Sunday, May 26, 2024

Rabbi Joseph Samuel Bloch z'l

 Rabbi Joseph Samuel Bloch z’l


Joseph Samuel Bloch. (2023, August 31). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Samuel_Bloch
This is a rabbi of Polish (Galician) origin who spent most of his career in a poor Austrian suburb. But he was of great intelligence, a star pupil of Rabbi Joseph Shaul Nottensohn, and played an essential role in refuting and ultimately publicly humiliating a rabid anti-Semite.


The story follows below, as found in the introduction to the book, “The Wisdom of the Talmud” by Benzion Bokser.


The most spectacular campaign against the Talmud was led by August Rohling (1839-1931), a professor of Hebrew Antiquities at the University of Prague. His Der Talmudjude (The Talmud Jew) went through 17 editions, reaching a circulation of 200,000 copies in Austria alone. Rohling repeatedly prefaced his slanderous material with the offer of 1,000 Taler "if Judah managed to get a verdict from the German Association of Orientalists that the quotations were fictitious and untrue." The challenge was taken up by Joseph S. Bloch, Rabbi at Florisdorf and later a member of the Austrian Parliament, who offered 3,000 Taler if Rohling could prove that he was able to read a single page of the Talmud chosen at random by Rohling himself. Accusing Rohling of ignorance and perjury, Bloch dared him to bring a libel suit. Because of his professional standing, Rohling could not evade the issue and finally charged Bloch with libel before a Vienna magistrate. The court was anxious to thoroughly study the subject and requested the Rector of the University of Vienna, Hofrat Zscholk, and the German Association of Orientalists to appoint two experts. It conceded to Rohling's request both these experts be "full-blooded" Christians. Professor Theodor Noeldeke of the University of Strassburg and Professor August Wuensche of Dresden were selected. From time to time, additional experts were called in. After two and a half years, the report was ready. The trial was to start November 18, 1885, but before the hearings began, Rohling, afraid of an open exposure, withdrew all his charges. The court sentenced him to pay the cost of the trial, and, disgraced, he was retired from his university post. Rabbi Bloch tells the entire story of this dramatic encounter in his “Israel and the Nations.”


Besides his brilliant defeat of Rohling, Rabbi Bloch acted wisely against those still pushing the ancient blood libel conspiracy upon the Jews in the Austro-Hungarian empire. As seen in the paragraph
below from the Encyclopedia Britannica:


He left the rabbinate and, from 1884 to 1921, published Österreichische Wochenschrift (“Austrian Weekly”), financed by a Christian, Baron Scher, in which anti-Semitism was uncompromisingly attacked. Bloch carried on the fight in the Austrian parliament, of which he was a member three times during the years 1883–85 and 1891–95. In 1893, he instituted criminal proceedings against three men who had accused a group of rabbis of the blood ritual. The men were found guilty of conspiracy and imprisoned.


Saturday, December 23, 2023

Dr Arthur Spier z'l

photo credit J. Gruenebaum



Dr Arthur Spier 


I want to write a few words about someone I never knew but always heard about when I was a child.

Dr. Arthur Spier was a German–Jewish educator who was instrumental in opening a school in New York after what was starting out to be an illustrious career as an educator in the Orthodox religious schools of Germany.

Spier's first distinction is that he attended the Beis Medrash Jeschurun in Frankfurt at its heyday when it flourished as a "College Yeshivah" to apply modern parlance. 
He also taught at the prototype for the American Yeshivah High School when he ran the Carlebach school in Hamburg. This was a high school that would prepare the students for a university degree. An idea ubiquitous on the American scene, but quite revolutionary in its time.
He would then come to America and open Manhattan Day School, and later teach and lead the math and science department in the Breuer's high school. 

There are some articles online about him (you may want to set your browser to translate from German for these) HERE and HERE and HERE, but here is a story found in the intro to his calendar by the revered scientist and educator Dr Hugo Mandlebaum z'l, which attests to his lofty reputation that even earned him the respect of local officials in the face of the Nazi regime:

"The situation can perhaps best be illustrated by an incident that occurred in 1935. A delegation of ladies came from America to make a study of the schools in Germany. At the offices of the Hamburg government they asked if they might also visit a Jewish school. The official in charge took them to the Talmud Torah Realschule.

Speaking with Arthur Spier in his office, the ladies asked him if the relationship of other Jewish schools in Germany to their local government was similar to the relationship of this school to the Hamburg government. On the instant Spier replied, "In one respect we are better off; in other respects we are in a worse position."

The Hamburg official looked at the school's director in astonishment. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I spoke the truth," replied Spier, "We are better off than other Jewish schools, because we have you as the responsible government official, and you look after our interests personally. On the other hand, since 1933 we have received no financial support from the Hamburg government, while for instance in the neighboring state of Prussia the Jewish school teachers still have their full salary paid by the government."
paid by the government."

