Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz (1902 – October 18, 1995), universally known as the Ribnitzer Rebbe, was a highly revered Hasidic tzaddik (righteous person) and mystic. Renowned as a miracle worker and a man of immense spiritual devotion, he spent decades preserving Jewish practice under severe Soviet oppression before moving to Israel and later the United States.

Early Life and Spiritual Upbringing

• Roots: He was born in Botoșani, Romania. Orphaned of his father at a very young age, he was initially raised by Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Frankel.

  
  

• The Shtefanesht Legacy: He became an exceptionally close disciple of the Kabbalist Rabbi Avrohom Matisyohu Friedman of Shtefanesht (a grandson of the Ruzhiner Rebbe). Because Rabbi Avrohom Matisyohu had no children of his own, he effectively raised young Chaim Zanvl like a son.

  
  

• Torah Scholarship: Though he became most famous for his hidden mysticism, he was a massive Torah scholar. It is noted that by the age of 18, he knew the entirety of Rashi’s commentary on the Talmud (Shas) by heart.

  
  

Heroism in the Soviet Union

Following World War II, when many rabbinic leaders fled Russian-occupied areas, Rabbi Abramowitz chose to remain behind in Rîbnița (present-day Transnistria/Moldova) to serve the Jewish people. He lived completely undeterred by the oppressive Soviet regime and the threat of the KGB.

• Underground Mitzvos: Working covertly, he served as a mohel (performing thousands of circumcisions, often traveling extensively across the USSR to do so safely) and a shochet (kosher slaughterer). He also actively encouraged families to send their children to underground Torah schools.

  
  

• Persecution and Arrests: His "counterrevolutionary" activities led to multiple interrogations and arrests by Communist authorities. According to accounts from his followers, he managed to escape extreme danger through miraculous circumstances—on one occasion allegedly securing his release after promising a judge that his ailing wife would be cured.

  
  

Asceticism and Spiritual Devotion

The Ribnitzer Rebbe was legendary for his extreme ascetic lifestyle, reminiscent of early Hasidic masters:

• Fasting: From the 1930s until the very end of his life, he fasted on almost every single day that fasting is permitted under Jewish law.

  
  

• The Frozen Mikveh: He immersed himself in a mikveh (ritual bath) twice daily. During harsh Soviet winters, this required him to take an axe to frozen rivers like the Dniester to chop away thick ice so he could submerge himself.

  
  

• Midnight Prayers: His Tikkun Chatzos (midnight prayer service mourning the destruction of the Temple) was a sight of intense emotion. Dressed in sackcloth and ashes, he would sob so intensely for 6 to 12 hours at a time that his tears would turn the ashes into mud.

  
  

Later Years and Relocation to America

In 1970, the Rebbe finally left the Soviet Union and immigrated to Israel, settling in the Sanhedria neighborhood of Jerusalem.

A few years later, he relocated to the United States. He lived briefly in Miami, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn (including Borough Park and Sea Gate) before ultimately settling in Monsey, New York. Thousands of people from all walks of life flocked to his home seeking his insight, blessings, and prayers for illness, family harmony, and livelihood. Notable Jewish figures, such as singer Mordechai Ben David, became close disciples.

Passing and Legacy

The Ribnitzer Rebbe passed away on October 18, 1995 (the 24th of Tishrei). He is buried in the Vizhnitzer Cemetery in Spring Valley, New York. To this day, his gravesite remains a prominent pilgrimage destination where thousands gather annually on his yahrzeit (anniversary of death) to pray and leave written petitions.