Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Port
משה יעקב ב"ר חיים דוד
Rav, Congregation Anshe Shalom, New Rochelle, New YorkDate of Death:
Wed. January 1, 1919 -
Teves 29 5679
Erev Rosh Chodesh
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Directions to Kever: The Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York maintains detailed burial records and will provide assistance upon request. Location: Cemetery: 5 (between 19 & 20th Ave), Post: 517, Row: 1, Grave: 10
Biographical Notes:
Photo Caption: Painting of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Moshe Yaakov Port, Credit: Shifra Baila Joseph
Credit: Rabbi Simcha Goldstein
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ספרו רוח יעקב
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/34996
Rabbi Port served the Congregation Anshe Shalom in New Rochelle which was established in 1904, here is a photo of the impressive Shul:
http://books.google.com/books?id=DR5_a1StRxgC&lpg=PA58&dq=Anshei%20Shalom%20New%20Rochelle&pg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false
He went after that to South Brooklyn, would be interesting to know where exactly he served in Brooklyn.
Located between 19th & 20th Ave.
Left path (closest to Public school)
Tipheres Yerushalayim Section (I think gate 510)
Right side of path.
Straight up a nice few markers – he’s on the right.
I am working on an oral history of his niece Rebecca Affachiner, whom he taught. She made aliya in 1934.
( His sister Feigele was her mother )
As far as I know, he was student in Volozhin and came to USA in 1902 – unclear why. I had date of death as 1923, not 1919
He served at Beth Israel Congregation in Brooklyn after shul in New Rochelle
Don’t know if he has descendents – if yes would like to get in touch for any information they may have about R. Affachiner
Would appreciate any information you have
Frieda R. F. Horwitz
Rav Port listed as residing on 2’nd Av. in Brooklyn:
http://books.google.com/books?id=bdtiEaxYOrsC&lpg=PA82&ots=Z1UtAw5TtE&dq=Rabbi%20%22Benjamin%20Aronowitz%22&pg=PA82#v=onepage&q&f=false
Cool… interesting (residents) listing of Rabbanim.
Perhaps a misspelling – it say “Secenth” Ave., with a “C” – possibly he lived in Windsor Terrace (7th ave).
Location of the Kever is:
Cemetery 5 (between 19 & 20th Ave)
Post 517
Row 1
Grave 10
Cemetery records have the year of death 1920
However the Matzaivah says he died on Tuesday erev Rosh Chodesh 5679 which cannot be since erev rosh chodesh that year was on a Wednesday.
1920 Tuesday was erev rosh chodesh Shevat so that would mean he was Niftar in 5680
The name Rabbi Port has appeared in our family’s history. I think that he was succeeded as Rabbi of South Brooklyn (4 synagogues) by my paternal grandfather, Rabbi Zev Wolfe Chayim Goldberg.
From Hamodia magazine June 11, 2014:
“Monuments To Nobility in Our Backyard Connecting to the Past in Washington Cemetery”
BY YOSEF GESSER
Harav Moshe Yaakov Port, zt”l, was one of the distinguished Rabbanim whose kever was featured in this monthly column on April 24/Parashas Kedoshim. A grandson, Rabbi Nisson E. Shulman … responded to our request for additional information.
Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Port was the son of Rabbi Chaim Dovid and Rebbetzin Machle Port. The family does not have any records of where Rabbi Chaim Dovid served as Rav but know that he was niftar in Russia. Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Port learned in the Slabodka Yeshivah. He was one of fourteen young talmidei chachamim who were sent to establish a branch of the yeshivah in Stiebtz, a town that had been opposed to the Slabodka manner of learning. They were selected for their scholarship, personality and presence. Thanks to their influence, the kehillah in Stiebtz began to change its mindset and eventually supported Slabodka. The group became known thereafter as “Yad Hachazakah.” Rabbi Shulman related that while learning in Slabodka, his grandfather was very close to Harav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, zt”l. Rabbi Shulman said that he himself met Harav Henkin when the latter had become one of the Gedolei Haposkim in America and was advanced in age; Harav Henkin rose and embraced him in honor of his grandfather.
