Congregation Shearith Israel of Baltimore
d. 8 Tishrei, 1933
Rav Schaffer studied in the Berlin Rabbiner Seminar (Rabbinical Seminary), headed by the famous Rav Azriel Hildesheimer. The Rav was ordained by Rav Hildesheimer, Rav Avroham Diamant of Yurburg, Rav Zev Lehrman of Erzvilok, the Kovno Rov, Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Spector and Rav Alexander Moshe Lapidus (Lapidoth) of Rossieny (a friend of Rav Yisroel Salanter).
The Rav arrived in New York in 1892 and was soon installed as the first Moreh Dasrah of Shearith Israel. In 1928, after having served for thirty-five years Rav Schaffer retired to the position of rabbi emeritus. He was to remain responsible for the congregation’s kashrus supervision until the appointment of his successor. However, at the time of Rav’s passing, no successor had been appointed. It was not until four years later, in December 1936, that Rav Shimon Schwab arrived from Europe to fill the vacancy left by Rav Schaffer.
Anyone with information is asked to please send it in. See CONTACT page for details.
Directions to kever:
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation
Belair Road Cemetery
2100 Belair Rd
Baltimore, MD 21213
(Small Footstone, its advisable to call the cemetery in advance 410-764-1587)
Rabbi Abba Schepschel Schaffer
December 17th, 2008 · 9 Comments
Tags: Baltimore, MD · Maryland
9 responses so far ↓
1 Baruch A // Dec 17, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I am grateful to Professor Yitzchok Levine for his extraordinary efforts on research Rav Schaffer and to Gerald Shavrick of Project Ezra for locating the kever.
Thank you,
2 Dr. Yitzchok Levine // Dec 31, 2008 at 11:20 pm
For more about Rabbi Dr. Schaffer please see
Rabbi Schepschel Schaffer: Early Years of an Orthodox Activist at http://www.jewishpress.com/content.cfm?contentid=27803
and
Forty Years as Rav of Baltimore’s Congregation Shearith Israel at
http://www.jewishpress.com/content.cfm?contentid=28189
3 YD Miller // Sep 6, 2010 at 2:28 pm
A nice photo of Rabbi Schaffer:
http://books.google.com/books?id=OfJ5UfqBIMkC&lpg=PA73&dq=adolph%20coblenz%20in%20baltimore&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q&f=false
4 asher // Sep 6, 2010 at 4:55 pm
YD, thanx for the visual link, very interesting. Page 68 is a picture of Rav Avraham Nachman Schwartz – is he listed on this already, my search thingie ain’t always accurate.
5 asher // Sep 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm
… and on page 73 is a picture of Rabbi Adolf Coblenz. If he only arrived in 1920, probably not related to Koblentz on this site.
6 Farshlufen // Sep 7, 2010 at 9:09 am
Asher, בעוה”ר Adolph coblenz was the son of Rav zundel son of Rav faish.
7 asher // Sep 7, 2010 at 9:42 am
Farshlufen, thank you!
How did you confirm it.
8 YD Miller // Sep 7, 2010 at 10:46 am
Asher,
RBZ Eisenstadt mentions Adolph Coblenz in hus Anshe Shem, I mentioned it n the Koblentz post on this site as well.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=20673&st=&pgnum=39&hilite=
9 YD Miller // Nov 23, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Rabbi Schaffer was a first cousin to RSA Jaffe of NY, his mother was the sister of R’ Shimon Peretz Jaffe.
He was the SIL of R’ Alexander Moshe Lapidus of Rasien.
http://www.otzar.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2943
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