Moses Hyamson

Moses Hyamson
Rabbi Moses Hyamson

Rabbi Dr. Moses Hyamson (September 3, 1862 – June 9, 1949) was an Orthodox rabbi, former head Dayan of the London Beth Din and between 1911 and 1913, acting Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. He was renowned as a highly learned Hebrew scholar, author, translator, leader and erudite speaker.

Biography

Rabbi Hyamson was born in Suvalk, Russia (now Poland); he emigrated to England in 1864. He was educated in Talmud by his father, Rabbi Nathan Haimsohn, and by Dayan Jacob Reinowitz. He married Sara Gordon at the Great Synagogue in London in 1892.

Rabbi Hyamson was ordained as Rabbi by Rabbi Dr Hermann Adler through Jews' College, London. He also received several degrees from University College London. He received a Bachelor of Arts in 1882, a Bachelor of Laws in 1900, and a Doctor of Laws in 1912.

Rabbi Hyamson served as a Rabbi in Swansea, Bristol and Dalston, becoming a dayan of the London Beth Din. He was one of the eulogisers at the funeral of Rabbi Eliezer Gordon in 1910. He was the rival candidate of Rabbi Dr Joseph H. Hertz for the permanent post of Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, to which the latter was appointed.

In 1913, Rabbi Hyamson was elected Rabbi of Congregation Orach Chaim in New York. He received a life contract and served his community until his death in 1949. His distinguished leadership contributed significantly to Jewish life in America and overseas.

Rabbi Hyamson founded the Board of Milah in New York in 1914, which grew to encompass Mohel certification, conferences on circumcision, and published studies. He was also an early leader of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. He helped in the founding of a local Hebrew school and the formation of the Central Relief Committee of the Agudas HaRabbanim, which provided European yeshivas with much needed assistance. The committee was the first of three organisations which developed into the Joint Distribution Committee.

Rabbi Hyamson lead the battle to preserve shechita in America. He was president and a leading founder of "The League for Safeguarding the Fixity of the Sabbath". He helped prevent the legislation of Calendar Reform, which on an international level would have created a "wandering" Sabbath, changing to a different day of the week each year. Rabbi Hyamson met with President Herbert Hoover, and addressed Congress and the League of Nations.

Notwithstanding his formidably Orthodox credentials, Rabbi Hyamson was appointed Professor Emeritus of Codes at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1915, serving until 1940. The divide at that time between Orthodox Judaism and the traditional wings of Conservative Judaism was not vast.

Rabbi Hyamson translated Duties of the Heart, Books I (and II posthumously) of Maimonides's Mishneh Torah, and "Collatio Mosaicarum et Romanarum Legum". He authored "The Oral Law" and numerous other writings on Jewish issues of the day.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • HYAMSON, MOSES — (1863–1949), rabbi and scholar. Hyamson was born in Suwalki, Lithuania, and was taken to England at the age of five. He received his Jewish education at Jews College, London, where he was ordained in 1882, and his secular education at the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Moses Maimonides — Idealporträt Maimonides’ aus dem 19. Jahrhundert Maimonides Statue in Córdoba (Spanien) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • MAIMONIDES, MOSES — (Moses ben Maimon; known in rabbinical literature as Rambam ; from the acronym Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon; 1135–1204), rabbinic authority, codifier, philosopher, and royal physician. BIOGRAPHY The most illustrious figure in Judaism in the post… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Hyamson, Moses — (1862 1949)    American rabbi and scholar. Born in Lithuania, he was taken to England at the age of five. He served as a rabbi in England, Wales and the US. He taught the codes of Jewish law at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1915 …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • AZEVEDO (Ferme), MOSES COHEN D' — (1720–1784), English rabbi. Azevedo, who was born into a rabbinic family in Holland, immigrated to London, where he married in 1749 the daughter of haham Moses Gomes De mesquita . His appointment to the bet din in 1757 led to the resignation from …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • EDREHI (Heb. אדרעי), MOSES BEN ISAAC — (c. 1774– c. 1842), Moroccan scholar. Edrehi was born in agadir , Morocco, but when the Jews were expelled from that city Moses, while still a boy, was taken with his parents to mogador , and after 1784 to Rabat. He began to preach in public at… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • List of British Jews — is a list that includes Jewish people from the United Kingdom and its predecessor states.Although the first Jews may have arrived on the island of Great Britain with the Romans, it wasn t until the Norman Conquest of William the Conqueror in 1066 …   Wikipedia

  • List of rabbis — This is a list of prominent rabbis. Rabbis are Judaism s spiritual and religious leaders. See also : List of Jews.Rabbis: Pre Mishnaic ( Tannaim ): See Mishnah, Tannaim .* Shimon Hatzadik * Antigonus of SokhoRabbis: Pre Mishnaic ( Tannaim ) (… …   Wikipedia

  • Mishneh Torah — The Mishneh Torah (Hebrew: מִשְׁנֶה תּוֹרָה‎, Repetition of the Torah ) subtitled Sefer Yad ha Hazaka (ספר יד החזקה Book of the Strong Hand, ) is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides …   Wikipedia

  • Joseph H. Hertz — Joseph Herman Hertz, CH (25 September 1872–14 January 1946), was the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire.Early lifeJoseph Hertz was born in Rebrin, Hungary (now Slovakia), and emigrated to New York City in 1884. He was educated at New York City… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”