Asher Margolis

Jewish Gen (All Lithuanian database):

• KALVARISKI, Osher son of Leiba and Badana
• Date of Death: 30 [12]/7 [8]/1887 (DD/MM/Year) in Chostkov Suwalki Suwalki
• Place Recorded: Przherosl Year Recorded: 1888
• Record: Not Filmed LVIA/1009/8/731

According to his descendant, Cassia Margolis, he was born in 1826 and known as Rav Asher of Bila.

Neil Rosenstein (The Margolis Family, 1984) writes about Asher: "Asher Margolis was the head of the large Margolis family which settled in Dayton, Ohio in the late 1800's. In his book "Nahalat Asher", published by his sons in New York in 1912, he is recorded as being the tenth generation from the famed Rabbi YomTov Lipman Heller (died 1654). This genealogy is recorded in the beginning in the beginning of this present work and is not based upon the inaccurate work of Rabbi Teberle Efrati's "Toldot Anshe Shem" (1875). This latter book "... from a scientific point of view was not very successful." (Quote from the Jewish Encyclopaedia, 1903, vol. V, page 193.)"

"In his youth, Asher was a student of Rabbi Haim Wasserzug (died in 1865), known as Haim Filipower. Asher's book includes a short biography followed by various glosses of the Talmud."

"The introduction was written by Judah Leib, one of his sons: "Our father, the author of blessed memory, was the tenth generation descendant of the Gaon, author of the Tosfot YomtTov, devoted pupil of the Gaon and saintly zaddik, R. H. Wasserzug ... from whose spirit he imparted much to this student ... whose high and elevated qualities (i.e., Asher's) were known to all ... but those who have not heard about him, to them I am obligated to recall the crown of flowers (=the eulogy) they placed at his grave ... for the benefit of future generations ... Rabbi Jospeh Rosenthal wrote of him that he loved truth above all and guarded it more than anything else. He found any type of dishonesty repulsive... Pleasure for him was that only of the soul and spirit, and not to indulge in pleasures of the flesh ... All his days he was of humble heart ..."

A striking point about this book is the lack of any approbation, which has been a custom among such scholars for many generations. Because of this and his unwillingness to seek funds for its publication, it was published posthumously by his sons who "sought no approbation nor aid from the wealthy in order that we could publish his lofty thoughts and pearls (=margolis in Hebrew) of wisdom." Their father's poverty is recalled by "... all his days he was unable to exectue his plans to publish his books from out of his own pocket, because all of his life he lacked funds."

Asher requested of his family in his will that "they keep the ways of G-d, to do righteousness and kindness, and that when they have the ability to publish this book, they should fulfill the desire of their father and not let it sink into the depths of oblivion."

Asher was born in Przerosl in 1827 (according to the "Yizkor Book Suwalki," 1961, page 208).

The first Hebrew newspaper in Russia, HaMelitz, published in 1860 (in Odessa and move to St. Petersburg in 1871 until it ceased publication in 1904), published Asher's obituary in 1887, number 185.

Of Asher's family his son Jacob was the only one to emigrate to the then Union of South Africa during the gold rush. He settled in the Transvaal Province. However his brother records in "Nachlat Asher", that because of the harsh climate there and his weak physical condition, he took ill and died an untimely death on his return to Europe, about 1898. His widow settled with her family in Dayton, Ohio, where she died in 1932. Her tombstone states she was born in 1859, her obituary states 1867. She was a first cousin to Jacob Hirsch Rosenberg who married Jacob's first cousin, Batya Margolis ... It is interesting to note that there may be an association between Jacob's untimely death due to ill health (cause unknown) and that of his two grandsons who died young of leukemia.

From Jewish Gen page on Suwalki, Poland

Asher Margaliot

Asher, son of Yehudah Leyb Margaliot, was rabbi and a maskil. He was born in Psherosle in 1827 and was a student of R'Hayim Filipower. Yosef Rozntal called him: “The illustrious rabbi, outstanding in Torah and wisdom and enlightened in fear of the Lord”. As proof of this, he brings R'Asher's book: “Nahlat Asher” (New York 672{1911-1912} published by his sons in America). Asher Margaliot also published Mendelssohn's “Phaedon” (in partnership with Berkman). From time to time, he wrote articles in the Hebrew press. He died in 1887 in Kalvarie.[38]

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