80
Family Connections
Gelles - Horowitz - Chajes ___________________________
A Genealogical Study Edward Gelles
© Copyright Shaker Publishing and Edward Gelles 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, s tored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Printed in The Netherlands. ISBN 978-90-423-0338-6 Shaker Publishing BV St. Maartenslaan 26 6221 AX Maastricht Tel.: 043-3500424 Fax: 043-3255090 http:// www.shaker.nl
Contents
Paternal Pedigree
Preface 1. Gelles of Brody and family connections 1 Tables 1-8 5 2. Horowitz, Babad, Gelles 21 Tables 9-16 25 3. Chajes from Prague to Brody and Vienna 43 Tables 17-20 53 4. Relations by blood and marriage 59 Index of Family Names 63 Select Bibliography 65 Other Sources 67 Map of Austrian Galicia 69 Origins and scope of “An Ancient Lineage” 71
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
08
Pat
erna
l Ped
igre
e
Mor
deca
i Yaf
fe 1
530-
1612
Juda
h L
öw 1
525-
1609
m
Mir
el A
ltsc
hule
r
sist
er o
f Is
aac
Cha
yes
AB
D o
f G
rodn
o, P
ragu
e, &
Pos
en
A
BD
of
Pra
gue
AB
D o
f P
ragu
e
ak
a L
evus
h
|
ca
1538
-161
7
N
atha
n N
ata
Shap
iro
1585
-163
3
Vög
ele
Löw
m
I
saac
Kat
z of
Pra
gue
A
BD
of
Cra
cow
|
�
�
daug
hter
___
____
____
Kat
z de
scen
t an
d m
arri
ages
wit
h __
____
____
___
m I
srae
l Hal
pern
of
Kro
tosc
hin
|
|
|
|
?
Z
ausm
er
H
orow
itz
Fis
chel
Mar
golie
s
M
oses
Gel
les
�
Shm
uel H
elm
an d
ied
1764
ak
a L
evus
h
Isa
ac H
orow
itz
died
176
7
A
BD
of
Man
nhei
m &
Met
z
sc
hola
r of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
A
BD
of
Bro
dy, G
loga
u, a
nd H
ambu
rg
|
|
|
�
Bei
le H
orow
itz
�
M
oshe
of
Glo
gau
Mor
deca
i Gel
les
of B
rody
|
m
echu
tan
of
Zau
smer
m
Ja
cob
Joke
l Hor
owit
z di
ed 1
832
m
F
raen
kel
|
Pin
chas
Sha
piro
of
Kor
etz
A
BD
of
Bol
echo
w
|
|
|
d
augh
ter
m
M
oses
Gel
les
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owit
z
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz
m
Mar
golie
s
|
AB
D o
f Mun
kacz
, die
d 18
61
So
lotw
ina
& A
BD
San
iaw
itz
?
?
D
avid
Isa
ac G
ellis
die
d 18
70
m
S
arah
H
irsc
h L
eib
Wei
nste
in d
ied
1884
m
G
itte
l
of
Glin
a &
Bro
dy
|
AB
D o
f So
lotw
ina
|
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
1852
-193
4
m
Est
her
Wei
nste
in 1
861-
1906
A
BD
of
Solo
twin
a
|
Dav
id I
saac
Gel
les
1883
-19
64
|
Edw
ard
Gel
les
Preface This monograph focuses on the connections between a number of rabbinical families, notably Gelles, Horowitz, and Chajes. It elaborates on some aspects of my book “An Ancient Lineage “ published by Vallentine Mitchell, where detailed notes and fuller references to the literature are to be found. A note on this book, on its scope and how it came to be written, is appended. The present study highlights the inter-connectedness of these ancient families and draws attention to some hitherto unrecognized genealogically significant features. It includes an assessment of documentary and circumstantial evidence for descent from the great 16th century Rabbis of Prague as well as from some 17th and 18th century Rabbis of Vilna, Cracow, Brody, Hamburg, Prague, and Metz. The intricately woven tapestry of 500 years of rabbinical genealogy has a grandeur of design within which doubtful links provide the challenge for continuing enquiry. London January 2008
Some Rabbinical Family Connections Chapter 1. Gelles of Brody Introduction My paternal ancestors were rabbis for hundreds of years and were known by the name of Gelles (Gellis). In earlier times many went by their first name and the name of their father or father-in-law. These worthy people, who dwelt in remote Galician towns in the late 17th to early 20th centuries, had an ancestry augmented over many generations through marriages with other rabbinical families. From the Rhineland and northern Italy some of my forebears came to Prague before moving on to Poland and beyond. Among the great rabbis of 16th century Prague were Judah Loew (the Maharal), and Mordecai Yaffe (the Levush). Their contemporaries included the Horowitz and Chajes families who played a notable role in Prague and later in Poland. A Chayes brother-in-law of Judah Loew was Chief Rabbi of Prague for a time. The Chajes family established its base in Brody. Their ancient rabbinical line culminated in Hirsch Perez Chajes, who was Chief Rabbi of Vienna during the inter-war years. The Horowitz family proliferated in Poland from the days of Pinchas Halevi Horowitz, who became President of the Council of the Four Lands, brother-in-law of the famous Rabbi Moses Isserles of Cracow and mechutan of Saul Wahl, scion of the Katzenellenbogen family of Padua and Venice (by family tradition the ancestor of my Wahl grandmother). A branch of the Katzenellenbogens descended from Isaac Krakower, a Chief Rabbi of Brody, who was a grandson of Abraham Joshua Heschel of Cracow. This branch adopted the name of Babad. It is a Hebrew acronym of “sons of the Chief Rabbi” which in the Polish vernacular is rendered as Rabinowitz. Generations of these Babads formed repeated alliances with the Horowitz family. Menachem Mendel Levush, a scholar of Brody in the early 18th century, was also referred to as Moses Gelles when he married a daughter of a Rabbi Gelles. From this couple springs my immediate paternal line. Their progeny were linked to Shapiro and other rabbinical families. In this manner they extended
1
ancestral connections that ultimately lead back to the great scholar Salomon ben Isaac of Troyes in the 11th century and to the Kalonymos family, whose roots are in the Carolingean period and who flourished for centuries in Italy, the Rhineland and Provence.
____________________________
Methodology This genealogical study is about some rabbinical families who formed the bedrock of Jewish communities in central and eastern Europe over many centuries. Names, places, and dates associated with b irths, marriages, and deaths are the warp and weft of genealogy, as are the various connections between families and generations. Historical study of community government, religious life, scholarship, writing and other cultural activities, economic organization, details of occupations, property ownership, and so on can attempt to put green leaves on the bare branches of a family tree and bring these bygone generations back to life. These studies are circumscribed by the loss of so many records and documentary material as well as by other difficulties peculiar to European Jewry in this period. Family names did not become generally settled until the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Only a few clans like Kalonymos or Yaffe maintained a family name from medieval times. A number of such names were of geographical origin. Such were the Luria, Treivish, Shapiro, Halpern, and the eponymous Katzenellenbogen, Oppenheim and Landau. The ancient Shem Tov Halevi, who flourished in medieval Spain, produced a sprig transplanted to Bohemia in the 15th century that settling at Horovice near Prague gave rise to the Horowitz family. Some Rapaports are known to have come from a union of Porto and Rapa families. Many names derived from occupations, house, or trade signs. Matronymics frequently became adopted as family names. The medieval German girl’s name Gele (the fair haired) gave rise to the matronymic Gelli(e)s or “belonging to Gele”. When hereditary or personal epithets and an occupational name were used by or for one and the same person genealogy becomes interesting, and more so when several siblings are found with completely different second names. I use the word interesting rather than difficult because every peculiarity of name provides a clue. Even in prominent rabbinical families, who generally made an effort to preserve their lineage records, there are serious gaps, particularly relating to daughters and their marriages. An example is the issue of Yissachar Ber (died 1690), the son of Abraham Joshua Heschel of Cracow. Again, there is an argument about my ancestor Shmuel Helman of Metz (died 1764). His
2
tombstone and its inscription have not survived and there is some conflicting documentary evidence on his father’s identity, but fortunately not about his extensive pan-European family connections. In earlier centuries girls married at a very young age and often died in childbirth. Many rabbis had two or three wives, and were often quite mobile, moving across Europe from one appointment to another. Records of wives and their issue were likely to be scattered. It might be noted here that when a first wife died at a young age the bereaved husband would tend to marry an available sister. This may have been the case with Shmuel Helman and also with David Katvan (died 1698), who married daughters of Shabbatai Katz and Yente Leah Meisels (a descendant of Moses Isserles). My great-grandfather Rabbi David Isaac Gelles must have been over 60 years old when my grandfather Nahum Uri was born, presumably from a second marriage. Rabbis were expected to have a wife and my grandfather outlived grandmother Esther Weinstein by nearly three decades. So I was not surprised when I found documentary evidence that he did indeed remarry. Only a fragment of the records of the Beth Din (Rabbinical Court) of Brody has survived. Without this MS I could not have begun to resolve the Gelles ancestry. The records for Brody in the Lviv archives, covering details of births, marriages, and deaths, and property transactions for most of the 19th century, were another essential primary source. The data included demographic details of age and cause of death, and house numbers with names of occupants. Civil records of other Galician towns and of Vienna were supplemented by a study of tombstone inscriptions from photographs and from earlier transcriptions of lost tombstones. Valuable evidence came from contemporary newspaper entries and from the literature, including Yizkor (Memorial) books and earlier rabbinical works . When two or more families began to inter-marry they tended to repeat the process after a generation or two. Furthermore, these ancient families had many branches centered on different towns and their own particular marriage partners, but there would also be repeated cousinly marriages between branches. The wider one manages to delve into the cousinhood the more likely one is to find the way forward or backward in time. Patterns of first names and repeated place names can provide useful pointers but are not to be taken as a substitute for evidence from primary sources. There were strong conventions concerning the naming of children. In the period under study a first born son was generally named after a maternal and the second after a paternal ancestor. In the rare instances where a son had the same name as his
3
father it can be taken to imply that he was born after his father’s death. Children were named after deceased grandparents or other close relatives. Some acquaintance with other Jewish customs is required for the interpretation of genealogical data. The ancient obligation of a brother to marry his deceased brother’s childless wife was modified in later times. There were other rules relating to marriage and inheritance. Wherever possible, mothers-to-be tended to repair to their mother’s home for the birth of a child so that recorded places of birth may throw light on family movements. Other guidelines can be derived from the conventions relating to community offices, including rabbinical appointments. In these offices preference was generally given to a qualified son. In the absence of such a son a qualified son-in-law might succeed. This degree of nepotism was particularly marked in the case of long entrenched rabbinical dynasties. For example, the Horowitz dynasty of Stanislau continued unbroken from the late 18th century to the outbreak of the second world war. In a dozen surrounding shtetls or villages the incumbents tended to be Horowitz or related to them by marriage.
_______________________
In the Tables which follow, ABD is short for the Hebrew Av Beth Din or “Head of the Rabbinical Court”, the senior Rabbi of a community who might or might not be called “Chief Rabbi”, a title that tended to be reserved for Rabbis of the larger communities. Where rabbinical schools were maintained these would have a separate Head, the Rosh Yeshivah. The Av Beth Din was in any case the senior Rabbi and he sometimes combined the judicial and teaching roles. The Rabbis elected and paid by individual communities are to be distinguished from Chief Rabbis of provinces or entire countries, who were usually political appointees.
4
Tables 1-8
[1] Part of the wider family background [2] Ancestral connections of Gelles of Brody – including Shmuel Helman of Metz [3] The Shapiro Connection – Pinchas Shapiro of Koretz and Israel Friedman of Czortkow [4] Descent of Nahum Uri Gelles from Shmuel Helman of Metz, who is described as a son of Israel Halpern of Krotoschin, the son-in-law of Nathan Nata Shapiro of Cracow [5] Letter of Appointment of Shmuel Dov ben Mordecai Gelles, son-in-law of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz [6] Graves of Nahum Uri Gelles and Israel Friedman of Czortkow [7] Gelles of Brody – a partial family tree [8] Scholars of the Brody Klaus
5
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
06
T
able
1. T
he w
ider
fam
ily b
ackg
roun
d
#
= C
hief
Rab
bis
of P
ragu
e
-
* =
Chi
ef R
abbi
s of
Cra
cow
-
**
= C
hief
Rab
bis
of B
rody
K
atze
nelle
nbog
en
Jud
ah L
oew
#
Isa
ac C
haye
s #
M
oses
Iss
erle
s*
Pad
ua &
Ven
ice
15
25-1
609
Pra
gue
c
a 15
38-1
617
Cra
cow
151
0-72
Sau
l Wah
l
Isa
iah
Hal
evi I
sh H
orov
itz
#
M
orde
cai Y
affe
(L
evus
h) #
M
oshe
Hak
ohen
|
Mos
he H
alev
i Yol
lis
15
45 -
1617
P
ragu
e, F
rank
furt
, Saf
ed
Pra
gue,
Gro
dno,
Pos
en 1
530-
1612
Fra
nkfu
rt
3
gene
ratio
ns
Cra
cow
�
1568
-162
7 –
the
holy
She
lah
|
_
___|
____
____
____
____
___
___
_
Mei
r K
atz
�
|
|
|
|
dr.
m
Mor
deca
i Yol
lis
A
.J.H
esch
el *
d
r
m
Sha
bata
i
Ary
eh L
eib
Fis
chls
* U
ri F
eivu
sh
Shab
atai
Kat
z
m
Yen
te L
eah
Mei
sels
Cra
cow
C
raco
w
Sh
efte
l Hor
ovit
z
C
raco
w -
167
1
A
BD
of V
ilna
1621
-62
|___
____
____
____
___
-16
63
ca
1600
-60
c
a -
1657
|
|
|
|
|
I
srae
l Sw
inch
er
Roz
a m
Yis
sach
ar B
er
M
eir
D
avid
Kat
van
m
da
ught
er
Dub
no &
Lut
sk
C
raco
w -
1690
Z
acha
rya
Men
del
H
orod
ycze
L
vov
-16
98
hal
f-br
othe
r of
Roz
a
|
B
elz
- 1
706
|
|
|
|
dr.
m
Si
mch
a R
apap
ort
I
saac
Kra
kow
er**
m
B
eile
[wif
e of
Isa
ac K
rako
wer
]
Gro
dno
& L
ublin
Bro
dy -
1704
A
ryeh
Lei
b
m
Sar
ah
G
ersh
on V
ilner
---
----
---
Isa
ac
|
- 1
717
[H
ead
of B
abad
fam
ily]
Gro
dno
-17
29
Shk
lov
Sie
mia
tycz
e
|
|
|
|
Jac
ob B
abad
___
____
____
____
S
hmue
l Gel
les
-17
48
|
|
N
atha
n N
ata*
*
m
dau
ghte
r
Siem
iaty
cze
|
C
haim
N
achm
an R
apap
ort
B
rody
-17
64
|
Rei
tze
m
I
saac
Hor
owit
z**
A
BD
of L
vov
Vas
kiai
___
____
____
____
____
____
__
-1
755
B
rody
& H
ambu
rg
1
700-
70
[so
n-in
-law
of
Dav
id K
atva
n]
|
|
|
-
1767
|
N
achm
an b
en C
haim
Hak
ohen
Rap
apor
t
m
dau
ghte
r
D
avid
Teb
ele
dau
ghte
r
m
Is
aac
Cha
jes
Glin
a
of L
issa
- 1
792
Bro
dy -
180
7
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
06
Foo
tnot
es
Rab
bi I
saia
h H
alev
i Is
h H
orov
itz w
as a
mec
huta
n (i
n-la
w)
of M
oshe
Hal
evi
Yol
lis
of C
raco
w.
Isai
ah H
orov
itz h
ad a
dau
ghte
r N
echa
ma
who
se h
usba
nd i
s ge
nera
lly g
iven
as
Cha
im F
eivu
sh.
Stei
nsch
neid
er i
n Ir
Vil
na h
as t
he s
ugge
stio
n th
at R
abbi
Uri
Fei
vush
of
Viln
a, w
ho tr
avel
ed to
the
Hol
y L
and
arou
nd 1
650,
may
per
haps
hav
e be
en th
is s
on-i
n-la
w o
f th
e Sh
elah
and
“in
heri
ted”
his
title
of
Nas
i on
bec
omin
g he
ad o
f th
e A
shke
nazi
com
mun
ity i
n Je
rusa
lem
. H
owev
er,
Wac
hste
in’s
not
e in
Fru
mki
n’s
Told
ot C
hach
mei
Y
erus
hala
yim
ass
erts
tha
t th
e R
abbi
Fei
vush
of
Jeru
sale
m c
ame
from
Vie
nna
[the
Jew
ish
nam
e F
eivu
sh a
nd i
ts d
imin
utiv
e F
eive
l,
deri
ved
from
the
Lat
in v
ivus
(li
ving
) or
pos
sibl
y th
e G
reek
pho
ebus
(ra
dian
t), w
as a
ssoc
iate
d w
ith
the
Heb
rew
nam
es C
haim
(li
fe)
and
Uri
(li
ght)
as
wel
l as
the
Ara
mai
c Sh
raga
(ca
ndle
) -
as
in U
ri F
eivu
sh o
r U
ri S
hrag
a F
eivu
sh ]
.
Uri
Fei
vush
of
Viln
a’s
gran
dson
Ger
shon
Vil
ner
of S
hklo
v w
as t
he f
athe
r-in
-law
of
Nat
an N
ata
ben
Ari
eh L
eib
of G
rodn
o. N
atan
N
ata’
s so
n w
as R
abbi
Dav
id T
ebel
e of
Lis
sa w
hile
a d
augh
ter
mar
ried
Rab
bi N
achm
an o
f G
lina,
son
of
Chi
ef R
abbi
Cha
im H
akoh
en
Rap
apor
t of
Lvo
v. N
atan
Nat
a ca
me
to B
rody
fro
m L
ithu
ania
and
fol
low
ed J
acob
Jok
el H
orow
itz o
f B
rody
and
Glo
gau
(die
d 17
55)
in
the
post
of
Chi
ef R
abbi
. He
was
in
turn
suc
ceed
ed b
y Ja
cob
Joke
l’s
son
Isaa
c H
orow
itz w
ho l
ater
mov
ed t
o H
ambu
rg. D
avid
Teb
ele
Efr
ati,
a de
scen
dant
of
Rab
bi D
avid
Teb
ele
of L
issa
, sta
tes
in T
oldo
t Ans
hei S
hem
that
Rab
bis
Ger
shon
Viln
er a
nd Z
vi H
irsc
h W
ittel
es
Lan
dau
wer
e br
othe
rs-i
n-la
w.
The
lat
ter
was
con
nect
ed w
ith t
he f
amil
y of
Yis
sach
ar B
er o
f C
raco
w a
nd h
is w
ife
Roz
a Y
olli
s.
Acc
ordi
ng t
o L
ouis
Lew
in i
n hi
s G
esch
icht
e de
r Ju
den
in L
issa
, R
abbi
Isr
ael
Swin
cher
bel
onge
d to
the
fam
ily c
ircl
e of
Ger
shon
V
ilner
. Isr
ael
Swin
cher
(of
Sw
ienu
ch)
was
a s
on o
f M
orde
cai
Yol
lis o
f C
raco
w a
nd h
alf
brot
her
of R
oza
Yol
lis. G
ersh
on V
ilne
r w
as
an u
ncle
of
Shm
uel
Gel
lies
and
a ki
nsm
an o
f Is
aac
Kra
kow
er’s
son
s. T
hese
son
s in
clud
ed J
oshu
a H
esch
el B
abad
, Ja
cob
Bab
ad,
and
Mor
deca
i Yol
lis
Bab
ad.
Jaco
b B
abad
’s d
augh
ter
Rei
tze
mar
ried
Isa
ac “
Ham
burg
er”
Hor
owitz
.
Isaa
c H
orow
itz w
as a
des
cend
ant
of t
he J
udah
Loe
w o
f Pr
ague
and
of
his
firs
t w
ife,
Mir
l A
ltsch
uler
. Sh
e w
as t
he s
iste
r of
Isa
ac
Cha
yes,
son
of
Rab
bi A
brah
am C
haye
s, w
ho w
as k
now
n as
Ebe
rel A
ltsc
hule
r. J
udah
Loe
w a
nd h
is b
roth
er-i
n –l
aw I
saac
Cha
yes
wer
e C
hief
Rab
bis
of P
ragu
e in
the
lat
e 16
th c
entu
ry. I
saac
ben
Abr
aham
(ca
153
8-16
17)
was
an
ance
stor
of
the
Isaa
c C
haje
s, w
ho d
ied
in
1807
and
was
hea
d of
the
Bro
dy c
omm
unity
. Thi
s la
tter
four
th I
saac
Cha
jes
of th
e lin
e w
as m
arri
ed to
a s
iste
r of
Rab
bi D
avid
Teb
ele
of L
issa
. M
y fa
ther
, Dr.
