| Grand Rabbi of Bobov | |
| Began: | March 23, 2005 |
| Ended: | Current |
| Birth Name: | Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam |
| Predecessor: | Naftali Halberstam |
| Spouse: | Rosa Wachsman |
| Children: | Chaim Shulem Chaya Fradl Dovid Chana Ruchel Rifkah Sheindel Mordechai Dov Yechezkel Shraga Avrohom Yehoshua Heshil Miriam Beila Nechumah Yisroel Elimelech Shlomo |
| Dynasty: | Bobov |
| Father: | Shlomo Halberstam |
| Mother: | Freida Rubin |
| Birth Place: | New York |
Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (Hebrew: בן ציון אריה לייבוש הלברשטאם, born 1955) is the current Rebbe of the Bobov Hasidic dynasty. Appointed in 2005, Halberstam has a direct lineage to the founder of the Bobov dynasty.
Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam was born to the third Bobover rebbe Shlomo Halberstam and his second wife.[1] His father had lost his first wife and most of their children in the Holocaust,[2] but a son, Naftali, survived. Naftali was later reunited with the family in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
Right after his father's passing in 2000, Naftali was appointed as fourth Bobover Rebbe at age 69, while Halberstam was appointed as Rav Hatza'ir (assistant rabbi). Naftali died right before the Purim holiday in 2005,[3] which led to a succession crisis over who should be the Grand Rebbe of the many Bobov Hasidim worldwide. When a vote failed to solve the matter the battle of succession was brought before a beth din (religious court) in 2007, which ultimately ruled that Halberstam would be declared the fifth Rebbe of Bobov (Hebrew: אדמו"ר מבאבוב) with its headquarters on 48th Street in Borough Park, while Unger can choose the title Rebbe of Bobov-45 (Hebrew: אדמו"ר מבאבוב-45), located on 45th Street.[4] [5] [6]
In 2014, Halberstam launched Kinyan Torah, a program to encourage laymen to learn Talmud. Those enrolled in the program were able to take the monthly test and those who scored an 80 or above earned a stipend. The program was expanded to include young children in 2023.[7] At times over a thousand test takers were recorded.
In 2021 he launched a $125 million campaign to build new schools for the elementary boys and girl school.[8]
As of 2024, Bobov has satellite communities in Monsey; Toronto;[9] Lakewood NJ;[10] Linden NJ;[11] London;[12] Montreal;[13] Antwerp;[14] and Williamsburg NY;[15] in addition to over half a dozen locations in Israel.