THE UNBROKEN CHAIN
Biographical Sketches and Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th - 20th Century. Dr. Neil Rosenstein's magnum opus The Unbroken Chain was first published as a single volume in 1976. An expanded two-volume second edition of "The Unbroken Chain" was published in 1990.
The author announced in December 2012 that he was in the process of earnestly editing and preparing his manuscript, updated, corrected and significantly enlarged for a third edition. The projected date for publication was end 2014, beginning 2015. The plan was for 3 volumes, the last having a full name / surname index. According to Dr. Rosenstein's website, Volume One of The Unbroken Chain – Third Edition will be available before the end of 2017. Volume One includes Chapters One, Two, Three and Four, consisting of more than 750 pages of text and photos, plus a name index.
The third edition will be 7 volumes, 4,500 pages, 42,000 names with a full name index and will go up to 22 generations. To purchase copies of the Third Edition, see http://www.avotaynu.com/books/UnbrokenChain-1.html.
The Unbroken Chain documents the descendants of Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen (MaHaRaM) of Padua (1482–1565) and Rabbi Judah Lowe (MaHaRaL) of Prague through 22 generations. Among the descendants of these two Torah Giants are numerous famous persons including Martin Buber, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, Karl Marx, Moses and Felix Mendelssohn, Yehudi Menuhin, Moses Montefiore, Helena Rubinstein, Judge Judy Sheindlin. A high proportion of genealogies are those of the leading Hassidic dynasties: Levi Isaac of Berdichev, Halberstam, Horowitz, Rabinowitz, Rokeach, Shapiro, Spira, Teitelbaum, Twersky and others.
Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been released and are available for purchase via Avotaynu.
Entry points for each of the book's chapters in the two-volume second edition are listed below, along with links to specific notable people, and these should be the only profiles added to this project:
Volume One:
- Chapter I: The Katzenellenbogen family
- The Beginning - It's first three generations
- King for a Night
- The children and grandchildren of Saul Wahl
- Chapter II
- A. Descendants of R' Moses Katzenellenbogen of Chelm
- B. Descendants of R' Saul, son of R' Moses Katzenellenbogen
- a. Descendants of R' Saadiah Isaiah Katzenellenbogen
- Padua and Rubinrot Families
- b. The Samuel family of London and Philadelphia - origins of Anglo-Jewish nobility
- Progenitor of this family: R' Elijah son of R' Zvi Hirsch (Apter) Katzenellenbogen
- I. David Samuel Family of London, including R' Barnett Abraham Elzas, prominent American Reform rabbi - Baron Giacomo Lombroso, Italian professor of Ancient History - Haes family - Sir Harry Simon Samuel
- II. Phillips Family of London
- III. Moses Samuel Family of London, including Lord Pirbright and Barons of the de Worms family - Landauer and von Schey families - Baron Guy de Rothschild and his son, Baron David de Rothschild - Rev. Victor de Waal, Dean of Canterbury - Ephrussi family - author brothers, Princes Hubertus and Leopold Lowenstein - Wertheim - Simon W. Waley, stockbroker and musician and his sons, Alfred and Sir Frederick - Baron de Samuel and Baron de Vahl - Baron Mayer N. de Rothschild and the Earls of Rosebery - Sir David Salomoms - Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Merton - Sir Charles Seligman - Baronets Cohen - Sir Julian Goldsmid - Barons and Baronets Jessel - Frederick David Mocatta
