Julius Lewkowitz

Born December 2, 1876 in Georgenberg (Miasteczko Œląskie), Upper Silesia, missing in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Son of the merchant Salomon L. and Charlotte, née Behnsch, brother of Rb. Albert Lewkowitz; Elementary school in Georgenberg, grammar school in Beuthen (Bytom),meanwhile, talmudic private lessons with father, grandfather and Rb. Leo Kopfstein in Bytom. After graduating from high school, one year of Talmudic studies under the guidance of his father, 1896-1900 RS and Univ. Berlin, 1900-1902 Univ. Breslau, March 6, 1902 Doctorate in Breslau. 1900-1904 JTS Breslau, ordained in 1903. May 1902 to Dec. 1912 Rb., Initially as a representative, then successor to the very old Rb. Salomon Brann, and religion teacher at the royal high school in Schneidemühl (Piła). 1907 marriage to Selma Abraham from Pinne (1880-1943). From Dec. 27, 1912 to 1943 Rb. the Liberal Synagogue Levetzowstrasse in Berlin-Moabit; Head of the VIII Religious School, Barbarossaplatz 5, the Jewish Community of Berlin (around 1913) and the IV Religious School, Bochumer Str. 8 (around 1926); often took over youth services in the New Synagogue, residing in Oranienburgerstr. 3. 1940-1942 lecturer in philosophy at the HWJ. Member of the Association of Liberal Rabbis in Germany, co-signer of the “Guidelines for a Program for Liberal Judaism” in 1912; Member of the Montefiore Lodge Berlin. 1941 lives at Jagowstr. 38, Berlin NW 87, forced labor; Deported to Auschwitz with his wife on March 12, 1943.

Source: Biographical Portal of the Rabbis. Online at steinheim-institut.de September 16, 2021.