Rabbi Tuvia Geffen
טוביה ב"ר יוסף
Chief Rabbi of the SouthDate of Death:
Tue. February 10, 1970 -
Adar I 4 5730
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Directions to Kever: Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Congregation Shearith Israel, Location: D 5, Section: B
Name Listed on Cemetery Database: Tobias Geffen
Biographical Notes:
Photo Caption: Rav Tuvia Geffen, Credit: Jewish Currents, Accord, NY
Photo Caption: Bottle cap bearing the kosher certification of Rav Tuvia Geffen, Credit:Â Traci Rylands, Atlanta, GA
Source: Needed
Source: Rela Mintz Geffen (1943–2019): An Appreciation. Cont Jewry 39, 3–7 (2019)
Bio Information:Â
Rav Geffen was born in 1870, in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas (Kovno). He immigrated to the United States in 1903 and became the rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Tzedek in New York City. A few years later he moved to Canton, Ohio and thereafter (1910)Â Atlanta, Georgia, where he served at Congregation Shearith Israel for close to 60 years. Once in Atlanta, the Rav organized the first Hebrew school which offered a daily Talmud class. A catalyst in the area of kashrus he standardized the regulation of kosher supervision in Atlanta under his central authority and was the leader of the Southern division of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis (Agudath HaRabonim). The Rav, who published many sefarim, is most remembered for his kashrus certification of Coca-Cola. Living in Atlanta near The Coca-Cola Company’s headquarters, he received many inquiries from Rabbanim across the United States whether or not Coca-Cola was kosher. He asked the company for a list of the beverage’s ingredients and was provided with the Coca-Cola formula, a closely-guarded trade secret. He found that one of the ingredients, glycerin, was produced from the tallow of non-kosher beef. He convinced the company to substitute it for vegetable-based glycerin. Satisfied that Coca-Cola’s ingredients were now all kosher, the Rav issued a response in 1935 that Coca-Cola was kosher. “With the help of God, I have been able to uncover a pragmatic solution according to which there would be no question nor any doubt concerning the ingredients of Coca-Cola”, he wrote. “It is now possible for the most stringent Halachist to enjoy Coca-Cola”.
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Didn’t Rabbi Emanuel Feldman build the Jewish Community of Atlanta?
He did, Rabbi Feldman came to Atlanta not long after Rav Geffen passed away. By that time, the Orthodox Jewish community, which was already on the decline towards the end of Rav Geffen’s life completely faded away. The story goes that leading up to his very first Yom Kippur in Atlanta, Rabbi Feldman thought he would not have a minyan.
Heres some information and a pictue of the kever.
I found this link:
http://www.ourfamilystory.net/RabbiGeffen.html
Wow he was a Rav in America for 67 years, what happened to all his descendants? Did any of them stay in Atlanta?
Zevy:
I believe he has a son (or grandson) living in Bet Shemesh.
His son, Samuel, was rabbi of the Jewish Center of Forest Hills West in Queens, New York, for 40 years. He died March 15, 2002.
I am one of the 18 grandchildren of
HaRav Tuvia and Sara Hene Geffen
3 granchildren are niftar. 6 grandchildren made aliyah and there
are now 96 descendants in Israel.
Professor Dov Levin of Jerusalem is
a great nephew and a leading historian of Lithuanian Jewry. A
great nephew of the Geffens, Bert
Lewyn, survived in Berlin. After
several years in DP camps, Bert
brought to Atlanta in 1949. He and
his wife have 5 chidren – 6 grandchildren. Marc Lewyn, Bert’s
son, is chairman of endowment
for Atlanta Jewish Federation.
Rav Tuvia wrote approximately 4000 letters by hand by only on
two known occasions kept copies.
Family always hoping to hear about Rav Tuvia’s letters.
Grave of his Rebetzin:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136453446
@Rabbi J Klein, I am sorry but the information you provide is not correct. Rabbi Emanuel Feldman came to Atlanta in 1952. Rabbi Geffen was niftar in 1970. Even while Rav Geffen was still alive, frumkeit in Atlanta was on the way out (it is my understanding he was not too well at the time) and Rabbi Feldman revitalized the “dying” community.
Rabbi Feldman was the rav of a different shul in a different area.
As to the discussion above on the history of Atlanta: Rabbi Geffen’s shul became Conservative after he retired. He, and those in the shul who desired to daven with a mechitzah, had a minyan in the shul’s library.
Much information about Rabbi Geffen can be found in his biography (in English) Lev Tuviah, which is available on hebrewbooks.org