Rabbi Port married his Rebbetzin, Rissel, in 1901. He served as Rav in Bogoslavishok, in the district of Vilna, for a few years. Rabbi Shulman is in possession of Rabbi Port’s ksav rabbanus from that city. He emigrated to the United States with his mother, the widowed Rebbetzin Machle, on June 21, 1904. He was twenty-eight years old. The following year, Rabbi Port’s wife, Rissel, arrived with two children, Chiena-Rochel (Rabbi Shulman’s mother), aged two, and Shlomo Chaim, a baby. He served as Av Beis Din, the leading halachic authority in New Rochelle, N.Y, as well as Mara d’Asra at Congregation Anshe Shalom. When he later moved to South Brooklyn, he was appointed Rav of seven shuls, and would daven in a different one each Shabbos. This is the only example Rabbi Shulman knows of a Rav shechunati (neighborhood Rav) in America.
Rabbi Port’s mother is also buried in Washington Cemetery.
When Rabbi Port died at the age of forty-five on Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5679/January 1, 1919, a victim of the influenza epidemic, the entire community mobilized itself to find a way to support his widow and her seven children. Thanks to their efforts, the U.S. government permitted Rebbetzin Port to sell kosher wine for sacramental purposes, provided she sell only to the members of the congregations over which her husband had presided. They were thus supported during the Prohibition era when the sale of alcoholic drinks was otherwise prohibited.
Rabbi Shulman’s mother (Rabbi Port’s daughter), Chiena-Rochel, married Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok Shulman, who was principal and Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Etz Chaim in Boro Park for twenty-seven years…
Another daughter, Frieda, married Rabbi Israel Friedman, director of the Religious Department of the Jewish National Fund, who later worked closely with Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen at the Ariel Institute in Yerushalayim…
Another daughter, named Machle (after her grandmother), married Ben Hillson. They made aliyah with their family and now live in Yerushalayim. Ben Hillson was very active for a time in the shul in Herzliya Pituach…
A son, Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Port, was a Rav in Boro Park and later the director of Camp Monroe.
Today Rabbi Port’s descendants in America can be found in New York, Los Angeles, Lakewood, and St. Louis; in Eretz Yisrael they are in Yerushalayim, Raanana, Kfar Haro’eh and Haifa…
Rabbi Port had 7 surviving children, one twin having passed away in infancy (I did not know the Hebrew/Yiddish names until I read this): Rose (referred to as Chiena-Rochel by my cousin Rabbi Nissan Shulman), Herb (” Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Port”), David, my mother Esther May (Hodah Manucha) who married Yaakov Shmuel (Jack Samuel) Gross in 1938 , (“Machle “), Frieda and Lillian (“Babe”).
Sorry, there was a typo: Machle was known as Marion.
Is this the same Rav?
http://www.jpress.nli.org.il/Olive/APA/NLI_heb/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=TJM%2F1920%2F02%2F08&id=Ar01003&sk=8EF1A5E2
Why a הספד a year after his passing?
Also in the Boston area as i am his great grandson
Ester May Port in my paternal grandmother
Re:He went after that to South Brooklyn, would be interesting to know where exactly he served in Brooklyn.
I have been told by my cousin, Rabbi Nissin Shulman, that my grandfather, Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Port was the rabbi of 7 shuls in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, NY, which is the area close to Prospect Park. Sorry it took so long to respond
Rav Moshe Yaakov Port was born in Belarus, learned at Slobotka, not Volozhin. His wife, was the grand daughter of Rav Silver who also learned at Slobotka, reported one of the first 4 students of Rav Salanta. I have copies of 2 letters of introduction from “Rabiner M. Epstein of Slobotka. Rav Port served as Rabbi of 7 shuls in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. It is reported that he would daven in a different shul each Shabbat. His headquarters, though, was at the largest: tifereth Yisroel.He had 7 children: Rose Shulman (2 children), Herbert (2 children), David (unmarried), Esther Gross (my mother-2 children), Marion Hillson (3 children), Frieda Friedman (3 children) and Lillian (a/k/a: Babe – unmarried). Unfortu-nately, all of his children have past. Rav Port was the author of a book that remained in the New York Public Library (Main Branch) in a glass enclosed case for many years. He past away during the year of the terrible influenza epidemic. The members of the shul loved him and his rebbetzin so well that they organized so that she could make a living by selling sacramental wine, but only to members of the shuls (limited due to Prohibition). If anyone wants, I could email some documents provided by my cousin, Rabbi Dr. Nissan Shulman (son of Rose), as well as a short, one-page biography of Rav Port. My email: four_jays@yahoo.com
Y.D. Miller , Yes i believe that is my great grandfather. Same Rav