Meyer Wolf Weisgal

Meyer (twin) "Max" Wolf Winifred WEISGALL: b. 10 Nov 1894, Kikól - d. 29 Sept 1977, Rehovot

Information courtesy of various sources, including the following:

Valuable biographical details especially thanks to the autobiography of Meyer W. WEISGAL:

Meyer Weisgal ... So Far: An Autobiography - Meyer Wolfe Weisgal - Google Books

https://books.google.de/books?id=9_T86WsX-dkC&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq...

Also cf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_Weisgal

Meyer Wolf Weisgal (Meʾiyr Wwlp Wayysgal, מאיר וולף וייסגאל / וייסגל;[1] November 10, 1894 – September 29, 1977) was an American journalist, publisher, playwright, fundraiser, and Zionist activist who served as the President of the Weizmann Institute of Science and as the founding President of Beit Hatfutsot (the Jewish Diaspora Museum).[2]

Biography​:

Born in Kikół, Congress Poland, in the Pale of Settlement, he emigrated to New York City, US in 1905 with his parents at age 11, where he finished high school at Morris High School in the Bronx and studied journalism at Columbia University.[3][4] He married Shirley (née Hirshfeld) in 1923.

In 1926, he published the first English translation of the works of Chaim Nachman Bialik. In 1932, he saw stage success with the play "The romance of a people", and he continued to produce stage plays from then on. He conceived the opera-oratorio The Eternal Road to alert the then-ignorant public to Hitler's persecution of the Jews in 1937 Germany. Weisgal enlisted the help of director Max Reinhardt, who approached Kurt Weill to write the music, and Austrian novelist and playwright Franz Werfel to write the libretto for The Eternal Road (originally in German: Der Weg der Verheißung), translated into English by Ludwig Lewisohn.[5]

His activities as an editor have become famous, if not legendary. Together with Louis Lipsky he edited the journal The Maccabean-magazine, later The New Palestine (magazine), which contributed its important part for the success of Chaim Weizmann's Zionist policy after the Balfour Declaration. And he, "as editor, conceived and published two notable supplements, which remain as permanent reference works today: In 1925 a supplement on the Hebrew University, then in establishment; in 1929 a supplement on Theodor Herzl, founder of the modern zionism". (Biographical notes from the Weizmann Institute, p. 3),[6] See also the series about him on Brouillon, part 4: [7]

From 1921 until 1930, he was the first head of the Zionist Organization of America. Through the World Zionist Organization he came in close contact with its chair Chaim Weizmann and acted as his personal representative since 1940. In 1944, he started an initiative for expanding the Daniel Sieff Research Institute (led by Weizmann) into what would become a leading multidisciplinary research university: this opened its doors on November 2, 1949, as the Weizmann Institute of Science. He served as its Chairman of the Executive Council 1949–1966 and as its President 1966–1969. Subsequently, he served as the founding President of the Diaspora Museum in Tel-Aviv. 

Meyer and Shirley Weisgal lived on the grounds of the Weizmann Institute and are buried there, near the Chaim Weizmann House.

And also e.g.

Weisgal, Meyer Wolf | Encyclopedia.com

https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transc...

And -

The Way of Weisgal; Today at Beth AM Synagogue, a bleoved musical tradition continues with the arrival of its newest cantor. - Baltimore Sun

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-04-15-0004150291-stor...

1920 Bronx Census:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R6R-4ZD?i=10&cc=1...

Solomon's profession given as "Rabbi"

1920 United States Census

Name: Solomon H Weisgal Geschlecht: Male Alter: 56 Ereignisdatum: 1920 Ereignisort: Bronx, Bronx, New York, United States Ereignisort (original): New York, Bronx Immigration Date: 1907 Geburtsjahr (geschätzt): 1864 Geburtsort: Russia Familienstand: Married Rasse: White Verhältnis zum Haushaltsvorstand: Head Geburtsort des Vaters: Russia Geburtsort der Mutter: Russia Blatt (Buchstaben): A Blattnummer: 6

Haushalt/Aufgabe/Geschlecht/Alter/Geburtsort

Solomon H Weisgal Head männlich 56 Russia

Lena Weisgal Wife weiblich 36 Russia

Emanuel Weisgal Son männlich 18 Russia

Rose Weisgal Daughter weiblich 16 Russia

Jacob Weisgal Son männlich 14 Russia

Ester Weisgal Daughter weiblich 10 Chicago

Issic Weisgal Son männlich 7 New York

Meyer W Weisgal Son männlich 26 Russia

Samuel Weisgal Son männlich 23 Russia

US draft cards:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L165-3K6?i=3051&cc...

United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Ereignistyp: Draft Registration Name: Meyer Wolf Weisgal Geschlecht: Male Ereignisdatum: 1917-1918 Ereignisort: New York City, New York, United States Ereignisort (original): United States, New York, New York City no 2 Geburtsdatum: 10 Nov 1894 Geburtsort: Kikol, , Poland Russia •

cf. 1930 US census:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRHB-4QJ?i=8&cc=18...

Ereignistyp: Census Name: Meyer Weisgal Geschlecht: Male Alter: 33 Ereignisdatum: 1930 Ereignisort: Manhattan (Districts 0251-0500), New York, New York, United States Geburtsjahr (geschätzt): 1897 Geburtsort: Poland Familienstand: Married Rasse: White Verhältnis zum Haushaltsvorstand: Head Geburtsort des Vaters: Poland Geburtsort der Mutter: Poland Blatt (Buchstaben): A Blattnummer: 5

Haushalt/Aufgabe/Geschlecht/Alter/Geburtsort

Meyer Weisgal Head männlich 33 Poland

Shirley Weisgal Wife weiblich 29 New York

Emanuel Weisgal Son männlich 4
New York

Helen Weisgal Daughter weiblich 2
New York

Sophia Bernasch Servant weiblich 21 Germany

Basic death data:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JBP5-ZZ5

United States Social Security Death Index

Name: Meyer Weisgal Staat: New York Wohnort: New York Letzter Wohnort: New York, New York Postleitzahl des früheren Aufenthalts: 10019 Alter: 83 Geburtsdatum: 10 Nov 1894 Sterbedatum: Sep 1977

(pip - April/May 2021)

Previous notes:

Meyer Wolf Weisgal had arrived in Chicago with his family from Kikl, Poland, in 1908, at the age of 14. His father, Shloime Chaim Weisgal, had come to work as a chazan (a prayer leader) at the Tell Place Synagogue on the West Side. In 1911, Chazan Weisgal decided that Kikl on Lake Michigan was not Kikl in Poland and moved his family to the Bronx, where Meyer became interested in Zionism.

He later served as the personal secretery to Chaym Weizmann the first President of the State of Israel.

Mayer also served as the president of Weizmann institute in Rehovot, Israel

Also the first president of Beit Hatfutsot in the early 1970’s,