Dav
id I
saac
Gel
les
of V
ienn
a, s
econ
d so
n of
Rab
bi N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
and
gran
dson
of
Rab
bi D
avid
Isa
ac G
elli
s, w
as a
di
rect
des
cend
ant o
f M
oses
Men
ache
m M
ende
l L
evus
h kn
own
as M
oses
Gel
les,
the
latte
r na
me
bein
g th
at o
f hi
s fa
ther
-in-
law
, Rab
bi
S. G
elle
s an
d L
evus
h in
dica
ting
desc
ent f
rom
Rab
bi M
orde
chai
Yaf
fe o
f Pr
ague
(15
30-1
612)
, the
aut
hor
of th
e L
evus
him
. Thi
s M
oses
G
elle
s, a
sch
olar
of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
in
the
mid
-18th
cen
tury
, was
the
pro
geni
tor
of o
ur G
elle
s lin
e w
hich
is
conn
ecte
d by
mar
riag
e to
S
hmue
l Hill
man
of
Met
z an
d I
saac
Hor
owit
z of
Bro
dy a
nd H
ambu
rg a
mon
gst o
ther
s, a
s ca
n be
see
n in
the
follo
win
g T
able
s.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
Tab
le 2
. Anc
estr
al C
onne
ctio
ns o
f Gel
les o
f Bro
dy
Abr
aham
Jos
hua
Hes
chel
#
U
ri F
eivu
sh
A
ryeh
Lei
b Fi
schl
s
Ch
ief R
abbi
of C
raco
w, d
166
3
C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Viln
a, d
. ca
1657
Chi
ef R
abbi
of C
raco
w, d
. 167
1
#
= K
atze
nelle
nbog
en c
onne
ctio
n
|
M
eir
of H
orod
ycze
|
Z
vi H
irsc
h W
ittel
es
- b
roth
ers-
in-la
w
- Ger
shon
Viln
er --
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
-Uri
Fei
vush
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
--- I
saac
L
anda
u of
Apt
, d. 1
714
of S
hklo
v
of S
iem
iaty
cze
|
|
d
augh
ter
Shm
uel G
ell(i
)es
|
m N
atan
Nat
a
AB
D o
f Sie
mia
tycz
e
( ben
Ary
eh L
eib)
?
Ju
dah
Lan
dau
AB
D o
f Bro
dy
S
arah
m
S
hmue
l Hel
man
#
da
ught
er
d. 1
737
d
.176
4
d. 1
774
A
BD
of M
etz,
d. 1
764
m
Mos
es G
elle
s
m
Cha
ja
|
|
aka
Lev
ush
d
. 174
0
of
the
Brod
y K
laus
|
Dav
id T
ebel
e #
U
ri F
eivu
sh--
----
----
----
-- -Y
ache
d---
----
----
----
- Mos
he o
f Glo
gau
|
Eze
kiel
Lan
dau
#
A
BD o
f Liss
a
A
BD o
f Liss
a et
c
m E
zeki
el K
|
M
orde
cai G
elle
s
A
BD
of P
ragu
e, 1
713-
1793
d. 1
792
d
. 177
1
AB
D o
f Bam
berg
& H
agen
au
of B
rody
|
|
1700
-177
1
|
Shm
uel L
anda
u
m
Hin
de H
illm
an
|
daug
hter
m
Mos
es G
elle
s
P
ragu
e, d
. 183
4
d.
183
5
Naf
tali
Hir
sch
K
Fr
ankf
urt-
on- O
. & A
lsace
|
17
50-1
823
m
R
ache
l
D
avid
Isaa
c G
ellis
daug
hter
of
Feiv
el o
f Glo
gau
ca 1
785-
1870
|
[
K =
Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
]
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
A
BD o
f Sol
otwi
na, 1
852-
1934
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
F
ootn
otes
Ary
eh L
eib,
der
hoi
che
Rebb
e Le
ib, o
f Cra
cow
mar
ried
Jutta
Fis
chl,
who
se a
nces
tor E
fraim
Fis
chel
of F
rank
furt
cam
e to
Pol
and
in th
e
1
5th c
entu
ry.
The
gran
dson
s of U
ri Fe
ivus
h of
Viln
a in
clud
ed R
abbi
s Ger
shon
Viln
er o
f Shk
lov,
ano
ther
Uri
Feiv
ush,
and
Isaa
c of
Sie
mia
tycz
e [H
illel
Noa
ch S
tein
schn
eide
r].
Ger
shon
Viln
er a
nd Z
vi H
irsch
Wite
les L
anda
u w
ere
brot
hers
-in-la
w [D
avid
Teb
ele
Efra
ti]
a
nd th
eir 1
8th c
entu
ry d
esce
ndan
ts R
abbi
s Dav
id T
ebel
e of
Lis
sa a
nd E
zeki
el L
anda
u of
Pra
gue
wer
e bl
ood
rela
tions
of K
atze
nelle
n-
b
ogen
des
cent
[Lou
is L
ewin
]. T
he li
ne fr
om G
ersh
on V
ilner
to D
avid
Teb
ele
wer
e bl
ood
cous
ins o
f the
sibl
ing
line
from
Isaa
c of
Sie
mia
tycz
e an
d hi
s son
Shm
uel G
ell(i
)es,
who
succ
eede
d hi
m a
s Chi
ef R
abbi
of t
hat t
own
[Ste
insc
hnei
der,
Efra
ti, B
ezal
el b
en Y
osef
Yos
el o
f Orla
]. In
the
early
dec
ades
of t
he 1
8th c
entu
ry, G
loga
u in
Sile
sia
and
Bro
dy in
eas
tern
Gal
icia
ben
efite
d fr
om in
crea
sing
cro
ss-b
orde
r ent
repo
t tra
de. T
heir
com
mun
ities
gre
w ra
pidl
y an
d th
ere
was
an
influ
x of
Lith
uani
an Je
ws.
Ther
e w
as a
lso
incr
easi
ng
m
ovem
ent b
etw
een
Glo
gau
and
Bro
dy a
s exe
mpl
ified
by
Jaco
b Jo
kel a
nd Is
aac
Hor
owitz
who
wer
e in
turn
Chi
ef R
abbi
s in
both
citi
es.
G
ersh
on V
ilner
’s d
augh
ter m
arrie
d N
atha
n N
ata
ben
Ary
eh L
eib
(She
itels
) of G
rodn
o, w
ho m
oved
to B
rody
whe
re h
e be
cam
e C
hief
Rab
bi. T
his N
atha
n N
ata
was
a g
reat
-gra
ndso
n of
Ary
eh L
eib
Fisc
hels,
as c
an b
e se
en in
Tab
le 1
.
At t
his t
ime
Men
ache
m M
ende
l Lev
ush,
a sc
hola
r of t
he B
rody
Kla
us, m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of R
abbi
S. G
elle
s [re
cord
s of t
he B
eth
Din
of B
rody
]. Th
e la
tter m
ay h
ave
been
the
Rab
bi o
f Sie
mia
tycz
e or
clo
sely
con
nect
ed to
him
. Men
ache
m M
ende
l Lev
ush
aka
Mos
es G
elle
s
wou
ld th
us h
ave
been
rela
ted
by m
arria
ge to
Chi
ef R
abbi
Nat
han
Nat
a. T
he p
roge
ny o
f Mos
es G
elle
s car
ried
the
nam
es G
elle
s and
/ or
Lev
ush
for s
ever
al g
ener
atio
ns [c
ivil
reco
rds o
f Bro
dy in
the
Lviv
arc
hive
s]. T
he G
elle
s rab
bini
cal l
ine
runs
to m
y gr
andf
athe
r, R
abbi
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s, w
hose
des
cent
from
Rab
bi S
hmue
l Hel
man
of M
etz
is vo
uchs
afed
[Sh
mue
l Nac
h G
ottli
eb, N
atha
n Zw
i Frie
dman
,
Mei
r Wun
der].
Nah
um U
ri’s g
rand
fath
er M
oses
Gel
les m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of M
oshe
of G
loga
u, th
e el
dest
son
of S
hmue
l Hel
man
.
The
re is
still
som
e co
ntro
vers
y ab
out t
he a
nces
try o
f Rab
bi S
hmue
l Hel
man
of
Met
z. F
or th
e pu
rpos
e of
the
pres
ent c
hart
it su
ffic
es to
quo
te a
n ap
prob
atio
n by
Shm
uel H
elm
an re
ferr
ing
to h
is fo
rmer
pup
il B
enja
min
Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
as a
mem
ber o
f his
fath
er’s
fam
ily
[
Dav
id L
eib
Zinz
]. Th
ere
wer
e ap
pare
nt b
lood
ties
bet
wee
n Sh
mue
l Hel
man
and
Eze
kiel
Lan
dau
in a
dditi
on to
thei
r con
nect
ion
thro
ugh
t
he m
arria
ge o
f Hel
man
’s g
rand
daug
hter
Hin
de to
Eze
kiel
’s so
n, S
hmue
l Lan
dau
of P
ragu
e [L
ouis
Lew
in].
Shm
uel H
elm
an w
as
s
uppo
rted
by
his w
ealth
y fa
ther
-in-la
w fr
om G
loga
u [P
hine
as K
atze
nelle
nbog
en].
Hel
man
’s se
cond
son
was
cal
led
Uri
Feiv
ush
and
his
g
rand
son
Naf
tali
Hirs
ch K
atze
nelle
nbog
en m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of a
Fei
vel o
f Glo
gau
[n.b
. Fei
vel i
s a d
imin
utiv
e of
Fei
vush
]. Th
e
c
ontro
vers
ial s
ugge
stio
n th
at th
e fa
ther
of t
he R
abbi
of M
etz
was
a R
abbi
Uri
Feiv
ush
stem
s fro
m a
n en
try in
the
com
mun
ity re
cord
s of
K
rem
sier
[A.D
.Fra
nkl–
Grü
n],
but p
erha
ps U
ri Fe
ivus
h of
Glo
gau
was
Shm
uel H
elm
an’s
fath
er-in
-law
.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
Tab
le 3
. The
Sha
piro
Con
nect
ion
– Pi
ncha
s of K
oret
z an
d Is
rael
Fri
edm
an o
f Czo
rtko
w
Nat
han
Nat
a Sh
apir
o, C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Cra
cow,
158
5-16
33
___
____
____
_ m
Roz
a d.
164
2, g
reat
-gra
nd d
augh
ter o
f Mos
he E
bere
ls A
ltsch
uler
of P
ragu
e &
Cra
cow
____
____
__
|
|
|
Isra
el H
alpe
rn m
dau
ghte
r
da
ught
er
S
hlom
o
of K
roto
schi
n
|
d
. 164
8
?
Nat
han
Nat
a of
Hild
eshe
im
m E
sthe
r W
ahl,
g
reat
-gra
nd d
augh
ter o
f Sau
l Wah
l Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
Shm
uel H
elm
an
C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Met
z, d.
176
4
▼
▼
|
Men
ache
m N
ahum
Tw
ersk
y m
Sa
rah
Shap
iro
173
9 - 9
7
|
Pin
chas
Sha
piro
M
oshe
of G
loga
u
M
alka
o
f Kor
etz,
1726
-91
|
|
|
da
ught
er m
Mos
es G
elle
s
C
hava
Shm
uel D
ov G
elle
s m
da
ught
er --
----
----
-Yeh
iel M
eir
o
f Bro
dy
m S
halo
m S
hakh
na
o
f Kol
ibol
et, d
.181
1
b.
177
2
of S
hepe
tivka
1
769-
1808
|
|
Isr
ael F
ried
man
D
avid
Isaa
c G
ellis
of R
uzhi
n, 1
797-
1850
o
f Glin
a &
Bro
dy, c
a 17
85-1
870
|
|
D
avid
Mos
he F
ried
man
▼
of C
zortk
ow, 1
828-
1903
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
|
of S
olot
win
a, 1
852-
1934
Isra
el F
ried
man
|
of C
zortk
ow, 1
854-
1933
Y
ehud
a M
eir
Shap
ira
D
avid
Isaa
c G
elle
s ---
----
----
-Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Gel
les
of L
ublin
, 188
7-19
34
|
|
Edw
ard
Gel
les
Jo
seph
Gel
les
?
in
dica
tesa
con
trove
rsia
l cha
lleng
e to
this
time-
hono
ured
con
nect
ion
(see
Edw
ard
Gel
les,
An
Anci
ent L
inea
ge, C
hapt
er 3
3)
▼
in
dica
tees
tabl
ishe
dlin
es o
f des
cent
giv
en in
mor
e de
tail
else
whe
re
(Cha
pter
35)
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
Foot
note
s N
atha
n N
ata
Shap
iro o
f G
rodn
o (d
ied
1577
) w
as a
firs
t co
usin
of
the
Ren
aiss
ance
sch
olar
Rab
bi D
avid
Gan
s of
Pra
gue
(154
1-16
13).
His
gr
ands
on N
atha
n N
ata
Shap
iro o
f Cra
cow
was
the
auth
or o
f the
cab
balis
tic w
ork
Meg
aleh
Am
ukot
(Rev
eale
d D
epth
s). T
hrou
gh h
is w
ife R
oza
ther
e w
as a
con
nect
ion
to th
e C
haye
s –
Alts
chul
er f
amily
. The
fam
ous
18th
cen
tury
Cha
sidic
Rab
bi P
inch
as o
f K
oret
z w
as a
dire
ct S
hapi
ro
desc
enda
nt. H
is d
augh
ter
Sara
h R
ache
l Sch
eind
el m
arrie
d Sh
mue
l Dov
, a s
on o
f M
orde
cai G
elle
s of
Bro
dy a
nd g
rand
son
of M
oses
Gel
les,
a sc
hola
r of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
[Le
vi G
ross
man
]. A
noth
er g
rand
son
and
nam
esak
e of
Mos
es G
elle
s (a
ka M
enac
hem
Men
del L
evus
h) m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of M
oshe
of G
loga
u, th
e el
dest
son
of S
hmue
l Hel
man
(Hill
man
), th
e C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Met
z [S
hmue
l Nac
h G
ottli
eb, M
eir W
unde
r, et
c].
This
Mos
es G
elle
s w
as m
ost p
roba
bly
a br
othe
r of S
hmue
l Dov
, as
Mor
deca
i’s b
roth
er M
iche
l and
his
son
s w
ere
know
n as
Lev
ush
rath
er th
an
Gel
les,
and
anot
her b
roth
er, J
osep
h G
elle
s, ha
d a
son
calle
d M
oses
Ger
shon
Gel
les [
Gel
les,
An A
ncie
nt L
inea
ge, C
h.29
].
The
grea
t Cha
sidic
dyn
asty
foun
ded
by Is
rael
Frie
dman
of R
uzhi
n, o
ne b
ranc
h of
whi
ch d
evel
oped
at C
zortk
ow, w
ere
desc
ende
d fr
om S
halo
m
Shak
hna,
who
was
a g
rand
son
of th
e C
hasid
ic le
ader
Dov
Ber
of M
eser
itz (1
704-
72) a
s wel
l as a
des
cend
ant o
f Mei
r Hor
owitz
, (di
ed 1
743)
, the
M
ahar
am o
f Tik
tin. S
halo
m S
hakh
na m
arrie
d C
hava
, who
se S
hapi
ro a
nces
try in
clud
ed M
enac
hem
Nah
um T
wer
sky
(des
cend
ed f
rom
Nat
han
Nat
a of
Hild
eshe
im) a
nd h
is w
ife S
arah
Sha
piro
(who
cou
nted
Nat
han
Nat
a of
Gro
dno
amon
g he
r for
ebea
rs).
Nat
han
Nat
a of
Hild
eshe
im w
as a
gr
ands
on o
f Nat
han
Nat
a Sh
apiro
of C
raco
w. S
o th
e Fr
iedm
ans
cam
e fro
m R
abbi
s of
the
Hor
owitz
as
wel
l as
the
Shap
iro li
neag
es. A
gra
ndso
n of
the
dyna
sty’
s fo
unde
r als
o ca
lled
Isra
el F
riedm
an w
as A
dmur
of C
zortk
ow b
ut li
ved
in V
ienn
a fro
m th
e tim
e of
the
first
wor
ld w
ar u
ntil
his
deat
h. M
y gr
andf
athe
r N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
and
Yeh
udah
Mei
r Sh
apira
(a
lead
ing
20th
cen
tury
Pol
ish R
abbi
) w
ere
his
clos
e ad
here
nts.
My
gran
dfat
her i
s bu
ried
next
to Is
rael
and
Ruc
ham
a B
aths
heba
Frie
dman
in V
ienn
a. Y
ehud
a M
eir S
hapi
ra, a
dire
ct d
esce
ndan
t of P
inch
as S
hapi
ro
of K
oret
z, f
ound
ed th
e pr
estig
ious
Lub
lin S
ages
Yes
hiva
whe
re h
e to
ok m
y fir
st co
usin
Jos
eph
Gel
les
unde
r his
win
g [Y
ehud
a M
eir
Shap
ira].
The
clos
enes
s of
the
se G
elle
s, Fr
iedm
an,
and
Shap
iro C
hasi
dim
in
the
inte
rwar
yea
rs s
eem
s ve
ry c
ompa
tible
with
som
e sh
ared
anc
estra
l co
nnec
tions
. H
owev
er, t
he tr
aditi
onal
bel
ief t
hat S
hmue
l Hel
man
of M
etz
was
the
son
of Is
rael
Hal
pern
, the
son-
in-la
w o
f Nat
han
Nat
a Sh
apiro
of
Cra
cow
, la
rgel
y ba
sed
on a
con
tem
pora
ry m
anus
crip
t by
Elie
zer
Lipm
an Z
ak,
a m
embe
r of
Hel
man
’s f
amily
, ha
s m
ore
rece
ntly
bee
n ch
alle
nged
on
the
grou
nds o
f the
con
flict
ing
evid
ence
of a
n en
try in
the
com
mun
ity re
cord
s of K
rem
sier
in M
orav
ia (w
here
Shm
uel H
elm
an w
as
Rab
bi b
efor
e go
ing
on to
Man
nhei
m a
nd th
en to
Met
z) a
nd o
f the
sig
natu
re o
f Shm
uel H
elm
an o
f Kro
tosc
hin
to a
doc
umen
t sig
ned
by “
Jew
ish
Elde
rs”
in 1
692
[Gel
les,
An A
ncie
nt L
inea
ge, C
h.33
]. Th
e Pi
nkas
of K
rem
sier
sta
te th
at S
hmue
l Hel
man
was
the
son
of a
Rab
bi U
ri Fe
ivus
h. I
sugg
este
d in
the
foot
note
s to
the
prec
edin
g ch
art t
hat U
ri Fe
ivus
h of
Glo
gau
may
hav
e be
en h
is fa
ther
-in-la
w. T
he li
kely
age
of S
hmue
l Hel
man
of
Met
z [P
hine
as K
atze
nelle
nbog
en] c
asts
dou
bt o
n w
heth
er h
e co
uld
have
bee
n a
seni
or s
igna
tory
of t
he 1
692
docu
men
t. H
owev
er, t
here
is n
o do
ubt t
hat m
y gr
andf
athe
r’s c
ircle
bel
ieve
d th
e R
abbi
of M
etz
to b
e th
e so
n of
Nat
han
Nat
a Sh
apiro
’s s
on-in
-law
and
that
he
was
inde
ed c
lose
ly
invo
lved
in th
e ne
xus o
f the
se fa
mili
es [S
hmue
l Noa
ch G
ottli
eb, e
ntrie
s in
Oha
lei S
hem
for N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les,
Elija
h C
haim
ben
Mos
he M
eise
ls,
and
othe
rs].
T
able
4
Pedi
gree
of R
abbi
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s (18
52-1
934)
A
ccor
ding
to O
hale
i She
m b
y Sh
mue
l Noa
ch G
ottli
eb (p
p 26
1-2)
he is
des
cend
ed fr
om S
hmue
l Hel
man
of M
etz,
who
is g
iven
as a
son
of
I
srae
l Hal
pern
of K
roto
schi
n, s
on-in
-law
of N
atha
n N
ata
Shap
iro o
f Cra
cow
[s
ee E
lieze
r Lip
man
Zak
, MS
R.7
61 a
t the
Jew
ish
Theo
logi
cal S
emin
ary,
New
Yor
k, a
nd la
ter s
ourc
es]
Im
rei P
inch
as.
T
able
5
N
ew e
ditio
n in
clud
ing
muc
h ad
ditio
nal m
ater
ial c
olla
ted
from
prin
ted
and
man
uscr
ipt w
orks
by
his d
esce
ndan
ts an
d di
scip
les,
by Y
eche
zkel
Shr
aga
Fr
anke
l, B
enei
Ber
ak 5
763
[200
3]. V
ol. 2
, pps
. 486
-488
Lette
r of A
ppoi
ntm
ent o
f Rab
bi S
hmue
l Dov
ben
Mor
deca
i Gel
les,
the
son-
in-la
w o
f Rab
bi P
inch
as S
hapi
ro o
f Kor
etz
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
5 Tab
le 6
. R
abbi
s Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s of S
olot
win
a an
d Is
rael
Fri
edm
an o
f Czo
rtko
w
Gra
ves i
n V
ienn
a, Z
entr
al-F
ried
hof –
Gat
e IV
, Gro
up 2
1
27
28
29
30
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
R
ucha
ma
Shew
a Fr
iedm
an
-
Is
rael
Fri
edm
an
d. 1
8. 1
1. 1
934
d.
1. 1
1. 1
934
d.
1. 1
2. 1
933
R
OW
16
age
d 82
yea
rs
age
d 78
yea
rs
a
ged
79 y
ears
son
of
da
ught
er o
f
son
of
Rabb
i Dav
id Is
aac
Gel
lis
Abra
ham
Jac
ob F
ried
man
Dav
id M
oses
Fri
edm
an
Adm
ur o
f Sad
agor
a
Adm
ur o
f Czo
rtkow
Ben
zion
Kat
z
B
er N
ahum
Fri
edm
an
d
. 6. 1
1. 1
934
d. 1
1. 9
. 193
6
RO
W 1
7
ag
ed 4
6 ye
ars
a
ged
52 y
ears
so
n of
Isr
ael &
Ruc
ham
a Sh
ewa
Frie
dman
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
5
Foot
note
s
Rab
bi Is
rael
Frie
dman
was
mar
ried
to h
is fi
rst c
ousi
n R
ucha
ma
Shew
a fo
r 63
year
s.
One
of t
heir
sons
is b
urie
d in
an
adja
cent
gra
ve.
R
abbi
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s has
an
hono
ured
pla
ce o
f res
t as o
ne c
lose
to F
riedm
an’s
fam
ily a
nd a
mon
g hi
s circ
le o
f adh
eren
ts
that
incl
uded
Rab
bi B
enzi
on K
atz,
Rab
bi o
f Cze
rnow
itz in
the
Buk
owin
a, so
met
ime
resi
dent
s in
Vie
nna.