- IV. Samuel family of Philadelphia, including David Samuel, secretary of the oldest Philadelphia Congregation, Mikveh Israel - Haym Salomon - Frank Samuel, iron and steel exporter
- c. The Katzenellenbogen Family of Krotoschin and Berlin, including Max and Albert Katzenellenbogen, Berlin bankers - Medieval Art Professor Adolf Katzenellenbogen - Tilla Durieux, German actress
- d. Descendants of R' Moses Katzenellenbogen of Pinczow and Schwabach
- I. Riesser family, including Gabriel Riesser, the German Jewish emancipator
- II. Ephraim, Jablonski, Plaut and Wollsteiner families, including Anthony Menk and Reinhard G. Pauly, music professors - Hugo Kortschack (Quartet) - Hugo P. Kortschack, biochemist and violinist and discoverer of C-4 Pathway of Photosynthesis
- III. K. Ellenbogen family, including A.S.K. Ellenbogen, U.S. Marshall (New York) - Edward Bartol, Polish Ambassador to Washington - Dan Almagor, Israeli songwriter
- IV. Seligmann family, including Dr. Caesar Seligmann, founder of Liberal Judaism in Germany
- C. Munk, Jakobovits and related families
- D. Schick, Kamenetzky, Jungreis, Prager and related families
- Chapter III
- Chapter IV
- Descendants of Rabbi Jonah Teomim (author of Kikayon DeYonah)
- A. R' Zvi Hirsch Frankel-Teomim, A.B.D. Kalisz
- B. R' Joseph Saul Teomim
- C. Frankel-Hirschhorn family, including Kinney chairman of Warner Communications - Professor Ephraim A. Speiser, archaeologist
- D. Descendants of R' Levi Isaac of Berdichev, including the Derbardiger, Derby, Liebersohn, Novoseller and Schneersohn-Twersky families
- E. Weinberg (of Bilgoraj) and Schwerdscharf (of Kolomyja) families
- F. Thumim family of Zaleszczyki
- G. Kamader Chassidic dynasty, including Citron and Tannenbaum families
- H. Descendants of R' Joshua Heschel Frankel-Teomim of Komarno, including Huberband and Huberland families
- I. Chassidic Dynasty Alter of Ger (Gora Kalwaria)
- J. Descendants of Zalman Goldstoff, including Professor Abraham Kogan, scientist - Benzion Katz, Dean of Tel Aviv University
- K. Chassidic Dynasty Rabinowitz of Radomsk
- L. Chassidic Dynasty Rabinowitz of Szydlowiec
- M. Bondi and related families
- 1. Feilchenfeld family of Posen
- 2. Wise family, including Dr. Jonas B. Robitscher, professor and pioneer forensic psychiatrist - Jonah Bondi Wise, prominent American Reform rabbi
- 3. Warburg family of Hamburg, including Professor Otto Warburg, botanist and President of the World Zionist Organization
- 4. Wohlwill family of Hamburg and Brussels
- 5. Maron family of Hanau
- 6. Bondi, Lewin, Auman, Prins, Lehmann, Jeiteles and related families
- Chapter V
- A. Descendants of Rabbi Solomon Katzenellenbogen
- 1. Mirkes Family of Mir
- 2. Luria (Lourie) Family of Pinsk, including the Eliasberg family
- 3. Hutner Family - Rabinowitz family of Turzec, Izabelin and Sopotskin
- 4. Friedensohn and Ben-Shalom families
- 5. Eisenstadt family, including R' Benzion Eisenstadt, author of Dor Rabanav VeSofrav
- 6. Meltzer and Kotler Rabbinical Families
- 7. Weissbrem family
- 8. Families Shachor of Mir and Klatko of Vilna
- 9. Israelit(e) family
- 10. Kopstein family of Taurage, Canton (Ohio) and Chicago
- 11. Reines family, including R' Isaac J. Reines, founder of the Mizrachi Movement - R' Solomon Schlifer, Chief Rabbi of Moscow - R' Avidgor Cyperstein, Head of New York's Yeshiva Isaac Elchanan - Professor Jacob Newman, rabbi and criminologist
- 12. Family of the Barons de Gunzburg, including Fould, de Rothschild, Sassoon, Valabregue, Halperin, Bauer and Dreyfus families
- 13. Rabbinical Families Berlin of Volozhin, Schachor, Epstein and Soloveitschik
- B. Descendants of Rabbi Naftali Katz
- Chapter VI
- A. Rabbi Strelisker
