J Greenstein And Company To Auction The Silver Menorah Owned By The First Husiatyn Rov
The Personal Hanukkah Lamp Of Rabbi Mordechai Schraga Friedman, The First Husiatyn Rov
Custom made in Vienna by Vincenz Czokally, c. 1875 – 1880. On a large rectangular base with a step down area that holds the oil section. The body consists of a footed box-like stage that is decorated with flowers and a wreath. On top of the box, there are two lions flanking the Decalogue surrounded by sunburst beams. On each side, there are Corinthian columns with gilded floral vases.
Rabbi Mordechai Schraga Friedman (May 29, 1834, Sedigura – May 28, 1894, Husiatyn) was the youngest (sixth) son of Rabbi Israel Friedman, the Ruzhiner Rebbe. The Ruzhiner indicated that a neshamahsuch as his, did not descend into this world in 2,000 years. He was named after his uncle Reb Mottle of Chernobyl during Reb Mottele’s lifetime as the Ruzhiner explained, indicating that while R’ Mottele was physically alive, he had not been in “this world” for 20 years. As children, a friendship existed between the Husyatiner and his nephew, Rebbe Yitzchok of Bohush, the son of his brother, Rebbe Shalom Yosef of Sadiger. Rav Yitzchok would later relate, “as children, we would gather pieces of wood and make them into piles—but we had the kavonos of Kevodo Malei Olam, that Hashem’s Presence fills the world.”
In 1865, he relocated to the Ukrainian town of Husyatin with his chassidim and his family, and this is where he led the court. The Rebbe built a magnificent shul and court, where he and then his son Reb Yisroel, led the Chasidim. The “Kloiz” was next to the Rebbe’s home.
It has been said that the Rebbe would sit for hours connecting with Hashem in dvekus, his family was so concerned that his soul would part from his body, that they would often distract him during the dveykus to make sure he stayed alive.
R’ Shmuel Zelichover indicated that R’ Mordechai was a warrior on behalf of the nation of Israel. “Every Yid has his personal battle with the yetzer ha’ra, but the Husyatiner was a general—fighting for all of KlalYisrael.” He died in 1894 and is buried in Husiatyn. His kever remains intact and accessible today.
J. Greenstein & Company, Inc., was founded in 2004 by antique Judaica expert Jonathan Greenstein. For over 44 years, since the age of 14, Jonathan has been the “go to guy” when it comes to authenticating antique Judaica. The gallery holds a number of Judaica auctions each year and has collectors, museums, and other institutions that purchase these ritual objects to build their collections of Jewish art. J. Greenstein & Company, Inc. Auction house is exceptionally well respected as experts in antique Judaica and Jewish Art.
Jonathan Greenstein is the founder, president, and expert-in-charge at J Greenstein and Company, Inc. in Cedarhurst, New York. It is a boutique auction house that only sells antique Jewish ritual objects also known as Judaica as well as Jewish themed art.
Jonathan has been featured on CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, NBC news with Chuck Scarborough, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York Business, The New Yorker, KTLA Television, The Atlanta Commercial Appeal, The Forward, Reform Judaism Magazine, The Observer, Art Market Magazine, The Miami Herald, Long Island Business News, The Jewish Voice, The Jewish Week, The Times of Israel, The American Bar Association Journal, The Jewish Link, Jewish Business News, The Nassau Herald, The Five Towns Jewish Times, The Huffington Post, The Robb Report, The Motley Fool, CBSNY, The Texas Jewish Herald, and many others.
His auction house is famous for auctioning Sammy Davis Jr.’s personal menorah, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s piano as well as Professor Alan Dershowitz’s Judaica collection. In addition, during the Madoff scandal, he was made famous for selling Rabbi Alexander Schindler’s Judaica pro-bono for his widow.
He is also a columnist in Hamodia, writes on art and culture for the Algemeiner Journal and is a frequent guest on Fox Business News with Stuart Varney.
