world to come
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304:Controversies
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108:Miriam Belsky
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91:Occupation(s)
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788:. Retrieved
782:
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744:. Retrieved
738:
733:Ben Hirsch.
728:
717:. Retrieved
713:the original
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685:. Retrieved
683:. 2011-12-14
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491:. Retrieved
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217:rosh yeshiva
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192:
190:, New York.
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122:
121:
95:Rosh yeshiva
74:(2016-01-28)
988:2016 deaths
983:1938 births
681:Forward.com
656:The Forward
580:February 7,
444:hamodia.com
149:(deans) at
43:Camp Agudah
967:Categories
929:Rav Belsky
894:2016-02-07
855:2016-02-07
790:2016-01-30
746:2016-01-30
719:2016-01-30
687:2016-01-30
662:2016-02-07
637:2016-02-07
493:2017-02-20
423:References
378:from him.
56:1938-08-22
41:Belsky in
850:0190-8286
575:0362-4331
113:Parent(s)
399:responsa
376:semikhah
244:status;
232:beth din
219:(dean).
196:semikhah
188:Brooklyn
139:Orthodox
85:New York
63:New York
920:Sources
765:VINnews
283:kashrut
279:kashrut
263:kashrut
255:kashrut
163:kashrut
78:(after
935:
848:
573:
383:Shevat
322:, the
241:agunah
211:under
170:(OU).
127:Belsky
125:HaLevi
105:Spouse
80:sunset
29:Belsky
389:Works
267:Kof-K
135:posek
131:rabbi
99:posek
24:Rabbi
933:ISBN
846:ISSN
582:2016
571:ISSN
356:eruv
141:and
133:and
69:Died
50:Born
345:get
207:in
186:in
137:of
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