R' Dr. Armin Hakohen Blau

Born in Verbo, Hungary to his parents Aharon and Rivka. His mother passed away when he was 10 years old.

He went to study in Berlin by his uncle Rav Dovid Tzvi Hoffman. He studied in the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary under R' Dovid Tzvi Hoffman, Menahel of the Yeshiva. At the same time he studied in the University in Berlin.

He received S'micha from R' Dovid Tzvi Hoffman, R', Yaakov Koppel Hakohen Blau, Rosh Beis Din of Vrbove, and R' Shrago Hakohen Rosenberg, Av Beis Din of Vagujhely - Nové Mesto. He earned a Doctorate from the University in Berlin. He dedicated his thesis to his uncle Dovid Tzvi Hoffman (?).

In 1905 he was appointed teacher of English and German in the Talmud Torah of Hamburg, and later became assistant principal. (see here for a picture of him with the other school staff) He was considered an expert in education. That building is now run by Chabad. The rabbi is the great grandson of Rabbi Bistritzky - who would daven in the same shul as R' Yirmiya.]

He was a prolific writer, publishing articles in the Torah journals of 'Jeschurun' and 'Tzion'. Some of his works were eventually published as independent books.

He fled the Nazis to England were he made a living from giving classes in Hebrew and English.

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Article about Armin Published in Zion, vol 9, no. 3, pp. 13-14. July 1937. Berlin. Translated from German to English by his daughter Rivka (Jenny) Marmorstein.

Dr. Armin Blau - On His Sixtieth Birthday

By Dr Oskar Wolfsberg

One of the quiet and most distinguished people currently celebrates his sixtieth birthday: Dr Armin Blau. He is one of the members of our Mizrachi circle whose value is not generally recognized in our movement. In the wild round of political activity we usually attach ourselves to activists, people who stand in the forefront. They are indeed indispensable and are available for our everyday activities. But we are inclined to overlook the function of those people who agree with our aims and enable us to function. Dr Blau is one of these loyal men who has been a member of our movement since its very early days and has helped to create the basic conditions for our subsequent activities.

We would be saying too little if we described his role merely as an educator and teacher. Dr Blau was never simply a 'schoolmaster'. Indeed, I have never met any teacher who knew how to arouse and stimulate his students as well as he did. His depth of knowledge of German culture and his artistic interests fascinated us and called on us to follow him. A תלמיד חכם and philologist, a thinker and an aesthete, pious and searching, encircling and embracing with great affection whatever is wise and beautiful. Can you imagine a more lovable person?!

Perhaps I am פסול לעדות. I shall hereby confess my love, loyalty and admiration for my teacher to whom I owe not only my knowledge of English and Latin, but who has also aroused love and appreciation for various branches of art in me. In him I experienced greater things: Nobody instructed us better in the noble art of being human. He taught us to be kind, prepared to sacrifice ourselves and the ability to love. For almost 31 years we have trodden together the same path, from my childhood until this day. How many benefits have I gained and how many excellent facets have I observed: teacher, friend, father-figure and brother. How could one man fill all these roles for another?

We are all grateful to him for his excellent articles. Most of them have appeared in Wohlgemuth's Jeschurun, some in our 'Zion'. Many are studies of novels which included the Jewish problem. Thus he has become one of the greatest experts and interpreter on Zangwill. He has also written at length about Freud's attitude to religion and made considerable contributions to discussions of the problems of religious Zionism, above all in the area of ideology and education. We can expect to hear more from him once he can reap the fruit of his life's work in diligent retirement - many people owe him a deep sense of gratitude: his family, his friends and his school (Hamburg's Talmud Torah Ober-Realschule, which he serves with great zeal and success). Hence, many people now approach him to offer their best wishes. We who are at present so far away from him (in Jerusalem) have recently had the pleasure of seeing him, after a long separation, here in our contry. Unfortunately concern about his poor health marred our enjoyment. However, we also were witness to his recovery and hope that he will soon return to us in good health.

May happiness and undiminished creativity be granted to Armin Blau in future. May he teach and learn, as in the past, and see much joy in his own home and from all the people he loves. Beauty and wisdom shall guide him and increase his enjoyment of life. May he find the fertile meaning in a life of Torah and scholarship and continue to interpret them in his harmonious manner. We still need him as a wise instructor and friendly, benevolent observer and stimulator.

May he witness the growth of our country and our movement, together with the spread of our Jewish traditions in the life of the Yishuv and hopefully, in the diaspora, too, ad multos annos, for many more years.

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Funeral Records:

http://www.theus.org.uk/support_services/find_your_family/burial_re...

You type in Armin Blau (Zaidy's father) buried in Willesden in 1946. It gives you the plot and row.

This is the info it returns:

ARMIN BLAU Date of burial: 09/10/1946 Section HX Row 19 Plot # 892

לכבוד יום היארצייט של אבי - י"ג תשרי אספר בשבחו (תשס"ד) - נרשם בשעתו ע"י נכדו מנדי אלישביץ מפי הרב משה יהודה בלוי

א. נזהר מאוד ב"ביומו תתן שכרו".

ב. פעם בא איזה אלמנה בשם ערלעך ואמרה שזקוקה לעזר גשמי, הושיבה בחדר מכובד ואמר לה שאולי מחר יוכל לעזור לה. למחר בהיותו בבית הספר סיפר למלמדים אודותה, קיבל מהם סכום הגון ונתן לה.

ג. בסוכות גר אצלנו מר קליין (בקומה שני') ושם הרי אי אפשר לבנות סוכה, אמר לו אבא שיכול לאכול בסוכה שלנו, לפעמים הי' אוכל עמנו ג"כ.

ד. כך הי' נוהג בשבת: נהג ללכת אתי (בעודני ילד קטן) לבית הכנסת רחוק קצת (עשרים דקות הליכה) וקודם שהלך עשה קידוש, טעם משהו (מזונות וכדומה) ובדרך הי' מתפלל תחילת שחרית בע"פ וכשהי' מגיע היו אוחזים בקריאת התורה. שם כבר גמר שחרית וגם התפלל מוסף שם. דרך אגב שם הי' יהודי בשם ביסטריצקי (הביסטריצקי הזקן הגר בקראון הייטס הוא בנו וגם התפלל שם בהיותו ילד והי' לו שווער בשם בערגלאס.)

ה. לאבי הי' מאשין קטן (שלא עבד עם עלעקטרע, אלא עם היד, וקרא לה צוויק) לגלח זקנו, כיוון שלא רצה להשתמש ב"שייווינג קרים".

ו. כשהייתי כותב מכתבים לאבי הייתי כותב בלשון הקודש והוא כתב לי בדייטש.

במכתביו קרה לעצמו ולמשפחתי "מתי מדבר", שהי' בטוח שהיטלר ימ"ש לא יתן לו לצאת מגרמני' לעולם.

אמנם ה' עזר וניתן לו אפשרות לצאת, נתן הספרים שבבית (שלי, שלו ושל סבא) והפקידם אצל מר פראגער, ויצא לדרך. הוא חשב שיגיע לארץ ישראל, אבל באמצע נסיעתו התחיל המלחמה והוצרך להשאר באנגלי', שם התפרנס ע"י שנתן שיעורים.

נפטר באנגלי' וקברוהו בבית הקברות הישן שהי' מיושן ולא היה שם חלקת כהנים, ואי אפשר לכוהנים להגיע לשם.