Founder of the Bais Hamedrash HaGadol of Norfolk Street
d. 25 Iyar, 1887
Rav Ash was from the first European style Rabbanim to organize and lead a congregation in New York City. Eventually his fame and authority spread across the country. No orthodox congregation in the United States would accept a shoichet (ritual slaughterer) without his certification.
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Directions to kever:
Machpelah Cemetery
82-30 Cypress Hills Street
Ridgewood, NY 11385
(Enter from: Union Field Cemetery, Main Road, right on Path J past the trees into Machpelah Cemetery about fifteen feet to the right, look for candle box)
Rabbi Avroham Yosef Ash
December 25th, 2007 · 12 Comments
Tags: New York · Pre 1900 · Queens / L.I., NY · Union Field Cemetery
12 responses so far ↓
1 Grand Rebbe // May 19, 2009 at 11:59 am
Today is his yartziet.
2 Chief Rabbi // May 19, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Was he related to Rav Meir Eisenstadt the Panim Me’irot or Rav Meir Eisenstaedter the Imre Esh? Both were know as the Maharam Ash.
3 YaakovShalom // Jul 10, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Rav Ash was the Rav who started the Beis Hamedrash Hagadol on the Lower East Side.
His daughter Miriam married somebody named Boruch Mordechai Garfunkel. They had one child and then Miriam was niftar. Boruch Mordechai ended up remarrying somebody from Charleston South Carolina and moved to Savannah Ga. to become one of the pillars of the Community. His Great Great Grandchildren Bli Ayin Hara till this day are frum and are still pillars of the community.
4 Reb Elya // Oct 26, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I was recently at the lower East Side. The Shul doesn’t look like it’s in such good condition. I heard they’re trying to restore it.
5 Shmelke Taub // Jul 15, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Reb Elya, the shul is now a landmark, i heard that they hope to receive some gov. funding to restore it.
6 Reb Elya // Jul 16, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Yes, but I’m pretty sure you can’t go inside. I think that they are afraid of it collapsing.
7 DPopper // Aug 31, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Rabbi Ash’s son-in-law, Boruch Modechai Garfunkel married Betty Volaski from Charleston. They had nine children of which 7 survived into adulthood. Four of their children married and only three had children. Nathan and Lina Adler a brother and sister from Baltimore (immigrated from Kitzingen) married Charles and Rachel “Tapp” Garfunkel (also a brother and sister). Thus most of Boruch Mordechai’s descendants are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Charles and Lina Garfunkel of Savannah and Nathan and Tapp Adler from Baltimore. Almost all of their descendants are still frum and found in communities all over the country.
8 Shmelke Taub // Sep 1, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Dear DPopper, your information might be vital for me. Please email me at shmelketaub@gmail.com
Thanks a lot.
9 farshlufen // Sep 1, 2010 at 8:20 pm
D popper, I don’t get it, how did his son in law marry …. was it a second marriage?
P.S. are you related to the david-davidson family?
10 DPopper // Sep 3, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Farshlufen,
Yes his son-in-law, Boruch Modechai Garfunkel, did remarry Betty Volaski after the death of Rabbi Ash’s daughter. They lived in Savannah, Ga. where they raised their family. There is a book written by Milton Gottesman which was published by the American Jewish Historical Society in New York titled “Hoopskirts and Huppas – A Chronicle of the Early Years of the Garfunkel-Trager Family in America 1856-1920″ which provides some details of the family history. I do not believe that I am related to the david-davidson family. I am a great-grandchild of Boruch Modechai Garfunkel.
11 david j. halberstam // Jun 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Are there any blood descendents alive today of Rabbi Ash?
12 D Popper // Oct 25, 2011 at 8:10 am
Check Lubetkin.net for Hannah Garfunkel born 1860. She was the daughter born to Rabbi Ash’s daughter, Miriam Ash. She married Isaac Raphael and had 6 children. I assume that there are living descendants today. I don’t know anything about Rabbi Ash’s other grandchildren.
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