LEWINSTEIN, JOSEPH BEN ABRAHAM ABUSH

(b. 1840 NB - the records from Lublin list Joseph's birth year as 1842) Polish rabbi. Born in Lublin. Lewinstein was rabbi in Chorzele from I860 to 1868, in Zaklikow from 1868 to 1878, and from 1878 in Serock. He engaged in genealogical and biographical studies and published many articles in this field in Ha-Zefirah. Ha-Goren, Ha-Eshkol.etc., as well as supplements to the works of other authors (Buber's "Anshei Shem"; Feinstein's "IrTehillah"; Riedenstein's "Ir Gibbarim"; and S. Nissenbaum's "Le-Korot ha-Yehudim be-Lublin"). He also corresponded with numerous Jewish scholars in Eastern and Western Europe. He was the author of "Dor Dor ve-Doreshav" (Warsaw, 1900), on the anniversaries of the deaths of outstanding Jewish personalities from ancient limes to his own. In addition he published two works by his ancestor Abraham Abush b. Zevi of Lissa, both of which he entitled "Birkat Avraham" (Warsaw, 1881and 1884 respectively). The first consists of novellae to "Eruvin. Pesahim. Bezah, Hagigah, and Mo'ed Katan" and has an appendix by Lewinstein himself; the second is a commentary on Genesis and on Avot.

  Bibliography: L. Owtschynski. "Nahalat Avat", I (1894), letter Yud, no. 52; 

B.-Z. Eisenstadt. "Dor, Rabbanav ve-Soferav", I (1895), 36;

L. Lewin, "Geschichte der Juden in Lissa" (1904), 188;

S. N. Goltlieb, "0holei Shem" (l9l2), 365. [SH.A.H./Ed.]

LEWINSTEIN, JOSEPH: Russian rabbi and author; born at Lublin, Russian Poland. 1840. He is a member of a family of rabbis and Talmudists, which includes the author of the " Lebushim" and of "Pene Yehoshua'." At the age of twenty he became rabbi of Karol, in the govermnent of Plotzk; in 1868, rabbi of Zaklikov, in the government of Lublin; since 1875 he has been rabbi of Serotzk, government of Lomza.

Lewinstein has written "Birkat Abraham. on Pesuhim, Bezah, and Hagigah; "Pene Abraham." commentary on Genesis; a commentary on the Haggadah of Passover; "Dor Dor we-Dorshavv," a collection of 6,6OO names of the great of Israel of all generations, the dates of their deaths. He has contributed biographical articles, which are of special genealogical value and which have won him recognition as an authority in this field, to "Ha-Goren"(ed. Horodetzky), to "Ha-Eshkol," and to other periodicals. He has written also appendices to " 'Ir Gibborim" and " 'lr Tehillah."

Bibliography: B. Z. Eisenstadt, "Dor Rabbanaw we-Soferaw", I. 3rd, Warsaw, I895

H.R. A. S. W.

LEWINSTEIN, JOSEPH: Rabbi at Serock, government of "Warsaw, Poland; descendant of Mordecai Jaffe ("Lebushlm"). See Lewinstein, Joseph

The following is from the "Sefer Serock (Serotsk)", translated by Howard Orenstein.

I remember him with his long white beard and sidecurls, with his patriarchal appearance and his enormous kindness.

His origins are from famous ancestry:

He was born in the year 1840 (Hebrew year 5600). His father, Rav Abish, of blessed memory, was one of the great scholars, a great-grandson of the genius Rav Avrahom Abish, of blessed memory, chief of the Jewish court of Frankfurt Am Main, and the renowned genius of the Talmudic book “Pnei Yehoshua,” of blessed memory.

When he was 17, Rav Levinshtayn married the daughter of Rav Itche Nissels of Prague, a Warker khassid [follower of the Warker Rabbi and his teachings], and a great scholar. He also received his rabbinic ordination from the great rabbi of Lublin, the great rabbi and genius Rav Yehoshua Heshel Ashkenazi, of blessed memory.

One year later, he assumed the position of judge in the religious court in the town of Karczew [unsure of this], and a short while after that, in the town of Zaklikow in Lublin. When he started to become famous as a great genius, he was taken on with great reverence as the rabbi and chief of the Jewish court of Serock, at the approximate age of 30.

He was beloved by everyone in the city: the khassidim, the scholars, the misnagdim [those who opposed the khassidim], and those who were “enlightened” because he was a great genius with a sharp mind, a historical and good person. At the beginning he was a misnagid, but he became a khassid with the goal of elevating the levels of joy and hope for the Jews.

When the Warker Rebbe, Rebbe Yizkhok, of blessed memory, died, the significant Warker khassidim turned to the Serocker Rav, and wanted to acknowledge his as their Rabbi, but he responded to them with a smile, saying “Be happy that I myself am a khassid.”

• * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dates and informaton also obtained form the Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, a database on Jewish Gen.org: http://data.jewishgen.org/wconnect/wc.dll?jg~jgsys~jripllat2