Rabbi Matisyahu Tzvi Klein
מתתיהו צבי ב"ר אהרן
Rav, Savannah, GeorgiaDate of Death:
Thu. December 25, 1930 -
Teves 5 5691
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Directions to Kever: Ahavath Sholom Cemetery located in Fort Worth, Texas is located adjacent to the Greenwood Cemetery. The entrance is right off Cullen Street. Location: Needed
Name Listed on Cemetery Database: Name listed on marker: Rabbi Klein
Biographical Notes:
Photo Caption: Rabbi Matisyahu Tzvi Klein, Credit: MCA
Credit: Debbie Gibbons, Fort Worth, Texas
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I’ve been searching for ANYTHING related to Rabbi Klein for several days now, and there doesn’t seem to be anything online about him. I cannot find any mention of him in the history of Congregation Ahavath Sholom either. The rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Sholom at c 1930 is buried in the cemetery as well.
Several questions immediately come up for me: WAS he a rabbi in Savannah? Of which congregation? Sponsored by whom? Why was he buried in Fort Worth? Was he affiliated with the (if) marginally-orthodox Ahavath Sholom congregation, while he was a frum rabbi from Slabodka? Whatever his business in Fort Worth that had him buried here upon his demise, did they not want to bury him back in Savannah, where his (presumed) congregation and family resided?
Separate of Rabbi Klein, but also in this cemetery: there is the grave of a Rabbi M.J. Leibson, who was a shochet, and who seems to have been an integral part of the Fort Worth, and POSSIBLY the Dallas community. He passed away in 1951. Is there any information on him anywhere?
I have found Rabbi Klein’s obituary published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Dec 26,1930. Not sure how to post the clipping.
RABBI ON VISIT HERE SUCCUMBS
Rabbi M. Klein, 70, of New York, who came to America 30 years ago to work in the interest of the European Rabbinical Seminary at Slobodka, Russia, died in Fort Worth at 4 a. m. Thursday after illness of a week, and before he could complete the work he came to do for the Russian seminary.
“This type of rabbi is fast dying out and they come no more,”Rabbi P. Graubart of Ahavath Sholom Synagogue said in a eulogy at funeral services Thursday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Rabbi Graubart declared Rabbi Klein was a great scholar and “a rabbi of the old school.”
The unfinished work of the traveling rabbi was completed by Rabbi Granbart before the funeral services at 4 p. m., which were attended by almost every orthodox Jew in Fort Worth.
The elderly Russian Jew came here 25 years ago for the first time and since then had come here every year and was known to all of the orthodox Jewry here.
Soon after his arrival he was confined to his room in a hotel. When his condition became worse he was moved to the home of Rev. Joseph H. Gilula, 602 West Weatherford, the”shochet” (kosher slaughterer for Fort Worth’s orthodox Jews), in whose home he died. Burial was in Ahavath Sholom Cemetery.
A son of Rabbi Klein A. Kleinman, is an instructor in Hebrew at the Hebrew School at Winnipeg, Canada.
I went to his kever today and it says on his matzaveh that he was 57 was he died
My mistake it says 67
I visited it recently, his yahrtzeit is ה’ טבת primely located as you pull in a bit up the road, Google maps prompt The Tzadik of Savannah!