Rabbi Baruch Halberstam, the Sanz-Gribov Rebbe who led his Hasidic community in Brooklyn's Boro Park neighborhood, died Monday evening at age 70 following a lengthy battle with illness.
Born in Brooklyn in May 1955, Rabbi Halberstam was the eldest son of the previous Sanz-Gribov Rebbe and his wife, daughter of Rabbi Lipa Mannon, who served as rabbi in the Hungarian town of Kovatshaz after World War II.
As a young man, he studied at the Satmar yeshiva and maintained a close connection to Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the founder of the Satmar Hasidic dynasty. He married the daughter of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Rottenberg of Kasan.
Throughout his life, Rabbi Halberstam was known for living modestly while dedicating himself extensively to charity work, largely away from public attention. He continued to live in the same small apartment he had occupied since his marriage, maintaining a simple lifestyle while channeling resources toward helping others.
He became particularly renowned for his extraordinary commitment to hospitality. Approximately 25 years ago, he and his wife established "Hachnasas Orchim D'Brooklyn" (Brooklyn Hospitality), an extensive charitable operation providing full accommodations, apartments, and meals to traveling emissaries, charity collectors, and anyone in need. Rabbi Halberstam personally oversaw the organization to ensure every visitor received proper care, and would himself go door-to-door fundraising to support the operation.
In 2020, following his father's passing, Rabbi Halberstam was installed as Rebbe at the Sanz congregation's house of study on 48th Street in Boro Park, where he led the community for the past six years in the tradition of his ancestors.
Nearly two years ago, he was diagnosed with a serious illness, and in recent months his condition deteriorated. Despite widespread prayers for his recovery throughout the Jewish community, he passed away Monday evening.
Rabbi Halberstam is survived by his elderly mother, his wife, and a generation of children and grandchildren. His sons include Rabbi Chaim Yoel (son-in-law of Rabbi Simcha Bunim Fischer of Matersdorf), Rabbi Yaakov (son-in-law of the head rabbinical court of Kashanov), Rabbi Moshe Shmuel (son-in-law of Rabbi Leibush Iliovitz of Shamshan), and Rabbi Sinai (son-in-law of Rabbi Neta Landa, author of "Ner Yehoshua").
His sons-in-law include Rabbi Moshe Zanvil Bronstein (son of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bronstein of the Vizhnitz rabbis in Monsey), Rabbi Aharon Aryeh Leibush Zinger (son of the head of the Aleksander yeshiva and rabbinical court), and Rabbi Yosef Yisrael Teitelbaum (son of Rabbi Elchanan Chaim Teitelbaum). He also leaves behind his brothers, who serve as Rebbes of various Sanz courts including Sanz-Krynitz, Bnei Torah Sanz, Sanz-Williamsburg, Sanz-Stropkov, Sanz-Monsey, Sanz-Staten Island, Sanz-Kiryas Joel, and Sanz-Gribov, as well as brothers-in-law who are Rebbes and rabbis of Aleksander, Kolomyia, Vengrov, Dushinsky Boro Park, Glogow, and the head of Nitra yeshiva.
The funeral procession departed Monday evening at 10:30 PM (U.S. time) from his house of study at 48th Street and 16th Avenue in Boro Park, proceeding to the cemetery in New Jersey.
