5. Borșa

The beginning of Jewish Borșa is supported by the splendid story of three brothers who wandered to Maramures. And the story goes like this: Rabbi Yosef, the rabbi of Sighet, had three sons (!!!): Mordechai, Shlomo, and Avraham. On their way to their uncle, Rabbi Shmuel-Shmelke of Nikolsburg to inquire about their future they received the following advice: to hitch a single horse to a wagon and go into exile, and G-d would make their path successful in this merit, and the first should get off where the first wheel weakens. The horse brought them to Maramureș. The first wheel became weak in Sălişte, and the eldest Mordechai, descended. The second wheel slackened in Vișeu and Shlomo got off. When the wagon reached Borşa, the wheel of the youngest, Avraham became unstable, so he got off and settled in Borşa. So Borşa merited this splendid beginning of its settlement having as his first father Avraham, just like the father of the Nation of Israel.

The majority of the Jews from Borșa were followers of the Kosov Hasidic court. Their first rabbi was Rabbi Eizik, who arrived in Borșa around the beginning of the 19th century, with the consent of Kosower Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Hager. At the middle of the century, Yaakov Zvi Waldmann, who was not a Hasid, became the rabbi of Borșa. He had a serious disagreement with the leaders of the congregation who proclaimed Menahem Mendel Hager the Messiah. The case caused a great stir and numerous rabbis treated the matter in their responsa. Even so, Waldmann, remained rabbi of Borșa until his death. At the end of the 19th century the Hasidic rebbe Pinchas Hager settled in Borșa and estableshed his court. However, the majority of the Hasidim of Borșa were more faithful to his brother Israel Hager, the Vishnitzer Rebbe. Between the two world wars the son of Pinchas Hager, Alter Menachem Mendel Hager became the local rabbi.