DR. HERMANN ADLER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10408, 31 August 1911, Page 6

DR. HERMANN ADLER.

THE LATE CHIEF RABBI.

English file®, which 'have. just .reached Maisrhentiom, record the death of the Chief ißahbi of the British Empire om July 21st. The Very Riev. Dr Hermanni Adler, Chief Rabin of the. United Oongregationi9 of the • British Empire, was born 'in Hanover in 1839. His father, who -was Chief Rahbi of Hanover aoid afterwards Chief 'Rabbi in Great Britain, came of a long lime of Jewish ecclesiastics. His mother, Henrietta- Worms, .wa.s a sister of Baron Solomon Bern/edict de Worms,, and a daughter. of Jeamette von Rothschild; isi&tar to Nathan Mayer Rothschild, with 'whom the fortunies of the Rdthsehild.. family 'began. Dr Adljcir was thxis.,a.< 'jcousin of' Baron de ! Worms and, the- late' Lord, Pirhrighitj, !and"aisi& of;vl«Wd.'Rothsohtiild, , '. . . T 1 0m ; the opening of .'the Bays-water Synagogue am 1864 Br Adfer, thiem* in his- 25th year, 'was appointed itsi minister'and preacher. Hois imini'stry w,ais remarkably successful, and large, congregations attended 'there. On. the dteaith of his fa.th.er in 1889 Dr Hierraiainm Adler. was. unanimously chosan to Isuoaeied Mm. His province was. .even aroore ext&nsive than' the British [Empire, for many Jews .settled beyond its oonfinias acknowledged him as their spiritual head, and appeals to Ms ruling came from all over the [ -world. There wa>s mo happier spaak- | er in Anglo-Jewry than, Dr Adler, and he -was ais welcome on noai-Jew-ish as. on Jewish platforms. Mcoe••ovsir, for many, years after ihiiis election to the Chief' Rabbiship, Dr A.dfaxv' was■■'ini reality, if act by title, minister to the Great .Synaigogue, the

Cathedral Synagogue of Ms oommunr j ity. Twice in times of crisis for j world-Jewry he> represenitled his commumity at Berlin and Paris respectively. He 'was elected an (honorary member of the Athenaeum Club, and ) also an honorary D.C.L. of Oxford and honorary LL.D. of St. Andrews. The Oxford honour was conferred upon 'him on the occasion of .his 70tb birthday two years ago, wheal bie aUra received the C.V.O. at the harado of the late King. Within 'the Jewirih eomniiun. ; ty Dr Adler's sphere of activity included almost ©very institution of any importance: One of the earliest works in_ which hi© was engaged was "The. Jewish Reply to Dr Coienso's Criticism on. the Pentateuch," of which hj& was joint author in 1865. Another famous coiir ttrov.ei\siy in. which he' took part was that with. Professor iGoldwin. Smith, the subject ibeing "Can, Jews be Pat- , riots?"' Dr Adfer loaves surviving two children. His only son Alfred, minister of one of the Metropolitan synagogues, died a- few month':? ago at this early a.<se of 'M. This loss was followed shortly by 'that of the Chief Rabbi's eltteir brother Marcus, hiss ■companion through life. His elder daughter, Nettie, is a member of the London County Council especially interested in its'educational work, and his second daughter, Ruth, is the wife of Dr Alfred Eicliholz, one of His Majesty's' inspectors of schools. Dr Adler also leaves a widow to mourn his loss.