Solving the Mystery of the Greenberg Family's Descent from the Shpoler Zeida (original) (raw)

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Greenberg family, who claims descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Greenberg ancestor, Rabbi Dov Ber Greenberg (born bet. 1814–1818; d. 1874), and his wife, Nechama (born bet. 1816–1819), are connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Greenberg family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We believe that the available historical and genealogical evidence supports the Greenberg family’s plausible line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through his great-granddaughter, who married Rabbi Dov Ber Greenberg.