Dr. Fishel Schneerson

Shaul Shimon Deutsch writes in Larger than life: The life and times of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson on page 125:

The Rebbe began studying in Berlin in the spring of 1928, even before his marriage to the Rebbetzin. The Rebbetzin came to Berlin after their marriage, and studied mathematics at the university. In Berlin, they met other Schneersons and family members with whom they would remain friends for years to come.

Dr. Fishel Schneerson was just such an individual. A descendent of the Schneerson dynasty [Kopuster Rebbe grandson] he was the son of Rabbi Schneur Zaiman Schneerson, the Rabbi of Homel. Fishel was born on June 26, 1887 in the city of Kaminetz in the Ukraine. As a young boy, he went to cheder and yeshiva and was ordained as a rabbi at the young age of sixteen. However, his heart was set on medicine. After completing school at a gymnasium in Homel, he enrolled at the University of Berlin to study medicine. Upon becoming a doctor, he opened a medical institute in Petrograd and in 1920 became a professor at the University of Kiev. He began to explore other areas of knowledge and opened a department of psychology as a new division for the university. He edited a Hebrew journal, Kedimah, which dealt with questions of philosophy and psychology of Judaism. He also published a two-volume study of the psychology of children. In 1921, he left for Poland, where he established a center to study children's behavior. He also published various articles in the Hebrew publication, Tarbut. In 1922, he moved back to Berlin and together with Professor David Koigen and Professor Hilker, Dr. Schneerson established the quarterly periodical Ethos.

It was during this time that Dr. Schneerson published his historical novel, Chaim Gravitzer, about a fallen Chabad Chasid who became disenchanted with Chabad and went to study in Volozhin, the center of the Mussar movement, to try and synergize the Chasidic and the Mussar way of life. Many observers believed that Fishel was fictionalizing some of his own struggles in his novel. (It is also interesting to note that it was the Rebbe's classmate and cousin, Avraham Shionsky, who translated this novel into Hebrew. Dr. Samuel Dresner believes that it is no coincidence that while the whole world was trying to get Shionsky to translate their literary works into Hebrew, Shionsky chose Chaim Gravitzer, a novel of a fallen Chabad Chasid - a reflection of Shionsky's own past.)

Fishel visited America in 1927-28. Although Fishel did not dress or act like a typical Chasid, he still remained close to the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson. In fact, various letters between the Previous Rebbe and Fishel have been published in recent years. These letters shed light on the relationship between Fishel and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak. In one letter Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak begins by addressing Fishel as "... my honored relative the wise man who is renowned, ...G-d fearing man, our master our teacher Fishel, may he live a long life, commonly known as Professor Schneerson." This clearly indicates the tremendous respect Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak had for Professor Schneerson.

Schenur Zalman of NY comments:

I spoke to my friend Bere Gourary about Dr. Fischel Schneerson.

I had read his novella CHAIM GRAVITZER and I found it most impressive. An account of the internal spiritual struggle of a real Chabad Chassid, his neffilah so to speak. Actually the novella reads like a Maamar Dach so to speak. The theme is Ein Eyd Milvade. (There is none besides HIM). An unusual story. Pt. 2 of the novella describes the protagonists spiritual journey to the Chages Velt (Chernobil) and Brisk (The Lithuanian Teyre world). Pt. 2 I found weak. Bere told me the following that Dr. (or Prof. as he was known) was admired by his grandfather and in Otwock he came to see the Rayaatz often. He was a shomer shabbes Yid and a very spiritual person who liked communing with nature like davening mincha in the Otwocker forests. Its unclear how close Fishel was to the Rayaatz , certainly not a member of the inner circle.

His only child, a daughter became a well known flamenco dancer in Spain and Argentina, so I remember Barry telling me. His brother was a Ish Chashuv "Rabbi" Isaac Schneersohn the Rabbi of Czernigow and later a activist in Paris. His published memoirs are a fascinating account of pre war Jewish life in White Russia and the Ukraine. His father in law was none other than Rav Mordechai Dov Twerski of Hornestaypel the son in law of the Divre Chaim. That�s all I remember of our discussion about Dr. Fishel Schneerson.