- Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld
Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld (also written "Sonnenfeld") (1849 - 1932) was the
Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazi HarediJew ish community ofJerusalem during the years of theBritish Mandate of Palestine and co-founder of theEdah HaChareidis . He was originally given the name "Chaim", however, the name "Yosef" was added to him while he experienced an illness.Rabbi Zonnenfeld was born in
Vrbové ,Slovakia . His father, Avraham Shlomo Zonnenfeld, died when he was four years old.Rabbi Zonnenfeld was a student of Rabbi
Samuel Benjamin Sofer , the "Ksav Sofer" (the son of the Chasam Sofer) in Pressburg, and also of RabbiAvraham Schag inKobersdorf (who was himself a disciple of the Chasam Sofer); Rabbi Sonnenfeld moved from the latter city to Jerusalem in 1873.He became an important figure in Jerusalem's Old City, serving as the right-hand man of Rabbi
Yehoshua Leib Diskin and assisting the latter in communal activities, such as the founding of schools and theDiskin Orphanage , and the fight against secularism. He refused to meet withKaiser Wilhelm ofGermany who visited the Old City because he believed that the Emperor was a descendant of the nation ofAmalek . It is related that when the Emperor tried to enter the city gates on his horse in full army uniform, he was too tall to enter and instead of removing his helmet, he ordered the city gate's to be heightened.Rabbi Zonnenfeld was strongly Anti-Zionist and sent a delegate, a former Dutch diplomate and writer who had become a
baal teshuva Dr.Jacob Israel de Haan , toJordan with a peace proposal for King Abdullah.Contrary to a number of distorted accounts, Rabbi Zonnenfeld had a warm relationship with and mutual respect for Rabbi
Abraham Isaac Kook , although the two were vigorous opponents in many areas. Indeed, in 1913 the two travelled together to Northern Israel to try to return lapsed Jews toTorah Judaism .Works
Rabbi Zonnenfeld wrote scholarly commentaries on the
Torah ,Talmud , andShulchan Aruch . Hisresponsa are collected in the work "Salmas Chaim".External links
* [http://www.innernet.org.il/article.php?aid=179 "Guardian of Jerusalem"] (Excerpt from Artscroll biography of Rabbi Zonnenfeld)
* [https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Sonnenfeld.html Jewish Virtual Library Biography of Rabbi Zonnenfeld]
* [http://www.famousrabbis.com/shaag.htm Rav Avraham Shaag ZT"L - A Lion Roars] (Mentor of Rabbi Zonnenfeld)References
* Hillel Danziger and Shlomo Z. Sonnenfeld. "Guardian of Jerusalem: Ha-Ish Al Ha-Homah : The Life and Times of Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (Artscroll History Series)". Mesorah Publications, 1986. ISBN 0-89906-458-2
* "Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld on the Parashah", edited by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Sonnenfeld. Mesorah Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-57819-723-6
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