Meshullam Solomon facts for kids

Israel Meshullam Solomon (born Israel Meshullam Zalman Emden in 1723) was an important Jewish leader. He was born in Altona, a town near Hamburg. He became known as one of two main rabbis, called "Chief Rabbis," in the United Kingdom.

Rabbi Solomon was the rabbi of the Hambro' Synagogue in London. He claimed to be the Chief Rabbi from 1765 to 1780. At the same time, another rabbi, Tevele Schiff, also claimed this title.

Israel Meshullam Solomon came from a famous family of rabbis. His father was Jacob Emden, and his grandfather was the Chacham Tzvi. He was also related to Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chelm. Before coming to London, he was a rabbi in a place called Podhajce. In 1764, he became the rabbi for the Hambro' Synagogue in London. They paid him £150 a year, plus £50 for travel and £120 to help him set up his home.

A Tale of Two Rabbis

After the previous Chief Rabbi, Hart Lyon, left London in 1764, the two main synagogues needed to choose a new leader. The Great Synagogue and the Hambro' Synagogue agreed to pick someone together. However, they couldn't agree on one person.

The Great Synagogue chose their rabbi, Tevele Schiff, as Chief Rabbi. The Hambro' Synagogue chose their own rabbi, Israel Meshullam Zalman. In England, he became known as Meshullam Solomon.

Each rabbi believed he was the true Chief Rabbi. This caused a big disagreement among Jewish communities in London and other parts of England. People in other towns were confused about who to follow. Meshullam Solomon felt he was the rightful leader. He believed this because he was officially appointed, and two synagogues in London supported him. Rabbi Schiff had only one synagogue supporting him, even though it was larger. Because of this, Solomon saw Schiff as someone who shouldn't be in charge. He even signed his letters as "Rabbi of London and the provinces."

Working in London

While the disagreement continued, Meshullam Solomon focused on his work in London. He bravely announced himself as the main rabbi for all the Ashkenazi Jewish communities. In 1777, he published a sermon he had given the year before. This sermon was about supporting the British Army during the American War of Independence. It was one of the first times a sermon from an Ashkenazi synagogue in England was printed for everyone to read.

In 1774, Rabbi Solomon said that a certain divorce document, called a get, was not valid. This document had come from Amsterdam in 1768. His decision caused a lot of strong criticism from a Sephardi scholar named Shalom Buzaglo.

Later, in 1778, his own personal life became public. The British newspapers reported that the rabbi of the Hambro' Synagogue had divorced his wife. His relationship with his synagogue members also became difficult. The synagogue's money decreased, and they could no longer afford to pay their rabbi.

Leaving London

The problem of two Chief Rabbis finally ended because of a split in the Jewish community in Portsmouth. A small group in Portsmouth decided to follow Meshullam Solomon. But the main community in Portsmouth officially accepted Rabbi Schiff's authority. By 1766, Rabbi Schiff was widely known as "The Chief Rabbi."

For whatever reason, Meshullam Solomon left London in 1780. He moved to a new job in Russia. Rabbi Schiff wrote to his brother, Rabbi Meir in Frankfurt, about Solomon's departure. He said that Solomon had begged to stay, but the community insisted he leave. They agreed to pay him £50 a year for the rest of his life.

With Solomon's departure, the disagreement that started in 1765 finally ended. From then on, the rabbi of the Great Synagogue was accepted by all Jewish communities in England. Everyone recognized Tevele Schiff as the main authority.

Meshullam Solomon passed away in Hamburg in 1794.