Rev Shmuel Meir Isaacs
שמואל מאיר ב"ר
Spiritual Leader, Congregations Bnai Jeshurun and Shaaray Tefila , New York CityDate of Death:
Sun. May 19, 1878 -
Iyar 16 5638
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Directions to Kever: The Beth Olam Cemetery is located on the Eastern side (towards Queens) of the Jackie Robinson Parkway on the Cypress Hills / Ridgewood border in Queens. The cemetery is kept in pristine condition however, unfortunately their records are in total disarray and paths are not well marked. Location: Second cemetery entrance (from Jackie Robinson direction). Follow the road all the way up the hill until the last section before cul-de-sac, on the left side, family plot (See map below). Section: Shaaray Tefila
Name Listed on Cemetery Database: Samuel Myer Isaacs
Biographical Notes:
Credit: B’nai Jeshurun
Photo Caption: Rev Shmuel Meir Isaacs, Credit: Rabbi Mordechai Hecht, Anshe Sholom Chabad JCC
Bio Information:
Rabbi Isaac’s primary teacher was Rav Solomon Hirschell (d. 1842), Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. In 1839, with the encouragement of his Rebbe he accepted a position in New York as the spiritual leader (Moreh Dasrah, Chazan, preacher, est.) of Congregation Bnai Jeshurun. He later moved to Congregation Shaaray Tefila. In 1859 the he tried organizing the first American national kehillah.
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I am grateful to Nancy Schneider, the Executive Director of Shaaray Tefila for helping me find the Rav?s kever.
Thank you,
Baruch:
Thanks for posting the directions, I went today in the freezing cold.
Wow, he was niftar 130 years ago!!!!!!!
The Rav had a son Rabbi Abraham Isaacs who lived in Paterson NJ, do you know where he is buried?
Miller:
Whatelse do you know about him?
Mr. Weiss,
I found the name of his son in one of the Biography works availible online, I no nothing else about the Isaacs.
I saw the article in the Hamodia and went out this morning to daven (who knows perhaps I am among the first in many years). I also stopped at Rabbi Morris Jacob Raphall kever (great directions) who is buried in the same cemetery.
Keep up the good work!!!!!!
Please post the Hamodia article?
I was there along with some of my “chassidim” this afternoon the daven.
Great job!!!!
Here is a link to the Isaacs family website.
http://isaacs-salant-familytree.org/index.htm
LS, TY for the link.
Interesting that his fathers’ name was Myer Shmuel, while his was Shmuel Myer.
The NY Times on his passing:
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9A02EFDD1E3FE63BBC4951DFB3668383669FDE
The Illustrated Magazine upon his death
http://books.google.com/books?id=CHwpAAAAYAAJ&dq=Rabbi%20perth%20Amboy%20nj&pg=PA98#v=onepage&q&f=false
The above article is about the son Myer Samuel Isaacs
http://kevarim.vohost.us/in-the-news/a-link-to-the-past-hamodia/
RABBI SAMUEL MYER2 ISAACS (MYER SAMUEL1) was born January 04, 1804 in Leeuwarden, Holland, and died May 19, 1878 in New York, NY. He married JANE SYMMONS June 25, 1839. She was born 1823 in London, England, and died May 21, 1884 in New York, NY.
Notes for RABBI SAMUEL MYER ISAACS:
Rev. Samuel Myer Isaacs was born on January 4, 1804 in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Holland. He moved with his family to London, England, in 1814. He was a professor of Hebrew and principal of an orphan asylum in London.
He was chosen to head a Jewish congregation in New York, B’nai Jeshurun. He married Jane Simons (originally Symmons) on June 26, 1839, and then embarked on a 63 – 65 day sea voyage to New York City. Most of his siblings stayed in London, although one brother spent many years as a rabbi in Sydney, Australia.
Isaacs was the first U.S. rabbi to deliver sermons regularly in English. In 1845, he helped found Congregation Shaaray Tefila. He was a defender of orthodox Judaism against Reform Judaism. He established a weekly newspaper called “Jewish Messenger.” He was an ardent abolitionist, driving away many Southern readers of his newspaper.
He was active in many civic and philanthropic organizations: founder of Board of Delegates of American Israelites (1859), which worked for Jewish civil and religious rights in the U.S. and abroad and treasurer of Palestine Society from its founding in 1854; one of the founders of Jews’ Hospital, later named Mt. Sinai Hospital; chosen to represent the Jewish Community at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral in New York in April 1866.
He died on May 18, 1878.
More About RABBI SAMUEL MYER ISAACS:
Emigrated: 1814, London, England
Interesting fact: Rabbi at ShaarayTefila Temple
Job: Rabbi
Notes for JANE SYMMONS:
Jane Symmons has also been spelled Symons and Simons
Children of SAMUEL ISAACS and JANE SYMMONS are:
6. i. JUDGE MYER SAMUEL3 ISAACS, b. May 08, 1841, New York, NY; d. May 24, 1904, New York, NY.
ii. RABBI JACOB STANLEY ISAACS, b. 1843; d. June 19, 1911.
7. iii. ISAAC S. ISAACS, b. November 01, 1845; d. December 07, 1906.
iv. MIRIAM ISAACS, b. October 20, 1849; d. Unknown.
8. v. ABRAM SAMUEL ISAACS, b. August 30, 1851, New York, New York; d. December 22, 1920, Paterson, New Jersey.
vi. REBECCA ISAACS, b. 1857; d. 1890.
vii. RACHEL ISAACS, b. October 10, 1858; d. July 07, 1904; m. V.E. ABECASSIS.
viii. SARAH ISAACS, b. 1859; d. May 26, 1917.