Rabbi Shraga Feivel Rohatyn ABD Zlotchov

Rohatyn Feiwel (Fajwel) was a Galician rabbi, an excellent preacher, the first to preach in Polish in the Lviv City Synagogue. He was descended, through his mother (nee Schorr), from a well-deserved family of talmudist scholars. He was friends with the son of the Lviv rabbi, R' Isaac Aaron Ettinger, A.B.D. Przemysl and then Lvov . At the age of 16, he married Lea, the daughter of a wealthy merchant and an eminent Talmudist, Mojżesz Grüss from Kulikowo. Soon he received a rabbinic diploma (smicha) from the hands of the Lviv rabbi, R' Zvi Hirsch Ornstein, A.B.D. Rzeszow and Lvov, and then another - from R' Isaac Aaron Ettinger, A.B.D. Przemysl and then Lvov and R. Yitzchak Schmelkes.

In 1878-1883 he held the office of a rabbi in Narajowo, later in Zolochiv, where he remained until his death. In 1893 he passed a secondary school-leaving examination in the Zloczow grammar school, and in the following year he began studying at the philosophy department of the University of Lviv, obtaining in 1898 a graduation. He supported the Zionist movement (he was even included in the Golden Book of the Jewish National Fund in Zolochiv), he was also involved in social activities; he was a city councilman, a member of numerous humanitarian and philanthropic organizations. At home, he conducted higher Talmudic courses for young people who wanted to devote themselves to the rabbinical profession. He was elected a rabbi of the 2nd district of the so-called Commune of Galicyjska in Vienna, but refused to accept this dignity. He participated in the founding meeting of the political organization of Jewish orthodoxy, Machzikei ha-Dat (1879). He corresponded with many eminent personalities of that era. He was friends with Solomon Buber. During his lifetime, he published the work of Mishpat mechokek, including sermons and occasional speeches as well as halakhic responses. He also prepared other works, including - as a doctoral dissertation - translation of Maimonides' work, Milat higayon , into Arabic, in which it was originally written.

Source: Jewish Historical Institute

Feivel Shraga Rohatyn was born in Lvov. When he was sixteen years old, he was ordained a rabbi, and when he was eighteen he was elected as rabbi of Narayov. When he was twenty-four, he was nominated as rabbi of Zloczow. During his reign in Zloczow he succeeded in an external examination for a high school certificate in the local gymnasium. Afterwards he won the title of Doctor of Philosophy for his research on the Rambam. He published a book of Halacha, Mishpat Mechokek. Rabbi Shraga was also an important building contractor. As the result of the competition between him and other contractors in Zloczow, he was fired from the rabbinate in 1905 and returned to Lvov. In 1907 the community of Zloczow decided to return to its rabbi. He refused three delegations, and only after crowds of Zloczow Jews came to Lvov and implored him, returned to be the rabbi until his death in 1910. After him came the rabbi and head of the Bet Din of Zloczow, Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Shapira RABD Zlotchov, (the rabbi of Dobromil), who held the position until his death in 1928.

Source: JewishGen

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