"Replied the officer, "If you can bring me proof of what you say, I promise to see to it that the Hamburg government will attend to its duties in no worse measure than any other local government in Germany."

To a great extent, the official's response, along with his general attitude toward the school, was due to Arthur Spier's sterling qualities of character and personality, which from the first had impressed the government official favorably."

Further on, Dr. Mandelbaum writes about the Kristallnacht pogrom in Hamburg:

"The next morning, however, classes at the school moumed as usual, in  determination to continue in the face of terror. With all the students in attendance and all teachers at their job, the school was then inckard by the Gestapo, the dreaded Nazi Nazi secret police. After several hours the children were sent home, and the teachers wore taken taken directly to the concentration camp. The last to leave was Director Spier. He was taken from his office to the police station There he was subjected to harsh, brutal treatment, and was finally thrown down the stairs to the basement. Unconscious, seriously injured, he was taken to

the hospital. As he lay recovering, a report of the matter reached the head of the local Gestapo. "What?" he asked, "Director Spier? He is to be released from arrest immediately." Recovered, Arthur Spier went at once to the main office of the Gestapo. He wanted to see if he could manage to get his stalf released.

The officer who received him demanded that he reopen the Talmud Torah Realschule


without delay. (The Nazi regime wanted some semblance of normal Jewish life to continue.) "I hope you realize," replied Spier, "that I cannot run the school by myself. I must have my staff of teachers." 
"Why, where are they?"

"In the concentration camp."

The official nodded slowly.

Long before anyone else was released from the concentration camp, the teachers came home and school resumed within a week."

Because there are no images of him on the internet I contribute one or two here.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Shimshon Wolf Rosenfeld

 I was researching the papers of a family from Nuremberg in the online archives of CJH and found an old book among the scans.

It was a pamphlet on the dedication of the synagogue in Uhfield, a suburb of Nuremberg, in upper Bavaria. The pamphlet documents the speeches and the events of the day that this Synagogue was dedicated and it was written by the Rabbi, a former student of an ancient (relatively) institution: The Orthodox Yeshivah in Fuerth. The Rabbi's name was Shimshon Wolf Rosenfeld. 

I will paste the link to his bio in the Jewish encyclopedia (HERE) but what I find fascinating is that on eBay, for a mere 900$, you can own the silver plate that sat on his table, likely under his cup used for Sabbath and Holiday sacramentals (Kiddush cup).



I am posting a picture that I downloaded from Geni and I will be on my way...until I sit down to post again. 


Wednesday, July 5, 2023

From an Excellent Article about Rabbi Yehoshua Neubert zt'l

 An avid reader of my online things, Mr. S. Stern, alerted me to the following article on Arutz Sheva. It is penned by Rabbi Elazar Melamad, a well-known author and Poseik in the Dati Leumi circles in Israel. 

Rav Neubert Zt'l
I am copying the biographical content of the article for its thoroughness- but am choosing to leave out the entire second part of the article because it has political overtones. In it, Rabbi Melalamad talks about how the original publication of Rabbi Neubert's book met with controversy, and Rabbi Melamad implies that the controversy affected the P'sakim in later editions. I am academically interested in that possibility, but- also academically, I am keenly aware that Rabbi Melamad's works have been criticized by members of his community for their avant-guard p'sakim. Seeing that said rabbi has a personal need to promote that question, I am omitting it and linking to the full article for those who want to hear his angle. Enjoy:

Thursday, the 3rd of Tammuz, marked ten years since the passing of Rabbi Yehos
hua Yeshaya Neuwirth 
ztz”l (1927-2013), author of the book ‘Shemirat Shabbat Ke’Hilchata’. Rabbi Neuwirth was born in Halberstadt, Germany to Rabbi Dr. Aharon, who served as rabbi in Mainz, Halberstadt, Berlin and Amsterdam. His mother was the granddaughter of two eminent geonim rabbis of Germany, Rabbi Yitzchak Dov Bamberger, and Rabbi Yaacov Ettlinger.

Rabbi Neuwirth endured the hardships of the Holocaust with his family in hiding, but two of his brothers perished. In the year 1946, he immigrated to Israel, and began studying at the Kol Torah’yeshiva. After the establishment of the state, his parents also immigrated to Israel.

‘Shemirat Shabbat Ke’Hilchata’

His book ‘Shemirat Shabbat Ke’Hilchata‘, published in 1965, is one of the most ordered and accurate books, systematically detailing the particulars of the halakhot, and meticulously providing accurate sources for each halakha.

In order to write his book, Rabbi Neuwirth analytically and carefully studied the Rishonim and Achronim, and halakhic articles by rabbis of his generation, and incorporated them all with precision. Consequently, the labor of writing took several years, and even over preparation of the second and then the third editions, he toiled for many years.

