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At about the beginning of the nineteenth century, an independent Hassidic dynasty was founded in David-Horodok which is near Pinsk and even nearer to Stolin. Its adherents were known in the vicinity of Pinsk as “Horodoker Hassidim” (to distinguish them from those of Rabbi Menahem Mendl of Vitebsk who went by the same name). This was the smallest branch of the Hassidic dynasties in Polesye and it had a small circle of Hassidim in David-Horodok, Lakve, Luniniatz, Pinsk and Kozanhorodok. Just as the Labashier Hassidim found their place west of Pinsk, between Pinsk and Kobrin, so did the small group of Horodoker Hassidim, east of Pinsk between Pinsk and Lakve. The founder of the dynasty was Rav Wolf who was called by his Hassidim name: Rav Wolftsi (Ginsburg), a son of the tsaddik Rav Shmuel Halevi of Kashivke, a town in Volin not far from the well-known Hassidic centre of Nasvizh.

Rav Schmuel was a close friend of the renowned tsaddik of Volin, Rav Mordehai of Nasvizh. This can be seen from a letter written by Rav Asher of Stolin sometime between 1802 and 1826 indicating that both tzadikim were on friendly terms and were in-laws.

There is no information as to how Rav Wolf founded an independent dynasty in the centre of the Karlin realm. The only Hassidic source that mentions Rav Wolf refers to him as Av Bet Din (head of the rabbinic court). It is also popularly believed that Rav Wolf was first designated as a rabbi in David-Horodok and later, probably because of his lineage, he became a rebbe (Hassidic designation of their rabbi). Details of his personality, life and the exact year of his death are unknown. There are various popular legends regarding his death which testify to his popularity and authority. The legacy of his rabbinical seat went to his son, Rav David. It appears that he had no great influence. For example, Rav David is not mentioned in the short family biography kept by Hassidic sources. Subsequently, Rav David's son, Rav Israel Yosef Halevi, became a central figure in the small Hassidic branch, and he was their rebbe until the end of the nineteenth century. He was a renowned scholar and he led his small congregation of Jews autocratically. Both his fellow townsmen and those from surrounding areas regarded him with great respect. In contrast to the Barazner Hassidim who were mostly common rabble, his Hassidim included many aristocrats, even some from misnagid (rationalists who were usually antagonists of Hassidim) homes. For example: when he would journey to the Horodoker synagogue in Pinsk, his 'table' would be visited by the then Hashuber rebbe, Rav Motis, the community heads, cultural leaders and others.

Rav Israel Yosef had personal dealings with the renowned tsaddik of Volin, Rav Itzhak of Nasvizh. From the letters which Rav Israel Yosef wrote to him (in 1856, 1861 and 1864),

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one can see his spiritual dependence on Rav Itzhak of Nasvizh. With the expression: “I pray and implore that his holiness (Rav Itzhak) not forget us in the future…so that I may rest peacefully in my house…” He refers undoubtedly to the controversy between his Hassidim and the Stolinr Hassidim who regarded the Horodoker Hassidim as inferior.

The liturgical melodies in his Horodok synagogue was called “the rebbe's study-house” were similar to the liturgy in Volin. Rav Israel Yosef died in 1899 and a common tomb enclosed his grave along with the graves of his father and grandfather in the Horodoker cemetery. His descendants had certain renown such as his grandson Rav Itzhak who died in 1908. Rav Itzhak's grandson, Rav Aharon, belonged to the last generation of the dynasty. He occupied the position of rebbe in the neighbouring town of Luniniatz. A second grandson, the last Horodoker rebbe, Rav Moshe was a student at the yeshivas of Volozhin and Lida and a gifted preacher. He was close to the Zionist movement and was held in great esteem by all. He died a martyr at the hands of the Nazi.

Of the writings of the Horodoker tzadikim, nothing remains except the few letters mentioned above. The establishment of a dynasty probably resulted from choosing the son of a Hassidic tzadik as a rabbi who then became both rabbi and rebbe together. This is similar to the manner in which the Libasheier dynasty was established. The small branch of Horodoker Hassidim were bound together solely by the personalities of the tzadikim Rav Wolf and Rav Israel Yosef who enlarged the small number of Hassidim in that narrow corner of Polesye. They remained the only disciples of the Hassidic movement.

There stands in front of my eyes the small study-house on the “synagogue court” in which Y.L. Zager was raised and lived. A loving warmth would permeate you as you entered this little house. His simple parents would receive you with a permanent smile on their lips.

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The peacefulness, quiet and cleanliness; the love of the people would make you forget that you were in a small lowly house. You would get the feeling of spaciousness. His father, a blacksmith, was a scholar like many other laborers in David-Horodok, and he sent his only son to the Yeshiva.

He became instilled with the Zionist ideal along with his fellow Yeshiva students such as P. Novak, Sh. Reznik and others. When they organized the first group of the Tzeirei Zion movement in David-Horodok, Y.L. Zager proceeded to join them. His boundless devotion and enthusiastic activities soon put him at the head of the movement which he led until the last day of his life.

Y.L. Zager's activities in town were not limited only to the idealistic Tzeirei Zion movement and later the Poalei Zion party. There was hardly a social institution in the town in which he was not an active leader. In such manner, he devoted much time and energy to the public library named after Y.L. Peretz of which he was one of the founders. The Keren Kayemet fund, the charity boxes and especially the orphans' committees were able to exist until the last moment thanks to his ties with America and the trust they had in him.

Y.L. Zager did his communal work with no expectation of reward. His honesty was renowned throughout the town. Characteristically, in all the institutions where he was active, they gave him the office of treasurer. Everyone had complete trust in his notebook where he would inscribe with tiny Rashi script (biblical commentator who invented his own Hebrew script) the revenues and debits of those institutions.

Y.L. Zager knew everyone in town and everyone knew him. People would confide in him and they would come to ask him for help. He would manage the free loan funds and he was always ready to help when he was convinced that the involved individual was in a critical situation. He always knew who was really needy and who not. He was not a talker but a doer.

When in 1938 there was a local election in town, the natural candidate for community leader was Y.L. Zager. The Poalei Zion party and the artisans went to the polls with a joint list at the top of which was Y.L. Zager. His popularity in town insured the victory of that list in the balloting. Everyone wanted to see him head of the community. Unfortunately, certain circles paid off the proper people and the list was invalidated on the basis of the infamous paragraph 20 with the resultant embitterment and displeasure of the great majority of the Jewish population.

In the last years, he worked on steamships as agent of his brother-in-law in America. Even here he was the treasurer to the great satisfaction of the partners.

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He died at his work. He drowned while swimming in Nirtcha on Sabbath, August 1, 1939. His death caused great sadness throughout the town.

Funeral of Yitzchak Leib Zager in David-Horodok - 1939

The organizational funeral committee selected three people who devised a plan to perpetuate his name by building in his name a house for the orphans' committee and the Y.L. Peretz public library. At the end of the thirty-day mourning period, on September 2, 1939, they proclaimed the campaign to accomplish this goal. Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939 nullified all their plans and they were not even able to erect a stone over his grave.

Perhaps it is symbolic that such a pure and honest soul was not contaminated by the murderous Nazi and local criminal hands.

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