Kevarim of Tzadikim in North America

Rabbi Binyamin Gittelsohn

by | Nov 4, 2009 | Cleveland, OH, Ohio | 14 comments

Rabbi Binyamin Gittelsohn

ื‘ื ื™ืžื™ืŸ ื‘"ืจ ื™ื”ื•ื“ื” ืœื™ื‘

Chief Rabbi, Cleveland, Ohio

Date of Death: Fri. January 1, 1932 - Teves 22 5692

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Cemetery:

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Directions to Kever: Lansing Cemetery Association in Cleveland, Ohio maintains computerized records and will provide a detailed location map upon request. Location: See map below.

Name Listed on Cemetery Database: Name listed on marker: Rabbi Benjamin Gittelsohn

Biographical Notes:

Gittelson Pic New
Photo Caption:ย Rabbi Binyamin Gittelsohn, Source:ย J.D. Eisenstein

Credit: Institute For Judaic Culture and History IFJCAH

Bio Information:
Ravย Gittelsohn was born in Lithuania (1851-1853), son of Rav Yehuda Leib a descendant of Rav Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz, Shelah Hakadosh. The Ravโ€™s father passed away when he was eight. Impoverished, he wandered from town to town for charitable donations enabling him to receive a traditional yeshiva education. Rav Gittelsohn attended the yeshiva of Slabodka and thereafter Slonim where he was ordained. The Ravโ€™s first rabbinical post was in Alanta and soon after, Troskunai, a small Lithuanian town. He remained very poor, because the Jewish community was unable to pay an adequate salary. In 1890, the Rav was asked to settle in Cleveland by the growing community of Lithuanian Jews in the city. After serving various congregations throughout the city he was appointed as the Moreh Dasrah of Oer Chodosh Anshe Sfard where he remained until his passing. As Clevelandโ€™s first rabbinic scholar he was led to become the spiritual authority for many of the surrounding congregations.
Rav Gittelsohn published two seforim (books) Ha-Poteah ve-ha-Hotem (New York, 1898) and Seder Haggada shel Pesah ‘im Be’ur Nagid ve-Nafik (Jerusalem, 1904). Additionally, he wrote a commentary on Tefilah (prayer) that was never published. The Rav married Celia “Sippa” Alenik while still in Lithuania, they had 12 children.
(Based on information obtained from The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History)


Credit: Rabbibenjamingittelsohn website

Credit: Rabbibenjamingittelsohn website


Credit: Map to the kever of Rabbi Binyamin Gittelsohn


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14 Comments

  1. Rabbi Stern
    Rabbi Stern on November 4, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    Rabbi Gittelson was an early member of the Agudath Harabonim.

  3. Yaakov Berger
    Yaakov Berger on July 22, 2010 at 12:35 pm

    Row B-3 (north) (From JewishGen)

  5. Farshlufen
    Farshlufen on April 4, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    Yahrzeit 22 Teves 5692 – Jan 1 1932

    Source: Jowbr

  6. ohaivsforim
    ohaivsforim on February 27, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    is anyone aware where his writings that arent in a YU ended up?

  7. ohaivsforim
    ohaivsforim on April 8, 2014 at 11:47 am

    The Rav’s complete peirush on the Hagada was just published and I heard its amazing. Any idea where to find it and who did the job?

  8. YD Miller
    YD Miller on April 24, 2014 at 3:33 pm

    ื‘ื™ืŸ ื”ืžื•ืŸ ื”ื’ื“ื•ืช ื”ื ื“ืคืกื™ื ื‘ื›ืœ ืฉื ื” ื•ืฉื ื” ื ืคืœื• ืขื™ื ื™ ืœื”ื’ื“ืฉ”ืค ืข”ืค ื ื’ื™ื“ ื•ื ืคื™ืง ืฉื ื“ืคืกื” ื–ื” ืขื›ืฉื™ื• ืžื—ื“ืฉ ืข”ื™ ืžื•”ื” ืฉืœื•ื ื–ืฉื™ื™ืงืื‘ ืžืžื•ื ืกื™ ื”ื™”ื• ืชืœืžื™ื“ื• ืฉืœ ื”ื’ืจื™”ื“ ืฉืœืขื–ื™ื ื’ืขืจ ืฉืœื™ื˜”ื.

    ื”ื’ื“ื” ื–ื• ื ื“ืคืกื” ืœืจืืฉื•ื ื” ื‘ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื ืœืคื ื™ ืžืื” ื•ืขืฉืจ ืฉื ื™ื ื‘ืฉื ืช ืชืจืก”ื“ ื•ื ืชื—ื‘ืจื” ืข”ื™ ืื—ื“ ืžื’ืื•ื ื™ ื•ื’ื“ื•ืœื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืฉื—ื™ื• ื—ื™ื™ ืžืจื•ืจื™ื ืขืœ ืื“ืžืช ืืžืขืจื™ืงื ื•ื›ืžืขื˜ ืฉื ืฉื›ื— ื–ื›ืจื•, ื””ื” ื”ื’ืื•ืŸ ืจื‘ื™ ื‘ื ื™ืžื™ืŸ ื’ื™ื˜ืขืœื–ืื”ืŸ ื–ืฆ”ืœ ืื‘”ื“ ืงืœื™ื•ื•ืœืื ื“ ื‘ืขืžื—”ืก ื”ืคื•ืชื— ื•ื”ื—ื•ืชื ื•ืฉื”ืก.

