Memory Lane: Rav Shloime Zev Zweigenhaft

In the aftermath of the churban, Boro Park was a center of she’eris hapleitah—the heroic warriors who rebuilt from the ashes in such a spectacular fashion. The Gerer shtiebel on 49th street was an outpost where a great number of polish survivors made their spiritual home—numbing the searing pain of their terrible loss with the sweetness of Torah, tefillah, and Chassidic camaraderie. 

Prominent among this group was Rav Zweigenhaft, who hailed from generations of shochtim in Poland, and survived to transmit the mesorah on shechitah for new generations in America. 

Sosnowiec 

Rav Shloime Zev was born in the fall of 1915 in the town of Sosnowiec—a polish town which was led by the Radziner Rebbe, and was center of Polish chassidus. His father was Reb Moshe Chaim Zweigenhaft, a shochet, and his mother was descended from generations of Polish rabbonim. 

Sadly, his father was niftar when he was just a child, and he went to live with his paternal grandfather, Rav Ephraim Mordechai Matel Zweigenhaft, also a shochet and dayan in Sosnowiec. 

Continuing the Family Tradition  

Rather than pursue a career in rabbonus, he chose to follow the path of his forefathers. He acquired kabboloh for shechita from some of the greatest ge’onim in Poland, and for a time, the Radomsker Rebbe would eat only from his shechitah. 

He married Esther, Hy”d, the daughter of Rav Shlomo Shtenczl, zt”l, Hy”d, who hailed from a long line of rabbonim, and was a dayan and rosh yeshiva in Radomsk. Not only was he one of Poland’s youngest shochtim, but he soon rose in the ranks to become one of leaders of the shochtim organization. 

In 1936, the Polish government debated the banning of shechitah. The New York Times wrote the following in the winter of that year: “POLISH JEWS PRAY TO RETAIN CUSTOMS; Bill to Abolish Kosher Animal Slaughter Strikes Snags -- Gradual Reform Urged. Prayers for preservation of Hebrew ritual in the slaughter of cattle were made in all synagogues in Poland today. The Rabbis Association of Poland also sent a radiogram to the more important Jewish religious communities of the world with a request to join in the prayers.” 

The government sent a committee to observe Rav Zweigenhaft in his work. So impressed were they with his skill and presentation, that they ultimately relaxed the ultimate edicts, and allowed slaughter for religious reasons. 

Tragically, these allowances would soon be irrelevant—as most of Poland’s Jews would themselves be led to the slaughter, Hy”d. 

Faith under Fire

He exhibited great heroism during the war years, when he was interned in the concentration camps. Not only did he not take in a morsel of treif food or chometz during those years, he also greatly aided his fellow Jews under the most harrowing conditions. Immediately upon the liberation, he swung into action to better the lot of the survivors. A high priority was the provision of kosher food. But from where would he acquire a chalaf? He heard that in nearby Hanover, there was a museum established by the Nazis showcasing the Jewish People. On display was a large chalaf, perfect for his needs. In short order he persuade the museum director to part with this relic, and in this way Rav Zweigenhaft was able to provide kosher meat and poultry to the survivors. He also traveled extensively to meet with askonim toward bringing relief and assistance to them.  

Rav Shlomo Zev was deeply disappointed with the state of shechita in America when he first arrived. So much so, that this was one of the primary reasons that he sought to make aliya to Eretz Yisroel. But the Beis Yisroel of Gur instructed him clearly to remain in America and become active in the field of shechita. He was invited by Rav Eliezer Silver (whom he likely acquainted in the course of his postwar work) to oversee shechitah in Cincinnati. Upon coming to New York, he did the same, and his supervision became the gold standard in the industry, his word respected everywhere.    

The Zweigenhaft home continued to be open to all, and they were active in numerous chessed causes. Rav Shlomo Zev was niftar in 2005 and interred in Eretz Yisroel.