Th
e H
ebre
w to
mbs
tone
insc
riptio
n fo
r Rab
bi N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les r
eads
:
Her
e lie
s Rab
bi N
ahum
Uri
who
serv
ed fo
r fift
y ye
ars a
s Av
Bet
h D
in o
f Sol
otw
ina
son
of th
e pi
ous R
abbi
Dav
id Is
aac
of b
less
ed m
emor
y fro
m B
rody
bo
th o
f who
m sp
ent t
ime
in th
e sh
adow
of t
zadi
kim
B
orn
20th
She
vat 5
612
Pass
ed a
way
11th
Kisl
ev 5
695
May
his
soul
be
boun
d in
the
bond
of e
verla
stin
g lif
e
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
05
Tab
le 7
. Gel
les
of B
rody
Par
tial f
amily
tree
sho
win
g so
me
rabb
inic
al c
onne
ctio
ns
M
enac
hem
Men
del L
evus
h ak
a M
oses
Gel
les
m
da
ught
er o
f R
abbi
S (
hmue
l) G
elle
s
__
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___|
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
|
|
|
Mic
hel L
evus
h
J
osep
h G
elle
s V
aski
evon
ie
Mor
deca
i Gel
les
m
Fei
ge d
180
8/13
da
ught
er o
f R
. Yeh
oshu
a H
esch
el H
akoh
en
|
|
__
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
_
____
____
____
____
____
__
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mor
deca
i Lev
ush
d
augh
ter
m.
Sau
l Wos
kobo
inik
M
oshe
Ger
shon
Gel
les
Abr
aham
Jon
ah
R. M
oses
R. S
hmue
l Dov
m
Sar
ah B
athy
a d
182
6
R. M
eir
Fra
enke
l
d
1831
d
1824
m
Cha
ya R
eich
m d
augh
ter
of
d
181
1 da
ught
er o
f R
. Yeh
uda
Zun
del
m
Bei
le d
183
1
m R
ose
d 18
20
R
. Mos
he o
f G
loga
u
m d
augh
ter
of
|
|
__
____
__|_
____
___
|
R
. Pin
chas
of K
oret
z
|
|
M
oshe
Lev
ush
aka
Gel
les
Nat
han
Gel
les
O
sias
Gel
les
Abr
aham
Gel
les
Yan
kel G
elle
s
R D
avid
Isaa
c G
elli
s
d 1
851
Wos
kobo
inik
m
181
7 T
aube
aka
Jac
ob L
eway
c
a 17
85-1
870
180
4-54
gran
d -d
of
m
181
8 H
inde
m
Sar
ah
m
Sch
eind
el
R. B
erac
h M
argo
shes
|
|
Sc
hrei
ber
_
____
____
____
____
____
R
. Cha
im N
afta
li G
elle
s
|
|
|
183
8-
R
. Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s
Mos
he G
elle
s
|
Lea
h 18
38-1
894
185
2-19
34
i L
eibi
sh d
. 190
0
des
cend
ant o
f Mos
es G
elle
s
m
Est
her,
daug
hter
of
i
i S
him
on d
. 190
5
of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
R. Z
vi A
ryeh
Wei
nste
in
____
____
____
____
__|_
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
|
|
|
R. E
frai
m F
isch
el G
elle
s
D
r. D
avid
Isa
ac G
elle
s
D
r. M
ax (
Mos
es) G
elli
s
1879
-
1
883-
1964
18
97-1
973
|
|
|
i
Aar
on L
eib
i
. L
udw
ig F
ried
rich
E
lsa
ii.
R. J
osep
h
i
i. E
dwar
d
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
05
Foo
tnot
es
Mos
es M
enac
hem
Men
del L
evus
h, a
sch
olar
of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
, was
cal
led
Lev
ush
in r
ecog
nitio
n of
his
des
cent
fro
m M
orde
cai Y
affe
of
Pra
gue
(153
0-16
12)
who
was
kno
wn
as th
e L
evus
h af
ter
the
title
of
his
maj
or w
ork.
Men
ache
m M
ende
l Lev
ush
mar
ried
a d
augh
ter
of R
abbi
S. G
elle
s of
B
rody
, who
was
pro
babl
y co
nnec
ted
wit
h th
e li
ne o
f L
ithu
ania
n ra
bbis
des
cend
ing
from
Uri
Fei
vush
Ash
kena
zi o
f V
ilna
and
Jeru
sale
m. T
he
latt
er’s
gre
at-g
rand
son
was
Shm
uel G
elle
s, th
e C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Si
emia
tycz
e [E
.Gel
les]
.
The
nam
e of
Yeh
oshu
a H
esch
el H
akoh
en r
ecur
red
in th
e fa
mil
y de
scen
ded
from
a s
on-i
n-la
w o
f A
brah
am J
oshu
a H
esch
el o
f C
raco
w to
who
m th
e G
elle
s so
n-in
-law
of
this
nam
e m
ay w
ell b
elon
g. M
oshe
Hak
ohen
was
the
auth
or o
f a
fam
ily
gene
alog
y A
ssif
at H
akoh
en.
Yeh
uda
Lei
b Z
unde
l R
amra
z of
Bro
dy (
died
180
4) w
as a
sch
olar
of
the
Bro
dy K
laus
, as
wer
e hi
s gr
andf
athe
r an
d M
oses
Gel
les.
Yeh
uda
Zun
del
was
the
fat
her-
in-l
aw o
f M
orde
cai
Lev
ush
(Gel
les)
and
of
Ele
azar
Rok
each
, w
hose
son
Sha
lom
Rok
each
(17
79-1
855)
bec
ame
the
firs
t R
ebbe
of
the
Bel
z C
hasi
dic
dyna
sty.
Tod
ros
Zun
del
Ram
raz
was
a n
ephe
w o
f R
abbi
Yeh
uda
Lei
b Z
unde
l of
Bro
dy.
The
re i
s a
conn
ectio
n w
ith
Rab
bi
Tod
ros
Zun
del H
orow
itz,
the
auth
or o
f Sh
ores
h M
iyak
ov (
Lvo
v 18
58).
M
eir
Shlo
mo
Frae
nkel
’s s
iste
r Fi
nkel
, w
ife
of R
eb W
olf
Bol
echo
wer
, en
dow
ed a
tru
st i
n m
emor
y of
Fei
ge H
esch
el H
akoh
en,
unde
rlin
ing
the
Fra
enke
l-G
elle
s co
nnec
tion
. A
lat
er F
inke
l, na
mes
ake
of t
he a
fore
men
tione
d, i
s in
the
Bro
dy b
irth
rec
ords
of
1853
as
the
daug
hter
of
Jaco
b F
raen
kel a
nd C
hane
Gel
les.
M
argo
shes
des
cent
fro
m E
frai
m F
isch
l of
Lvo
v (d
ied
1653
), P
resi
dent
of
the
Cou
ncil
of
the
Fou
r L
ands
, is
reco
rded
by
Jose
ph M
argo
shes
in
his
Mem
oirs
of
my
Lif
e. T
his
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
was
the
fat
her-
in-l
aw o
f A
ryeh
Lei
b F
isch
ls a
ka d
er H
oich
e R
ebbe
Lei
b (d
ied
1671
), C
hief
Rab
bi o
f C
raco
w a
nd s
cion
of
the
Klo
isne
r li
ne. O
ne o
f th
e la
tter’
s so
ns w
as E
frai
m F
isch
el o
f L
udm
ir.
Abr
aham
, son
of
Jose
ph G
elle
s, w
as a
son
-in-
law
of
Jona
h R
eich
who
app
ears
to h
ave
been
a m
echu
tan
of J
acob
Sim
cha
Lan
dau,
AB
D o
f A
pt a
nd
son
of J
osep
h L
anda
u, H
ead
of th
e B
rody
Kla
us (
in 1
757)
. S
hmue
l Dov
, son
of
Mor
deca
i an
d gr
ands
on o
f M
oses
Gel
les,
mar
ried
a d
augh
ter
of R
abbi
Pin
chas
Sha
piro
of
Kor
etz.
He
was
a d
irec
t des
cend
ant
of t
he S
hapi
ro l
ine
incl
udin
g C
hief
Rab
bi N
atha
n N
ata
Spir
o of
Cra
cow
(15
85-1
633)
and
his
gra
ndfa
ther
Nat
han
Nat
a of
Gro
dno
(die
d 15
77).
F
rom
Pin
chas
Sha
piro
ther
e is
a li
ne o
f de
scen
t to
Rab
bi Y
ehud
a M
eir
Shap
ira
(188
7-19
34),
fou
nder
of
the
Lub
lin
Sage
s Y
eshi
vah,
who
taug
ht m
y co
usin
Jos
eph,
son
of
Rab
bi E
frai
m F
isch
el a
nd g
rand
son
of R
abbi
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s. T
he li
ne o
f Sh
mue
l Dov
(G
elle
s) w
ere
rabb
is in
Pod
olia
for
fi
ve g
ener
atio
ns.
The
y ha
d a
conn
ecti
on b
y m
arri
age
to t
he C
hasi
dic
Fri
edm
an d
ynas
ty o
f C
zort
kow
. M
y gr
andf
athe
r an
d R
abbi
Yeh
uda
Mei
r S
hapi
ra w
ere
clos
e fo
llow
ers
of R
abbi
Isr
ael F
ried
man
of
Czo
rtko
w (
1854
-193
3) w
ho d
ied
in V
ienn
a.
My
gran
dfat
her
Nah
um U
ri w
as th
e gr
ands
on o
f M
oses
Gel
les,
who
was
a s
on-o
n-la
w o
f M
oshe
of
Glo
gau,
eld
est s
on o
f Sh
mue
l Hel
man
of
Met
z.
The
re a
re g
roun
ds f
or b
elie
ving
that
this
Mos
es G
elle
s w
as th
e br
othe
r ra
ther
than
fir
st c
ousi
n of
Shm
uel
Dov
(G
elle
s) [
see
foot
note
s to
pre
cedi
ng
char
t].
Rab
bi N
ahum
Uri
’s e
ldes
t so
n w
as E
frai
m F
isch
el,
appa
rent
ly n
amed
aft
er E
frai
m F
isch
el H
orow
itz
(ca1
800-
1860
), A
BD
of
Mun
kacz
. R
abbi
Nah
um U
ri’s
sec
ond
son
was
my
fath
er, D
r. D
avid
Gel
les,
nam
ed a
fter
his
pat
erna
l gra
ndfa
ther
.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Tab
le 8
. Sc
hola
rs o
f the
Bro
dy K
laus
Zu
ndel
–G
elle
s –H
orow
itz
R
. Tod
ros ¹
R
. Ahr
on Z
elig
ben
Yeh
uda
Zun
del S
egal
d
.173
1 -
scho
lar o
f the
Bro
dy K
laus
|
|
R. M
oshe
Reb
Zel
ig’s
m
d
augh
ter
Mos
es G
elle
s
o
f Bro
dy –
d.17
59
sch
olar
of t
he B
rody
Kla
us
|
|
_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
|
|
Mic
hel L
evus
h
R. I
srae
l Ram
raz
R. Y
ehud
a L
eib
Zund
el R
amra
z ²
d.
1804
-sc
hola
r of t
he B
rody
Kla
us
|
|
|
R. T
odro
s Zun
del R
amra
z
Sara
h B
athy
a
m
M
orde
cai L
evus
h
scho
lar o
f the
Bro
dy K
laus
d.
182
6
|
|
Jaco
b H
orow
itz ³
m
Sar
ah
Mos
he L
evus
h ak
a G
elle
s
sc
hola
r of t
he B
rody
Kla
us
of
Bro
dy –
d.18
51
|
R. T
odro
sZun
del H
orow
itz
o
f Bro
dy &
Bus
k –
d. c
a 18
66
“Sh
ores
h M
iyak
ov”
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Foot
note
s
[1]
R. T
odro
s was
a d
esce
ndan
t of t
he A
bula
fia sc
hola
rs a
nd c
ourti
ers o
f med
ieva
l Spa
in[2
] R
. Yeh
uda
Leib
Zun
del R
amra
z w
as a
lso
gran
dfat
her o
f Sha
lom
Rok
each
[177
9-18
55]
the
first
Gra
nd R
abbi
of t
he B
elz
Cha
sidic
dyn
asty
Ram
raz
is a
n ac
rony
m o
f his
fath
er’s
nam
e –
Rab
bi M
oshe
Reb
Zel
ig’s
and
beca
me
the
fam
ily n
ame.
[3
]Ja
cob
Hal
evi H
orow
itz w
as a
son
of Y
ehud
a A
ryeh
Lei
bush
Hal
evi H
orow
itz o
f Apt
. Th
ey c
laim
ed d
esce
nt fr
om R
abbi
Isai
ah H
alev
i Ish
Hor
owitz
[ca
1568
-162
7], k
now
n as
the
holy
Shel
ah.
see
Arim
Vei
mah
ot B
eyis
rael
, Vol
6 (B
rody
), pp
54,
56, 6
9-70
,M
eir W
unde
r, M
eore
i Gal
icia
, Vol
.2: 2
17, V
ol.4
: 84
4-90
7 an
d 96
7-9,
Vol
.6: 4
75Y
itzch
ak S
hlom
oYud
lof,
Sefe
r Yic
hus B
elza
, pp
25-3
5, 3
11-3
15
Some Rabbinical Family Connections Chapter 2. Horowitz, Babad, Gelles Historical Background Persecution and expulsions followed Jews across Europe for hundreds of years. Some of the latter were country wide and lasted until modern times while others were recurrent and of shorter duration. The most far-reaching were those from Spain (1391, 1492) and Portugal (1497). In France there were a series of expulsions, as in 1306 and 1394, finally catching up with the ancient communities of Provence at the end of the 15th century. Also relevant to the story of my forebears were the riots in Frankfurt (1612) and the repeated expulsions from Prague (16th-18thC.) and from Vienna (particularly 1670). The massacres of the crusades beginning in 1096, the depredations of Chmielnicki’s Cossacks in the Ukraine and Poland in the mid-17th century, the late 19th to early 20th century Russian pogroms, and the Holocaust (1933-1945) are among the milestones of a journey that also encompassed happier periods in Spain, Provence, the Rhineland, and Italy. Age-old migrations had taken some of my people to Poland and Lithuania, where from the days of Casimir the Great (1333-1370) they found a measure of toleration and economic opportunities. Prague in the 16th century lay at the cross-roads of their millennial journey. In this city there mingled many ancient families. The Horowitz origins lay in medieval Spain, the family of Judah Loew were from Worms, the Chayes had come from Provence, and some of the Yaffes hailed from Bologna. There were even some Rabbis by the name of Gelles. The golden age of Prague Jewry had its trials and tribulations and many of the great and the good moved to Cracow and further afield at that time. There was an upswing in the fortunes of the Jewish communities in the Polish Commonwealth coinciding with the period of that country’s economic and demographic expansion. These communities enjoyed a substantial degree of autonomy. For two centuries until 1764 they had their own governing body, the Council of the Four Lands, that represented them vis a vis the king and the Polish parliament. In the 18th century Poland went into a decline that culminated in the partitions of the country between Prussia, Russia, and Austria (1772, 1792, 1795).
21
Early in the 18th century the town of Brody in Galicia entered a period of growth and relative prosperity. It became an important center of Jewish learning and this attracted some of our forebears from Lithuania and elsewhere. Around 1760 the town briefly boasted the second largest Jewish community in Europe, after Amsterdam. By the first Polish partition of 1772 Galicia became part of the Austrian Empire and remained so until 1918. For a hundred years Brody enjoyed the status of a “free city” and was a thriving entrepot for the Russian trade. Its fortunes declined with the siting of the first railways, changing trade patterns, and later an influx of refugees from the east led to economic hardship. Throughout this period some Brody Jews moved away to the neighbouring province of Bukowina, to the thriving port of Odessa on the Black Sea, to Hungary and to Austria where there had been flourishing Jewish communities in much earlier times. Within the large scale migrations across the continent there were at all times individuals, families, and groups that moved in opposite directions for social, economic, and religious reasons. Rabbis and their families were notably peripatetic. They followed the demographic trends, they contracted marriages with families in far-away places, and they crossed the continent to take up new appointments. Rabbinical scholarship in Poland was pre-eminent for quite a long time and rabbis from those parts were invited to fill senior positions in the west. For example, some of the early Chief Rabbis of the Ashkenazi community in London came from our ancestral family background. From the 17th century to the eve of the second world war Brody had many distinguished Chief Rabbis. Those particularly relevant to the present essay included Isaac Krakower (1690-1704), the head of the Babad family who was the son of Yissachar Ber of Cracow. A later occupant of the post was Jacob Jokel Horowitz (1736-1747), who subsequently moved to Glogau, where he died in 1755. His successor at Brody was Nathan Nata ben Arieh Leib of Grodno (1747-1756). The following incumbent was Jacob Jokel’s son Isaac Horowitz. The latter answered the call of “the triple community” in 1765 and ended his days in Hamburg. My great-grandfather was Rabbi David Isaac Gelles of our Brody line. His great-grandfather Shmuel Helman came from Silesia, studied in Prague, and was Chief Rabbi of Mannheim in Germany before becoming Chief Rabbi of Metz in Lorraine. Eliezer Katzenellenbogen of Bamberg and Isaac Rapaport of Hanau were among his sons-in-law and his family was also connected by
22
marriage with Chief Rabbis Ezekiel Landau of Prague (1713-93) and David Mirels Fraenkel of Berlin (1707-62). Isaac Horowitz (1715-1767) was the son of Jacob Jokel Horowitz of Brody and Glogau and a grandson of Meir Horowitz of Tykocin, known as the Maharam of Tiktin. Two of the latter’s grandsons, who were first cousins of Isaac “Hamburger” Horowitz, were prominent Chasidic Rabbis, namely Samuel Schmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg (1726-78) and his brother Phineas Horowitz (1730-1805) of Frankfurt. The Chasidic movement divided Jewish communities and individual families from the second half of the 18th century onwards. Many towns had an orthodox Chief Rabbi (ABD) and an Admur or Rebbe, as the leader of a Chasidic community was called. One of Isaac’s innumerable grandsons was Jacob Jokel Horowitz of Bolechow (died 1832). The latter’s issue included Efraim Fischel Horowitz ABD of Munkacz (ca 1790-1860) and Yehuda Aaron Horowitz, who was a Rabbi at Solotwina where my grandfather was later Chief Rabbi. This Horowitz line of Bolechow was connected to the Horowitz line of Stanislau and to various Babads descended from Jacob Babad, the son of Isaac Krakower of Brody.
23
Tables 9-16
[9] Horowitz Roots and Branches [10] Rabbis Efraim Fischel and Yehuda Aaron Horowitz [11] Horowitz – Yollis - Babad [12] The Babad Family – lines of descent from Isaac Krakower [13] Horowitz – Fraenkel – Gelles [14] Gelles – Horowitz Links [15] A Margolies Connection [16] Marriages between some Galician rabbinical families
25
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Tab
le 9
. Hor
owit
z R
oots
and
Bra
nche
s
Gen
erat
ions
of Sh
em T
ov H
alev
i in
Bar
celo
na a
nd G
eron
a �
Is
aiah
ben
Mos
he H
alev
i Hor
owit
z of
Pro
venc
e (c
a 14
40-1
515)
bou
ght A
rend
a of
Hor
ovic
e ne
ar P
ragu
e w
here
he
was
als
o kn
own
as Z
alm
an H
orov
sky
| Y
oche
ved
Kat
z m
Shab
atai
She
ftel
Hor
owit
z (d
. 155
5 in
Pra
gue)
-
----
----
--A
hron
Mes
hulla
m Z
alm
an H
orow
itz
( 147
0-15
45)
aka
Zal
man
Mun
ka
|
|
Avr
aham
Hor
owit
z
Isr
ael H
orow
itz
(150
0-15
72)
of P
ragu
e
|
|
Isa
iah
Hal
evi I
sh H
orow
itz
(156
8-16
27)
Pin
chas
Hor
owit
z (P
ragu
e 15
35-
Cra
cow
161
8)
the
” S
hela
h “
- F
rank
furt
, Pra
gue,
& S
afed
Pre
side
nt o
f Cou
ncil
of t
he F
our
Land
s
|
m
sis
ter
of M
oses
Iss
erle
s of
Cra
cow
S
haba
tai S
heft
el H
orow
itz
(ca
160
0-60
)
the
ir d
augh
ter
Hin
de m
Mei
r, s
on o
f Sau
l Wah
l
m. d
r of
Mos
es H
alev
i Yol
lis o
f C
raco
w
Jaco
b H
orow
itz
(d.V
ienn
a 16
30)
p
ossi
bly
son
of P
inch
as H
alev
i Hor
owit
z an
d fa
ther
of J
oshu
a H
orow
itz
(
cf M
eir
Wun
der,
Meo
rei G
alic
ia, v
ol 2
, 110
-111
and
119
-120
)
Josh
ua H
orow
itz
(d. 1
661)
AB
D o
f Prz
emys
l
|
S
hmue
l Shm
elke
Hor
owit
z (d
. 169
4)
AB
D o
f Tar
now
|
d
augh
ter
of M
enac
hem
Man
ish
Kat
z
m
Mei
r H
orow
itz
(d.1
743)
s
on o
f Isa
iah
Kat
z of
Bro
dy
Mah
aram
of T
ikti
n
|
Ja
cob
Joke
l Hor
owit
z (
d. 1
755)
---
----
----
----
----
----
-- Z
vi H
irsc
h H
orow
itz
(d.1
754)
A
BD
of G
loga
u &
Bro
dy
AB
D o
f Czo
rtko
w
Se
e fo
llow
ing
char
t
|
Shm
uel S
hmel
ke H
orow
itz
---
----
--- P
inch
as H
orow
itz
(17
26-1
778)
(
1730
-180
5)
AB
D o
f Nik
olsb
urg
A
BD
of F
rank
furt
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Foo
tnot
e M
eir
Hor
owit
z m
arri
ed s
econ
dly
Mat
il, d
augh
ter
of E
frai
m Z
alm
an K
atze
nelle
nbog
en.
