SHMARYAHU-LEYB HURVITS

SHMARYAHU-LEYB HURVITS (January 4, 1878-June 11, 1938)

            He was born in Kritshev (Krychaw), Mohilev district, Byelorussia.  He studied in the yeshivas of Shumyatsh and Mstyslav and while still young received rabbinical ordination.  Over the years 1903-1906, he was rabbi in “Tiferet Yisrael” (Glory of Israel), a synagogue in Katerinoslav (the “Cossack synagogue”).  In 1906 he emigrated to the United States and settled in New York.  He was rabbi, 1906-1907, at the “Anshe Yagustov” synagogue, later at the Anshei-Zamut synagogue, both in New York.  In 1907 he founded in Harlem the synagogue and Talmud-Torah named for R. Yisroel Salanter, of which he was later rabbi and administrator over the course of twenty years.  From 1927 he was rabbi and administrator of the synagogue and Talmud-Torah “Tiferet Hagra” (Glory of the Gaon of Vilna) in Bronxville until the last days of his life.  He contribute to Morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal) and other Hebrew and Yiddish serial publications, and he published a large number of works, among them: Lebns-bashraybung fun binyumen franklin un di bafrayung fun amerike (A description of the life of Benjamin Franklin and the liberation of America) (Warsaw, 1901), 64 pp.; Shulḥan arukh letalmidim (The Set Table for students) (New York, 1919), 115 pp.; Sefer dine yisrael veminhagim leyamim noraim (The laws of Israel and the customs for the High Holidays) (New York, 1924), 204 pp.; Seyfer hadroshes, der moderner idisher folks-redner (Volume of sermons, the modern Jewish people’s speaker) (New York, 1925), 350 pp.; Sefer hatora vehamitsva (Volume on the Torah and commandments) (New York, 1928), 59 pp.; Seyfer hayoyvl, lebns-geshikhte fun r. shiye heshil rabinovitsh (Anniversary volume, life history of R. Joshua Heshel Rabinovich) (New York, 1930), 103 pp.; Peysekh, ertseylungen un folks-mayselekh vegn peysekh (Passover, stories and folktales about Passover) (New York, 1932), 32 pp.; Sefer halakhot vedeot (Volume on religious laws and opinions) (Tel Aviv, 1932), 176 pp.; Mishnayes in idish (The Mishnayot in Yiddish), part 1 “Hebreisher tekst mit nekud, peyresh in hebreish un in idish. Ophandlungen vegn mishne, un andere inyonim. Kurtse byografyes vegn di tanoim, moral, muser un etik” (Hebrew text with pointing, commentary in Hebrew and in Yiddish. Treatises on the Mishna, and other matters. Short biographies of the Tannaim, morality, etiquette, and ethics) (New York, 1934), 95 pp.; Otsar hamishna, shisha sidre mishna (Treasury of the Mishna, the six orders of the Mishna), vol. 1 (New York, 1936) in Hebrew and Yiddish, 156 pp.; and other writings, including in English, Customs and Ceremonies for the Jewish High Holidays (Brooklyn, 1929), 29 pp.  Hurvits was editor of: Der idisher vegvayzer (The Jewish guide), 1922-1925; Degel yisroel (Banner of Israel), “monthly journal for strengthening Torah and Judaism,” 1927-1930; Di shokhtim shtime (The voice of ritual slaughterers), 1932-1935.  Aside for these, R. Hurvits also contributed to: Otsar yisrael (Treasury of Israel), Hadror (Freedom), Shaare tsion (Gates of Zion), Hayarden (The garden), Haber (The well), Apiryon (Canopy), Hatoren (The mast), Hadoar (The mail), Hayom (Today), Hamelits (The advocate), Hatsfira (The siren), and Hashaḥarit (The morning), among others.  He died in New York.

Sources: Dr. Y. Shapiro, “Otsarot” (Treasures), in Sefer hayovel shel hadoar (Anniversary volume for Hadoar) (New York, 1922/1923); P. Vyernik, in Morgn-zhurnal (New York) (February 1, 1931; April 17, 1932; April 24, 1932; January 29, 1933; April 9, 1933; October 28, 1934; November 25, 1934); Sh. Erdberg, in Tog (New York) (June 28, 1934); Shmuel Niger, in Tog (February 3, 1935); Y. Z. Frishberg, in Morgn-zhurnal (June 20, 1938); Rabbi M. A. Kaplan, in Morgn-zhurnal (June 27, 1938); obituary notice in Morgn-zhurnal (June 12, 1938); American Jewish Yearbook, 40; Who’s Who in American Jewry (1938-1939).

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