Ha"Rav Avraham Zeev Shoen

ILLUSTRIOUS RAV YEHUDA LEIB FORER

Reb YEHUDA LEIB was born in Pruzhany (November 18, 1878). His father R"AVROHOM and his mother EIDEL were very religious Jews and honest people. Son of a family of merchants was educated in a context very observant of Jewish customs. From his most early childhood called everybody's attention his understanding and perseverance. Being very young, was sent to study to the Yeshive of Volozshin. There as in the Yeshive of Telz, where he studied during some time, he became famous as the "illustrious of Pruzhany" or as "Reb Leib of Pruzhany"

After a short time, he was recognized in the world of studious men, as pride of his great teachers' in Volozshin and Telz, as R' CHAIM SOLOVEITSHIK of Brest, R' ZALMAN SENDER and R' SHIMEN SHKOP. When he was 24 year-old he married the daughter of a family of prestigious Rabbis. His wife's father was R' DOVID BENTZION GEFEN who descended from R' MOISHELE CHARIF, Rabbi in the city of Vovolnyk (Lite).

Rabbi YEHUDA LEIB inherits his father-in-law's rabbinical throne in 1907, and remained in that function until some months before WWI out broke. During the war he arrived to distant towns in Russia, and was Rabbi in Penze.

In 1924 he arrived to US where he was received as Rabbi in the city of Holiak, Mass. , where was spiritual guide until his death. Thanks to his deep knowledge of Torah and universal issues, he was very popular, and many rabbis and social activists went to listen his advice and to discuss their problems with him .

His excellence and his clear and deep knowledge, opened him a road in intellectual circles of US where he received great recognition. He was invited to direct and to participate in some Yeshivas. In the Yeshiva of R' YTZHOK ELCHANAN in New York delivered classes for advanced students. Also participated in the Yeshive of R' CHAIM BERLIN and others. Was designated as authority to grant Rabbi titles, first in the Yeshiva "Ner Israel" of Baltimore, Maryland. His last years he was in the Yeshives of ISREOL MEIR HA'COHEN and R' CHAIM BERLIN. In 1940 was elected Vice-president of the US and Canada Union of Rabbis. In spite of being an orthodox rabbi he was sympathetic of universal movements and of the reconstruction of Yiddish National Judaism. For his unconditional work in favor of Zionist activity, was scripted in KKL gold book.

September 17 1948 died in Holiak, Mass., where he stayed in functions during 24 years. In his funeral participated many Jews of other cities and said goodbye to his remains the illustrious rabbis R' YOSEF DOV SOLOVEITSHIK, R' MOISHE SHEINFOPF, his son-in-law Rav BORUCH LEIB SASSON, Ha"Rav ABA ZALKA GERVITZ, Ha' Rav SHLOIME ROSENBERG, and others.

Dedicated to his blessed memory, in 1952 his son-in-law R' YEHUDA TROPPER published a summary of writings with the name "Purity of Israel."