From
Dov
beri
sh H
orow
itz,
a s
on o
f th
is m
arri
age,
the
Fri
edm
an C
hasi
dic
dyna
stie
s of
Ruz
hin,
Sad
egor
a,
and
Czo
rtko
w ta
ke th
eir
desc
ent
- se
e ch
art o
f The
Sha
piro
Con
nect
ion
[
see
also
E.G
elle
s, A
n A
ncie
nt L
inea
ge, T
able
s 32
& 3
3 ]
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
4
Tab
le 1
0. R
abbi
s Efr
aim
Fis
chel
and
Yeh
uda
Aar
on H
orow
itz
M
eir
Hor
owitz
[a]
B
eile
Kat
van
m
Isaa
c K
rako
wer
[b]
Mah
aram
of T
iktin
, d. 1
743
ABD
Bro
dy d
. 170
4
|
|
Jako
b Jo
kel H
orow
itz
Rei
zel
m
Jaco
b Y
ollis
Bab
ad
A
BD o
f Bro
dy &
Glo
gau,
d. 1
755
d. B
rody
174
8
|
|
Isaa
c H
orow
itz [c
]
m
R
eitz
e B
abad
A
BD o
f Bro
dy &
Ham
burg
, 171
5-67
d. B
rody
175
5
|
Bei
le
m
Men
ache
m M
ende
l Rub
in [d
]
ABD
of L
esni
ow &
Les
ko, d
.180
3
|
dr.
of N
achu
m Z
ausm
er
m (1
)
J
akob
Jok
el H
orow
itz
m (3
) H
inde
, dr.
of R
. Yeh
uda
Aar
on F
raen
kel
o
f Str
ij
ABD
of B
olec
how,
177
3- 1
832
of B
rody
|
|
E
frai
m F
ische
l Hor
owitz
[e]
Y
ehud
a A
aron
Hor
owitz
[f]
ABD
Mun
kacz
179
0-18
60
R
abbi
at S
olot
vina
& A
BD S
ania
witz
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
4
Foo
tnot
es
[a]
Mei
r Hor
owitz
was
the
son
of R
abbi
Shm
elke
Hor
owitz
of T
arno
w (d
ied
1694
) and
pro
babl
y in
line
al d
esce
nt fr
om
P
inch
as H
orow
itz o
f Pra
gue
and
Cra
cow
who
bec
ame
Pres
iden
t of t
he C
ounc
il of
the
Four
Lan
ds (s
ee T
able
9)
[b
] Is
aac
Kra
kow
er, t
he h
ead
of th
e R
abin
owitz
-Bab
ad fa
mily
, w
as a
son
of Y
issa
char
Ber
(die
d 16
90),
Pre
siden
t of t
he
C
ounc
il of
the
Four
Lan
ds, a
nd R
oza
Yol
lis.
[c
] Is
aac
“Ham
burg
er”
Hor
owitz
was
the
fath
er o
f Ele
azar
, who
se so
n A
ryeh
Lei
b, 1
784-
1843
, was
the
first
of a
line
of
H
orow
itz R
abbi
s of S
tani
slau
[d
] M
enac
hem
Men
del R
ubin
was
also
the
fath
er o
f Naf
tali
Zvi R
ubin
, 176
0-18
27, f
ound
er o
f the
Rop
shitz
dyn
asty
[e]
Efra
im F
isch
el H
orow
itz w
as R
abbi
at B
olec
how
, Mar
iam
pol,
and
Lins
k, m
ovin
g to
Mun
kacz
in H
unga
ry in
184
1
whe
re h
e w
as A
BD
unt
il 18
60. H
is w
ife w
as a
dau
ghte
r of D
avid
Hor
owitz
of L
eshn
ov. H
is d
augh
ter E
sthe
r Riv
ka
m
arrie
d El
eaza
r Hor
owitz
, AB
D o
f Roh
atyn
, and
this
coup
le’s
dau
ghte
r Bei
la w
as th
e w
ife o
f Jos
hua
Hes
chel
Fra
enke
l-
Teo
mim
, AB
D o
f Nar
ayow
(nea
r Roh
atyn
). E
leaz
ar’s
son
Dav
id H
alev
i Hor
owitz
ulti
mat
ely
beca
me
AB
D o
f Sta
nisl
au
a
nd m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of H
aim
Bab
ad, t
he A
BD
of M
ikul
ince
.
[f
] Y
ehud
a A
aron
Hor
owitz
was
Rab
bi a
t Sol
otw
ina
until
185
8 / 5
9. H
e th
en m
oved
to S
ania
witz
in th
e ne
ighb
ourin
g
pro
vinc
e of
Buk
owin
a, w
here
his
son
R. N
afta
li su
ccee
ded
him
in th
e R
abbi
nate
. His
pla
ce a
t Sol
otw
ina
was
take
n by
Rab
bi H
irsch
Lei
b (Z
vi A
ryeh
) Wei
nste
in, t
he fa
ther
-in-la
w o
f Rab
bi N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les.
Yeh
uda
Aar
on H
orow
itz m
arrie
d M
iriam
, dau
ghte
r of t
he w
ealth
y Za
lman
Ber
ish
Rot
tenb
erg
of B
rods
hin,
a so
n of
Rab
bi A
brah
am M
orde
cai M
argo
lies (
see
Tabl
e 15
).
A
sist
er o
f Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
(fro
m th
eir f
athe
r’s f
irst m
arria
ge) w
as th
e w
ife o
f Ale
xand
er S
ende
r Lan
dau
of
B
rody
, who
was
a g
rand
son
of Is
aac
Land
au o
f Apt
(die
d 17
68),
AB
D o
f Lvo
v an
d la
ter o
f Cra
cow
. Isa
ac L
anda
u w
as
a
son
of Z
vi H
irsch
Witt
eles
Lan
dau
(see
Tab
le 2
).
A b
roth
er o
f Yeh
uda
Aar
on (f
rom
thei
r fat
her’
s thi
rd m
arria
ge) w
as Z
vi H
irsch
Hor
owitz
(die
d 18
80),
who
was
at o
ne
t
ime
a da
yan
(judg
e) in
Bro
dy w
here
he
mar
ried
a da
ught
er o
f the
abo
ve n
amed
Ale
xand
er S
ende
r Lan
dau.
[see
N. R
osen
stei
n, T
he U
nbro
ken
Cha
in, p
p 73
7-8,
761
,764
-5, 9
82-3
, 101
6. M
. Wun
der,
Meo
rei G
alic
ia, V
ol. 2
: 124
-5,
1
76-7
, 220
, 235
-6, 2
95, 3
40; V
ol. 3
: 65
3; V
ol 6
: 467
, 479
. Z.
H. H
orow
itz, L
etol
doth
Hak
ehilo
t Bep
olin
, p.1
10]
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Isa
iah
ben
Mos
he H
alev
i Ish
Hor
owit
z
T
able
11.
a
ka Z
alm
an H
orov
sky
ca
1440
– 1
514
boug
ht A
rend
a of
Hor
ovic
e an
d m
oved
to n
earb
y P
ragu
e
Hor
owit
z- Y
ollis
- B
abad
|
Sha
bata
i She
ftel
Hor
owit
z d
.155
5
m Y
oche
ved
Kat
z of
Pra
gue
|
A
brah
am H
orow
itz
|
Mos
es H
alev
i Yol
lis
I
saia
h be
n A
brah
am H
alev
i Ish
Hor
owit
z
o
f Cra
cow
c
a 15
68-1
627
Fra
nkfu
rt –
Pra
gue
- Sa
fed
___
____
____
____
____
__|_
____
____
____
____
____
___
kn
own
as th
e H
oly
Shel
ah
|
|
|
Tre
ibel
m
Mor
deca
i Yol
lis o
f C
raco
w
dau
ghte
r
m
S
haba
tai S
heft
el H
orow
itz
b
en Y
echi
el C
half
an o
f V
ienn
a
c
a. 1
600-
1660
|
R
oza
Yol
lis
m
Yis
sach
ar B
er o
f C
raco
w d
169
0
P
resi
dent
of t
he F
our
Lan
ds C
ounc
il
&
son
of A
brah
am J
oshu
a H
esch
el
|
Isa
ac K
rako
wer
d.1
704
AB
D o
f B
rody
Hea
d of
the
Bab
ad fa
mil
y
|
Jac
ob Y
ollis
Bab
ad
Tar
nogr
ad d
, 174
8
|
Rei
tza
Bab
ad
m
Is
aac
Hor
owit
z 1
715-
1767
d
.Bro
dy 1
755
A
BD
of
Glo
gau,
Bro
dy, a
nd H
ambu
rg
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Foo
tnot
e Is
aac
Hor
owit
z w
as d
esce
nded
fro
m I
saia
h be
n M
oshe
Hal
evi I
sh H
orow
itz
via
his
son,
Ahr
on M
eshu
llam
Zal
man
Hor
owitz
aka
Zal
man
Mun
ka
and
the
latte
r’s
gran
dson
, P
inch
as H
alev
i Ish
Hor
owit
z (P
ragu
e 15
35 –
Cra
cow
161
8) ,
who
was
Pre
side
nt o
f th
e C
ounc
il o
f th
e Fo
ur L
ands
, br
othe
r-in
-law
of
Rab
bi M
oses
Iss
erle
s, a
nd m
echu
tan
of
Sau
l Wah
l, s
cion
of
the
Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
of
Padu
a an
d V
enic
e –
see
the
two
prev
ious
cha
rts
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
5
Tab
le 1
2. S
ome
Lin
es o
f Des
cent
from
Isaa
c K
rako
wer
, Hea
d of
the
Bab
ad fa
mily
Isaa
c K
rako
wer
[a]
m
Bei
le K
atva
n
ABD
of B
rody
, d.1
704
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
|___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
|
|
|
Jac
ob Y
ollis
Bab
ad
M
orde
cai Y
ollis
Bab
ad
Is
rael
Cha
rif H
alpe
rn [b
] m
R
eize
o
f Tar
nogr
ad, d
.174
8
of B
rody
, d. 1
752
ABD
of O
stro
g, d
.173
1
_
____
____
|___
____
___
|
|
|
Isaa
c B
abad
R
eitz
a
m
I
saac
Hor
owitz
[c]
N
ahum
Zau
smer
[d]
Jo
el H
alpe
rn
of B
rody
, d.1
761
d.17
55
ABD
of H
ambu
rg, d
.176
7
A
BD o
f Les
niow
|
|
|
|
Josh
ua H
esch
el B
abad
B
eile
Rub
in
Men
ache
m N
ahum
Zau
smer
E
lieze
r L
ipm
an H
alpe
rn
AB
D o
f Tar
nogr
ad, d
.183
8
_
____
____
|___
____
__
of S
tani
slau
, d.1
818
|
|
|
|
|
M
oses
Bab
ad
J
acob
Jok
el H
orow
itz [e
]
m
dau
ghte
r
Enz
el Z
ausm
er
J
oel H
alpe
rn
AB
D o
f Prz
ewor
sk
ABD
of B
olec
how,
d. 1
832
ABD
of S
tryj
, d.1
858
of
Sta
nisl
au, d
. 183
8
|
|
|
|
H
aim
Bab
ad
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
[f]
N
echa
ma
m
A
brah
am H
alpe
rn [g
] AB
D o
f Mik
ulin
ce, d
.188
9
A
BD o
f Mun
kacz
, d.1
860
o
f Sta
nisl
au
|
|
I
saac
Bab
ad
Ele
azar
Hor
owitz
m
Est
her
Riv
ka
AB
D o
f Sas
sow
ABD
of R
ohat
yn, d
. 191
2
__
____
|___
__
|
|
|
So
n
B
eile
Bab
ad
m
D
avid
Hal
evi H
orow
itz
A
BD o
f Sta
nisl
au, d
.193
4
|
|
Y
oel B
abad
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
ABD
of S
olot
wina
A
BD o
f Kos
low
.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
5
Foot
note
s [a
]
son
of Y
issa
char
Ber
, Pre
side
nt o
f the
Cou
ncil
of th
e Fo
ur L
ands
, who
was
a so
n of
Abr
aham
Josh
ua H
esch
el,
th
e C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Cra
cow
[b
]
son
of E
lieze
r Lip
man
Hal
pern
of T
arno
grad
, a so
n of
Jaco
b Sh
or w
ho w
as a
gra
ndso
n of
Sau
l Wah
l [c
]
gran
dson
of M
eir H
orow
itz, t
he M
ahar
am o
f Tik
tin
see
the
seco
nd c
hart
[d]
N
ahum
Zau
smer
mar
ried
a da
ught
er o
f Isa
ac K
atz,
a d
esce
ndan
t of S
aul W
ahl a
nd Ju
dah
Lőw
of P
ragu
e [e
]
by a
third
mar
riage
to H
inde
Fra
enke
l, fa
ther
of Y
ehud
a A
aron
Hor
owitz
of S
olot
win
a [f
]
per
haps
gra
ndfa
ther
of N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les (
1852
-193
4), A
BD
of S
olot
win
a, w
hose
eld
est s
on w
as R
abbi
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Gel
les
an
d w
hose
seco
nd so
n D
r. D
avid
Isaa
c G
elle
s stu
died
at t
he M
unka
cz y
eshi
va.
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les w
as su
ccee
ded
in th
e So
lotw
ina
rabb
inat
e by
Yoe
l Bab
ad
[g]
A
brah
am H
alpe
rn w
as a
n im
porta
nt c
omm
unity
lead
er a
nd m
embe
r of t
he A
ustri
an R
eich
stag
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
05
Tab
le 1
3. H
orow
itz-
Fra
enke
l-G
elle
s
Zvi
Hir
sch
of P
rzew
orsk
-
br
othe
rs
-
Sh
mue
l, A
BD
of
Gro
dno
|
|
__
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
|
|
|
| B
enja
min
Fra
enke
l “R
eish
er”
Mos
he F
raen
kel
Dov
Ber
Yeh
uda
Aar
on F
raen
kel
=
?
Lei
b
of
Prz
ewor
sk
o
f K
olom
ea
o
f Bro
dy
o
f B
rody
|
____
____
____
____
|___
____
____
____
|
|
|
A
brah
am Z
eev
Wol
f F
raen
kel
Nah
um “
Pas
haw
er”
Fra
enke
l
D
ov B
er F
raen
kel
Hin
de
m
Jaco
b Jo
kel H
orow
itz
A
BD
of
Prz
ewor
sk
(E
ngel
hard
)
of
Bro
dy
AB
D o
f Bol
echo
w
|
|
|
|
d
augh
ter
m S
amue
l Hak
ohen
Blu
me
Eng
elha
rd-F
raen
kel
Mei
r Sh
lom
o F
raen
kel
Yeh
uda
Aar
on H
orow
itz
m
Yak
ov S
haya
Loe
w
m
dau
ghte
r of
Jos
ef G
elle
s
Rab
bi a
t So
lotw
ina
|
o
f Se
dzis
zow
so
n of
Mos
es G
elle
s
A
BD
of S
ania
witz
Rac
hel
o
f B
rody
m A
brah
am H
orow
itz
Adm
ur o
f Se
dzis
zow
Fin
kel F
raen
kel (
Mei
r’s
sist
er)
m R
eb W
olf
Bol
echo
wer
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
05
Foo
tnot
es
The
Fra
enke
ls o
f P
rzew
orsk
& B
rody
hav
e lin
ks w
ith
Hor
owitz
of
Sed
zisz
ow a
nd B
olec
how
. T
he F
raen
kel
conn
ectio
n w
ith
Gel
les
(Lev
ush)
is
show
n no
t on
ly b
y th
e m
arri
age
of R
’ M
eir
Shlo
mo
Frae
nkel
of
Bro
dy t
o th
e da
ught
er o
f Jo
seph
Gel
les
but
also
by
the
reco
rd o
f th
e tr
ust m
ade
by M
eir’
s si
ster
Fin
kel F
raen
kel,
wif
e of
Reb
Wol
f B
olec
how
er, i
n m
emor
y of
Fei
ge H
akoh
en, w
ife
of M
iche
l L
evus
h G
elle
s, th
e br
othe
r of
Jos
eph
Gel
les.
Fr
aenk
els
of B
rody
men
tione
d in
Ari
m V
eim
ahot
h B
eyis
rael
(V
ol 6
, Bro
dy)
incl
ude:
R
’ A
aron
Fra
enke
l, a
frie
nd o
f R
abbi
Efr
ayim
Z
alm
an M
argo
lioth
(p.
70),
R’
Yos
ef F
raen
kel,
one
of t
he G
abba
im o
f th
e ne
w B
rody
syn
agog
ue b
uilt
in 1
801
(p.1
67),
and
Nac
hman
Fr
aenk
el w
ho w
as b
orn
in B
rody
in 1
833
(p.2
23).
A
brah
am H
orow
itz o
f Se
dzis
zow
was
a g
rand
son
of N
afta
li Z
vi,
the
foun
der
of t
he R
opsh
itz d
ynas
ty,
a so
n of
Men
ache
m M
ende
l R
ubin
, AB
D o
f L
esni
ow a
nd L
esko
, by
his
wif
e B
eila
Hor
owitz
. She
was
a d
augh
ter
of I
saac
Hor
owitz
, the
Chi
ef R
abbi
of
Ham
burg
, a
gran
dson
of
Mei
r H
orow
itz,
know
n as
the
Mah
aram
of
Tik
tin.
Abr
aham
Zee
v W
olf
Frae
nkel
of
Prz
ewor
sk,
the
auth
or o
f M
eshi
v K
ahal
acha
, m
arri
ed f
irst
ly a
gra
ndda
ught
er o
f R
abbi
Shm
uel
Shm
elke
Hor
owitz
of
Nik
olsb
urg
and
seco
ndly
a d
augh
ter
of R
abbi
D
avid
Nat
hans
on o
f B
rody
[se
e A
rim
Vei
mah
oth
Bey
isra
el,
Vol
. 6
Bro
dy,
p.71
; M
eir
Wun
der,
Meo
rei
Gal
icia
, vo
l.2:
357
& v
ol.4
: 27
4 –2
77; N
eil R
osen
stei
n, T
he U
nbro
ken
Cha
in, l
oc c
it, p
p 97
0, 9
91,1
029]
. Nah
um P
asha
wer
Fra
enke
l mar
ried
a F
raen
kel c
ousi
n.
Gel
les
of B
rody
and
Loe
w o
f S
edzi
szow
are
bro
ught
int
o ki
nshi
p by
the
mar
riag
es w
ith
Frae
nkel
cou
sins
. R
abbi
Mei
r H
orow
itz,
a gr
eat-
gran
dson
of
Abr
aham
Hor
owit
z of
Sed
zisz
ow a
nd d
esce
ndan
t of
Abr
aham
Zee
v W
olf
Frae
nkel
of
Prz
ewor
sk,
sets
out
the
H
orow
itz -
Fra
enke
l -
Loe
w c
onne
ctio
ns i
n a
lette
r ad
dres
sed
to M
ax L
ow d
ated
6th
Sep
tem
ber
1966
[co
py s
uppl
ied
by t
he L
ow
fam
ily]
.
For
the
Gel
les
– Fr
aenk
el c
onne
ctio
ns i
n B
rody
see
Edw
ard
Gel
les,
Fin
ding
Rab
bi M
oses
Gel
les,
Avo
tayn
u, v
ol.x
viii
, N
o.1,
Spr
ing
2002
, an
d Je
wis
h C
omm
unit
y L
ife
in B
rody
, Sh
arsh
eret
Had
orot
, vol
. 18,
No.
4, N
ovem
ber
2004
. F
or Y
ehud
a A
aron
Fra
enke
l, se
e M
eir
Wun
der,
Meo
rei
Gal
icia
, vol
.2:
220,
236
. Yeh
uda
Aar
on H
orow
itz w
as t
he s
on (
by h
is t
hird
mar
riag
e) o
f Ja
kob
Joke
l H
orow
itz
of B
olec
how
, w
ho w
as a
bro
ther
of
Naf
tali
Zvi
of
Rop
shit
z. [
see
also
Nei
l R
osen
stei
n, l
oc c
it, p
p 10
16, 1
039;
Mei
r W
unde
r, l
oc c
it,
vol.2
: 17
6-17
7, 2
95; Z
vi H
irsc
h H
orow
itz, L
etol
doth
Hak
ehilo
t Bep
olin
, p. 1
10].
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Tab
le 1
4. G
elle
s –
Hor
owit
z M
issi
ng L
inks
Is
aac
Hor
owit
z , 1
715-
67
m
R
eitz
e B
abad
N
ahum
Zau
smer
, A
BD
of
Sand
omie
rz
A
BD
of
Bro
dy &
Ham
burg
of
Bro
dy
|
|
Men
ache
m N
ahum
Zau
smer
Bei
le H
orow
itz
Y
ehud
ah A
hron
Fra
enke
l of
Bro
dy
|
|
|
d
augh
ter
m
(1)
Jac
ob J
okel
Hor
owit
z
m (
3)
H
inde
AB
D o
f B
olec
how
, 177
3-18
32
|
|
E
frai
m F
isch
el H
orow
itz
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz,
R’
of S
olot
win
a
AB
D o
f M
unka
cz, c
a 17
95-1
860
m
oved
to th
e B
ukow
ina
in 1
858/
59
m (
1) d
r of
Dav
id H
orow
itz o
f L
esni
ow
m M
iria
m M
argo
lies
of B
ohor
odza
ny
|
?
Ele
azar
Hor
owit
z
m
Est
her
Riv
ka--
----
-- ?
