Pinḥas Rozovski

ROZOVSKI, PINḤAS (1843–1904), rabbi and Zionist. Born in the Minsk district, Rozovski studied at the Yeshivah of Volozhin. From 1867 he was rabbi of Lipkany, near Slonim, until he succeeded Isaac J. *Reines as the rabbi of Svencioneliai (Yid. Shventsian), Lithuania, in 1887. He knew a number of languages, ancient and modern, including Arabic, and was learned in ancient and modern history and philosophy. Yet he lived meagerly, devoting his attention entirely to literature and the Torah. He wrote many books on biblical, philological, talmudic, and midrashic issues, as well as responsa and commentaries. Since Rozovski had no financial means, none of these books was published. Some of his articles, however, were published in various periodicals. He was attracted to Zionism and sought to give the national renaissance movement a religious ideology. He took part in the founding conference of Ha-*Mizrachi in Vilna (1902), as well as in the Second and Sixth Zionist Congresses, and the *Minsk Conference of Russian Zionists (1902). In the educational controversy between religious and secular Zionists, he supported the proposal to establish two separate educational communities within the Zionist Organization, so as to enable each to conduct its own policy in matters of culture and education.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.