    ืจื‘ื™ ื‘ื ื™ืžื™ืŸ ื ืคื˜ืจ ื‘ืฉื ืช ืชืจืฆ”ื‘ ื•ื ื˜ืžืŸ ื‘ืงืœื™ื•ื•ืœืื ื“, ืžืฆื‘ืชื• ืขื“ื™ื™ืŸ ืœื ื ืฆืชืœืžื” ื•ืœื ื‘ื ื–ื›ืจื• ื‘ืืชืจ ืงื‘ืจื™ื, ื’ื ืœืชืžื•ื ื” ืžื”ืจื‘ ืœื ื–ื›ื™ื ื• ืขื“ื™ื™ืŸ, ื•ืื•ืœื™ ื™ืฉ ืžื—ื‘ืจื™ื ื• ืคื” ื“ืจืš ืœืžืฆื•ื ืคืจื˜ื™ื ืขืœื™ื•.

    ืœืžื” ื‘ื—ืจ ื”ืจื‘ ื–ืฉื™ื™ืงืื‘ ืœื”ื“ืคื™ืก ืืช ืกืคืจื• ืœื ื™ื•ื“ืข ืื ื›ื™, ื”ื”ื’ื“ื” ื ืชืขื˜ืจ ื‘ื”ืกื›ืžืช ื”ื’”ืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ ืขืงื™ื‘ื ื™ืคื”-ืฉืœ”ื– ืžืฉื˜ืจืืกื‘ื•ืจื’ ืื‘ื™ ื”ื’ืจื™”ื“ ืฉืœื™ื˜”ื.

    ื‘ืคืชื™ื—ืช ื”ืกืคืจ ื™ืฉ ืงื•ื™ื ืงืฆืจื™ื ืœืชื•ืœื“ื•ืชื™ื• ืื‘ืœ ืœื ืขืฉื” ืขื‘ื•ื“ืช ืžื—ืงืจ ื›ืจืื•ื™ ื•ื›ื™ืื•ืช ืœื’ืื•ืŸ ื”ื ืฉื›ื— ื›ืžื•ืชื•.
    http://www.ivelt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=838178#p838178

  10. ohaivsefer
    ohaivsefer on March 25, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    To Levi, very interesting, where can I get the new hagodo?

  11. Levi
    Levi on March 25, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    It was printed by R’ Shalom Jacob in Monsey NY
    914-260-1112
    He did a nice job!

  12. Dovid Gross
    Dovid Gross on May 14, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    He considered himself “Rav of Cleveland.” That’s how he signed his name in a Haskama to a sefer written by my alte zaide in 1903.

  13. Rabbi Stern
    Rabbi Stern on February 7, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    GITTELSON, BENJAMIN (1853-1 Jan. 1932), rabbi and scholar, was born in Lithuania, son of Judah Leib Gittelson. He was descended from a long line of rabbis, but fatherless and impoverished, he wandered from town to town for charitable donations enabling him to receive a traditional yeshiva education. He became rabbi of Avanta in 1878, leaving in 1883 to become rabbi of Trashkun. He remained very poor, because the Jewish community was unable to pay an adequate salary. In 1890, Gittelson was asked to settle in Cleveland by the growing community of Lithuanian Jews in the city, becoming rabbi at Beth Hamidrosh Hagodol, serving that congregation until 1901. He then assumed the pulpit of Oer Chodosh Anshe Sfard and remained its rabbi until his death. Gittelson was a quiet, learned man who eschewed an active communal role among Cleveland’s Orthodox Jews. However, his religious knowledge as Cleveland’s first rabbinic scholar led him to become the spiritual authority for other small congregations, among these Ohave Emuna Anshe Russia, Shaari Torah, and Agudath Achim. Gittelson provided the community with responsa and discourses on Jewish law and custom. He published 2 scholarly works: Ha-Poteah ve-ha-Hotem (New York, 1898), a collection of Talmudic discourses, many given before Cleveland congregations; and Seder Haggada shel Pesah ‘im Be’ur Nagid ve-Nafik (Jerusalem, 1904), a detailed commentary on the Passover Haggadah. Additionally, he wrote a commentary on the prayerbook that was never published. Gittelson married Celia “Sippa” Alenik while still in Lithuania. They had 12 children: Louis, Abraham David, Reuben, Rachel (Klein), Rose, Lena, Albert, Minnie (Broida), Jack, Nathan, Sarah, and Rebecca. He is buried in Cleveland’s Lansing Cemetery.
    Source: Case Western Reserve University

  14. Aryeh
    Aryeh on July 26, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    I would love to see more pictures of him does anyone have any and I would love to speak with a descendant please call 347 765 4319 with info

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