Sar
ah
m
D
avid
Isa
ac G
ellis
G
itte
l
m
H
irsc
h L
eib
Wei
nste
in. d
. 188
4
A
BD
of
Roh
atyn
, b.
182
6
ca
178
5-18
70
s
ee T
able
15
A
BD
of
Solo
twin
a
|
|
|
Dav
id H
alev
i Hor
owit
z---
----
-- B
eile
Hor
owit
z
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les
m
E
sthe
r --
----
----
----
---C
haim
A
BD
Sta
nisl
au, 1
862-
1934
m
J.H
. Fra
enke
l-T
eom
im
A
BD
of
Solo
twin
a
b
. Buk
owin
a 18
61
m
Bei
le B
abad
*
AB
D o
f N
aray
ow, d
. 189
4
b. N
aray
ow 1
852
|
|
|
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owit
z
E
frai
m F
isch
el G
elle
s b
187
9
H
irsc
h L
eib
b 1
884-
85
N
ahum
Hor
owit
z
* Y
oel B
abad
, la
st A
BD
of
Solo
twin
a
F
eige
Riv
ka (
Ber
ta)
Res
nick
b 1
881
Mal
ka (
Mol
ly)
Eck
stei
n
et a
l
nep
hew
of
Bei
le B
abad
Dav
id I
saac
Gel
les
b 1
883
Jac
ob
s
ee T
able
12
H
irsc
h L
eib
Gel
les
b &
d 1
886
Sam
uel
b 18
92
et a
l
et
al
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 20
07
Foo
tnot
es
The
Hor
owitz
dyn
asty
of
Stan
isla
u (1
784-
1939
) do
min
ated
rab
bini
cal a
ppoi
ntm
ents
in th
e su
rrou
ndin
g ar
ea, w
here
suc
cess
ion
gene
rall
y pa
ssed
fr
om f
athe
r to
a q
uali
fied
son
or
son-
in-l
aw o
r ot
her
Hor
owit
z ki
nsm
an.
The
fam
ily
link
s in
the
rabb
inic
al s
ucce
ssio
n at
Sol
otw
ina
near
St
anis
lau
are
high
light
ed o
n th
e ch
art.
Succ
essi
ve r
abbi
s w
ere
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz, H
irsc
h L
eib
Wei
nste
in, h
is s
on-i
n-la
w N
ahum
Uri
G
elle
s, a
nd f
inal
ly Y
oel B
abad
, who
was
cho
sen
over
Nah
um U
ri’s
gra
ndso
n Jo
sef
Gel
les.
Yoe
l Bab
ad w
as a
nep
hew
of
Bei
le B
abad
, the
wif
e of
Dav
id H
alev
i Hor
owit
z w
ho w
as A
BD
of
Stan
isla
u. T
he B
abad
and
Hor
owitz
had
bee
n co
nnec
ted
by m
arri
age
for
gene
rati
ons.
D
avid
Hal
evi H
orow
itz w
as a
son
of
Ele
azar
Hor
owitz
, AB
D o
f R
ohat
yn a
nd o
f hi
s w
ife
Est
her
Riv
ka, a
dau
ghte
r of
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
, A
BD
of
Mun
kacz
. The
latte
r w
as a
gra
ndso
n of
Men
ache
m N
ahum
Zau
smer
, the
pos
thum
ous
son
of N
ahum
Zau
smer
, the
AB
D o
f Sa
ndom
ierz
. D
avid
Hor
owitz
had
a b
roth
er c
alle
d E
frai
m F
isch
el, a
nd a
mon
g D
avid
’s c
hild
ren
wer
e an
othe
r E
frai
m F
isch
el H
orow
itz a
nd a
Nah
um H
orow
itz
[com
pare
: w
ww
.hor
owitz
fam
.org
]. A
s fo
r N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les,
his
eld
est s
on w
as E
frai
m F
isch
el G
elle
s w
ho d
ied
at a
you
ng a
ge. H
e w
as th
e fa
ther
of
Jos
ef G
elle
s, th
e la
st o
f th
e di
rect
Gel
les
rabb
inic
al li
ne. N
ahum
Uri
’s s
econ
d so
n w
as m
y fa
ther
, Dav
id I
saac
Gel
les,
who
stu
died
at
the
Mun
kacz
yes
hiva
h bu
t opt
ed f
or a
sec
ular
car
eer.
The
re w
ere
fam
ily
conn
ectio
ns to
Mun
kacz
, whe
nce
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
had
mov
ed
from
Gal
icia
in 1
841.
T
he s
igni
fica
nce
of th
e na
me
patte
rns
of E
frai
m F
isch
el a
nd o
f N
ahum
is a
ppar
ent,
and
the
posi
tion
of th
e re
leva
nt to
wns
and
vit
al d
ates
are
to b
e no
ted.
Rab
bi W
eins
tein
’s s
on A
brah
am is
sho
wn
on th
e JR
I -
Pola
nd w
eb s
ite. H
e ap
pear
s to
hav
e be
en b
orn
in S
olot
win
a in
185
6 an
d di
ed in
K
olom
ea in
190
4. H
is p
aren
ts a
re g
iven
as
Gitt
el a
nd H
irsc
h L
eib
Wei
nste
in o
f So
lotw
ina.
He
mig
ht h
ave
been
nam
ed a
fter
Abr
aham
Mor
deca
i M
argo
lies
who
is r
efer
red
to in
Mei
r W
unde
r’s
Meo
rei G
alic
ia a
s th
e gr
andf
athe
r of
Mir
iam
Mar
golie
s, th
e w
ife
of Y
ehud
a A
hron
Hor
owitz
. A
brah
am W
eins
tein
’s s
iste
r E
sthe
r is
sta
ted
in th
e ci
vil r
ecor
ds o
f M
ieln
ica-
Pod
olsk
aya
as b
orn
in th
e B
ukow
ina
in 1
861.
The
se p
lace
s an
d da
tes
tie in
ver
y w
ell w
ith th
e m
ove
of th
eir
puta
tive
gran
dpar
ents
in 1
858
/ 59
from
Sol
otw
ina
to M
ihai
leni
(Sa
niaw
itz)
in th
e B
ukow
ina.
[Fo
r H
orow
itz,
Fra
enke
l and
Mar
goli
es (
Mar
goli
oth)
see
als
o th
e pr
evio
us c
hart
and
foo
tnot
es a
nd N
eil R
osen
stei
n, T
he U
nbro
ken
Cha
in, p
p 27
5,
307,
546
]. M
iria
m M
argo
lies
was
a d
augh
ter
of Z
alm
an B
eris
h R
otte
nber
g M
argo
lies
of B
ohor
odza
ny (
Bro
dshi
n) a
nd G
ittel
Adl
ersb
erg
[see
A
lexa
nder
Yoe
l HaK
ohen
Adl
ersb
erg,
Mag
en A
vos ]
so
Gitt
el W
eins
tein
see
ms
to h
ave
been
nam
ed a
fter
her
put
ativ
e gr
andm
othe
r .
From
the
avai
labl
e da
ta it
is c
lear
that
my
gran
dfat
her
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s w
as a
chi
ld o
f hi
s fa
ther
’s o
ld a
ge, p
erha
ps f
rom
a s
econ
d or
thir
d m
arri
age.
Ind
eed,
his
mot
her
Sara
h m
ight
hav
e be
en f
rom
a s
econ
d m
arri
age
of h
er p
utat
ive
fath
er E
frai
m F
isch
el H
orow
itz. A
t any
rat
e, f
amil
y w
as o
n ha
nd a
t my
gran
dfat
her’
s bi
rth
in N
aray
ow a
nd in
nea
rby
Roh
atyn
. In
that
per
iod
the
mor
talit
y ra
te -
not
leas
t in
child
birt
h- w
as s
uch
that
m
any
rabb
is o
utli
ved
mor
e th
an o
ne w
ife.
Rab
bi I
saac
Hor
owit
z of
Bro
dy, G
loga
u, a
nd H
ambu
rg h
ad th
ree
mar
riag
es a
s di
d hi
s gr
ands
on R
abbi
Ja
cob
Joke
l Hor
owitz
of
Bol
echo
w.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
8
Tab
le 1
5. A
Mar
golie
s Con
nect
ion
J
acob
of P
osen
m
Sh
prin
tze
Kat
z
M
oshe
, ABD
of T
arno
grad
|
|
A
brah
am o
f Pos
en
Zv
i Hirs
ch M
argo
lioth
, ABD
of J
aslo
wie
c
|
|
daug
hter
m
Isa
ac D
ov B
er, A
BD o
f Jas
low
iec
|
Y
ehud
a A
hron
Fra
enke
l of B
rody
Ja
cob,
ABD
of T
lust
|
|
A
brah
am M
orde
cai M
argo
lies,
ABD
of U
stec
hko
H
inde
m
Ja
cob
Joke
l Hor
owitz
|
ABD
of B
olec
how
Gitt
el H
akoh
en A
dler
sber
g
m
Zalm
an B
eris
h R
otte
nber
g of
Bro
dshi
n
|
___
____
____
____
___|
____
____
____
____
___
|
|
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz
m
Miri
am
Per
el
m
M
eir S
tein
berg
Rab
bi a
t Sol
otw
ina
d
ied
1916
c
a 18
30 -
1903
m
oved
to B
ukow
ina
in 1
858/
59
?
|
Gitt
el H
orow
itz
m
H
irsch
Lei
b W
eins
tein
Abr
aham
Men
ache
m S
tein
berg
d
ied
1884
184
7 -1
928
|
AB
D o
f Sol
otw
ina
A
BD o
f Bro
dy
___
____
____
____
____
__
|
|
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s
m
Est
her W
eins
tein
Abr
aham
Wei
nste
in
1
852
–193
4
186
1-19
07
1
856
–190
4
ABD
of S
olot
win
a
bor
n in
Buk
owin
a
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
8
Foot
note
s So
lotw
ina
was
a li
ttle
tow
n ne
ar S
tani
slau
. H
alf w
ay b
etw
een
lay
Boh
orod
zany
(kno
wn
to th
e Je
ws a
s Bro
dshi
n). I
n th
ese
and
ot
her l
ittle
shte
tls o
f the
are
a ap
poin
tmen
ts te
nded
to fa
vour
thos
e w
ith H
orow
itz fa
mily
con
nect
ions
. Y
ehud
a A
hron
Hor
owitz
was
a so
n of
Jaco
b Jo
kel H
orow
itz, A
BD
of B
olec
how
, by
his t
hird
wife
Hin
de, d
augh
ter o
f Yeh
uda
A
hron
Fra
enke
l of B
rody
[Zvi
Hirs
ch H
orow
itz, L
etol
doth
Hak
ehilo
t BeP
olin
, p.1
10].
Rab
bi Y
ehud
a A
hron
Hor
owitz
live
d in
So
lotw
ina
until
185
8 /5
9 w
hen
he m
oved
to S
ania
witz
(Mah
aile
ni) i
n th
e ne
ighb
ourin
g pr
ovin
ce o
f Buk
owin
a [M
eir W
unde
r, M
eore
i Gal
icia
, Vol
.2 :
220]
. Aro
und
that
tim
e, H
irsch
Lei
b W
eins
tein
, who
may
hav
e be
en h
is so
n-on
-law
, bec
ame
AB
D o
f So
lotw
ina.
The
birt
h re
cord
s of m
y fa
ther
and
of h
is e
lder
sist
er a
t Mie
lnic
a Po
dols
kaya
stat
e th
at th
eir m
othe
r Est
her W
eins
tein
w
as b
orn
in 1
861
in th
e B
ukow
ina.
The
cus
tom
was
for b
irths
to ta
ke p
lace
, whe
neve
r pos
sibl
e, a
t the
hom
e of
the
gran
dmot
her.
Th
e da
te a
nd p
lace
of E
sthe
r’s b
irth
thus
ties
in w
ith th
e da
te o
f rem
oval
of Y
ehud
a A
hron
Hor
owitz
to
the
Buk
owin
a.
The
Jew
ishG
en JR
I –Po
land
dat
a ba
se re
cord
s the
dea
th o
f Est
her’
s eld
er b
roth
er A
brah
am W
eins
tein
at K
olom
ea in
190
4. H
e
was
bor
n in
185
6 an
d th
e re
cord
giv
es h
is p
aren
ts a
s Gitt
el a
nd H
irsch
Lei
b W
eins
tein
of S
olot
win
a.
The
wife
of Y
ehud
a A
hron
Hor
owitz
was
Miri
am, d
augh
ter o
f the
wea
lthy
Zalm
an B
eris
h R
otte
nber
g of
Bro
dshi
n, so
n of
Rab
bi
Abr
aham
Mor
deca
i Mar
golie
s [M
eir W
unde
r, V
ol 6
: 47
9]. T
he M
argo
lies,
som
e of
who
m c
laim
ed d
esce
nt fr
om th
e gr
eat 1
1th
cent
ury
scho
lar R
ashi
(Sol
omon
ben
Isaa
c), a
re su
ppos
ed to
hav
e de
rived
thei
r nam
e fro
m a
lady
of t
he a
ncie
nt S
hor f
amily
ca
lled
Mar
gole
(Pea
rl). A
lexa
nder
Yoe
l Hak
ohen
Adl
ersb
erg
reco
rds t
hat h
is a
unt G
ittel
mar
ried
Zalm
an B
eris
h R
otte
nber
g of
B
rods
hin,
who
was
a re
lativ
e of
Efra
im Z
alm
an M
argo
lioth
of B
rody
and
als
o cl
aim
ed d
esce
nt fr
om R
abbi
Abr
aham
Bro
da o
f Pr
ague
[Mag
en A
vos,
pp 8
-9 ].
A p
art o
f the
Mar
golie
s (M
argo
lioth
) rab
bini
cal l
ine
in e
aste
rn G
alic
ia is
show
n in
the
Tabl
e.
Isaa
c D
ov B
er o
f Jas
low
iec
(Jas
low
itz),
son
of Z
vi H
irsch
Mar
golio
th m
arrie
d a
gran
d-da
ught
er o
r acc
ordi
ng to
ano
ther
sour
ce
a da
ught
er o
f Shp
rintz
e K
atz
and
Jaco
b A
shke
nazi
– K
atze
nelle
npog
en o
f Pos
en.
Shpr
intz
e, a
dau
ghte
r of N
afta
li H
irsch
Kat
z
of F
rank
furt,
was
a d
esce
ndan
t of J
udah
Loe
w a
nd M
irl C
haye
s-A
ltsch
uler
of P
ragu
e as
show
n in
Tab
le 1
7 [N
eil R
osen
stei
n,
The
Unb
roke
n C
hain
, pp
451,
467
; Mei
r Wun
der,
Elef
Mar
golio
t, p.
20]
Pe
rel R
otte
nber
g (M
argo
lies)
, who
die
d in
Vie
nna
in 1
916,
was
a si
ster
of M
iriam
. She
mar
ried
Mei
r Ste
inbe
rg a
nd th
eir s
on
Abr
aham
Men
ache
m M
ende
l Ste
inbe
rg w
as th
e di
stin
guish
ed C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Bro
dy fr
om 1
908
to 1
928
[Mei
r Wun
der,
loc
cit,
Vol
5 :
161]
. His
cor
repo
nden
ce w
ith m
y gr
andf
athe
r is c
ouch
ed in
term
s of p
artic
ular
frie
ndsh
ip. T
hey
wer
e bo
th a
dher
ents
of
Isra
el F
riedm
an o
f Czo
rtkow
[see
Gel
les,
An A
ncie
nt L
inea
ge, p
. 190
].
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Tab
le 1
6. M
arri
ages
bet
wee
n so
me
Gal
icia
n ra
bbin
ical
fam
ilies
daug
hter
◄
YO
EL
ASH
KE
NA
ZI
►
Ash
er A
nshe
l Ash
kena
zi
►
Z
vi H
irsc
h A
shke
nazi
|
AB
D o
f Zlo
czew
Adm
ur o
f Ole
sko
Adm
ur o
f Sta
nisl
au
Yoe
l Bab
ad
◄
s
on
◄
m
|
A
BD o
f Sol
otwi
na
|
Isaa
c B
abad
◄
H
AIM
BA
BA
D
►
Mos
es B
abad
AB
D o
f Sas
sow
ABD
of M
ikul
ince
ABD
of M
ikul
ince
▼
|
|
__
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Bei
le B
abad
m
|
|
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
◄
m
Ele
azar
Hor
owitz
◄
M
eshu
llam
Issa
char
►
D
inah
Hor
owitz
Hor
owit
z
ABD
of R
ohat
yn
H
OR
OW
ITZ
|
|
|
AB
D o
f Sta
nisl
au
|
D
avid
Hal
evi H
orow
itz
◄
m
m
►
R
ache
l Bab
ad
ABD
of S
tani
slau
|
|
|
E
sthe
r R
ivka
E
FRA
IM F
ISC
HE
L
m
&
◄
HO
RO
WIT
Z
|
|
|
Sar
ah ?
ABD
of M
unka
cz
J
osef
Klig
er
◄
m
►
C
haya
Sar
ah K
liger
|
|
| E
frai
m F
isch
el ◄
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s ◄
m
Ja
cob
AV
IGD
OR
►
dau
ghte
r
G
elle
s
A
BD o
f Sol
otwi
na
|
of P
odka
mie
n &
Bro
dy
D
avid
Isaa
c G
EL
LIS
▼
|
o
f the
Bro
dy fa
mily
Isa
ac J
oshu
a K
LIG
ER
Abr
aham
Issa
char
Avi
gdor
ABD
of G
reid
ing
▼
J
acob
AV
IGD
OR
AB
D o
f Dro
hoby
cz a
nd la
ter
C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Mex
ico
m
Rac
hel B
rein
del H
orow
itz
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Foot
note
s Y
oel A
shke
nazi
(181
0-18
82) w
as o
ne o
f fou
r rab
bis w
ho o
rdai
ned
my
gran
dfat
her,
Nah
um U
ri G
elle
s (18
52-1
934)
[see
the
entry
in S
hmue
l N
oach
Got
tlieb
’s O
hale
i She
m p
p 26
1-2,
as s
how
n in
Tab
le 4
]. Y
oel A
shke
nazi
’s d
esce
ndan
t Yoe
l Bab
ad su
ccee
ded
to th
e po
st o
f AB
D
Solo
twin
a af
ter m
y gr
andf
athe
r’s d
eath
. The
Ash
kena
zi –
Bab
ad –
Hor
owitz
con
nect
ions
are
indi
cate
d on
the
char
t. Zw
i Hirs
ch A
shke
nazi
(1
870-
1942
) was
Adm
ur (C
hasi
dic
lead
er) o
f Sta
nisl
au w
hile
Dav
id H
alev
i Hor
owitz
(186
2-19
34) w
as it
s orth
odox
Chi
ef R
abbi
(AB
D).
Dav
id
Hor
owitz
was
a g
rand
son
of E
fraim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
(ca
1790
-186
0), w
ho b
ecam
e A
BD
of M
unka
cz in
Hun
gary
, and
of M
eshu
llam
Issa
char
H
orow
itz (1
808-
1888
), th
e A
BD
of S
tani
slau
. The
latte
r det
erm
ined
that
non
e ou
tside
his
fam
ily sh
ould
eve
r occ
upy
his r
abbi
nica
l sea
t, an
d so
it
was
unt
il th
e dy
nast
y en
ded
in th
e se
cond
wor
ld w
ar. I
ndee
d, th
e m
ajor
ity o
f rab
bis i
n th
e su
rrou
ndin
g sh
tetls
wer
e ei
ther
Hor
owitz
or r
elat
ed to
th
em in
one
way
or a
noth
er. A
cas
e in
poi
nt w
as th
e ra
bbin
ical
succ
essi
on a
t Sol
otw
ina,
as s
how
n in
Tab
les 1
4 an
d 15
, whe
re c
onne
ctio
ns to
the
half
brot
hers
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz a
nd E
fraim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
(ca
1790
– 1
860)
are
dis
cuss
ed.
Hai
m B
abad
(181
1-18
89),
AB
D o
f Mik
ulin
ce, w
as th
e fa
ther
of B
eile
Bab
ad (1
857-
1894
), w
ho m
arrie
d D
avid
Hal
evi H
orow
itz. S
he w
as a
siste
r of
Isaa
c B
abad
of S
asso
w a
nd o
f Mos
es B
abad
(183
9-19
06) o
f Mik
ulin
ce. T
he la
tter m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of J
acob
Avi
gdor
(die
d 18
85) o
f Po
dkam
ien
and
Bro
dy. T
heir
daug
hter
Rac
hel B
abad
was
the
wife
of J
osef
Klig
er w
hose
sist
er C
haya
Sar
a K
liger
mar
ried
Zwi H
irsch
Ash
kena
zi
of S
tani
slau
. Jo
sef a
nd C
haya
Sar
ah K
liger
wer
e ch
ildre
n of
Isaa
c Jo
shua
Klig
er (d
ied
1845
), th
e A
BD
of G
reid
ing,
who
was
a so
n-in
-law
of
Mes
hulla
m Is
sach
ar H
orow
itz. T
he K
liger
s wer
e re
late
d to
the
fam
ous M
aggi
d (P
reac
her)
of B
rody
, Rab
bi S
olom
on K
luge
r (17
83-1
869)
[n
.b. K
luge
r / K
liger
are
Ger
man
/ Y
iddi
sh v
ersi
ons o
f the
epi
thet
mea
ning
“th
e cl
ever
one
”]. J
acob
Avi
gdor
was
clo
se to
Sol
omon
Klu
ger a
nd
brie
fly su
ccee
ded
him
in h
is p
ost.
