Abraham Sutro (5 July 1784, Erlangen-Bruck–10 October 1869, Münster) was the last chief rabbi of Westphalia.

Life

Sutro attended yeshivas in Fürth and Prague, and subsequently worked as a private tutor in Prague, Aschaffenburg and Kassel before obtaining a permanent position as a Jewish religious teacher in that last city. When Westphalia fell to the Prussians in 1815 fell, Sutro was provisionally appointed Chief Rabbi of Münster and the counties of Mark and Limburg by Ludwig von Vincke.

While until 1830 Sutro embraced innovations such as preaching in German and employing organs in synagogues, as Chief Rabbi he pursued a different policy. Sutro insisted on the cultural autonomy of the Jewish minority and its separation from Christian majority society, and campaigned for the preservation of orthodox ritual against the Reform Judaism of Alexander Haindorf, with whom he had a lifelong rivalry. Between 1836 and 1864 he published his most important work, Milchamot Hashem, in four volumes.

Although Sutro's influence in the community had been much reduced by the prevalence of the Reform tendency, he was granted the Order of the Red Eagle fourth class by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV to celebrate his 50th year of tenure. Sutro also campaigned for full legal equality for Jews, which would be finally achieved on the year of his death.

Sutro died on 10 October 1869 in Münster and was buried on the Jewish cemetery. His grave is preserved and bears the inscription:

For 57 years a faithful teacher and champion of Israel.

(From Wikipedia)

2) GenAmi 30