Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II) - The Re-invention of Belz

The Re-invention of Belz

The majority of Belzer Hasidim were killed in the Holocaust. Although some managed to immigrate to the United States and Israel, the post-war years saw the court of Belz's membership undergo a radical change, consisting largely of former members of other communities, or Haredim who had previously not belonged officially to any Hasidic group.

One of the new Rebbe's most important tasks was to take this diverse collection of followers and mold them into a unified community. He focused on building up Belz institutions, which were largely non-existent at the death of the previous Rebbe. As Belz slowly established an economic base, it began expanding its network of schools in Western Europe, America and Israel, as well as its yeshivas and its own Jerusalem enclave, Kiryat Belz. It also created its own newspaper, HaMachaneh HaCharedi, of which former MK Yisrael Eichler is a former editor.

Under the Rebbe's leadership, the Belz Hasidut has grown from a few hundred families in 1966 to over 7,000 families as of 2011. The Rebbe also oversees a global network of study halls, educational institutions, and chesed institutions.

The Rebbe has also invested heavily in Orthodox Jewish outreach with the founding of Yeshivas Torah V’Emunah, a ba'al teshuva yeshiva for men, and the Tzohar outreach organization for secular Jews.

While preserving the traditions established by his forebears, the Rebbe has also introduced new protocols to fit modern times. He was the first to bring professionals into the Hasidic educational system to diagnose and treat children with learning disabilities. He also encourages his Hasidim to develop their talents within the community, finding jobs for musicians, writers, managers, etc., within the hundreds of institutions and organizations that the Hasidut has established.