- B. Descendants of Rabbi Jacob Shor
- Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Shor
- 1. Epstein Family of Bar and Kolomyja
- 2. Epstein Chassidic Dynasty of Oziran (Jezierzany)
- 3. Kristianpoller Family origins
- 4. Halpern (Heilprin) Family of Tarnogrod, Zaslav and Stanislaw, including Dr. Max Schur, Sigmund Freud's personal physician and his son, Dr. Peter H. Schur, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
- 5. Halevi Shor Family
- 6. Horowitz-Winograd Family of Lida (descendants of Shmelke of Nikolsburg) The children of Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo Horowitz-Winograd adopted the surname "Winogradow", including the Polish ceramist Abram Winogradow, his sons Dr. Alexander Winogradow and Dr. Leon Winogradow , alongside Eugenia Winogradow, the fist woman judge in Israel and her daughter Raya Hofri-Winogradow, other descendants of R' Eliyahu's siblings include Dr. Moses Einhorn, founder of the Hebrew Medical journal and Baron Professor Max Beloff, English historian and political scientist, Prof. Samuel Abramsky, Professor of Ancient History and Bible and his brother Joseph Aviram, Director of the Institue of Archaeology of the Hebrew University
- 7. Benjamin Family of Hanau
- 8. Adler Rabbinical Family of England, including Chief Rabbis Adler of the British Empire, including Chief Rabbi Dr. Nathan Marcus Adler, R' Dr. Hermann Adler - Harold Sebag-Montefiore, President of Anglo-Jewish Association - Lord Nathan of Churt (A.K.A. 1st Baron Nathan of Churt) - Chief Rabbi of Hamburg, R' Asher Stern - R' Michael Cahn inventor of the metzitza tube for circumcision
- C. Descendants of R' Solomon Zalman Lipchutz
- Chapter VII
- Chapter VIII
Volume Two:
- Chapter IX: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
- R' Abraham Joshua Heschel of Cracow
- Chapter X: R' Eliezer, A.B.D. Dubno
- Chapter XI: Rabbi Issachar Berish Heschel
- Chapter XII: Saul Heschel
- Chapter XIII: Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Ashkenazi
- Descendants of the Chacham Zvi Hirsch Ashkenazi (The author notes in the third edition, that there is an error in the ancestry of the Chacham Zvi, which he has corrected.)
- Chapter XIV: Rabbi Aryey Leib Halberstam
- Halberstam Chassidic Dynasty of Sanz (Nowy Sac)
- Branch A - (Sieniawa, Shinova) - including the Rebbes of Sieniawa, Chechinov, Stropkow and Tarnow
- Branch B - (Bobowa, Bobov) - including the Rebbes of Bobov
- Branch C - (Chrzanow, Keshanov) - including the Rebbes of Keshanov, Dukla, Galisk, Kempno and Kolashitz - Hinde Halberstam, President of WIZO Organization
- Branch D - (Nowy Sacz, Sanz) - including the Rebbes of Sanz and Gribov
- Branch E - (Gorlice, Gorlitz) - including the Rebbes of Gorlice, Bardiyov, Chakov, Klausenberg, Ridnik and Zmigrod
- Branch F - (Ujfeherto, Rotsfurt)
- Branch G - (Czchow, Chechoyv)
- Branch H - (Rosenfeld family) - including the Rebbes of Oswiecim (Auschwitz)
- Chapter XV: R' Meshullam Feiwel Horowitz of Krements
- Branch A - Rabinowitz Chassidic Dynasty of Skole, including Goldman, Friedman, Heilprin (Halpern), Manzon and Hager Chassidic Dynasties
- Branch B - Heschel Chassidic Dynasty, Jeruchem family, Rabinowitz Chassidic Dynasty
- Chapter XVI: Rabbi Meir Horowitz
- Horowitz family Pedigree - Introduction
- Branch I - Descendants of R' Zvi Joshua Horowitz
- Branch II - Horowitz-Margareten family origins
- Branch III - Descendants of R' Zvi Hirsch Horowitz (author of Machneh Levi)
- Branch IV - Fruchter family of Hungary
- Branch V - The Weinberger family of Dukla
- Branch VI - Horowitz family of Stanislaw(ow)
