Kuldīga / Goldingen
Born on 24 Kislev 5637 (10 December 1876) in the town of Breslov in White Russia (near Dvinsk). He studied at the yeshivas of Volozhin and Slobodka.
In the years 5670–5675 (1910–1915) he served in the rabbinate in Krasnopolye, district of Suvalki, and from 5675 served as rabbi of Novo-Sventsyan, district of Vilna, where he also founded a yeshiva.
In the years 5680–5690 (1920–1930) he served as rabbi of the town of Breslov his home city, and founded a yeshiva there.
On 7 Tammuz 5691 (22 June 1931)1) he was elected rabbi here.
He perished in the Holocaust in Riga.
Yahadut Latviya, p. 384. Sefer Zikaron LeEsrim veShalosh Kehillot SheNechervu BeEzor Sventsyan, p. 835. Amesh Shoah (Memorial Book for the community of Breslov in White Russia), pp. 66–67. Latvia: Batei Knesset VeRabbanim, p. 243.
On 18 Tammuz 5691 a congratulatory announcement was published in the newspaper Primorgen from the gabbaim of the Riga synagogues on the occasion of his election.
Letter of R. Baruch Ber Leibowitz, author of Birkat Shmuel, to the man of kindness, R. Mordechai Dubin, requesting him to intercede on behalf of R. Tzvi Hirsh Valin that the Ministry approve his election (after they refused to approve him because he was not a citizen of the place):2)
The Great Yeshiva — Knesset Beit Yitzchak, \
founded in Slobodka, \
currently in Kamenets of Lithuania. \
15 Menachem Av 5691.
To the honor of the renowned communal activist, prolific on behalf of our people and Torah, a man of charm, precious of spirit, distinguished in Torah and fear of Heaven and exalted qualities — his distinguished honor our teacher R. Mordechai Dubin, may he live, Sejm representative and president of the Riga community —
After greeting you as is proper —
Behold, the honor of my dear friend, the rabbi, the renowned Gaon, etc., our master R. Tzvi Hirsh Valin, may he live, Av Beit Din of Breslov, was accepted as rabbi and Av Beit Din in the city of Goldingen through the elections that took place there on 7 Tammuz of this year, and the committee leaders of the said community wrote, signed, and gave him a letter of rabbinate and also sent a request to the Ministry to approve him; however, the Ministry does not wish to approve him because he is from another country.
I therefore beseech your distinguished honor to intercede on his behalf at the Ministry that he be approved as rabbi in the Goldingen community. I am confident that he will be an ornament to his congregation and God's will shall prosper in his hand to raise the banner of Torah and fear of Heaven and to lead his congregation upon the wellsprings of Torah.
I am confident that your distinguished honor will fulfill my request and immediately take the appropriate steps to bring the matter to fruition, and the Most High, may He be blessed, shall help him, and may your distinguished honor always be among those who bring merit to the multitudes, and merit to see soon the raising of the banner of our holy Torah and the banner of Israel and the banner of our Messiah, soon in our days — as the desire of his precious soul and as the desire of one who blesses him, a rabbi who honors and esteems him as is his distinguished worth.
The words of one who blesses him and esteems and honors him, \
Baruch Dov Leibowitz, \
head of the holy yeshiva.
Latvia and Rabbis