The Hasidic dynasty of Radomsk (Radomsko) dates from 1843, when the town’s communal rabbi, Shelomoh ha-Kohen Rabinowicz (Rabinovich; 1803–1866; appointed rabbi in 1834), began to conduct himself as a Hasidic rebbe. Rabinowicz had been trained in the more popular wing of Polish Hasidism, following those disciples of Ya‘akov Yitsḥak Horowitz (the Seer of Lublin) who did not join the Pshiskhe–Kotsk school. These included Me’ir of Apt (Opatów; d. 1827/31) and Yisakhar Ber of Radeshits (Radoszyce; 1765–1843).
Located in the Łódź district, the Radomsk dynasty competed primarily with the rabbis of Aleksander (Aleksandrów) for the local Hasidic following. Both dynasties had large groups of faithful adherents. In the mode of Polish Hasidism of the later nineteenth century, both emphasized the establishment of yeshivas and placed great emphasis on Talmudic learning.
Rabinowicz’s teachings were published as Tif’eret Shelomoh. First to appear was a volume of homilies on the festival cycle (1866), followed by a volume on the Torah (1869). The festival sermons in particular became well known and were widely quoted. His son Avraham Yisakhar (1843–1892) and his grandson Yeḥezkel (d. 1910) also had collections of teachings published in their names (Ḥesed le-Avraham and Keneset Yeḥezkel).
Shelomoh Ḥanokh Rabinowicz (1882–1942), the son of Yeḥezkel, was the last leader of the dynasty. He became rebbe after his father’s death and despite his relative youth was widely admired; he was renowned both for his great wealth and for founding some 40 yeshivas, known as Keter Torah, all over Poland. He moved to Sosnowiec at the end of World War I and, with the outbreak of World War II, to Warsaw, where he was murdered by the Nazis.
Mendel Piekarz, Ha-Hanhagah ha-ḥasidit (Jerusalem, 1999), pp. 264–280; Zvi Meir Rabinowitz, Ben Pshisḥah le-Lublin: Ishim ve-shitot be-ḥasidut Polin (Jerusalem, 1996/97); Yehoshu‘a Zilberberg, Malkhut bet Radomsk (Bene Barak, Isr., 1992/93).