Rabbi Uri Feiss / Philip b. Hartog/Hirts Frankfurt

Philip was born c.1757 at Frankfurt-am-Main and died 10th Sept 1810 in Amsterdam, perhaps at the family's home on Rapenburgerstraat where they are recorded living in 1808 and 1812. The front of houses on the Vinkenbuurt, where his son Lewis / Leib b. Fijs F"F was circumcised in May 1810*, face onto Rapenburgerstraat. He is mentioned in Amsterdam records as Feis ben khr"r Hirts (Philip, son of the Honourable Rabbi Hirts/Hirsch) or Philip / Peis / Feis (ben) Hartog / Hirts F"F (i.e. from/of Frankfurt). He was remembered by his son Lazarus's family as Rabbi Uri of Amsterdam (ref: Lazarus's obit. The Jewish Chronicle, and The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History - biog of Rev. Isaac Phillips) and his son Lewis (Yehuda Leib)'s family as Rev. Philip Phillips of Frankfort (ref: History of the Evelyn Family, by Helen Evelyn). When his children Naphtali/Nathan and Bula/Elizabeth married, their Ketubahs gave their father's name as Rabbi Uri Feiss. Philip's descendants included quite a few Ministers and Rabbis. An inscription on the gravestone of his son Lewis states he was the youngest son of The Reverend Phillip Phillips, Rabbi of Frankfurt-on-the-Maine. The Hebrew reference to Philip / Uri on his son Lazarus's headstone reads: מהור״ר אורי ('Moreinu HaRav Rabbi' / 'Our Teacher the Rabbi Uri') and on his son Lewis's headstone it reads: מור״ר אורי פייס ('Our Teacher the Rabbi Uri Feiss').

It was only in 1812, when it became legally required to register a family name that Philip's widow Beletje adopted a formal surname of Lessing - this became used as 'Les', 'Lesgever' and 'Less' by those of the family who remained in the Netherlands. Lesgever (& Melamed) translate into English as 'Teacher', which reflects Philip's profession, as recorded around the time of his death. A 'Rabbi' was a teacher of Torah, and may often have been teachers in the more commonly understood context of the name. An example of the connection is provided in 'Emancipation & Poverty: The Ashkenazi Jews of Amsterdam 1796-1850' by By K. Sonnenberg-Stern - Page 119 has these words: "Besides being the community’s religious instructors, it was not uncommon for Jewish teachers to function as rabbis as well. As most of them had been educated in Poland and Germany, the language of instruction in the Jewish schools was…" [Source - see below ^]

One example of how the children's names were recorded is 'Nathan Philip Les' (1818 divorce papers). Beletje herself is found recorded at her son Wolf's marriage in 1815 as 'Beletje Philips', and on the death of her daughter Duijfe in 1816 as Betje Philip'; this is believed to refer to her father's coincidental patronym 'Philip' / 'Feis', which appears to have been used as a family name 'Philips' - see her profile for more on this. Those of Philip & Beletje's children who emigrated to London used the family name 'Phillips'.

How Philip/Uri Feiss's name has appeared in records 1788-1918:

From http://www.dutchjewry.org/genealogy/ashkenazi/10480.htm

• 1788, 30th Jan – circumcision of son Wolf: Peis (Source: Great Synagogue, Amsterdam)
• 1796, 7th Jan – circumcision of son Meyer: Peis/Feis ben Hirts from Frankfurt (Source: Jits v.Straten*)
• 1808 – marriage of son Nathan/Naftali: Philip Franckfoort
• 1809 – list of Askenazi Jews in Amsterdam: Ph.Hartog / Feis ben khr”r Hirts (Philip Hartog / Feis, son of the Honourable Rabbi Hirts)
• 1809 – son Nathan/Naftali recorded as: Naftali b”r Feis F”F (Naftali son of Rabbi Feis of Frankfurt / Frankfurter)
• 1810, 11th May – birth of son Leib b. Fijs F"F / Levie / Lewis: Peis F”F (F”F = Frankfurt/Frankfurter) '(Source: Jits v.Straten*) - his wife's name is given as Beile bat Jacob Fird
• 1810, 10th Sept – burial: Philip Hartog from Frankfurt ('uit Frankfurt')
• 1815, 23rd July – marriage of daughter Ester: Philip Hartog Les - his wife's name is given as Freeletje Jacobs
• 1816, 7th Feb – marriage of son Wolf: Philip Hartog Lesgever - his wife's name is given as Beletje Philips Furth in the text of the official marriage registration certificate.
• 1816, 9th Oct – death of daughter Duijfje / Duifje: Philip Hartog Les (A.A. Amsterdam - death registrations) - his wife's name is given as Betje Philip

From other sources:

• 1824, 14th Sept – marriage of son Naphtali/Nathan: Rabbi Uri Feiss (source: New Synagogue, London)
• 1827, 27th Dec – marriage of son Lewis/Leib/Levie: Uri Feiss / Philip Phillips (source: Great Synagogue, London)
• 1828 – marriage of daughter Elizabeth/Bula: Rabbi Uri Feiss '(source: New Synagogue, London)
• 1828, 5th Mar – 1st marriage of son Lazarus: Uri Feiss / Philip Phillips (source: Great Synagogue, London)
• 1828, 26th May – 2nd marriage of son Lazarus: Uri Feiss / Philip Phillips (source: Great Synagogue, London)
• 1879 – Lewis’s Headstone (death 8 Nov 1878): Rev Phillip Phillips, Rabbi of Frankfurt-on-the-Maine
• 1879 – Hebrew inscription on Lewis’s headstone (death 8 Nov 1878): Rabbi Uri Feiss
• 1892, 19th Jan – death of son Lazarus (Hebrew on headstone): Rabbi Uri
• 1892, 22nd Jan – Jewish Chronicle Obit of Lazarus: Rabbi Uri, a former Dayan of Amsterdam
• 1897 – ‘Who’s Who in British Jewry’ (grandson): Rabbi Uri of Amsterdam
• 1915 – ‘The History of the Evelyn Family’ (book): Rev Philip Phillips of Frankfort
• 1918, 25th Jan – Obit of g/son Rev Philip Phillips: Rabbi Uri of Amsterdam (published: The Jewish Chronicle)

* Circumcisions and Births in Amsterdam 1697-1811, by Jits v.Straten, combined with information via the excellent Akevoth/DutchJewry.org website. Copyright © 2006-2016, Amoetat Akevoth.

^ Source: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Oj-JDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105...