Chief Rabbi of St. Louis, Missouri
d. 1 Tishrei, 1915 (5676) Rosh Hashanah
Rav Rosenfeld was a founding member of the Agudath HaRabonim.
Anyone with biographical information is asked to please send it in. See CONTACT page for details.
Directions to kever:
Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery
7570 Olive Blvd (East)
University City, MO 63130
(Ohel on the Hanley Road side of the cemetery.)

Rabbi Zacharya Yosef Rosenfeld
November 26th, 2007 · 14 Comments
Tags: Chief Rabbi · Missouri








14 responses so far ↓
1 Hersh W // Jan 13, 2009 at 2:56 am
I know his great grandson, he is a choshevah guy!
2 Miller // Jan 13, 2009 at 4:30 pm
There is a Tschuvah in Shu”t Maharsham to the Rav about Machine-Matzohs in St. Luis.
3 EruvRav // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:09 pm
See link for some bio info and picture:
http://eruvonline.blogspot.com/2006/03/history-of-city-eruvin-part-1-eruv-in.html
4 Joshua Wall // Dec 11, 2010 at 12:01 pm
In reasearching my family I found a link to Rabbi Rosenfeld. My mother was Sheva Heller, from Matzev, then Denver, the daughter of Betzalel (Chas) Heller. Rabbi Rosenfeld’s son, Benjamin (1877-1946), married Nachama Heller , daughter of Aaron Heller II (1843-1914), a teacher is Ratno, Poland. Aaron’s father, my ancestor, Yitzchak Isaac II (1836-1916) was a shochet, as was Benjamin Rosenfeld.
5 yakov // May 22, 2011 at 4:26 pm
does anyone has a picture of R’ Zecharya?
6 YD Miller // May 23, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Yakov,
Here you go:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6075/927/1600/Rabbi%20Zechariah%20Yosef.8.jpg
7 admin // May 23, 2011 at 4:25 pm
The only known picture of Rabbi Zacharya Yosef Rosenfeld
Photo Credit: Needed
8 David // May 23, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Photo Credit: Needed?
http://eruvonline.blogspot.com/2006/03/history-of-city-eruvin-part-1-eruv-in.html
9 Rabbi Stern // May 24, 2011 at 10:57 am
It’s not his picture!!!!!!!!!
10 David // May 24, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Um, as far as I know he was the first to find it and post it.
11 Sruly // Mar 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm
There is also a tshuvah in Machaze Avroham (R Avroham Steinberg) to R Rosenfeld about machine matzoh.
12 Admin // Apr 17, 2012 at 3:18 pm
The following information about Rabbi Zechariah Joseph Rosenfeld comes from the book Zion in the Valley by Walter Ehrlich:
He was born in Turisk, in Russian Poland, in about 1846. He was educated there by his father, Rabbi Moses Gabriel Rosenfeld, earned his s’micha at age fifteen, and actually succeeded his father as rabbi of the Turisk shul. He came to American in 1890, served briefly in Baltimore, and in 1891 arrived in St. Louis. He was already forty-five years old, and he brought with him a rich background of Talmudic scholarship and rabbinic experience. He was engaged as rabbi of Sheerith Sfard Congregation, one of the preeminent shuls in the Ghetto, and remained there until he died in 1915.
During Rosenfeld’s ministry in St. Louis, Jewish journals all over the country ranked him as one of the most learned Talmudic scholars in the United States. One, in fact, said his fame was as great in Europe as in America. In addition to the usual congregational ministrations of weddings, funerals and baby namings, Rosenfeld was a highly respected counselor and adviser to many St. Louisans, both Jews and non-Jews, in personal and business matters. The press featured him as more than respected; the community “venerated him for his piety and his wisdom.” “He lived the life of a just man, according to the letter and spirit of the Orthodox faith,” said the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, refusing even to being photographed lest it be a violation of the biblical proscription against a graven image.
Rabbi Rosenfeld died at home on September 9, 1915, shortly after returning from services at Sheerith Sfard synagogue on the first day of Rosh Hashannah. Despite his desire for just a simple burial, the outpouring of mourners attests to how highly the entire St. Louis community regarded him. A funeral procession of more than two hundred automobiles started at Sheerith Sfard at Fifteenth and Wash and stopped at nine more synagogues en route through the city to Chesed She Emeth Cemetery. At least forty thousand mourners jammed those synagogues to pay their last respects. About thirty-five thousand people lined the streets, and some fifteen thousand thronged into the cemetery, creating logistical complications in the burial service itself. Catholic priests and Protestant ministers stood reverently there among those who attended, as also did St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel. It was one of the largest crowds of mourners ever seen in St. Louis. Merchants of all faiths even closed their stores during the funeral as a sign of respect. It was indeed a fitting tribute to “the most pious Jew in St. Louis.”
13 Yehuda Horovitz // May 10, 2012 at 6:19 am
How does Rabbi Stern [commenting above] know that the picture is not Rabbo rosenfeld’s??
14 Farshlufen // Feb 28, 2013 at 12:32 pm
His death certificate:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1915/1915_00029450.PDF
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