Sanz (orTsanz, Yiddish: צאנז) is a Hasidicdynasty originating in the city of Sanz (Nowy Sącz) in Galicia. The dynasty was founded by the rebbe Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (1793–1876) who was the rabbi of Nowy Sącz and the author of the work Divrei Chaim by which name he is known as well.
Rabbi Chaim was a disciple of Rabbi Naftali Zvi of Ropshitz.[a] He opened his court after the death of Rabbi Asher Yeshaya of Ropshitz, son-in-law of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi.
After his demise (25Nisan 5636, 19 April 1876), his six sons and his seven sons-in-law built courtyards with new names in the cities where they served as rabbis, and their chassidim separated, but most of them went to his eldest son, Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga HalberstamofShinova. His fourth son, Rabbi Aharon, remained to serve as rabbi and rebbe in Sanz, but he was known as the 'Rav of Kreiz', that is, the rabbi of the province, a title he already had in his father's life. In the generations that followed, there were divisions within the courtyards of the dynasty and dozens of different courts were established from the dynasty, and existed until the Holocaust.
Grand Rabbi Baruch Halberstam of Gorlitz, son of Rabbi Chaim of Sanz
Grand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam (1870–1941), the first Zhmigroder Rebbe, a son of Rabbi Boruch of Gorlitz; died in the Omsk forest, Siberia.
Grand Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Halberstam (1909–7 January 2007[1]), the second Zhmigroder Rebbe, son-in-law of the Stretiner Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Yehuda Tsvi Brandwein. Author of Arye Sho'ag, died in Netanya. In his youth he studied under the Tshebiner Rov and Rabbi Meir Shapiro. During World War II had to leave Zhmigrid for Kraków, then Lviv and eventually Siberia. He served as a rebbeinPetah Tikva, where he found the Divrei Chaim Synagogue, Yafo and Bnei Brak. For a short period in 1950 he lived in Antwerp.
Grand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, third and the current Zhmigroder Rebbe, son of Rabbi Aryeh Leibish
Grand Rabbi Yehosua Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Antwerp, son of Rabbi Aryeh Leibish
Grand Rabbi Chaim Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Aryeh Leibish
Grand Rabbi Yisrael Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of America
Grand Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, Zhmigroder Rebbe of Borough Park (43rd Street), son of Rabbi Yisrael
The main Hasidic works revered by the Sanz Dynasty are Divrei Chaim, by Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Tsanz and Divrei Yechezkel by his son, Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam.
The place name Sanz in Poland should not be confused with the city Sens in France, for which another name is Shanz, as in Tos'fos Shanz, the title of famous commentators of the Talmud. Shanz is also sometimes spelled Shantz.
