Mordechai Dovid Unger Explained

Rebbe of Bobov-45
Began:March 23, 2005
Ended:Current
Nationality:American
Birth Name:Mordechai Dovid Unger
Main Work:Sheira D'bei Rav
Spouse:Rivka Halberstam
Children:Yosef, Shulim, Chaim Benzion, Yechezkel, Moshe Yehoshea
Father:Yaakov Yitzchok Unger
Birth Place:New York

Mordechai Dovid Unger (Hebrew: הרב מרדכי דוד אונגער, born 1954) is the first Rebbe of Bobov-45.

Biography

Unger was born to Yaakov Yitzchok Unger of Dombrov.[1] He is the younger son-in-law of Naftali Zvi Halberstam, the fourth Bobover Rebbe.

Following the death of his father-in-law right before the Purim holiday in 2005,[2] a dispute arose as to who should be the Grand Rebbe of the then 120,000 Bobov Hasidim worldwide. Some began to follow Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam, his father-in-law's half-brother, while others followed the older (by one year) Unger, who had by then already ensconced himself firmly within the community. Unger could not challenge his own father for leadership of Dombrov, which anyway was not as substantial a dynasty as Bobov. The matter of succession was brought before a beth din (religious court) in 2007, which ruled that Halberstam would be declared Rebbe of Bobov (Hebrew: אדמו"ר מבאבוב) with its headquarters on 48th Street in Borough Park, Brooklyn, while Unger would be Rebbe of Bobov-45 (Hebrew: אדמו"ר מבאבוב-45), located on 45th Street.[3]

Politics

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams visited Bobov–45 as part of his 2017 re-election campaign.[4]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rebbes of Bobov: Ben Zion Halberstam, Mordechai Dovid Unger, Naftali Halberstam, Shlomo Halberstam. General Books. 2010. 9781157267386.
  2. (March 26, 2005) "A Battle for Succession Takes No Holiday", The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. (October 26, 2017) "Watch: Bobov-45 Rebbe Dances at Wedding", Arutz 7. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  4. Web site: Brooklyn Boro President Eric Adams Visits Bobov-45 Rebbe in Preparation to his Upcoming Re-election. September 28, 2017.