kevarim.com

Credit: Moreshes Chachmei America’s Archives

Most of the Jews living in Galicia were of Chasidic descent.

Photo Caption: Rav Hirsch Tzvi Margolis Levine c. 1852, Credit: Carol Kaminsky

Photo Caption: A page from Rav Hirsch Tzvi Margolis Levine’s personal notebook, Credit: Carol Kaminsky

Photo Caption: Harav Gershon Shaul Yom-Tov Lipmann ha-Levi Heller (Tosefos Yom Tov), Credit: N/N

Bio Information:
Rav Margolis a descendant of Rav Yom Tov Lipman Heller (d. 1654) changed his name to the more American sounding Levine upon his arrival to Charleston, South Carolina. After the Civil War, he relocated to Baltimore, Maryland.

Rav, Beth Hamedrash HaGadol, Milwaukee, WI d. 13 Adar I, 1930 (5690) Anyone with information is asked to please send it in. See CONTACT page for details. Directions to kever: Beth Hamedrash HaGadol Cemetery 134 S. Dana Court Milwaukee, WI 53214 (414) 871-8760 Location: Needed Click photo to enlarge , a new window will open, […]

Rav in New York City d. 16 Sivan, 1927 (5687) Anyone with information is asked to please send it in. See CONTACT page for details. Directions to kever: New Mount Carmel Cemetery 66-02 Cooper Avenue Glendale NY 11385 (Section: 2, Block: 5, Line: 5, Grave: 23, Society: Glory of Israel) Tombstone fell over.

Credit: MCA

Photo Caption: Rev Morris Jacob. Raphall, c. 1860, Credit: Library of Congress

Photo Credit: Rev Morris Jacob. Raphall, Credit: American Jewish Archives

Bio Information:
Rev Moshe Yaakov (Morris Jacob) Raphall was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1798. At the age of nine his father, a banker, took him to visit the King of Sweden and then to Copenhagen , where he was educated at the Hebrew grammar-school. He later received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Erlangen (Germany). Soon after, he began publishing the Hebrew Review and Magazine of Rabbinical Literature.

In 1840, when the blood accusation was made at Damascus, he published a refutation of it in four languages (Hebrew, English, French, and German) and wrote a defense of Judaism against an anonymous writer in the London Times. The Rev also published a translation of eighteen treatises of the Mishnah; he also began a translation of the Pentateuch, of which only one volume appeared; and a text-book of the post-Biblical history of the Jews (to the year 70 C.E.).
In 1841 he was appointed Moreh Dasrah (minister) of the Birmingham Synagogue (West Midlands), United Kingdom, and the Rosh Yeshiva (head master) of the school. He continued in these capacities for eight years, and then sailed for New York where he was appointed rabbi and preacher of Congregation B’nei Jeshurun. He passed away in New York on June 23, 1868.

Photo Caption:Rabbi Schachne Isaacs Credit: Moreshes Chachmei America’s Archives

Photo Caption: Rabbi Schachne Isaacs, Credit: Moreshes Chachmei America’s Archives
Bio Information: 
Rav Isaacs founded Congregation Bet Tefillah in 1866, a synagogue which was commonly known as Reb Shachne’s Shul.

Rav Illowi was ordained by Rav Moshe Schreiber, the Chasam Sofer and was among the first Rabbanim to serve in the United States. From the time of his arrival on these shores in 1853 until his passing, the Rav spent his time fighting to influence and uphold true Torah values in North America. The Rav is famous for his halachic ruling on the kashrus of Muscovy duck.

Photo Caption: Rabbi Naftali Reiter, Credit: Joan Pollak

Photo Caption: Rabbi Naftali Reiter, Credit: Joan Pollak

Photo credit: From the archives of Joan Pollak

Bio Information:
Rav Reiter was the only member of Chief Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Joseph’s Bais Din (Rabbinical Court) of chassidish descent.