Rabbi Hillel Bisko

Born in Sejny but was re-registered in 1901 to Uzpaliai. US immigration records give place of birth as Uzpalai and DOB as 1 June 1881.

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• Married 1912 in Vilkija, Kaunas County, Lithuania and first child born there 1913.
• Daughter born 1917 in Minsk, Belarus. (Hillel was likely there with his mother who was evicted there in 1915).
• In 1918 his second son was born in Vilnius, Lithuania.
• Was active from the age of 15 in setting up The World Tifereth Bachurim and Bachuroth movement in Lithuania and Latvia with heaquaters in Kovno, with the aim of bringing Jewish youth back to their cultural source. He established at least 1000 branches in Europe, Great Britain, Palestine and the USA by 1947. (Organisation had the support of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski of Vilna, Rabbi Avrohom Dovber Kahana Shapiro of Kovno and Rabbi Yitzchok Izaak Herzog of Palestine).
• Set out on a 'world tour' inspecting existing branches and establishing new ones.
• Recorded between the years 1936 and 1940 as being very active setting up branches in the UK. Branches in Belfast, Dublin, Leeds, Sunderland, Cardiff, Merthy-Tydfil, Manchester and London recorded. (Additional branches were set up from as early as 1931 including a branch in Liverpool). Established close to 40 branches with more than 600 members. Additionally, in England he established a Teachers' training Seminary.
• Lithuanian Passport issued in London on 03/11/1937.
• Was in Dublin then Belfast in 1940.
• Emigrated with his wife (by ship from Liverpool) in 1940 to the USA via Ellis Island
• Son Judka was killed in 1941 by the Russians.
• In America he established Kolel Kovno in Williamsburg. The kolel was re-established in 1943 in White Plains, Westchester. The Kolel was subsequently re-established in Lakewood, New Jersey and renamed Beth Hamedrash Govoha - Kolel Kovno. (Rabbi Bisko left some time after Rabbi Aharon Kotler's arrival).
• Studied in Radin under the Chafetz Chaim and is recorded as having served as Spiritual Leader and fundraiser for the American branch of "Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva of Radin, Poland" in the years 1945 and 1946. (Apparently, he came under fire from Rabbi Aharon Kagan, the son of the Chafetz Chaim, who disliked people adopting the Chofetz Chaim's name for their institutions but was defended by Rabbi Mendel Zaks, Rabbi Aharon Kagan's own brother in law).
• Founded "Chafetz Chaim movement" in America
• Instrumental in the founding of Netzach Yisroel Yeshiva headed by Reb Yisroel Gustman c. 1950.
• Resided in Brooklyn.
• Naturalisation application 2nd Dec 1952

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See also Jewsihgen Sefer Ha-zikaron Li-kehilat Yurburg-Lita

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See also בן־ציון קליבנסקי: 'תפארת בחורים' — תנועת לימוד תורה לבני מעמדות העמלים בליטא בין מלחמות העולם

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See also Kevarim.com and Otzar Forum. Note: Information given in above mentioned sites of Rabbi Bisko's father being called Shaul doesn't match Lithuanian records. Hillel's son Judka was called Shaul Juda. Doba Raibstein's tombstone also says daughter of Shaul. However, her Lithuanian documents also give her father's name as Yitzchok Ber. Note however, that she couldn't have been Rabbi Hillel's sister as Yitzchok Ber, father of Hillel died in 1906 and Doba was born in 1912. Mothers' names don't match either.