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298 Auerbach

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Auerbach, Benjamin

them Kolakovski,

soloist of the Imperial Theater at Krasnokutski, Pusternakov, Galkin, Mlynarski, Korguyev, and Krilger, the last four soloists of the Imperial Musical Society of St. Petersburg,

Moscow



and many more celebrated

artists of the imperial

Some of his composi"Tarantelle de Concert" and

theaters of St. Petersburg. tions,

among them

"

Rhapsodie Hongroise " for violin and piano, and transpositions for the violin, have been published by Bote and Back in Berlin, and by Er. Kistner

in

Leipsic.

Bibliography: EntziklopecTicheski Slovar,

ii.

St.

Peters-

burg, 1893; Ehrlicn-LesKe, Celebrated Violinists, 1897, s.v.; Klemann, Musiklexikon, 1900, s.v.; Baker, Bingrapliical Diet, of Musicians, New York, 1900.

H. R.

s.

AUERBACH itor of

A family of scholars, the progenwhich was Moses Auerbach, court Jew to

the bishop of Regensburg, about 1497. One of his daughters, who went after her marriage to Cracow, is the reputed ancestress of the celebrated R. Moses Isserles (N"D~l).

Another branch of the family

A near relative, Meshullam

settled at Vienna.

Solomon Fischhof-

Auerbach, occupied such an eminent position in the community of Vienna that he married Miriam, the daughter of a well-known rabbi and physician Leo Lucerna (Judah Lob Ma'or-katon). She died July 29, 1654 (Frankl, " Inschriften," No. 202). In his old age it was his misfortune to be driven from Vienna and exiled (1670) with his coreligionists. Before his death (1677) he had the satisfaction of seeing his sons occupy honorable positions. Nearly twenty years before, his son Menahem Mendel Auerbach was called as rabbi to Reussnitz, Moravia, after having officiated as assessor to the rabbinate at Cracow. The pupil of such men as Lipmann Heller, Joel Sarkes, Joshua b. Joseph, at the Talmud school in Cracow, Menahem Mendel attained such a reputation as a Talmudic authority that the rabbis of large foreign communities submitted difficult questions to him for decision. (For detailed account of his career see separate article.) The best known among Mendel's brothers is Simon, who at the age of 23 wrote a penitential poem, on the occasion of an epidemic that broke out among This poem passed children in Vienna, in 1634. through several editions, under the title "Mish'on (sic) la-Yeladim " (Support to Children), Frankforton-the-Main, 1711. The author died March 11, 1638, The poem was printed by the at Eibenschiitz. grandson of the author, Meshullam Solomon Fischhof, who added a commentary, "Rab Shalom" (Much Peace). He also published several prayers and hymns of Israel Nagara, with additions of his own (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1712). Hayyim, a second brother of Menahem Mendel, settled at Cracow, but later returned to Vienna as assessor of the rabbinate, dying there Oct. 7, 1665. third brother, Benjamin "Wolf, settled at Nikolsburg, and was held in high esteem as elder of the community, even officiating temporarily as chairman of the college of the rabbinate. His testament, printed together with the work "Mekor Hokmah " (Source of Wisdom), which contains an abundance of worldly wisdom and pious reflection, was published by his son, Meshullam Solomon, assessor of the

A

298

rabbinate at Nikolsburg, who published an ethical work at the same time. Menahem Mendel's successor as rabbi of Krotoschin was his grandson who bore the same name (the son of Moses Auerbach died May 9, 1739), and was president of the congregation of Krotoschin and of the Synod of the Four Lands. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Saul of son of the Simon Wolf mentioned above Cracow.

A

was David Tebele, surnamed

Ha-Kadosh " (the His name was commemorated by his son Samuel, the author of " Hesed Shemuel " (Samuel's Charity), Amsterdam. A member of the same family was Phlneas Auerbach, president of the Jewish court at Cracow (1695), and author of "Halakah Berurah" (Lucid Law), a commentary on Orah Ha3'yim. Hirsch Auerbach belongs to another branch of the family. He was first assessor of the rabbinate at Brody, fleeing thence to Germany with a part of the community to escape exorbitant taxation and the machinations of informers. After wandering from one place to another he settled at Worms, whither he had been called in 1733 to R. Lob Sinzheim's college, and was appointed rabbi in the same commuHoly),

who

"

died as rabbi of Prague.

nity in 1763. He died at Worms May 3, 1778, in the 88th year of his life, his pious wife Dobresch (daughter of the president Isaac at Brody) dying a few weeks before him. His son, born at Brody, Abiezri Selig, was at first rabbi at Edenkoben, then at Buxweiler, where he died 1767 his wife was the daughter of Isaac Sinzheim, rabbi at Trier and Niederehnheim. d. L. L.

AUERBACH, ABRAHAM BEN ABIEZRI SELIG German rabbi

born at Buxweiler, Alsace, middle of the eighteenth century; died at Bonn Nov. 3, 1846. Being a descendant of an old rabbinical family, he was destined from his childhood for the rabbinate, and was educated first by his grandfather at Worms, and later by his uncle, David Sinzheim, subsequently president of the central conUnder the latter's direction, Auersistory at Paris. bach acquired not only extensive Talmudic knowledge, but a secular education as well. When, owing to the efforts of Cerfberr of Medelsheim, a Jewish community had been formed at Strasburg, Auerbach was charged with its administration. At the outbreak of the Reign of Terror in France, Auerbach, on account of his connection with Cerfberr (who as former contractor to the royal army was suspected



in the

by the revolutionists), was thrown into prison where he remained a whole year. On leaving Strasburg he was appointed rabbi at Forbach, then at Neuwied, and in 1809 at Bonn. In 1837 he resigned the latter position, ostensibly on account of his great age, but really to have his son succeed him in his place.

Auerbach was the author of several liturgical poems and prayers, and of a poem on the abolition of "

the poll-tax, entitled " Dibre ha-Mekes we-Betuloh (History of the Tax and its Abolition), still extant in manuscript. The poem was dedicated to Cerfberr, who by his intervention brought about the

A specimen of the poem was given by Fuenn, who was the possessor of the manuscript. Auerbach left seven sons, among whom the best

abolition.