Rabbi Samuel Bondi

Rabbi Samuel Bondi (1794-1877) one of the founders of the orthodox congregation of Mayence and the progenitor of the largest branch of the Bondi family , having twelve children. He studied under this grandfather and married in 1816 to Sueschen (Sophie) daughter of Rabbi Meir Epstein of Fulda. She died in 1871.

In 1822 Rabbi Samuel Bondi took over the yeshiva on the death of his grandfather, but later became a wine merchant.

In 1853 he helped found the "Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft", a religious party in opposition to the new reform movement in the city.

They started their own elementary and religious school in 1859 and a new synagogue which was dedicated in 1856. With Samuel Bondi as president and his son-in-law the spiritual leader (Lehmann), the newly founded congregation grew rapidly in size.

Rabbi Samuel Bondi (1794-1877), a scholar of considerable repute. Rabbi Bondi was descended from the famous Frankel-Teomim, Oppenheimer and Katzenellenbogen families.

After spending some time studying with Rabbi Bondi, Rabbi Dr. Henry W. (Pinchas HaLevi) Schneeberger (America's first native born, university educated rabbi) continued his studies with Rabbi Bondi's son-in-law, Rabbi Dr. Marcus Lehmann (1831-1890), the well-known 19th century writer and the rabbi of Mainz.

"After nearly two years of study in Mayence, Henry Schneeberger was advised by Dr. Lehmann to continue his studies under the most famous Jewish scholar in Western Europe at that time, Dr. Israel [Azriel] Hildesheimer (1820-1899), who had also been the teacher of Dr. Lehmann. He was at that time the Rabbi of Eisenstadt in Hungary and had established a rabbinical school there. In addition to his vast Jewish learning he was a university graduate and very erudite in many fields modern culture."

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Leo Baeck Institute : The family Bondi and their ancestors, assembled and edited by Reiner J. Auman

Elias Bondi Collection 1811 -1896