Letter from Renowned American Chabad Chossid, Reb Shmuel Dovber Ganeles
A rare letter from Reb Shmuel Dovber Ganeles, a distinguished shochet and one of the early Chabad chassidim in America. In Nineteen Nineteen, he sold his chazakah in the shchitah union to Reb Mordechai Karsh.
Reb Shmuel Dovber Ganeles – A Pioneer in Kosher Wine and Chabad in America
Born in Mogilev, Minsk, Belarus, Reb Shmuel Dovber was the son of Reb Rafael Ganeles, who later also immigrated to America. As a bochur, Reb Shmuel Dovber maintained a close friendship with the Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch, learning together in yeshiva. His son recounted that as a young man, he drove his father around to help raise funds to bring the Rebbe to America. Due to this connection—and the fact that Lubavitch used Ganeles Langer kosher wine—the Ganeles name became well known in the Chabad oilam.
After arriving in America, Reb Shmuel Dovber served as a shochet, and in Nineteen Nineteen, he sold his shchitah rights and shares in the union. He then founded a kosher wine company, producing high-quality wine that gained widespread recognition in the Jewish community. His company’s success led to its eventual sale to Kedem, today a household name in kosher wine.
Reb Shmuel Dovber was closely connected with prominent Chabad and Malachim families. His sister, Gneshe Shein, married the well-known Reb Shimon Shein, and their daughter later published the famed book All for the Boss. Arriving in America before his sister, Reb Shmuel Dovber was actually the shadchan for her marriage to Reb Shimon. This made him the uncle of the well-known Shein family and their daughters, including the Flohr, Gertner, and Soloff families, all prominent among the Malachim.
Though Reb Shimon Shein was be’etzem a Litvak, he was particular to take eidimer with beards, leading him to choose from the Malachim. His wife, coming from a Chabad family, was comfortable with Chabad-Malachim bochurim.
Additionally, Reb Shmuel Dovber’s wife was the granddaughter of Reb Hillel Paritcher, zt”l, and possibly a descendant of the Alter Rebbe, zt”l.
