R' Isaac HaLevi, A.B.D. Lesniow, Chelm and then Cracow

About Yitzhak HaLevi

Yitzhak HaLevi was born circa 1730 in Lviv to Mordechai Halevi Raitzes the Rosh Mesivta in Lviv, who was the son of Yehoshua (Joshua) Raitzes (Reizes) who was martyred in Lviv on 13 May, 1728. He married Sara Leah Lowenstamm, the daughter of Aryeh Leib ben Saul the Rabbi of Amsterdam, and the granddaughter of Tzvi Ashkenazi, the Chacham Tzvi. Halevi's first rabbinical position was Av Bais Din of Leshnev a small town in the Brodivskyi Raion, Lviv Oblast in the Ukraine. From 1769 to 1778 he was the Av Bais Din of Chełm. In 1778 (or 1776[6]) he became the Rabbi of Kraków, a position that he held till death on 14 June, 1799.

[edit] Descendants

One of his sons Mordechai Halevi was the Rabbi of Tykocin[2], while his other son Tzvi Hersch David Levin held the post as the Rabbi of Szczebrzeszyn[2] before moving to Kraków to help his father in the rabbinate of Kraków. From 1799 to 1816 he held the post of acting Rabbi of Kraków, and became the Rabbi of Kraków in 1816 (the Rabbi appointed in 1800 stayed in his position for a week before leaving for Warsaw, thus leaving Kraków without an official Rabbi until 1816), a position held till his death on 18 December 1831.

Here is an English translation of the inscription on his tombstone, thanks to H.T.

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Krakow/kra_tombstone_inscriptions.htm

63.  Headstone of the genius, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Isaac Halevy, Av Beis Din here

If the choicest of the pine trees is wretched, even though it is covered completely with small branches, who can hold on to his fortress ? If there is no longer a harbor who, then, will satisfy our souls ? Woe, our master; woe his glory. The pious genius of the world has been lost.  The joy of our generation and of the land.  The happiness due to his honor.  He was our honored, master, teacher and Rabbi, genius, light of the exile, the true pious one, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Isaac Halevy, Av Beis Din and head of the academy of [Krakow] and its surroundings, son of the pious genius, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Mordechai Halevy, Av Beis Din of Lvov, and son-in-law of the king, the genius and light of the exile, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Aryeh Leib, Av Beis Din of Amsterdam, may his light shine eternally.  [He passed away] with holiness and purity on the eve of the Sabbath, the 11th of Sivan 5559 [= 1799].

Notes: 1. Quotations from Isaiah. 2. The deceased was Isaac Lewites.  His father-in-law was Aryeh Leib Lowenstamm.

was the rabbi of cracow

b. 1726

d. 1799

[11 Sivan 5559]

son of Marcus Levin

{census family 284}

m. Sora ?

http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=28530&st=%d7%a9%d7%90%...

GEDCOM Note

Wikipedia.org:

Yitzhak HaLevi was born circa 1730 in Lviv to Mordechai Halevi Raitzes the Rosh Mesivta in Lviv, who was the son of Yehoshua (Joshua) Raitzes (Reizes) who was martyred in Lviv on 13 May, 1728. He married Sara Leah Lowenstamm, the daughter of Aryeh Leib ben Saul the Rabbi of Amsterdam, and the granddaughter of Tzvi Ashkenazi, the Chacham Tzvi. Halevi's first rabbinical position was Av Bais Din of Leshnev a small town in the Brodivskyi Raion, Lviv Oblast in the Ukraine. From 1769 to 1778 he was the Av Bais Din of Che'b3m. In 1778 (or 1776[6]) he became the Rabbi of Krak'f3w, a position that he held till death on 14 June, 179

Descendants

One of his sons Mordechai Halevi was the Rabbi of Tykocin[2], while his other son Tzvi Hersch David Levin held the post as the Rabbi of Szczebrzeszyn[2] before moving to Krak'f3w to help his father in the rabbinate of Krak'f3w. From 1799 to 1816 he held the post of acting Rabbi of Krak'f3w, and became the Rabbi of Krak'f3w in 1816 (the Rabbi appointed in 1800 stayed in his position for a week before leaving for Warsaw, thus leaving Krak'f3w without an official Rabbi until 1816), a position held till his death on 18 December 1831.

Here is an English translation of the inscription on his tombstone, thanks to H.T.

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Krakow/kra_tombstone_inscriptions.htm

63. Headstone of the genius, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Isaac Halevy, Av Beis Din here

If the choicest of the pine trees is wretched, even though it is covered completely with small branches, who can hold on to his fortress ? If there is no longer a harbor who, then, will satisfy our souls ? Woe, our master; woe his glory. The pious genius of the world has been lost. The joy of our generation and of the land. The happiness due to his honor. He was our honored, master, teacher and Rabbi, genius, light of the exile, the true pious one, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Isaac Halevy, Av Beis Din and head of the academy of [Krakow] and its surroundings, son of the pious genius, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Mordechai Halevy, Av Beis Din of Lvov, and son-in-law of the king, the genius and light of the exile, our teacher and Rabbi, R' Aryeh Leib, Av Beis Din of Amsterdam, may his light shine eternally. [He passed away] with holiness and purity on the eve of the Sabbath, the 11th of Sivan 5559 [= 1799].

Notes: 1. Quotations from Isaiah. 2. The deceased was Isaac Lewites. His father-in-law was Aryeh Leib Lowenstamm.