What is "zvhil"

Zvhil is the name of a Hasidic dynasty which originated with Rabbi Moshe of Zvhil, the son of Rabbi Yechiel Michl, the Magid (Preacher) of Zlotshev. He was also the grandson of Rabbi Yitzchok of Drubitsh and Rabbi Aharon of Karlin. As in several inter-related Hasidic dynasties, family tradition held that Rabbi Moshe was a descendant of King David.

Rabbi Moshe died in 1831 and was succeeded by his son Rabbi Yechiel Michl Goldman of Zvhil. The last rebbe to reside in Zvhil was Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel. Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel was also the Tsar-appointed Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine.

The town of Zvhil is located in Volhynia, in present-day Ukraine. Today it is known as Novohrad-Volynskyi. The Jewish version of the name, Zvhil, instead of Zvyahel can be attributed to the similarity between Zvhil and Zvul (one of the holy names for the ancient Jewish Temple in Hebrew, pronounced 'Zvil' by Ukrainian Jews).

Today, there are three Zvhiller Rebbes, who are cousins. One is the Zvhil-Mezhbizh Rebbe of Boston, MA, Grand Rabbi Yitzhak Aharon Korff (Ira A. Korff), grandson of Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel who was a son-in-law of Reb Yechiel Michl the Second. The other two, Rabbi Avraham Goldman in Jerusalem (d. 2009) and Rabbi Shlomo Goldman in Union City, New Jersey, are descended from Reb Yechiel Michel the Second's younger brother, Reb Shlomke of Zvhil.