Yonah Friedland was born in Rezitsa, in modern-day Belarus. He married Esther, a cousin, and they moved to Kherson, Ukraine’s port city- the first major city in Ukraine to fall into Russian hands. The reason they moved there was that resident of Kherson were exempt from conscription. Yonah and Esther’s eldest son, Moshe Leib, married another native of Rezitsa- Leah, from the illustrious Reizes family, and moved back there. They had two sons and two daughters; a fifth child, a son, was born to them much later. His name was Yaakov.
In 1848, the family left Rezitsa, once again to return to Kharson. On the way, the stopped in the town of Kaminka, leaving the women and children there while the men continued on to Kherson to establish themselves. In Kherson, they built a brickmaking factory that also handled other related businesses. The plan was to continue on to the Land of Israel but tragically, the entire family was wiped out in an epidemic that erupted in Kaminka, save for one person- the youngest child, Yaakov, who was not yet two years old. He was brought to Kherson to live with his relatives who remained there, and from then on, he became known as Yaakov Mann, the second name being a shortened version of the name Menachem, which means “consolation.”
From Kherson, he eventually fulfilled his family’s dream of making aliyah, and in addition to being a remarkable Torah scholar, he was one of the foremost builders and contractors in Jerusalem. His skills in bricklaying and brickmaking were evident in the quality of the buildings that he built, many of which still exist today. Among them are the Ashkenazi shul in Yemin Moshe (pictured) and the old building of Shaarei Tzedek hospital, now a residential building.
Rav Yaakov Mann married Chasha, from the well known Yerushalmi Cheshin family, and they had a number of children. One of them was Rav Chaim Mann, who taught generations of students as the head teacher of the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, including many of the great Torah scholars of the city. His wife was Rachel Rivlin, and they had 11 children, one of which was Chaya Basha- who married a young Torah scholar named Avraham Baruch Abba Rackovsky- my great-grandfather.
I am proud of our family’s heritage that extends so many generations back in Jerusalem, but it began even further back in Ukraine, which is on all our minds and in our prayers.
Information comes from my uncle, Dr. Gadi Gvaryahu, and from the book Bnei Yonah, about the history of Yonah Friedland and his descendants.
Rabbi’s Recommendation
My friend and former Dallas resident Rabbi Elli Fischer compiled a map of noted Rabbinic personalities and Chassidic leaders, and where in modern day Ukraine they lived. I highly recommend it for a sense of how deeply Jewish history is entrenched there.
Hakarat HaTov
After my speech last week, I received a great deal of feedback. Many felt validated by what I said, while still others considered my words to lack nuance or understanding. I grow from constructive criticism and welcome the opportunity to dialogue. Indeed, from these discussions with those people who disagreed with what I said, I learned of how they or their children sacrificed career opportunities and personal aspirations in favor of their observance. I was inspired to hear about how they have navigated complex Shabbos dilemmas and their lives as proud Orthodox Jews who make a kiddush Hashem every day in non-Jewish spaces. I am grateful to all those who took the time to share their feelings and stories with me, and especially grateful that even those who disagreed with me strongly did so with the utmost respect- something that in today’s environment of poisonous discourse, I do not take at all for granted.
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