The
Avi
gdor
s, w
ho c
laim
ed S
epha
rdic
orig
ins a
nd c
ame
to B
rody
from
Con
stan
tinop
le, h
ad li
nks t
o Is
aac
“Ham
burg
er”
Hor
owitz
(171
5-17
67) a
nd h
is w
ife R
eitz
e B
abad
from
who
se d
augh
ter B
eile
Rub
in e
man
ated
num
erou
s rab
bini
cal l
ines
. Jac
ob
Avi
gdor
’s so
n A
brah
am Is
sach
ar A
vigd
or (1
833-
1921
), A
BD
of T
yraw
a-W
olos
ka, m
arrie
d fir
stly
Cha
ya H
orow
itz a
nd se
cond
ly a
dau
ghte
r of
Rab
bi D
avid
Gel
ler.
His
son
Jaco
b A
vigd
or (1
896-
1967
) cam
e fro
m th
e se
cond
mar
riage
. A sc
hola
r of s
ome
note
, he
was
app
oint
ed A
BD
of
Dro
hoby
cz a
t a y
oung
age
, sur
vive
d th
e co
ncen
tratio
n ca
mps
, and
ulti
mat
ely
beca
me
Chi
ef R
abbi
of M
exic
o. H
e m
arrie
d R
ache
l Bre
inde
l H
orow
itz, w
ho w
as a
dire
ct d
esce
ndan
t of N
afta
li Zw
i Hor
owitz
of R
opsc
hitz
. The
ir so
n R
abbi
Isaa
c C
haim
Avi
gdor
(192
0-),
the
auth
or o
f his
fa
mily
chr
onic
le F
aith
afte
r the
flam
es, m
arrie
d Es
ther
Hor
owitz
. [s
ee E
dwar
d G
elle
s An
Anci
ent L
inea
ge a
nd T
he G
alitz
iane
r, V
ol. 1
4, N
o. 1
, Nov
embe
r 200
6]
Some Rabbinical Family Connections Chapter 3. Chajes from Prague to Brody and Vienna Introduction The Chajes family is counted among the major rabbinical families and through its connections with so many other historic families it could be considered as a microcosm of the millennial Jewish presence in Europe. The Chayes were originally called by the Hebrew name Chayut. The family history takes in their journey from Portugal to Italy and the south of France. From Provence some came to Prague and thence to Poland and Lithuania, and in due course settled in the Galician city of Brody. There they flourished for many generations as scholars and community leaders. Some also did well in business that took them to Livorno and Florence in the early 19th century. A Tuscan branch was ennobled by the King of Portugal. While the family was best known for its great rabbis, the age of enlightenment opened their manifold talents to science, arts, and the liberal professions and brought them to Vienna and other western cities. In the 20th century Chajes have distinguished themselves as lawyers and scholars in various disciplines. They produced a world class chess player and a notable musician. After the second world war and the holocaust, most of the present generation are to be found in the United States and Israel (1). When a family shows such undiminished intellectual energy over so many generations their genealogical connections and genetic heritage must inevitably become the subject of reassessment and this is the purpose of the present essay. Chief Rabbi Zwi (Hirsch) Perez Chajes, the 80th anniversary of whose death we are commemorating, was a 13th generation descendant of Isaac Chayes, a son of Rabbi Abraham, known as Eberel Altschuler. Isaac’s sister married the Maharal, Judah Löw, otherwise known as der hohe Rabbi Löw. Isaac Chajes and his famous brother-in-law were in turn Chief Rabbis of Prague in the late 16th century.
43
The Chayut, who described themselves as “of the pious men of Provence”, were transplanted to Bohemia when ancient Jewish communities in the south of France were being expelled. Legend has it that members of this family came to Prague with stones from their destroyed house of prayer that were incorporated into the synagogue which they helped to build and from which they took their Altschuler name. This was the period when Prague was at the cross-roads of Jewish migration from west to east. In this city, where for a while Habsburg Emperors held their Court, the Chayut mingled with Judah Löw’s family from Worms and met such contemporaries as Mordecai Yaffe, whose family hailed from Bologna and who was in turn Chief Rabbi of Grodno, Prague, and Posen, Rabbi David Gans from Westphalia, and the descendants of an ancient Spanish Levitic clan who had added the town name of Horovice near Prague to become the Halevi Horovitz. Meisels were outstanding among families of community leaders. The sacerdotal family of Katz (an acronym of Kohen Zedek) and some of the afore-mentioned were connected by marriage. Their names and others, including Gelles, are found on Prague tombstone inscriptions (2). While the 16th century overall was a glorious period for the Jews of Prague, there were frequent temporary expulsions from the city. The rise of Poland-Lithuania to power and affluence impelled many Jews to seek new homes in a country that appeared to offer a measure of religious toleration, communal self -government, and economic opportunities. The high point of Jewish community life had thus shifted from Prague to Poland and Lithuania by the 17th century. The political and economic fortunes of the region largely determined migrations to Silesia and to Galicia, where the town of Brody gained in economic importance. The first of the three partitions that dismembered the Polish state in the later 18th century incorporated the ancient land of Galicia into the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1772-1918). The Chayes established themselves as one of Brody’s leading families. Others included the Horowitz and the Babad, whose head, Isaac Krakower, the Aw Beth Din (ABD) or Head of the Rabbinical Court of Brody, was a descendant of Chief Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of Krakow and of the Katzenellenbogens of Padua and Venice. At that time my immediate Gelles line and members of the Katz family were also to be found there. The ancestry of Hirsch Perez Chajes in the direct male line is well known through the writings of Dr. Nathan Michael Gelber and Moritz Rosenfeld (3,4). Table 17 shows this Chajes line side by side with a line descending from Judah Löw and a sister of Isaac ben Abraham Chayes.
44
It is my contention that the outstanding intellectual gifts of Hirsch Perez Chajes and of his grandfather Zwi Hirsch of Zolkiew might be ascribed in part to immediately preceding Chajes marriages that reinforced the genetic inheritance. Two of these marriages and their wider connections are shown in Table 18. The unions of Isaac Chajes with a daughter of Natan Nata ben Aryeh Leib and of their son Menachem Meinish Chajes with a daughter of Isaac Wolf Berenstein brought about infusions from the Klausner line, which goes back to the family of Judah Löw, and from the Katzenellenbogens. While the story of the Chajes family in Brody is fairly well known, little systematic work has been done on the numerous branches that developed over the course of time in other Galician towns. Table 19 shows some connections at Drohobycz and Kolomea. Table 20 traces the recurring name of David Tebele, thus reinforcing the arguments that David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz and my great-great-grandfather Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea were both descendants of the fourth Isaac Chayes of the Brody line. The Altschuler-Löw descendancy takes in some of the important connections to the priestly Katz family from which confluent Horowitz and Zausmer lines emerge, whose ramifications are examined in some detail. From Isaac ben Abraham to Hirsch Perez Chayes The direct line of descent as set out in Table 17 follows the literature (3,4). Eberel Altschuler died around 1587. His son Isaac Chayes (ca 1538-1617) was Rabbi of Prague from 1584. He also spent some years at Prossnitz in Moravia where he was head of an important Yeshiva (5). His son, Menachem Manish was called to be Chief Rabbi of Vilna in 1617 and died there in 1636. His son Jacob was the father of the second Isaac Chayes of the line, who became Rabbi of Skole. The latter’s issue included Eliezer (d.1766) and Jacob Koppel (d.1782), who were noted cabbalists in Brody. Their tombstone inscriptions were preserved by Dr. N.M.Gelber (6). Eliezer’s son, the third Isaac Chayes, was also an ardent cabbalist and leading member of the Four Lands Council. Isaac’s son, Meir Chayes, the Rabbi of Tysmienica, was a saintly mystic about whose wondrous deeds many tales were told by the Chassidim. Meir Chayes was the father of the fourth Isaac Chayes (d.1807), leader of the Jewish community in Brody, whose wife was a daughter of its Chief Rabbi, Nathan Nata ben Aryeh Leib. From this couple came the second Menachem Manish of the line (d.1832), who married a daughter of Isaac Wolf Berenstein of Brody, a son of Aryeh Leib Berenstein (1708-88), who was appointed to the post of Chief Rabbi of Galicia by the Austrian authorities. Menachem Manish Chayes became a merchant in Livorno and the family business developed in Florence where the house of Berenstein, Chayes and Co was established. Meir ben
45
Menachem Manish (d.1854) also married a Berenstein. He later returned to Brody but maintained his connections with Tuscany where a family branch flourished for several generations. Meir’s son, Zvi Hirsch Chayes of Brody (d.1855) was the famous Rabbi of Zolkiew. He was married to Riva Hesa Pshivogarsky (7), a descendant of the Rokeah family (8). Zvi Hirsch had five sons, Leon (1828-91), Chaim (1830-1886), Solomon (1835-1896), Isaac (1842-1901), and Wolf (1845-1901). Isaac Chajes, the fifth Isaac of the direct line, became ABD of Brody. His brother, the scholar and merchant Solomon Chajes and his wife Rebecca Shapiro, had three sons, Abraham (1853-1911), Max (1855-1898), and Hirsch Perez Chajes (1876-1927). Max married his cousin Anna, the daughter of Chaim Chajes, who after her husband’s early death ran the household for her cousin, the Chief Rabbi, in Trieste (1912-18) and later in Vienna (1918-27). Isaac ben Meir of Brody and his son Menachem Manish of Brody and Florence As Table 18 shows, Isaac ben Meir Chajes of Brody married a daughter of Nathan Nata, son of Aryeh Leib, the ABD of Slutsk and Grodno, who was a son of Nathan Nata, ABD of Tarnigrad (9-11). The wife of the said Aryeh Leib Sheitels, was a granddaughter of Aryeh Leib Fischls also known as the der Hoiche Rebbe Leib of Kracow, where he was Chief Rabbi in succession to Abraham Joshua Heschel. The connection of Aryeh Leib Fischls to the family of Judah Löw of Prague is through the Klausner line to Zacharia Mendel Klausner Hazaken, who was a brother-in-law of the Maharal. Isaac Chajes’ mother-in-law was a daughter of Gershon Vilner of Shklov, an uncle of Shmuel Gelles, the ABD of Siemiatycze. The marriage of Menachem Manish Chajes to a Berenstein, descended from Chief Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of Krakow combined a line of mystics and scholars with another of outstanding intellectual credentials but of a more wordly disposition. Aryeh Leib Berenstein’s appointment to be Chief Rabbi of Galicia was very much a political one. Berenstein was married to Chaya, descended from Efraim Fischl of Ludmir, whose wife’s antecedents included the Katz line from Prague and the Katzenellenbogen. I believe that the fortunes of the ensuing Chayes branch in Tuscany support my assessment of the Berenstein marriage and its influence on later generations. In the course of the long Chajes saga there have been many marriages with families mentioned in this essay. One grand-daughter of Isaac ben Abraham Chayes married Jacob Halevi Horowitz (ca. 1604-1643) a son of Isaiah ben Abraham Halevi Ish Horowitz (1568-1627) the Chief Rabbi of Frankfurt and Prague and later Nassi in the Holy Land who was known as the Holy Shelah. Another Chayes grand-daughter married Josef Halevi Horowitz (d.ca1680) a descendant of the earlier Isaiah ben Moshe Halevi Horowitz (ca 1440-1515),
46
who originally bought the Arenda of Horovice and moved to nearby Prague around 1480 (12). Later Chajes marriages to Katzenellenbogen and Rapaport are quoted by Rosenstein (13). David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz and Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea Lines of descent from David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz and Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea are shown in Table 19. The earliest known Chayes connection with Drohobycz was provided by Rabbi Isaac Chayes of Skole (the second Isaac of the main line) who moved to Drohobycz where he died around 1726. Much information on the later Chayes of Drohobycz is provided by the admirable Lauterbach Family Chronicle (14). David Tebele Chajes was known to have come from the Brody family, but his precise connection to the main line was obscure. Neil Rosenstein has suggested that he might have been a brother of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch of Brody and Zolkiew (15). My study of name patterns, set out in Table 20, starts with a brother of Aryeh Leib Fischls of Krakow who was a Rabbi David Tebele. As the chart shows, his name recurs over many generations, its introduction into the Chayes family being through the marriage of the fourth Isaac Chajes to a sister of the Rabbi of Lissa, David Tebele ben Nathan Nata. There is therefore clear support for the supposition that David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz was a descendant of the fourth Isaac Chajes of Brody or of his issue. From Drohobycz some Chajes went to Kolomea, whose Memorial (Yizkor) Book records a number of Chajes families (16). My great-great-grandfather Isaac Chaim Chajes was a well-connected businessman there (17). His children married into the Hermann, Lichtenstein, and Sternhel families of Kolomea as well as into my maternal Griffel family (18). Sarah Matel Chajes became the wife of my great-grandfather Eliezer Griffel, the community leader and patriarch of the Griffel clan in Nadworna. Their grand-children included my mother Regina and my uncle Zygmunt, whose wife Maryla Suesser belonged to a prominent Krakow family. The Suessers were also in-laws of the Chajes of Drohobycz. The first names of Isaac Chaim were passed down from my Chajes ancestor to my great-uncle Isaac Chaim Griffel (1880-1930) and then to my uncle Edward (Isaac Chaim ben David Mendel Griffel). Chana Chajes, who died in Vienna in 1915, was the first wife of Wolf Leib Lichtenstein, a son of Baruch Bendet and a grandson of Hillel Lichtensten, who came from Hungary and was Rabbi of Klausenburg before becoming Chief Rabbi of Kolomea in 1867. In his day he was a leading spokesman of the ultra-orthodox school (19). The family claimed descent from Isaiah Horovitz and Mordecai Yaffe among others (20).
47
The literature on the Sternhels includes an account of Reb Shaltiel Isaac Sternhel of Kolomea who was related to prominent Chasidic rabbis. He retired to the Holy Land and died there in the 1840’s (21). His great-grandson Reb Yakov Sternhel married a descendant of Rabbi Meir Chayes of Tysmienica. The vital records of Kolomea show that Isaac Chaim Chajes died just before the birth of his son in 1866. The latter could therefore be named Isaac according to ancient custom, suggesting an ancestral link to the fourth Isaac Chayes of Brody, as is also indicated for his kinsman David Tebele Chajes. Other material on the Chajes family in An Ancient Lineage (1) includes references to subscription lists in support of Jewish publications in which the name of Reb Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea is to be found (22). The Altschuler connection to Judah Löw of Prague The literature on the marriages of Rabbi Judah Löw of Prague would benefit from further clarification. Meir Perels’ work Megillath Yuchasin Mehral mi Prag dwells on the marriage to Perel, daughter of Schmelke Reich (23). It appears that Judah Löw was 32 years of age when he took Perel as his second wife (24-25). His first wife was a sister of Isaac ben Abraham Chayes whose name is given as Mirl (26). The children of this first marriage included Vögele Löw (d.1629) who was the second wife of Isaac ben Samson Katz (d.1624). Isaac Katz of Prague came from a priestly family (also called Kohen Zedek or HaKohen) whose lineage goes back to biblical times (27). Descent from Judah Löw via Katz, Horowitz, and Zausmer Vögele Löw and Isaac Katz were the parents of Naftali Katz, ABD of Lublin (died 1649). He married Dinah Katzenellenbogen, a grand-daughter of Saul Wahl (ca 1545-1617). After her first husband’s death Dinah became the second wife of Chief Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of Krakow. Naftali Katz and Dinah were the parents of Isaac Katz, ABD of Stepan in Volhynia, whose sons included Naftali Hirsch Katz (ABD of Stepan, Ostrog, Frankfurt am Main, and Posen, died 1719) and Isaiah Katz, who was a judge in Brody. The son of Isaiah Katz was Menachem Meinish, whose daughter married Meir Horowitz (died 1743) the ABD of Tykocin, known as the Maharam of Tiktin. Their descendants included a line via Jacob Jokel Horowitz (d.1755), ABD of Brody and Glogau, to Isaac Hamburger Horowitz (1715-67), ABD of Brody and Hamburg. The latter’s daughter Beile was the wife of Menachem Mendel Rubin (died 1803), the ABD of Lesniow and Lesko and one of their sons was Jacob Jokel Horowitz (1772-1832) the ABD of Bolechow. Naftali Hirsch Katz of Frankfurt had a daughter Shprintze who was the wife of Jacob Ashkenazi-Katzenellenbogen of Posen. Their daughter married Efraim Fischl of Ludmir (see first & second charts). Shprintze’s brother Bezalel Katz
48
(died 1717) was ABD of Ostrog and his son Isaac Katz (died 1734) followed him to become ABD of the Ostrog Klaus. One of the latter’s daughters married Nahum Zausmer, ABD of Sandomierz. Their son was Menachem Nahum Zausmer and his children included Rabbi Enzel Zausmer of Stryj (died 1858) and a daughter who was the first wife of the afore-mentioned Jacob Jokel Horowitz, ABD of Bolechow. From this marriage came Efraim Fischel Horowitz, ABD of Munkacz (ca 1790-1860), who was thus doubly descended from Judah Löw and Mirl Altschuler. He had a half-brother Yehuda Aaron, who was the son of Jacob Jokel Horowitz by his third marriage to Hinde, a daughter of Yehuda Aaron Fraenkel of Brody (28,29). Evidence for Gelles descent shown in Table 17 is considered in my book and articles (1, 30). Yehuda Aaron Horowitz was Rabbi in Solotwina near Stanislau before moving to the neighbouring province of Bukowina in 1859. His successors at Solotwina were Hirsch Leib Weinstein (died 1884), his son-in-law Nahum Uri Gelles (1852-1934) and finally Yoel Babad (died ca 1941). Stanislau was the stronghold of an unbroken Horowitz rabbinical line from 1784 to the eve of the second world war and most of the little shtetls in the area had rabbis who were either Horowitz or related to them. Rabbinical succession by a qualified son or son-in-law was the rule rather than the exception. The pattern of personal names, particularly Efraim Fischel and Nahum, of place names, dates, and individual biographical details add up to a very plausible hypothesis of Gelles ascent via the Katz family to Löw and Altschuler of Prague, but the search for direct documentary proof of the Horowitz connection has so far proved elusive. Vienna and beyond Our genealogical journey from 16th century Prague, shared by the Chajes with a number of other families, led us to Brody and some other Galician towns. In the later 19th century our families spread to a wider arena and participated more fully in the social and cultural life of their time through the sciences, arts, and liberal professions. Among members of the Chajes family, who attained distinction in various walks of life, are the grandchildren of Rabbi Zwi Hirsch Chajes of Zolkiew and descendants of his siblings or cousins. Many of these lived and worked in Vienna at some time or another. For an orthodox Rabbi of his time and place Zwi Hirsch Chajes had an extraordinarily wide cultural background and pan-European perspective. From his five sons one recalls the issue of Chaim Chajes including Dr. Hermann Chajes, a physician who died in Vienna in 1928 and his sister Sophie, who married Professor Solomon Frankfurter (1856-1941), the philologist, director of Vienna University Library, and uncle of U.S. Supreme Court Judge Felix Frankfurter. Another sister, Chana was the wife of Max (Meir), a son of
49
Solomon Chajes and brother of Vienna’s Chief Rabbi Hirsch Perez Chajes (v.s). The son of Isaac Chajes, the Chief Rabbi of Brody, was Saul Chajes (1884-1935), the distinguished bibliographer and archivist of the Jewish community in Vienna. Benno Chajes (1880-1938), a son of Wolf Chajes, was Professor of Social Medicine at the Technical University of Berlin-Charlottenburg. Ruben, another son of Wolf Chajes, was the grandfather of the Israeli scientist Professor Reuben Chayoth and of Malkia Chayoth who currently lives in Vienna. Leon Chajes died in Vienna in 1891 where he left issue. Descendants from siblings or cousins of the Rabbi of Zolkiew included Markus Chajes, whose son Dr. Josef Chajes (1875-1944) was born in Lemberg, studied in Vienna and worked there as a gynecologist before moving to Palestine in 1934. He and Valerie Roth (1893-1970) had two sons, Dr. Richard Chajes, a physician who died in Detroit in 1966 and the music teacher and composer Julius Chajes (1910-1985), whose distinguished career began in Vienna. My book includes more biographical details and a photograph with his son Yossi Hillel Chajes (b.1965), who is now Professor of History at Haifa University (1). Conclusion This essay has attempted to furnish a genealogical backcloth to the rich tapestry of the Chajes family history, which has involved close ties with Löw, Katz, Horowitz, Katzenellenbogen, and others from early times. From Prague to Brody and Vienna the genius of the Chajes inheritance found expression in fourteen generations of mystics, scholars, and community leaders. The outstanding figures were undoubtedly the three Rabbis - Isaac ben Abraham of Prague, who was receptive to both rationalist and mystical strands in Jewish learning, Zwi Hirsch of Zolkiew, who combined orthodoxy with secular culture and modern ideas on social and educational reform, and his grandson, Zwi Hirsch Perez of Vienna, the scholar, educationist, Zionist, and political leader of a great community whose name is forever enshrined in the history of European Jewry (3, 31,32). The remarkably enduring intellectual energy of this ancient family has been ascribed, in part, to the genetic enrichment of the line brought about by several marriages, particularly those of Isaac ben Meir Chajes of Brody and of his son Menachem Manish Chajes of Brody and Florence. The ancient virtues of several lineages seem to have come together in the person of Zwi Hirsch Perez Chajes. It is fitting that attention should also be drawn to the influence of the Rabbi’s mother, Rebecca, daughter of Perez Shapiro, whose name recalls another long and famous rabbinical line.
50
The funeral service for Zwi Perez Chajes was attended by the then Austrian State President Dr. Michael Hainisch and other dignitaries After eighty years and the holocaust that ravaged the Jewish community and transformed the Austrian State the legacy of the greatest Rabbi of the Chajes line is secure, not least in the High School that he originally founded.
NOTES (1) Edward Gelles, An Ancient Lineage : European Roots of a Jewish Family,
Vallentine Mitchell, London (2006) (2) Simon Hock, Die Familien Prags nach Epitaphien des alten Jüdischen
Friedhofes, Adolf Alkalay, Pressburg (1892) from about 1600 to 1750 numerous tombstone inscriptions for Gelles and variants on the name are listed, e.g. the honourable Rabbi Mendel, son of Zalman Gelles, “emissary of the Beth Din” (1651), and some are of priestly connection e.g. Freidel, wife of Rabbi Benjamin Gallis Katz (1727).