- Branch VII - Ropshitz (Ropczyce) Chadissic Dynasty
- Horowitz family - including the Rebbes of Baranow, Biyetch, Dembitz, Dzikov, Jolin, Linsk, Maden, Mielec, Plontsch, Pokshavnitz, Riglitz, Rozvadow, Shendishov, Stachev, Stachin and Ulanow - Frankel family of Mielec-Lymanow - Zenwirth family - Avigdor family
- Ropshitz (Ropczyce) Dynasty -- Rubin, Mariles and Halpern Families - including the Rebbes of Chechinov-Tamaszow, Dolina, Dombrovo, Glogow, Hussakow, Jaslo, Kerestier, Kortchin, Muszay (Muzhaya), Ropshitz, Rymanow, Rzeszow, Sasow, Sasregen, Sokolov and Sulitza - R' Shulem Rubin, Director of New York State Kosher Law Enforcement - Professor Herbert Rosenkrantz, microbiologist - Horowitz (Tenzer) and Glikman families
- Weisz Chassidic Dynasty of Spinka
- Moskovitz Chassidic Dynasty of Shatz
- Rosenbaum family of Krechnev
- Halpern (Heilprin) Chassidic Dynasty of Brzezany
- Branch VIII - Horowitz family of Piotrkow
- Chapter XVII
- Eichenstein Chassidic Dynasty of Zhidachov
- Rokeach Chassidic Dynasty of Belz
- 1. Including the Rebbes of Belz, Bilgoraj, Birch, Grayding, Hrubieszow, Jaroslaw, Karov, Kozlow, Lubaczow, Magerow, Noveria, Ochan and Sokol
- 2. Flam(m) family
- 3. Lamm, Mund and Langner families
- 4. Mayer Chassidic Dynasty of Alesk (Olesko)
- 5. Zilberfarb family of Rovno
- Rokeach and related families
- Shapiro Chassidic Dynasty of Lyzhansk-Mogielnica-Grodzisk
- Spira Chassidic Dynasty of Munkacs-Dynow
- Including the Langsam family and the Rebbes of Birch, Blazowa, Bukovsk, Dynow, Kyvyashd, Munkacs and Rybotycze
- Teitelbaum Chassidic Dynasty
- 1. Including the Rebbes of Chentskovitz, Drohobycz, Etshed, Gorlice, Hussakow, Ihel, Kolbuszowa, Nyibator, Satmar, Sighet, Stropkow, Tyachevo and Walowa
- 2. Meisels family of Hungary
- 3. Gottesman family of Lashkowitz
- 4. Gross family
- 5. Lipschutz family of Wielopole
- 6. Glanz family
- Unger Chassidic Dynasty
- Chapter XVIII: Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl
- Twersky Chassidic Dynasty of Chernobyl
- Branch A - (Chernobyl) - including the Rebbes of Azarinitz, Chernobyl, Loyev and Malin - Pechenik family of Berezno (Brezna) - Yuzefof family
- Branch B - (Korystochev)
- Branch C - (Cherkassy-Hornistopol) - Twerski family of Milwaukee - the Rebbes of Cherkassy and Hornistopol - Dr. Abraham J. Heschel Twerski, author and noted psychiatrist and his brother, Aaron David Twerski, College Dean and Law Professor
- Schneersohn Chassidic Dynasty - the Lubavitcher Rebbes of New York
- Branch D - (Drohobycz) - Drabitcher family
- Branch E - (Makarov)
- Branch F - (Trisk) - including noted novelist Yochanan Twersky
- Branch G - (Tolna) - including Isadore Twersky, author and Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy - Chodorov family
- Branch H - (Horodetzky)
- Branch I - (Skivra) - including the Rebbes of Machnovka and Skvira
- Branch J - (Rotmistrovke) - including the Rebbes of Rotmistrovke and Zlatopol
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A surgeon, author, lecturer, Dr. Neil Rosenstein has accumulated as a result of five decades of investigative study of rare books and manuscripts, trips to libraries and cemeteries, travel and correspondence a vast matrix of material on Jewish genealogy, especially in the field of rabbinical dynasties for which he has become world famous.
Publications
Ha Magid CD-ROM
Besides his many books (see website above), he has produced a CD-ROM with the indexed obituaries of the first-ever Hebrew weekly, HaMagid, which was in print from 1856 to 1903.
Links
All descendants of the Katzenellenbogen family and whal-Katzenellenbogen, descendant of the kozker rebbe