In order for the language to be clear and precise, he employed Rabbi Asher Wassertheil, who edited the book, proofread it meticulously, and added a detailed and precise index of content. The addition of the index was a great innovation in Torah literature, and thanks to it, the book became easy to use, containing available and immediate answers to questions that arose during Shabbat.

Owing to his characteristic thoroughness, Rabbi Neuwirth sought and was provided with assistance by doctors for medical matters, and scientists for electrical and mechanical matters. These systematic inquiries into the entirety of Shabbat laws were also an important innovation.

Thanks to its numerous virtues, the book ‘Shemirat Shabbat Ke’hilchata’ quickly became popular and sold thousands, tens of thousands, and eventually, hundreds of thousands of books. Rabbis enjoyed its scholarly precision, and baalei batim (laymen) could find in it, practical guidance. (It was translated into English and became popular overseas as well, ed.)

The systematicity and precision with which he wrote his book influenced hundreds of rabbis, some who wrote books of halakha on various subjects inspired by his book, but only a few managed to come close to his level of scope, thoroughness, and accuracy.

His Yekke Community Heritage

There is no doubt that Rabbi Neuwirth’s ‘yekke’ (German) origin had a decisive influence on the writing of his book. His father, who was his teacher and rabbi throughout his youth, held a doctorate, as was customary among German rabbis. Many of the rabbis he mentioned he consulted with in writing his book, studied in Germany, including Rabbi Yosef Breuer, Rabbi Ehrentreu, Rabbi Merzbach, and Rabbi Kunstadt.

He later became an outstanding and close student of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Many of the decisions in the book were made according to his method, and towards the second edition, Rabbi Auerbach went through the entire book. However, the order, systematic approach and accuracy in the sources seem to be from what Rabbi Neuwirth absorbed in his parents’ home and his origins. His very arrival at the ‘Kol Torah’ yeshiva was also due to the fact that its heads were from Germany.

His Father’s Legacy

His father, Rabbi Aharon (1882-1958), studied at the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary (Beit Midrash for Rabbis) in Berlin, and received a doctorate in history, philology and sociology. He served as a teacher, rabbi, and dayan (judge) for nearly forty years in Germany, and the Netherlands. After he merited immigrating to Israel, he served as a rabbi in the community of Jaffa for about six years, and later moved to Bnei Brak, taught classes for individuals and groups, and would give the d’var Torah in the Itzkovitch Synagogue during the Kabbalat Shabbat prayers.

When he was twenty-five years old, he wrote an essay on the difference between Jewish and pagan fasts amd sent it to Rabbi Kook, who was then the Chief Rabbi of Jaffa. Rabbi Kook replied to him with a profound letter of blessing.

In Israel, Rabbi Neuwirth’s father wrote books to strengthen Judaism, including a book about the Jewish family, and its purpose. In an article in the Shaarim publication, there was a story about a woman who, following his study, began to observe the laws of family purity. He also wrote a book about the meaning of Shabbat called ‘Yisrael ve’Shabbato’.

The first part of the book is called ‘Ha’Shabbat be’Yisrael’ and contains ideas from the Chumash (Bible), Chazal, and historical sources, and even writings about the value of Shabbat that he brought from the leaders of liberal Judaism, for example, Leo Beck and the philosopher, Herman Cohen.

The second part – ‘Shabbato shel Yisrael ve’Yom Ha’rishon‘ – dealt with the difference between the Jewish Shabbat, and the Christian day of rest.

In the third part – ‘Zionism, the State of Israel, and Shabbat’ – he brought letters from various thinkers about the importance of Shabbat, and he urged the public to observe Shabbat according to its laws.

During the Holocaust

Giving thanksgiving to God, Rabbi Neuwirth related (in the introduction to the third edition) the story of his rescue from the Holocaust. “I lived with my family in Berlin, Germany. Hitler’s, yimach shmo, ascension to power and the rise of anti-Semitism and Kristallnacht made my parents, may their memories be for a blessing, feel that the earth – the land of Germany – was burning under their feet, and they began to look for refuge for the family…” They sent him and his two brothers to Belgium. Later on, they managed to leave Germany for the Netherlands, and rejoin their children.

After the Germans occupied the Netherlands, they began to persecute the Jews. “My parents brought a Torah scroll with them from Germany that belonged to the family and was kept in the Aron Kodesh in one of the rooms in our apartment. When the Germans searched the house, they discovered the Aron Kodesh with the Torah scroll. They immediately asked, in a threatening manner: ‘What is this’? My father ztz”l, was a man of faith, and for that reason, was not afraid to open the ark, and show it to the soldiers.

‘What’s written there?’ they demanded to know. He explained in German: ‘It says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ ‘And what else’, they asked. My father replied: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ We children trembled with fear; but by the grace of heaven, they accepted the explanation, did not touch either the Sefer Torah or us, said good night, and left our house.”