(3) N.M. Gelber, Aus Oberrabbiner Prof. Chajes’ Ahnensaal, Die Stimme, No 2, Vienna (1927)
(4) Moritz Rosenfeld, Oberrabbiner Hirsch Perez Chajes. Sein Leben und Werk , Vienna (1933)
(5) B. Wachstein, Notizen zur Geschichte der Juden in Prossnitz, Jahrbuch der Jüdisch- literarischen Gesellschaft, Frankfurt a.M., vol.16 (1924)
(6) N.M. Gelber, Tombstone Inscriptions in the Gelber File at the Central Archive of the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem
(7) Meir Wunder, Meorei Galicia, volumes 1-6, Jerusalem ( 1978-2005) (8) Meir Herschkowitch, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chayot Mosad Harav Kook, Jerusalem (2007) (9) Neil Rosenstein, The Unbroken Chain, vol 1, p 219. Also Arim Veimahot (Brody), pp 56-57
and David Tebele Efrati, Toldot Anshei Shem, pp 34-35, Warsaw (1875)
(10) Ahron Walden, Shem Hagedolim Hachadash, p 43, 52. ,Jerusalem (1965) (11) Louis Lewin, Die Geschichte der Juden in Lissa, pp 192-204. Pinne (1904) (12) Michael Honey, Jewish Historical Clock. The Horowitz Family. London 1993 (13) Rosenstein, loc cit, vol.1, pp583-584; vol.2, pp 716-727 (14) Leo Lauterbach, Chronicle of the Lauterbach Family 1800-1991,
new edn by Bernard S. Lauterbach, El Paso, Texas (1992) (15) Rosenstein, loc cit, vol.2, p 806 (16) eds D.Ney and M.Schutzman, Sefer Zikaron (Kolomea Memorial Book),
Tel-Aviv, Israel (1972) (17) JewishGen, JRI-Poland Data Base for Kolomea (18) JewishGen, JRI-Poland Data Base for Nadworna
ed. Israel Carmi, Nadworna Memorial Book and Records Landsmanschaft of Nadworna in Israel and America (1975)
(19) Jewish Encyclopedia, Article on Hillel Lichtenstein, New York & Lo ndon (1904)
51
(20) L.Rakow, Tzefunot , vol 12, , Benei Brak, Israel (1992). Y.Y. Cohen, Chachmei Transylvania, pp 142-148, Machon, Jerusalem (1989) Reuben Gross, private communication on Lichtenstein descent
(21) M.Y. Schwerdscharf, Hadras Zvi , Sziget (1909) Y. Sternhel, Kochvei Yitzchok , New York (1977)
(22) Shmuel Schmelke Horowitz of Nicolsburg and his son Zvi Yehoshua of Trebicz Nezir Hashem and Semichas Moshe
[the subscription lists printed in the book include Reb Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea] (23) Meir Perels, Megillath Yuchasin Mehral miPrag, Warsaw (1864 & 1889) German translation in the Jahrbuch der Jüdisch- literarischen Gesellschaft, Frankfurt a.M. (1929) (24) David Nachman Rutner, Beth Ahron Beyisrael, vol 18, no.2, pp 170-175
(Dec / Jan 2002-03) [ published in Jerusalem by the Chasidim of the Karlin-Stolin dynasty ]
Yair Chaim Bacharach, MS in Bikurim, publ. by Naftali Keller in Vienna (1864-65) quoted by Rutner (25) L. Rakow, Keren Yisrael, pp 57-66. London & Jerusalem ( 2000) (26) Yehudah Klausner, private communication (27) Ahron Samuel ben Naftali Hirsch Katz, VeTzivah HaKohen, White Field (1823). The family claimed descent from Eli the Priest. Akiba Katz fled from Spain around 1391. The family went to Constantinople and were in Hungary before coming to Prague around 1500. Yocheved (d.1552), a daughter of Akiba Katz, grandson of the above, married Shabbatai Sheftel Horowitz of Prague(1480-1555), a son of Isaiah ben Moshe Halevi Ish Horowitz from Provence, who first settled at Horovice near Prague v.s. The latter’s 8th generation descendant, Meir Horowitz of Tykocin (d.1743) married a daughter of Menachem Manish Katz, son of Isaiah Katz of Brody. (28) Wunder, loc cit (29) Rosenstein, loc cit (30) Gelles, Rabbis of Solotwina near Stanislau
Gelles of Brody and some Fraenkel-Horowitz Connections Sharsheret Hadorot, 19, 4 (Nov 2005) and 20, 1 (Feb 2006) Marriages between some Rabbinical families in Galicia
The Galitzianer, 14, 1 (Nov 2006) (31) eds. V. Aptowitzer and A.Z. Schwarz, Abhandlungen zur Erinnerung an Hirsch Perez Chajes, Alexander Kohut Foundation, Vienna (1933) (32) Hugo Gold, Zwi Perez Chajes. Dokumente aus Seinem Leben und Wirken, Zwi Perez Chajes Institute, Olamenu, Tel Aviv (1971) The author’s paper on the Chajes family was presented at the Conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes held in Vienna on the 19th and 20th December 2007 under the auspices of the Zwi Perez Chajes School and the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde.
52
Tables 17-20
[17] Descent from Abraham Chayes of Prague, known as Eberel Altschuler [18] Isaac Chayes of Brody and Menachem Manish Chayes of Brody and Florence [19] David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz and Isaac Chaim Chajes of Kolomea [20] David Tebele – Name pattern
53
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Tab
le 1
7.
_
____
____
____
____
Rab
bi A
brah
am C
haye
s of P
ragu
e kn
own
as E
bere
l Alts
chul
er _
____
____
_
|
|
Is
aac
Cha
yes,
AB
D o
f Pra
gue
J
udah
Loe
w,
AB
D o
f Pra
gue
m
d
augh
ter
|
| M
enac
hem
Man
ish
Cha
yes
of V
ilna
Isaa
c K
atz
of P
ragu
e
m
V
oege
le
|
|
Ja
cob
Cha
yes
D
inah
Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
m
N
afta
li K
atz
, AB
D o
f Lu
blin
|
|
Is
aac
Cha
yes
of S
kole
____
____
_ Is
aac
Kat
z, A
BD
of
Step
an _
____
__
|
|
|
Elie
zer C
haye
s of
Bro
dy
I
saia
h K
atz
of B
rody
_
__ N
afta
li H
irsch
Kat
z o
f Fra
nkfu
rt __
_
|
|
|
|
Isaa
c C
haje
s (d
ied
in H
oly
Land
)
M
enac
hem
Mei
nish
Kat
z
Sh
prin
tze
Bez
alel
Kat
z, A
BD
of O
stro
g
M
embe
r of t
he F
our L
ands
Cou
ncil
|
|
|
dau
ghte
r m
|
Mei
r Cha
yes
of T
ysm
ieni
ca
Mei
r H
orow
itz
m
da
ught
er
E
frai
m F
isch
el o
f Lud
mir
Is
aac
Kat
z, A
BD
of O
stro
g
A
BD
of T
ykoc
in
|
|
|
Is
aac
Cha
yes o
f Bro
dy
Jaco
b Jo
kel H
orow
itz
N
ahum
Zau
smer
m
dau
ghte
r
m
dr
of
Nat
han
Nat
a, A
BD
of B
rody
A
BD
of B
rody
& G
loga
u
AB
D o
f San
dom
ierz
|
|
Men
ache
m M
anis
h C
haye
s
I
saac
Hor
owitz
|
of
Bro
dy &
Flo
renc
e
A
BD
of B
rody
& H
ambu
rg
|
|
M
enac
hem
Nah
um Z
ausm
er
B
eile
Rub
in
Mei
r C
haye
s of
Bro
dy &
Flo
renc
e
|
|
|
Jac
ob Jo
kel H
orow
itz
m
dau
ghte
r
A
BD
of B
olec
how
|
Zvi H
irsch
Cha
jes
of B
rody
& A
BD
of
Zolk
iew
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
|
Is
aac
Cha
im C
haje
s of K
olom
ea
A
BD
of M
unka
cz
Solo
mon
Cha
jes
of Z
olki
ew &
Lem
berg
|
?
|
Sar
ah M
atel
Cha
jes
Sar
ah
m
D
avid
Isaa
c G
ellis
Hir
sch
Pere
z C
haje
s of B
rody
m
Elie
zer
Gri
ffel o
f Nad
wor
na
|
o
f Bro
dy
C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Vie
nna
|
D
avid
Men
del G
riffe
l
____
____
N
ahum
Uri
Gel
les_
____
___
|
|
A
BD
of S
olot
win
a
|
Reg
ina
Gri
ffel
m
Dav
id Is
aac
Gel
les
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
Gel
les
|
of
Vie
nna
Edw
ard
Gel
les
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
6
Foot
note
s Th
e ab
ove
char
t sho
ws t
he d
oubl
e de
scen
t of E
frai
m F
isch
el H
orow
itz o
f Mun
kacz
from
Juda
h Lo
ew a
nd M
irel C
haye
s-A
ltsch
uler
of
Pra
gue
via
Hor
owitz
and
Zau
smer
and
the
fam
ily o
f the
Mah
aral
’s so
n-in
-law
, Isa
ac K
atz.
Ef
raim
Fis
chel
Hor
owitz
and
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz w
ere
half-
brot
hers
from
the
first
and
third
mar
riage
s of J
acob
Joke
l Hor
owitz
of
Bol
echo
w (s
ee T
able
s 10
and
14).
Yeh
uda
Ahr
on H
orow
itz o
f Sol
otw
ina
and
his w
ife M
iriam
Rot
tenb
erg
Mar
golie
s of B
rods
hin
are
show
n in
Tab
le 1
5. T
heir
desc
ent
from
Juda
h Lo
ew w
as v
ia th
e w
ife o
f Yeh
uda
Ahr
on’s
anc
esto
r Mei
r Hor
owitz
- a
daug
hter
of M
enac
hem
Mei
nish
Kat
z, a
nd v
ia th
e
wife
of M
iriam
Rot
tenb
erg’
s anc
esto
r, Is
aac
Dov
Ber
ben
Zvi
Hirs
ch M
argo
lioth
of J
aslo
witz
-
a da
ught
er o
r gra
ndda
ught
er o
f Sh
prin
tze
Kat
z an
d Ja
cob
of P
osen
[Nei
l Ros
enst
ein,
The
Unb
roke
n C
hain
, p. 4
67 ;
Mei
r Wun
der,
Elef
Mar
golio
t, p.
20]
.
This
was
not
the
first
Kat
z –
Mar
golio
th li
nk. T
he w
ife o
f Shp
rintz
e’s g
rand
fath
er, I
saac
Kat
z, w
as E
idel
Mar
golio
th (M
argo
lies)
. A
n ep
onym
ous d
esce
ndan
t of t
his I
saac
Kat
z, w
ho w
as A
BD
in K
oret
z an
d O
strog
and
die
d in
179
3, m
arrie
d a
daug
hter
of Z
vi H
irsch
M
argo
lioth
of M
eser
itz. S
he w
as a
seco
nd c
ousi
n of
Efra
im Z
alm
an M
argo
lioth
of B
rody
[Ros
enst
ein,
loc
cit,
p.45
1 an
d p
453]
A
noth
er d
augh
ter o
f Shp
rintz
e K
atz,
as t
he c
hart
show
s, m
arrie
d Ef
raim
Fis
chel
of L
udm
ir. H
e w
as a
son
of A
ryeh
Lei
b Fi
schl
s of
C
raco
w (s
ee a
lso
Tabl
e 18
). Th
e de
scen
danc
y of
the
Juda
h Lo
ew –
Alts
chul
er m
arria
ge ta
kes i
n K
atz,
Hor
owitz
, Zau
smer
, Fis
chel
, an
d M
argo
lies,
and
thei
r in-
law
s.
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
Tab
le 1
8. C
haye
s Fam
ily C
onne
ctio
ns I
U
ri Fe
ivus
h w
as a
son
of D
avid
, Chi
ef R
abbi
of V
ilna.
Ary
eh L
eib
(ben
Zac
hary
a M
ende
l Han
avi)
Kla
usne
r was
des
cend
ed fr
om th
e fa
mily
of J
udah
Löw
of
Prag
ue. A
fter h
is m
arria
ge to
Jutta
, dau
ghte
r of E
fraim
Fisc
hel o
f Lvo
v (d
ied
1653
) he
was
kno
wn
as A
ryeh
Lei
b Fi
schl
s. Th
e Fi
sche
l lin
e go
es b
ack
to 1
5th
cent
ury
Fran
kfur
t. Ef
raim
ben
Ary
eh L
eib
Fisc
hel o
f Lud
mir
mar
ried
a gr
andd
augh
ter o
f Naf
tali
Hirs
ch K
atz
of F
rank
furt,
a d
esce
ndan
t of J
udah
Löw
and
M
irl A
ltsch
ular
. Abr
aham
Jos
hua
Hes
chel
, sci
on o
f the
Kat
zene
llenb
ogen
line
from
Pad
ua a
nd V
enic
e, a
nd A
ryeh
Lei
b Fi
schl
s wer
e C
hief
Rab
bis
of K
rako
w.
* Th
eir s
ons,
Yiss
acha
r Ber
of K
rako
w a
nd E
fraim
Fisc
hel o
f Lud
mir,
wer
e Pr
esid
ents
of t
he C
ounc
il of
the
Four
Lan
ds
Uri
Fei
vush
A
ryeh
Lei
b Fi
schl
s
A
brah
am J
oshu
a H
esch
el
ABD
of V
ilna,
d. c
a 16
57
ABD
of K
rako
w, d
167
1
A
BD o
f Kra
kow,
d. 1
663
Nas
si in
Jer
usal
em
_
____
____
_|__
____
____
|
|
|
|
Yis
sach
ar B
er o
f Kra
kow
*
M
eir o
f Hor
odyc
ze
Za
char
ya M
ende
l
Efr
aim
Fis
chel
* d
.171
9
d. 1
690
_
____
___|
____
____
of B
elz,
d. 1
706
|
|
|
|
A
ryeh
Lei
b
|
Jac
ob o
f Lud
mir
, d 1
730
Is
aac
Kra
kow
er
Isaa
c
G
ersh
on V
ilner
ABD
of G
rodn
o
m
S
arah
|
A
BD o
f Bro
dy, d
. 170
4
of
Sie
mia
tycz
e
of S
hklo
v
d
.172
9
Ben
jam
in B
ushk
a o
f Zam
osc
|
|
|
|
|
Ze
ev W
olf
m
S
arah
S
hmue
l Gel
les
dau
ghte
r
m
Nat
han
Nat
a
Zvi
Hir
sch
Zam
osc
of S
kala
t
|
ABD
of S
iem
iaty
cze
AB
D o
f Bro
dy, d
. 176
4
ABD
of H
ambu
rg, d
.180
7
Yis
sach
ar B
er o
f Fra
nkfu
rt
|
|
|
Cha
ya
m
A
ryeh
Lei
b B
eren
stei
n of
Bro
dy
Is
aac
Cha
yes
m
d
augh
ter
|
Chie
f Rab
bi o
f Gal
icia
, d. 1
788
of
Bro
dy, d
. 180
7
Isaa
c W
olf
|
of B
rody
|
Men
ache
m M
eini
sh C
haye
s
m
d
augh
ter
of B
rody
& F
lore
nce,
d 1
832
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
3
Tab
le 1
9. C
haye
s Fam
ily C
onne
ctio
ns II
The
Cha
yes
fam
ily sp
read
from
thei
r bas
e in
Bro
dy to
oth
er G
alic
ian
tow
ns a
nd th
ey a
lso
flour
ished
in T
usca
ny. M
eir C
haye
s was
a m
erch
ant
bank
er in
Bro
dy a
nd F
lore
nce
and
one
of h
is so
ns w
as th
e fa
mou
s Rab
bi Z
vi H
irsch
of Z
olki
ew.
Num
erou
s fam
ily m
embe
rs in
Kol
omea
inc
lude
d m
y gr
eat-g
reat
-gra
ndfa
ther
Isaa
c C
haim
Cha
yes
The
Dro
hoby
cz a
nd K
olom
ea b
ranc
hes
had
conn
ectio
ns in
clud
ing
mar
riage
s with
the
Sues
ser f
amily
of C
raco
w.
M
eir
Cha
yes,
die
d 18
54
|
D
avid
Teb
ele
Cha
yes o
f Bro
dy
I
saac
Cha
im C
haye
s
Zvi
Hir
sch
Cha
yes o
f Bro
dy 1
805-
55 *
m
. Han
nah
Lau
terb
ach
182
2-68
182
3-18
66
R
abbi
of
Zolk
iew
o
f Dro
hoby
cz
m. B
eile
Cha
yes
|
of K
olom
ea
|
Zvi H
ersc
h C
haye
s m C
haya
Ber
gwer
k
Is
aac
Cha
yes 1
842-
1901
AB
D o
f Bro
dy
1840
-190
818
42-1
912
|
m.
Ett
e M
irl S
hapi
ro
of D
roho
bycz
|
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
__
|
|
|
|
|
R
ive
Hes
se C
haye
s b. 1
866
Sch
aya
Cha
yes 1
858-
1930
J
enta
b. 1
844
m.
Sar
ah M
atel
C
hana
185
4-19
15 m
.
Isa
ac b
. 186
6
m
. Pi
nkas
Hor
owitz
b. 1
871
m
. B
erta
Sei
dman
n 18
58-1
919
Itzi
g H
erm
ann
-1
940
m.
W
olf L
eib
Lic
hten
stei
n
m
. Cyp
ra b
. 186
5
son
of S
amue
l Hor
owitz
of
Kol
omea
E
lieze
r G
riffe
l
of K
laus
enbu
rg
d.
of H
ersc
h St
ernh
ell
&
Riv
ke B
olec
how
er
1
850-
1918
b. 1
859
&
Risi
e H
erm
ann
in K
olom
ea
|
of N
adwo
rna
gs
of H
illel
Lic
hten
stei
n
|
18
15-9
1 AB
D o
f Kol
omea
Reg
ina
Cha
yes b
, 187
8 m
.
Dav
id M
ende
l Gri
ffel
Ber
nard
Sue
sser
187
2-19
29
187
5-19
41
son
of S
alom
on S
uess
er
m
. Cha
wa
Wah
l 187
7-19
41
*
Zvi
Hir
sch
Pere
z C
haye
s 18
76-1
927
of C
raco
w
|
g
rand
son
of Z
vi H
irsch
of Z
olki
ew
___
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
Chi
ef R
abbi
of V
ienn
a
|
|
|
Zyg
mun
t Gri
ffel 1
897-
1951
E
dwar
d G
riffe
l 190
4-59
R
egin
a G
riffe
l 190
0-54
m.
Mar
yla
Sues
ser
1909
-197
5
m. S
usan
Man
son
1911
-78
m. D
avid
Gel
les 1
883-
1964
of C
raco
w
of V
ienn
a
© E
dwar
d G
elle
s 200
7
Tab
le 2
0. C
haye
s Fam
ily C
onne
ctio
ns II
I
Dav
id T
ebel
e - N
ame
Patt
ern
R
abbi
Dav
id T
ebel
e of
Bris
k w
as a
bro
ther
of t
he C
hief
Rab
bi o
f Kra
kow
kno
wn
as th
e H
oich
er R
ebbe
Lei
b or
Lei
b Fi
schl
s.
Two
grea
t-gra
ndso
ns o
f Ary
eh L
eib
Fisc
hls w
ere
Nat
han
Nat
a, a
Chi
ef R
abbi
of B
rody
, and
Zvi
Hirs
ch B
erlin
, who
was
kno
wn
as
Rab
bi H
art L
yon
whi
le h
e w
as C
hief
Rab
bi in
Lon
don.
The
latte
r’s g
rand
son
was
Dav
id T
ebel
e B
erlin
er.
The
Cha
yes l
ine
clea
rly
de
rives
the
nam
e of
Dav
id T
ebel
e fro
m th
e m
arria
ge o
f Isa
ac C
haye
s of B
rody
to th
e da
ught
er o
f Nat
han
Nat
a be
n A
ryeh
Lei
b
Ary
eh L
eib
(She
itels)
R
’ Ger
shon
Viln
er
AB
D o
f G
rodn
o
o
f Shk
lov
|
|
N
atha
n N
ata
m
d
augh
ter
AB
D o
f Bro
dy, d
ied
1764
[ fir
st co
usin
of R
’ Shm
uel G
elle
s
|
A
BD
of S
iem
iaty
cze
]
_
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
___
|
|
|
Dav
id T
ebel
e
A
ryeh
Lei
b
dau
ghte
r
m
Is
aac
Cha
yes o
f Bro
dy
A
BD
of L
issa
, die
d 17
92
A
BD
of A
niks
t
die
d 18
07
|
|
|
3 ge
nera
tions
3 ge
nera
tions
2 ge
nera
tions
|
|
D
avid
Teb
ele
Efr
ati
|
Dav
id T
ebel
e C
haye
s
of M
eret
z &
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Some Rabbinical Family Connections Chapter 4. Relations by blood and marriage The series of Tables illustrating family ties follows a logical progression linking the separate chapters. A brief discussion of some of the salient points in the Tables may help to place the families highlighted in this study within the grand tapestry of the Ashkenazi rabbinate. The wider family background of Table 1 opens in 16th century Prague, a city that lay at the cross-roads of the age-old Jewish migration from west to east. The great Rabbis of Prague included Judah Loew, Isaac Chayot (Chayes), Mordecai Yaffe, and Isaiah Halevi Ish Horowitz. Moses Isserles, the great Rabbi of Cracow, the Meisels, and David Katvan also had ancestral connections with Prague, as did many other families that later flourished in Poland and beyond. The descendants of Moses Halevi Yollis of Cracow were connected by marriage with those of Isaiah Horowitz and of Abraham Joshua Heschel. The leading 17th century Rabbis of Cracow included Heschel amd his successor Aryeh Leib Fischls, who was of the Klausner line descended from a brother-in-law of Judah Loew and connected by marriage to the Fischels who had come to Poland from 15th century Frankfurt. The Chief Rabbis of Brody included Isaac Krakower, a Heschel grandson and head of the Babad family, whose wife was a descendant of Moses Isserles. One of their granddaughters married Isaac Horowitz, later Chief Rabbi of Hamburg, who like his father Jacob Jokel Horowitz, served as Chief Rabbi in Brody (Table 10). Another 18th century Chief Rabbi there was Nathan Nata ben Aryeh Leib (Sheitels), a descendant of Aryeh Leib Fischls of Cracow. He married a daughter of Gershon Vilner of Shklov, an uncle of Shmuel Gelles of Siemiatycze. They were descendants of the 17th century Chief Rabbi Uri Feivush of Vilna. Nathan Nata’s son was Rabbi David Tebele of Lissa, whose brothers-in-law included the fourth Isaac Chajes, the community leader in Brody (Table 20) and Nachman Rapaport, a son of Chaim Hakohen Rapaport, the prominent Chief Rabbi of Lvov. This line goes back via Simcha Hakohen Rapaport’s marriage to the Yollis family with their Heschel-Babad connection.
