Kerestir (Hasidic dynasty)

Kerestir is a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yeshaya Steiner. Kerestir is the Yiddish name of Bodrogkeresztúr, a town in Hungary.

Lineage

• Rebbe Yeshaya Steiner (1852–1925)
  • Rebbe Avrohom Steiner (1883–1927), son of Rebbe Yeshaya
    • Rebbe Meir Yosef Rubin of Kerestir, son-in-law of Rebbe Avrohom
    • Rebbe Naftoli Gross of Debrecen (died 1988), son-in-law of Rebbe Avrohom
      • Rebbe Rafael Gross (1928–2007) - Kerestir Rebbe of Miami Beach, Florida, son of Rebbe Naftoli
      • Rebbe Yeshaya Gross - Present Kerestir-Berbesht Rebbe of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, son of Rebbe Naftoli
      • Rebbe Yoikel Grosz - un-ordained and Self Appointed Kerestir-Berbesht Rebbe of the Miami Beach, Florida, son of Rebbe Naftoli

Chaim Grosz born on January 17, 1944 in Debrecen Hungary, the youngest son of Rebbe Naftoli Grosz and is also known to be the youngest living survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He established the Monsey, New York (1966) and Miami Beach, Florida (1977) branches of the Kerestir houses of worship in Honor of his father. Due to a dibilitating stroke is crippled and confined to a wheel chair.

Chaim Grosz is a self styled writer and wrote this article in honor of his father whose birthday is on the Day we celebrate the giving of the Ten Commandments, who together with his wife the grand daughter of Rebbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir in which they followed their parents and grandparents philosophy, even during the years of them being in the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen, dealing with his community he was known to be a true friend to all, and that is what I attribute to, that my parents and all their 9 children survived the Concentration intact, not a single child of my parents perished from the war, which to the best of my knowledge, is the only Jewish European family that was in a Nazi concentration camp can make that claim.

I wrote The value of friendship By Chaim Grosz

According to the Talmudic sages, the following thought appears in, Ethics of our Fathers, stating, Purchase for yourself a friend, but, appoint upon yourself a spiritual leader.

There have been many differing interpretations of the phrase, the one that stands out for me, is my personal opinion, of what the Talmudist is trying to impart.

True friendship is described in the Biblical Book of Samuels, King David as a young person, prior to him becoming consecrated and anointed by the prophet Samuel to lead the Jewish Nation as their King. Became a close friend of Jonathan, who was himself, a Prince of Israel, being the son of King Saul, the first anointed king of the entire Jewish Nation.

The disparity of these two individuals was very evident, on one side was David, a simple person without any guile nor was he educated in the world of politic, nor was he even involved in the mechanism of government and how to govern.

And on the other side was Jonathan, the son of the first king, a prince on his own, a true leader of men, knowledgeable in how to govern a nation, lacking nothing, wealthy, attractive who’s counsel was sought after by the various ministers.

As things stood at that period of time, Jonathan was next in line to be the King of Israel after his Father King Saul died.

In the norms of things, these two individuals would never even if they perchance met, that beyond a mere civil acknowledgment would have taken time to engage in any conversation.

Just what would they have to discus, herding sheep? Jonathan was not into that, the mechanism of Government, David was not involved at all, not even with that political element of government, so just what did bring them together and that they then become lifelong close friends, to the point of, that their friendship was being described as, he who did not see or recognize the friendship that existed between the young future King David and the current Prince Jonathan, could not understand true friendship or the love that a person may have for his true friend.

When you really look into yourself, you are lucky to find even one individual that you will love so deeply, that such friendship is capable of overcoming any and all adversities, is always totally forgiving, irrespective of what you have done. And most important that lasts for that persons his entire lifetime.

Yet these two strangers met, not on the battlefield as most writers like to believe, when King David showed extraordinary courage when he was facing the giant goliath, but in a peaceful Sheppard field when King David was tending the flock of his fathers sheep, and whiling away his time playing the flute found such a friendship.

Just what attracted the Prince Jonathan to seek him out, was the purity of King David’s tunes. They were the foundation of what the Judaic/Christen world use to find solace, when they find themselves in spiritually troubled times. They recite the select verses, or even entire paragraphs, and when times are really bad, they would even recite the entire Book Of King David’s Psalms, after which many feel comforted by the words that is spoken in those Psalms.

Interestingly enough practically every prayer offered to God has at least one verse of King David’s songs.

Prince Jonathan recognized that unique pure beautiful devotion which was coming from just a plain swamp reed, at that time he came to the realization that what he is hearing is not coming from the physical elements, not the station of that person, or the wealth that person was blessed to have, but the actual value, that can last for the entire lifetime, with the value which has a forever legacy, that comes from such a pure of the heart and soul produces.

That is the true value that you want to associate with, it is not the wealth of the person that your soul wants to join. But the heart seeks out the purity of heart, the unselfish devotion to help others when he is able to do so, and recognize that in order to accomplish that task it is only due because, he is rewarded to be available at the right time and place.

That is what the Talmudic sages are trying to impart, King David in wanting to gain the friendship of a Prince of Israel realized that the coin required to accomplish that purchase does not exist in the realm of the physical world, so he enticed him with something that is found in the world of spirituality, and that can remain forever, even when our bodies are returned from whence they came from.

Yet to attain such knowledge, it requires a unique special element that is very different then from the one described above. It is as the Talmudists state, on element of “Human Choice”, they state, a person is actually led in the direction he wants to be go, as the way to show honor to another person is, “His will is his honor.” So when the Talmudist proclaim “appoint upon yourself a spiritual leader” what they are actually telling you, the choice who, you want to be, rests in your hands, as the mentors that a person had as a young child, actually are the foundation how that person is when he has attained adulthood.

According to Judaic customs, the date we celebrate of God giving his ten commandments to the entire world we also recite the Book of Ruth, the Great Grandmother of King David, who authored the Book of Psalms, from which we find comfort in times of need

this is the legeacy that my Great Grand Grandfater Rebbi Yeshaya Stiner, left for this world, which are emulated by his children, grandchildern, and great grandchildern.

as even to this date when a person is best by troubles he or asks someone who is goint to visit the Gravesite of the miracle Rebbee and say a prayer on his behalf

• • • • • Rabbi Yoishua Moishe Baruch of Woodmere - ainekle of Rebbe Naftali
  • Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya
  • Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Alter Landa, son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya