Auerbach (family)
Encyclopedia
The Jewish family Auerbach, Авербах (אוּרבּח) of the 16th to 19th century was a family of scholars
, the progenitor of which was Moses Auerbach, court Jew
to the bishop of Regensburg, about 1497. One of his daughters, who went after her marriage to Kraków
, is the reputed ancestress of the celebrated Rabbi Moses Isserles
("רמ״א").
. A near relative, Meshullam Solomon Fischhof-Auerbach, occupied such an eminent position in the community of Vienna that he married Miriam Lucerna, the daughter of the well-known rabbi
and physician Leo Lucerna (Judah Löb Ma‘or-qat‘on L.). She died July 29, 1654 (Frankl
, Inschriften, No. 202). In his old age it was his misfortune to be driven from Vienna and exile
d (1670) with his coreligionists. Before his death (1677) he had the satisfaction of seeing his sons occupy honorable positions. Nearly twenty years before, his son Menahem Mendel Auerbach was called as rabbi to Reussnitz, Moravia
, after having officiated as assessor to the rabbinate at Kraków. The pupil of such men as Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
, Joel Sarkes, and Joshua ben Joseph, at the Talmud
school in Kraków, Menahem Mendel attained such a reputation as a Talmudic authority that the rabbis of large foreign communities submitted difficult questions to him for decision.
poem on the occasion of an epidemic
that broke out among children in Vienna, in 1634. This poem passed through several editions, under the title Mish'on (sic) la-Yeladim (Support to Children), Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1711. The author died March 11, 1638, at Eibenschütz
(:de:Ivančice). The poem was printed by the grandson of the author, Meshullam Solomon Fischhof, who added a commentary, Rab Shalom (Much Peace). He also published several prayer
s and hymn
s of Israel Nagara, with additions of his own (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1712).
, but later returned to Vienna as assessor of the rabbinate, dying there 7 October 1665. A third brother, Benjamin Wolf Auerbach, settled at Nikolsburg
, and was held in high esteem as elder of the community, even officiating temporarily as chairman of the college of the rabbinate. His testament, printed together with the work Meqor Chokmah (Source of Wisdom), which contains an abundance of worldly wisdom and pious reflection, was published by his son, Meshullam Solomon, assessor of the rabbinate at Nikolsburg, who published an ethical work at the same time. Menahem Mendel's successor as rabbi of Krotoszyn
was his grandson who bore the same name (the son of Moses Auerbach—died May 9, 1739), and was president of the congregation of Krotoschin and of the Synod of the Four Lands. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Saul of Kraków. A son of the Simon Wolf mentioned above was David Tebele, surnamed "HaKadosh" (the Holy), who died as rabbi of Prague
. His name was commemorated by his son Samuel Auerbach, the author of Chesed Shmuel (Samuel's Charity), Amsterdam.
.
, fleeing thence to Germany with a part of the community to escape exorbitant taxation and the machinations of informers. After wandering from one place to another he settled at Worms
, to which he had been called in 1733 to Rabbi Löb Sinzheim's college, and was appointed rabbi in the same community in 1763. He died at Worms May 3, 1778, in the eighty-eighth year of his life, his pious wife Dobresch (daughter of the president Isaac at Brody) dying a few weeks before him. His son, born at Brody, Abiezri Selig Auerbach, was at first rabbi at Edenkoben
, then at Buxweiler, where he died in 1767; his wife was the daughter of Isaac Sinzheim, rabbi at Trier
and Niederehnheim.
Chief Rabbi
of Jerusalem.
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, the progenitor of which was Moses Auerbach, court Jew
Court Jew
Court Jew is a term, typically applied to the Early Modern period, for historical Jewish bankers who handled the finances of, or lent money to, European royalty and nobility....
to the bishop of Regensburg, about 1497. One of his daughters, who went after her marriage to Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, is the reputed ancestress of the celebrated Rabbi Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, , was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha , entitled ha-Mapah , an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch...
("רמ״א").
Viennese Branch
Another branch of the family settled at ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. A near relative, Meshullam Solomon Fischhof-Auerbach, occupied such an eminent position in the community of Vienna that he married Miriam Lucerna, the daughter of the well-known rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and physician Leo Lucerna (Judah Löb Ma‘or-qat‘on L.). She died July 29, 1654 (Frankl
Frankl
Frankl is the surname of:* Abe Frankl, see Yankee Rose* Adolf Frankl , Jewish Hungarian-Austrian painter* George Frankl , Austrian psychoanalyst and author* Gerhart Frankl , Austrian painter...
, Inschriften, No. 202). In his old age it was his misfortune to be driven from Vienna and exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d (1670) with his coreligionists. Before his death (1677) he had the satisfaction of seeing his sons occupy honorable positions. Nearly twenty years before, his son Menahem Mendel Auerbach was called as rabbi to Reussnitz, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, after having officiated as assessor to the rabbinate at Kraków. The pupil of such men as Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi Heller, , was a Bohemian rabbi and Talmudist, best-known for writing a commentary on the Mishnah called the Tosafot Yom-Tov...
, Joel Sarkes, and Joshua ben Joseph, at the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
school in Kraków, Menahem Mendel attained such a reputation as a Talmudic authority that the rabbis of large foreign communities submitted difficult questions to him for decision.
Simon Auerbach
The best known among Mendel's brothers is Simon Auerbach, who at the age of twenty-three wrote a penitentialPenitential
A penitential is a book or set of church rules concerning the Christian sacrament of penance, a "new manner of reconciliation with God" that was first developed by Celtic monks in Ireland in the sixth century AD.-Origin:...
poem on the occasion of an epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
that broke out among children in Vienna, in 1634. This poem passed through several editions, under the title Mish'on (sic) la-Yeladim (Support to Children), Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1711. The author died March 11, 1638, at Eibenschütz
Ivancice
Ivančice is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, 21 km south-west of Brno. The town has approximately 9,300 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of Oslava , Jihlava and Rokytná rivers.-History:...
(:de:Ivančice). The poem was printed by the grandson of the author, Meshullam Solomon Fischhof, who added a commentary, Rab Shalom (Much Peace). He also published several prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s and hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s of Israel Nagara, with additions of his own (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1712).
Hayyim Auerbach
Hayyim Auerbach, a second brother of Menahem Mendel, settled at KrakówKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, but later returned to Vienna as assessor of the rabbinate, dying there 7 October 1665. A third brother, Benjamin Wolf Auerbach, settled at Nikolsburg
Mikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
, and was held in high esteem as elder of the community, even officiating temporarily as chairman of the college of the rabbinate. His testament, printed together with the work Meqor Chokmah (Source of Wisdom), which contains an abundance of worldly wisdom and pious reflection, was published by his son, Meshullam Solomon, assessor of the rabbinate at Nikolsburg, who published an ethical work at the same time. Menahem Mendel's successor as rabbi of Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn is a town in central Poland with 30,010 inhabitants . It has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; it was within Kalisz Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998....
was his grandson who bore the same name (the son of Moses Auerbach—died May 9, 1739), and was president of the congregation of Krotoschin and of the Synod of the Four Lands. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Saul of Kraków. A son of the Simon Wolf mentioned above was David Tebele, surnamed "HaKadosh" (the Holy), who died as rabbi of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. His name was commemorated by his son Samuel Auerbach, the author of Chesed Shmuel (Samuel's Charity), Amsterdam.
Phineas Auerbach
A member of the same family was Phineas Auerbach, president of the Jewish court at Kraków (1695), and author of Halakah Berurah (Lucid Law), a commentary on Orach ChayimOrach Chayim
Orach Chayim "manner of life" is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of Halakha , Arba'ah Turim. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law primarily pertinent to the Hebrew calendar...
.
Hirsch Auerbach
Hirsch Auerbach belongs to another branch of the family. He was first assessor of the rabbinate at BrodyBrody
Brody is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Brody Raion , and is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv...
, fleeing thence to Germany with a part of the community to escape exorbitant taxation and the machinations of informers. After wandering from one place to another he settled at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, to which he had been called in 1733 to Rabbi Löb Sinzheim's college, and was appointed rabbi in the same community in 1763. He died at Worms May 3, 1778, in the eighty-eighth year of his life, his pious wife Dobresch (daughter of the president Isaac at Brody) dying a few weeks before him. His son, born at Brody, Abiezri Selig Auerbach, was at first rabbi at Edenkoben
Edenkoben
Edenkoben is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies approximately halfway between Landau and Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Edenkoben is one of the towns situated along the German Wine Route...
, then at Buxweiler, where he died in 1767; his wife was the daughter of Isaac Sinzheim, rabbi at Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
and Niederehnheim.
Meir Auerbach
Another member of the family was Meir Auerbach (1815), president of the Jewish court at Koło, author of "Imrei Bina" (Words of Wisdom). He immigrated to the Land of Israel and was the first AshkenaziAshkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Jerusalem.
See also
- AuerbachAuerbachAuerbach, a German language generic toponym coming from Aue + Bach, meaning "floodmeadow brook", can refer to:-In Germany:*Auerbach, Erzgebirgskreis, in the Erzgebirgskreis district, Saxony...
, list of places and persons named Auerbach - Ari EmanuelAri EmanuelAriel "Ari" Zev Emanuel is an American talent agent, founder of the Endeavor Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, California, and now co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Endeavor's successor by merger...
, the owner of William Morris Endeavor (WME), the basis for Ari Gold on Entourage - Rahm EmanuelRahm EmanuelRahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
, the current White House Chief of Staff - Zeke Emanuel, American National Institutes of Health bioethicist