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Later Brody incumbents not shown in Table 1 include the fifth Isaac Chajes (Table 19), a 19th century descendant of the first Isaac Chayes of Prague and the 20th century Rabbi Abraham Menachem Steinberg (Table 15). Table 2 continues with the descendants of the above named 17th century Rabbis of Cracow and Vilna. It explores the connections between the 18th century Rabbis David Tebele of Lissa, Ezekiel Landau of Prague, and Shmuel Helman of Metz. The latter’s progeny was connected by marriage with Katzenellenbogen, Fraenkel, and Rapaport as well as Landau, Shmuel Helman was an ancestor of my immediate Gelles line, and furthermore it is possible that through his in-laws in Glogau the Hillman and Gelles lines have some common ancestral origins. Table 3 deals with descent from another great 17th century Rabbi of Cracow, Nathan Nata Shapiro. His direct line via the 18th century Chasidic Rabbi Pinchas Shapiro of Koretz to the 20th century Rabbi Yehuda Meir Shapira, is shown side by side with the lines of the Chasidic Friedman dynasty, and of Gelles descent from Shmuel Helman of Metz. Shmuel Dov Gelles was a son-in-law of Pinchas of Koretz. The line of descent from Shmuel Dov is related to the Friedman line (Gelles, An Ancient Lineage, Chapter 35). Moses Gelles, a brother or possibly a first cousin of Shmuel Dov, married a granddaughter of Shmuel Helman (Table 7). The close contacts between my grandfather Nahum Uri Gelles and Yehuda Meir Shapira with Israel Friedman of Czortkow might be taken as indicative of shared ancestral connections and this is set against the challenge to the traditional belief that Shmuel Helman was a son of Nathan Nata Shapiro’s son-in-law, Israel Halpern of Krotoschin (Tables 4-6). Table 7 outlines the descent from Moses Menachem Mendel Levush, scholar of the Brody Klaus, who was known as Moses Gelles after his marriage to a daughter of Rabbi S. Gelles. The names of Gelles and / or Levush were used by some descendants for at least three generations. It is probable that the name Levush indicates descent from the 16th century Rabbi Mordecai Yaffe of Prague and the title of his work The Levushim or Rabbinical Robes of Learning (Gelles, An Ancient Lineage, Chapters 29 and 30). Table 8 shows some connections between scholars of the prestigious Brody Klaus (loc cit, p.208). Table 9 indicates the ancient roots of the Horowitz family and the background of the 18th century Rabbi Meir Horowitz known as the Maharam of Tiktin. His first marriage to a lady of the ancient Katz (HaKohen) family gave rise to a number of prominent rabbinical lines, one of which led via his son Jacob Jokel Horowitz of Brody and Glogau to Isaac Horowitz, the Rabbi of Brody, Glogau and Hamburg, to Jacob Jokel Horowitz of Bolechow and his progeny (Table 10). The second marriage of Meir Horowitz of Tiktin to a daughter of Efraim
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Zalman Katzenellenbogen led to the Chasidic Friedman dynasty of Ruzhin, Sadegora, and Czortkow (Table 3). Tables 11 and 12 deal with links between Babad, Horowitz, Zausmer, and Halpern, while Table 13 charts the links between some Fraenkels of Przeworsk and Brody with Gelles and Horowitz. The Zausmer and Fraenkel grandfathers of two sons of Jacob Jokel Horowitz of Bolechow lead to the subject of Tables 14 and 15, namely the connections between the half brothers Rabbis Efraim Fischel and Yehuda Aaron Horowitz and of their progeny. In Tables 14 and 15, identification of the mothers of my grandfather Nahum Uri Gelles and of his wife Esther Weinstein presently has to rely on the following circumstantial evidence: [a] the well documented preference given in rabbinical appointments to qualified sons or sons-in-law or other close kinsmen, which was particularly marked in the score of little shtetls around Stanislau (Stanislawow) where the Horowitz dynasty was firmly entrenched for a century and a half, [b] the well established conventions for naming children after deceased grandparents and other ancestors, [c] the custom of “going home to mother” for the birth of a child whenever possible and the deductions to be made from known residence of grandparents and places and dates of birth, [d] additional corroboration from a study of in-laws and other related lines. There is a very striking corroboration from all these pointers to the identification of Nahum Uri’s and Esther’s mothers as Horowitz cousins. Table 16 traces marriage links between Ashkenazi, Babad, Horowitz, Gelles, Kliger, and Avigdor, exemplifying the inter-connections of rabbinical clans. Table 17 presents the lines of descent from Rabbi Abraham Chayes of Prague, known as Eberel Altschuler, via his son Isaac Chayes and his daughter, Mirel, who was the first wife of the great Rabbi Judah Loew. 13 generations of the direct line from Isaac Chayes of Prague to Chief Rabbi Hirsch Perez Chajes of Vienna are shown in the Table, as are lines of descent from Judah Loew via the ancient Katz line to Horowitz and Zausmer. In the crucible of renaissance Prague, where families from different parts of the continent met and inter-married over the generations, the origin of the nexus of Loew, Chayes, Horowitz, Katz, Fischel, Margolies, and others can be discerned. Table 18 brings out Chayes connections with the descendants of Aryeh Leib Fischls and with the Berensteins, who were descendants of Abraham Joshua Heschel. While the base of the Chayes family remained in Brody for centuries many branch lines developed elsewhere. Examples are the Drohobycz and Kolomea lines shown in Table 19 with cross - links to each other and to the main Brody line. The wife of Meir Chayes of Brody and Florence was a
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Berenstein. Their son, the famous Rabbi Zwi Hirsch Chayes of Brody and Zolkiew, married Riva Hesa of the Rokeah family. The age-old intermarriages of the Chayes and Horowitz families continued with a sister of Rabbi Zwi Hirsch Chayes and Shlomo Abraham Horowitz of Cracow (as I am kindly informed by Mr Malkia Chayoth). Zwi Hirsch’s son, the fifth Isaac Chayes of the main family line, became Chief Rabbi of Brody and his daughter Rive Hesse (Riva Hesa) Chayes married Pinkas Horowitz of Kolomea. (another instance of a grandchild’s first name confirming a grandmother’s identity, and vice versa (see also Table 15). Frequent use has been made in this monograph of name patterns as evidence, but never in the absence of other support. The name pattern of Efraim Fischel and Nahum in Table 14 is an example. Clearly, the more unusual the name the more weight might be attached to what is essentially circumstantial evidence. Table 20 shows the incidence of the name David Tebele running through several connected families and generations. It indicates a link between David Tebele Chajes of Drohobycz with Isaac Chayes, the head of the Brody community, who married a sister of Rabbi David Tebele of Lissa. This study must perforce remain incomplete until documentary proof from primary sources confirms the conclusions reached from circumstantial evidence, however persuasive this appears to be. There are also a number of questions such as the antecedents of Rabbi Shmuel Helman of Metz and the connections of Rabbi Shmuel Gelles of Siemiatycze that remain to be clarified. It seemed to be in the interests of scholarship to record the progress made to date in the hope that publication will elicit further documentation from other quarters. Without wishing to enter into complex questions of the genetic inheritance of intellectual and other qualities some findings of this genealogical study appear to be relevant. A few dozen rabbinical families did intermarry repeatedly over the centuries, and there were frequent marriages between cousins of one degree or another. The continuing intellectual vitality of such ancient lineages as Shapiro, Yaffe, Horowitz, Chajes, and Katzenellenbogen (Wahl, Heschel, Babad) is surely due in part to cultural and educational factors, but some good genes seem to have been preserved and indeed reinforced in the course of this millennial inbreeding.
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Index of Family Names
with reference to the tables & their footnotes
Abulafia 8 Adlersberg 14, 15 Altschuler (see Chayes) 1, 3, 17 Ashkenazi 16 Avigdor 16 Babad (see Heschel) 1, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 Berlin (Berliner) 20 Berenstein (see Heschel, Babad) 18 Chayes (Chajes, Chayut, Chayot) 1, 3, 17, 18, 19, 20 Chalfan 11 Efrati 1, 20 Fischel 1, 2, 7, 15, 17, 18 Fraenkel (also Fraenkel-Teomim) 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 Friedman 3, 6, 9 Gans 3 Gelles (Gellis) 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Griffel 17, 19 Hakohen (Kohen, Katz) 7, 13, 17 Halevi (Levi) 1, 9 Halpern (Heilprin) 3, 12 Hermann 19 Heschel 2, 12, 18 Hillman (Helman) 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 Horowitz (Horovitz, Halevi Ish Horovitz) 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19 Isserles 1, 11 Katvan 1, 10, 12 Katz (Kohen Tzedek, Hakohen) 1, 6, 9, 17 Katzenellenbogen (also Wahl, Heschel, Babad) 1, 2, 3, 9, 17, 20 Kliger (Kluger) 16 Klausner (Kloisner) 7 Landau 1, 2, 10 Lauterbach 19 Levush 1, 7, 8 Lichtenstein 19 Loew 1, 17
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Manson 19 Margolies (Margulies, Margolioth etc) 10, 13, 14, 15, 17 Margoshes 7 Meisels 1, 3 Nathanson 13 Ramraz (see Zundel Ramraz) 7, 8 Rapaport (Rappoport, etc) 1 Reich 7 Rokeah 7, 8 Rottenberg 10, 14, 15 Rubin 10, 13 Segal (see Halevi Segal) Shor 15 Shapiro (Spiro, etc) 3, 5, 7, 19 Steinberg 15 Sternhel 19 Suesser 19 Teomim (Thumim, Fraenkel-Teomim) 10 Twersky 3 Wahl (Wohl, see Katzenellenbogen) 1, 11, 17, 19 Weinstein 7, 10, 14, 15 Yaffe (Jaffe, Yoffe etc) 1, 7 Yollis 1, 9, 11 Zausmer 10, 12, 14, 17 Zundel ( Zundel Ramraz) 7, 8
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Select Bibliography
Adlersberg, A.Y., Magen Avos (B.Schmerler, Stanislawow :2007) Avigdor, Isaac Chaim, Faith after the Flames (Rodgiva Publishers, New Haven: 2005) Bezalel ben Yosef Yosel of Orla, Responsa (Bialistok : 1807). Babad, A.M., Imrei Tava (Bnei Brak, Israel : 1983) Buber, Martin, Die Erzählungen der Chasidim (Menasse Verlag, Conzett & Huber, Zűrich : 1949) Delugatch, Shmuel, Agudas Shmuel (Amsterdam : 1699) Dietz, Alexander, The Jewish Community of Frankfurt. A Genealogical Study 1349-1849 (Vanderher Publications : 1988) Efrati, David Tebele, Toldot Anshei Shem (Warsaw ; 1875) Frankl-Grün, A.D., Geschichte der Juden in Kremsier (Breslau : 1896) Frankel, Yechezkel Shraga (ed.) Imrei Pinchas (Bnei Brak, Israel : 2003) Friedmann, Nathan Zvi, Otzar Harabbanim (Bnei Brak, Israel : 1973) Frumkin, Aryeh Leib, Toldot Chachmei Yerushalayim (Jerusalem : 1928-30) note by B. Wachstein on p.16 of addenda (in Vol.3 of later edition) Fuenn, S.J., Kiryah Ne’emanah (Vilna : 1860) Gans, David, Zemach David (Prague : 1592) Gelles, Edward, An Ancient Lineage – European Roots of a Jewish Family (Vallentine Mitchell, London, 2006) Gottlieb, Shmuel Nach, Ohalei Shem (Pinsk : 1912) Grossman, Levi, Shem U’ She’erit (Tel-Aviv : 1943) Guttman, Mattityahu Yechzkiel, Rabbi Pinchas miKoretz (Tel-Aviv : 1950) Herschkowitch, Meir, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Chayot (Mosad Harav Kook, Jerusalem: 2007) Hock, Simon, Die Familien Prags nach Epitaphien des alten Jűdischen Friedhofes (Adolf Alkalay, Pressburg : 1892) Horowitz, Marcus, Die Inschriften des alten Friedhofes der Israelitischen Gemeinde zu Frankfurt am Main (Kauffman, Frankfurt : 1901) Horowitz, Zvi Hirsch, Letoldot Hakehilot Bepolin (Mossad Horav Kook, Jerusalem : 1978) Kitvei HaGeonim (Chanoch Henoch Follman, Piotrkow : 1928) Kahane, Samuel Z., Anaf Etz Avoth (Cracow : 1903) Katzenellenbogen, Phineas, Yesh Manhilin (Machon, Chacham Sofer, Jerusalem : 1984) Lewin, Louis, Die Geschichte der Juden in Lissa (Verlag M. Gundermann, Pinne :1904) Lipschitz, Aryeh Yehuda Leib, Avoth Atara Lebanim (Warsaw : 1927) Margoshes, Joseph, Ereinerungen fun mein Leben (original Yiddish edn., Max N. Maisel Verlag, New York : 1936) Perels, Meir, Megillath Yuchasin Mehral miPrag (Warsaw : 1864) Polonsky, Shimson Aaron, Chidushei Horav miTeplik (Jerusalem : 1984) Rosenstein, Neal, The Unbroken Chain ( CIS Publishers, New York, London, Jerusalem : 1990) The Lurie Legacy (Avotaynu, Bergenfield, New Jersey : 2004) Schischa, A., The Author of Assifat Hakohen and his Pedigree (Keren Israel, Jerusalem – London :2000) Shapira, Yehuda Meir, Imrei Da’as (Bnei Brak, Israel : 1990) Steinschneider, Hillel Noach, Ir Vilna (Vilna : 1900)
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Wunder, Meir, Meorei Galicia (Jerusalem : 1978 et seq) Elef Margoliot (London & Jerusalem : 1993) Wurm, David, Z dziejow zydostwa brodzkiego za czasow dawnej rzeczpospolitej (Brody : 1935) Yudlov, Yitzchak Shlomo, Sefer Yichus Belza (Machon, Jerusalem : 1984) Zelig ben Yoel, Shlomo Ahron, Kerem Shlomo (Warsaw : 1841) Zinz, David Leib, Gedullath Yehonathan (Piotrkow : 1934) I am grateful to Yissochor Marmorstein and Malkia Chayoth for drawing my attention to some Hebrew references
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Other Sources full references and notes will be found in the author’s book: An Ancient Lineage
Vienna records of the Jewish Community (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde, Wien). Certificate of marriage (1921) of Dr. David Isaac Gelles and Regina Griffel. Burial records at the Central Cemetary (Zentralfriedhof, Wien). Inscriptions on tombstones of Dr. David Gelles (1883-1964) and Rabbi Nahum Uri Gelles (1852-1934). Obituary notice for Dr. David Gelles in the Viennese newspaper Heruth (4 September 1964) Birth records of Dr. David Gelles (1883) and of his elder sister Bertha (Feiga Rivka, 1881) at Mielnica Podolskaya. Birth record at Narayow of Nahum Uri Gelles (1852). Inscription on the Brody tombstone of Rabbi David Isaac Gellis (ca 1790-1870). Tombstones of other members of this Gelles family from the Brody tombstone project initiated by Dr. Neil Rosenstein and Rabbi Dov Weber. Record of the Beth Din of Brody 1808-1817, being a manuscript in the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, with references to four generations of the Gelles (Levush) family and numerous marriage alliances with other rabbinical families. Birth, marriage, death, and property records for the Gelles family of Brody covering the period 1780-1870 in the Central Archives of Lviv (Ukraine), with house numbers and names of residents, linking up with data from the Beth Din records. Tombstone inscriptions from the destroyed old cemetery of Brody transcribed by N.M. Gelber. Gelber archive in the Central Archives of the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem. The Solotwina file covering rabbinical elections and other community matters for the period 1884-1934 in the Central Archives of the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem. Extract from the Jewish newspaper Der Najer Morgen Tagblat (Lvov, 26 December 1934) referring to the election of a successor to the Solotwina rabbinate after the death of Nahum Uri Gelles. Memorial Notice for Ahron Leib Gelles (son of Efraim Fischel Gelles and grandson of Nahum Uri Gelles)
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published on the occasion of a Commemorative Dinner (held in New York on 7 December 2003) by the Czortkow connection (followers of Rabbis David Moshe Friedman and Israel Friedman of Czortkow). Arim Veimahot Beyisrael, ed Y.L. Maimon (Jerusalem : 1952 and later) Vol.5 (Stanislau), Vol. 6 (Brody) Pinkas Hakehilot Polin (Yad Vashem, Jerusalem) Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Poland Yizkor (Memorial) Books for Belz, Berezhany-Narayow, Brody, Glina, Piotrkow Tribunalski, etc Articles in various genealogical journals and year books. JewishGen JRI – Poland data base and other web sites.
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An Ancient Lineage European Roots of a Jewish Family: Gelles -Griffel -Wahl -Chayes -Safier-Loew –Taube By Edward Gelles Published by Vallentine Mitchell, July 2006. ISBN 0- 85303-680-2 This work is not just about one Jewish family in a given place and a certain period. It may have started that way about 8 years ago when I determined to find out about my ancient roots. I came from a comfortable middle class background. My father was an advocate in Vienna. He and his younger brother and sister obtained their doctorates in law from Vienna University. They were born in Austrian Galic ia where my father’s people were rabbis and my mother’s family had substantial business interests. Links with the older orthodox generation were broken when my parents embraced Viennese culture while maintaining their Jewish identity in the socio-political rather than religious sense. They scarcely ever talked to me about the past but they left me a great hidden heritage which I have now endeavoured to re-discover. At the beginning of my search I had my parents’ marriage certificate and my grandfather’s tombstone inscription. I saw my paternal grandfather Nahum Uri Gelles just before he died and I also once met my grandmother, Chawa Wahl. From these slender beginnings I traced my paternal line back to an 18th century scholar of Brody and thence to 16th century Rabbis of Prague. The grandsons of my ancestor Moses Gelles married into the families of Rabbis Shmuel Helman of Metz and Pinchas Shapiro of Koretz. My maternal ancestors included the families of my Wahl grandmother and Chayes great-grandmother. I did not even know their places of birth. How I found them and much else is described in the book. The genealogical methodology is of general interest and involves the records of Jewish communities throughout Europe including surviving tombstone inscriptions, civil records of births, marriages, and deaths, records of property transactions, taxation, military, school and other records, ships’ manifests, immigration and naturalization records, and the information scattered among ephemera of all kinds, family correspondence, newspaper cuttings, and in biographical works, the rabbinical literature, and so on. For example, a first world war postcard led me to the Austrian army archives, to a specialist library on the history of medicine in London, to the rediscovery of my Loew cousins in
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Chicago, then to the municipal archives of Strasbourg, and so to Tarnobrzeg and elsewhere in Galicia. There are long threads of discovery leading back from central and eastern Europe to renaissance Prague and Padua and to medieval towns in the Rhineland and in northern France. Our ancestors were in Italy and Germany and earlier still some were in Provence and Languedoc and in the Iberian peninsula. From Lisbon and Barcelona, from Narbonne and Arles, from Bologna, Padua, and Venice, Worms and Frankfurt, to Vienna and Prague, Cracow and Lvov, Grodno and Brody, our journey across Europe and back again takes in many notable Jewish families. At the end of the day the handful of families highlighted in this book can be seen as a microcosm of the millennial Jewish presence in Europe. So there are three main threads woven into my work. The genealogical methodology, the lives of individual people and their families, and the grand historical background of more than a thousand years of European history. The scope of the book is indicated by over 200 place names and over 100 family names. Connections with Katzenellenbogen, Yaffe, Shapiro, Halpern, Fraenkel, Horowitz, Rapaport and many others are illustrated in 54 genealogical charts many of which contain original material. There are illustrations and documents. The chapter notes give full references and there are some sketch maps, a glossary of terms, and a select bibliography. Endorsements by the leading genealogist Rabbi Meir Wunder of Jerusalem and the historian Professor Gershon David Hundert of McGill University are printed in the book, which has also had numerous reviews. These include Rafal Zebrowski in the Jewish Historical Quarterly, Warsaw [No.4 / 2006 (220)], Yehuda Klausner in the Journal of the Israeli Genealogical Society, Sharsheret Hadorot [Vol. 21, No.1, 34-35, February 2007], and Evelyn Adunka in David - Jűdische Kulturzeitschrift [Year 19, No. 73, June 2007]. The book is now in the collections of university libraries, museums, and other institutions in the United States, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom and many European cultural centers. Copies of the book and further information can be obtained directly from the author: Dr. Edward Gelles
telephone: (0) 207 724 8722 e-mail: [email protected]
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