Rabbi Yaakov Yitzhak Neumann or Neimann, also known as "Pupa Rav" was the Rav of Montreal's Hasidic Belz community from 1953 until his death in 2007.
Life
Neumann was born in Pápa, Hungary, to his father Rabbi Yosef ben Benzion Neuman who was a student of R’ Yeshaya Silberstein in Vác/Weitzen, and the Shevet Sofer in Pressburg. Rabbi Yosef served as Rav in Transylvania, and then in Óbuda district of Budapest. He passed in 1964 in Pápa. His mother Chayla Gele was a daughter of R’ Avraham Bick Ztz”L from Presburg Bratislava who was great in Torah and made many Seforim. His mother was a niece of Rav Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. Rav Neuman was named Yitzchok Yaakov at birth but reversed his name because he did not want to be named after his uncle. In his youth, he was a student of Reb Yankel Klamka, who was the secretary to the Vayaged Yaakov. Neumann was then sent to be the Vayeged Yaakov's student in his own Yeshiva in Pápa, and of his son, the Vayechi Yosef. The Rav was son in law of R’ Shia Grunwald, Son of R’ Yida Grunwald – Son-in-law of R’ Nuchem Grunwald, both were children of R’ Amram Grunwald of Csorna son of R’ Yosef Grunwald, Tshetsowitz Rav. He had one child Nuchem who perished in the Holocaust. After the war he remarried to Devorah Rachel, the youngest daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Yechezkia Greenwald, who lived in Chust, the brother of the Arugat HaBosem, sons of above mentioned R’ Amram Grunwald. but did not have children. Rabbi Neumann was a Belzer Hasid.
Rabbinical career
After surviving the Holocaust, in which his wife and only son, Nuchem, was killed, Rabbi Neumann served as head of the remaining Hungarian Pápa community, from which he gained the title, Puper Rav. Rabbi Neumann then emigrated to Australia, and founded the Haredi community in Melbourne. After serving briefly as their rabbi, the Puper Rebbe suggested Neumann's appointment in Montreal's Belzer community, to which the Belzer Rebbe approved. Rabbi Neumann arrived in Montreal in 1953 in the company of several followers from Melbourne, and helped guide the bourgeoning Belzer community. In Montreal, most of the Belzer Hasidic community is of Hungarian origin. The community's initial humble beginnings in Montreal greatly expanded following the Second World War. The Montreal Shtiebel for the Belzer Hasidim is the Hassidei Belz Umachzikei Hadas, located on Jeanne-Mance in Mile End. Since Neumann's death, the community has expanded and built another Shtiebl. Known as the “kleiner/kichi” Puper Rav due to his short stature, Rabbi Neumann became the head of the Montreal Belz kehilla. Well-liked for his good-natured personality and clever wit, Rabbi Neumann served in Montreal until his death. His influence outside Montreal was evident when after his passing he was mourned by the Pupa Hasidim of New York. He died on 7 Shvat 5767, at the age of 87 without children. He is buried next to the Ohel of his Rebbe, the Vaychi Yosef of Pupa, in Kiryas Pupa, in Ossinning, New York.
