Biala (Hasidic dynasty)

Biala (or Byala, Biale) Hasidic dynasty has its roots in Poland. The Rebbes of Biala are descended from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, known as the Yid Hakodosh ("The Holy Jew").

The Biala dynasty is part of the Prshiskhe dynasty whose first rebbe was Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok (the Holy Jew) of Prshiskhe (today Przysucha, Poland), a disciple of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin (the Seer of Lublin). The Seer was a disciple of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, who was a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (the Maggid of Mezritch), the leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism.

Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua was six years old when his father, the Rebbe of Siedlce, died as a young man. The Hasidim, bereft of their rebbe, mostly became followers of their late rebbe's brother, the Mezritsher Rebbe. It was he who educated his young nephew Yechiel Yehoshua in the ways of Torah and Hasidus. In 1924 the surviving Shedlitser Hasidim accepted Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua as their rebbe. In time his name spread over Poland and the numbers of his Hasidim grew.

With the outbreak of World War II, the Germans overran Poland. Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua managed to escape to the Russian-controlled zone, from which he was exiled to Siberia. Jews who survived the Siberian work camps testified that the Rebbe was the one who kept their spirit alive.In 1947 he immigrated to Mandatory Palestine and settled in Tel Aviv. He was in the forefront of activity to maintain adherence to traditional Judaism amongst the masses. He was one of the founders of the Chinuch Atzmai educational network, and he served on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah.He died on the 21st of Shvat 1982 and was buried in the Polish admorim section on the Mount of Olives.

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