“The haters have already travelled to Pressburg to Weber yesterday” – letter from Rabbi Hillel Weinberger regarding a rabbinical dispute in his city, addressed to Rabbi Chaim Brody, Rabbi of Prague.
“The haters say that Weber already acted and appointed a man from their side, i.e. one of the haters”. Background: the letter was written in 1926, about a year after the death of Rabbi Shmuel Levi Weinberger, Av Beit Din of the town. The author was appointed immediately to succeed his father, but it seems that his appointment faced difficulties and led to a dispute. It seems from the letter that Rabbi Brody was a supporter of Rabbi Weinberger and had influence in the Czechoslovak communities and with the state’s authorities. The author describes the progress made on matters in the town and asks for support against those who opposed him.
The gaon tzaddik Rabbi Hillel Weinberg hy”d (1895-1944) was the son of Rabbi Shmuel Levi Weinberger, Av Beit Din of Sered. He succeeded his father and was Rosh Yeshivat Beis Hillel in the town, was certified by gedolim of his generation including Rabbi Shmuel Rosenberg of Unsdorf, Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein of Weizen, Rabbi Mordechai Leib Winkler, and more. He served as dayan and moreh Tzedek in Sered and after his father’s death became Av Beit Din. He established a yeshiva gedolah there named after his grandfather Rabbi Hillel of Kolomiya. He prayed using nusach Ashkenaz but practiced chassidus, and travelled to visit the Admor Minchas Eliezer of Munkacs. He perished in the Shoah.
