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Abrahams Family
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This photo depicts Rabbi
Zacharya ben Abraham Abramovitch. His father, Abraham Abramovitch, of
Rokiskis, was the son-in-law of Rabbi Joseph Katz of Linkuva and Rokiskis
and a brother-in-law of Rabbi Bezalel Katz, the Lubavicher Rabbi of
Rokiskis until the Holocaust. Abraham's other son was Eliakim-Meir
Abramovitch who married Este Lifshe bat Shimon Rabinowitz of Rokiskis.
Zacharya was born in Rokiskis and studied and lived in Vilna. He
left Lithuania in 1908 along with his wife Rachel Leah Sherman Abramovitch
and his wife's parents Alec and Rebecca Sherman, siblings, and their
families. He was associated with the Garden Street Synagogue in London and
was a Hebrew scholar.
His only son was Chief Rabbi Prof. Israel Abrahams of South Africa.
Note the change of name from Abramovitch to Abrahams made in England. |
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The following photo was
taken in South Africa and depicts the illustrious only son of Zacharya
Alter Abramovitch and Rachel Leah Sherman of Rokiskis, Chief Rabbi Prof.
Israel Abrahams. Although he was born in Vilna in March, 1903, he
spent much time with his grandparents and numerous relatives in Rokiskis
and his reminiscences are included on Pages 85-87 of the Rokiskis
Yizkor Book.
He came with his family to London and he married Ethel Estelle Levy
there in 1930. He was educated at London University, Jews'
College, London, and went onto serve as Rabbi of Shepherd's Bush
Synagogue, London, 1928-32, and the Great Synagogue in Manchester,
1933-37.
As a rabbi of standing in England, he was chosen by Rev. A.P. Bender,
Minister Emeritus, upon the recommendation of the Chief Rabbi of Great
Britain to serve as Chief Rabbi, Cape Town Hebrew Congregation and he
arrived in South Africa in August, 1937, to take this position. He
became Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cape Town in 1938 and
the head of the United Council of Hebrew Congregations of the Cape in
1951. He held many positions within the community and wrote many
works in Hebrew and English including "The Birth of a
Community" in 1955.
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| The photos of the
Abramovitch / Abrahams and Katz families are donated in their memory by
Rosalind Abrahams Romem, only child of Rabbi Abrahams. |
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