After a while, they were taken into custody and were about to be sent to an unknown destination. The days were the days of Elul and Tishrei. “My father ztz”l, did not lose his wits, and during the arrest, took a shofar with him, which he hid under his coat. He, of course, knew how to blow the shofar, having been a long-time baal tokaya. Even here, surrounded by the guard of German soldiers, father did not want to forgo the mitzvah of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. We covered ourselves with coats to stifle the sound, and father blew thirty blasts for us. We merited the mitzvah, and were not discovered.”

In the end, they were released from detention, hid in a secret apartment, and lived there for three years, without leaving it. “This long and difficult time was used to our advantage by regular prayers, regular recitation of Psalms, and studying with my father ztz”l Tractate Ketubot, which we had with us. I also studied alone with the few books we had, such as Mishna Berurah section III…” (written on the laws of Shabbat).

Since danger was ever imminent, his father sought to save his daughter by sending her to serve as an aide for a Gentile, but when she said that she was forced to desecrate the Shabbat, his father brought her back home. A few days later, they heard that the house in which she worked had been hit by an aerial bombardment, and all its occupants killed. Thus, his sister was saved thanks to keeping Shabbat.

When he escaped from Europe to Israel, he was forced to desecrate Shabbat by boarding a ship, because of the fear of pikuach nefesh. And so he wrote in his introduction: “When I was forced to get on the ship and encounter difficulties of Shabbat desecration due to the fear of pikuach nefesh, I took it upon myself that if merited by God, I would do something for Shabbat, and that’s how the idea arose - to write a book about keeping Shabbat. After the birth of my first-born son, I noticed that there was no book that collected the laws of Shabbat in a language understandable to all, in order to answer the many questions that arise every Shabbat, and that’s when I started writing the book, with the grace of God.”

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Rabbi Pinchos Benedict Wolf z'l


 

I am starting with this figure because my grandparents lived in Koln in the 1920s and might have known him. 

 I recently held a small book at a used bookstore. Pinchas Benedict Wolf of Koln seems to have run a publishing house called: Bibliothek des Jüdischen VolksfreundesIn this volume, he was printing the thoughts of his late father Rabbi Zev Wolf who was no longer alive.   



Here is some more information from Geni- quoting the CJH website: 

 

Benedikt (Pinchas) Wolf was born in 1875. His father, Josef (Ze'ev) Wolf, founded the Talmud Thora in Cologne in 1861. Pinchas Wolf studied in Berlin and briefly taught at the Samson-Raphael-Hirsch school in Frankfurt am Main, before he became the director of the Talmud Thora in Cologne in 1900. Rabbi Pinchas Wolf (died 1950 ed. should say 1968!)) has been described as a "goan in Torah wisdom and science, as well as a man of enterprise" (N.Z. Friedmann, Otzar Harabanim, p. 351, no 16988). He held this position until 1936, when he immigrated to Palestine. He died in 1968. 


Rabbi Wolf founded the Mekor Chaim shul in Petach Tikva, which followed German Minhogim- even tiday to some extent. My wife was raised in that shul, incidentally. 

 

Rabbi Pinchos Wolf had a son Rabbi Yosef Avraham Wolf z'l who was born in 1911. He is known in Israel for having opened a Beis Yaakov school in Bnei Brak after being prompted by the Chazon Ish. 




 

When doing simple Google research it is important to Google in Hebrew as well as in English because some people have a Hebrew Wikipedia page that does not appear in English. He is one. 

 

Here is a piece from his Hebrew Wikipedia page: 

In 1939he immigrated to Eretz Israel and lived in Tel Aviv. Like others from neo-Orthodox backgrounds who were disappointed by assimilation and anti-Semitism, he too turned his back on the German method of Torah Am Derech Eretz and became an important Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox ideologue: he was one of the promoters of the society of learners 

 

The seminar he opened is perhaps the largest in Bnei Brak today and has a sterling reputation.  

 

Although he left the ideas of Torah im Derech Eretz, he penned a book that confronts science from the Torah perspective and challenges some of the ideas of the Wissenschaft. See here the book is ironically called "Torah Umada". 

A book of his thoughts on the Parsha was reprinted and is available on eBay.

He is the grandson of Rabbi Auerbach- Rav of Halberstadt, and the great-grandson of Rabbi Zvi Binyamin Auerbach (author of Nachal Eshkol and student of the Kabbalist R' Nosson Adler of FFAM).  

Photo below from Geni website. Did not find a better photo online 


 

 

His son Rabbi Zev Wolf ran the seminary until his sudden demise this past March. 

Rabbi Joseph Samuel Bloch z'l

  Rabbi Joseph Samuel Bloch z’l Joseph Samuel Bloch. (2023, August 31). In Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Samuel_Bloch Thi...