Raphael Meldola (rabbi) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raphael Meldola |
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Sephardi |
| Born | Raphael Meldola 1754 Leghorn, Grand Duchy of Tuscany |
| Died | June 1, 1828 (aged 73–74) London, England |
| Spouse | Stella Bolaffi |
| Children | Rebecca (Rica) de Sola, Moses Meldola, David Meldola, Lea (Luna) Meldola, Abraham Meldola, Eleazar Meldola and Samuel Meldola |
| Parents | Moses Hezekiah Meldola |
| Senior posting | |
| Title | haham |
| Predecessor | Moses Cohen d'Azevedo |
| Position | Rabbi |
| Synagogue | Bevis Marks Synagogue London |
| Began | 1805 |
Raphael Meldola (born 1754, died 1828) was an important Rabbi who worked in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was born in Livorno, Italy, and later passed away in London, England.
Contents
Who Was Raphael Meldola?
His Family and Early Life
Raphael Meldola came from a very old Sephardi family. This family had many rabbis and scholars over hundreds of years. They originally came from Toledo, Spain, in the 1200s.
Raphael was born in 1754 in Livorno, Italy. His father, Moses Hezekiah Meldola, was also a rabbi. His grandfather was a senior rabbi, known as a haham, in Pisa.
How He Became a Rabbi
Raphael Meldola first worked as a printer. But he also studied a lot, both religious and other subjects. He was very talented in his studies.
When he was only 15, he was allowed to join the rabbinical college in Livorno. In 1796, he earned his semicha, which is a special degree that allows someone to be a rabbi. He received it from a famous rabbi named Chaim Yosef David Azulai. Later, in 1803, he became a dayan (rabbinic judge), which is a rabbinic judge.
Raphael Meldola's Work as a Rabbi
Leading the Jewish Community
In 1805, Raphael Meldola was chosen to be the haham (senior rabbi) for the Spanish and Portuguese Jews in Great Britain. He traveled a long way from Livorno to get there.
Right away, he started working on important goals. He wanted to help Ashkenazi Jews and Sephardi Jews work together better. He convinced both groups to create a joint board for shechita, which is the Jewish way of preparing meat.
Protecting Jewish Traditions
Meldola also worked to stop the activities of missionaries. He also worked against the Reform movement, which was a new way of practicing Judaism. He wanted to make sure that traditional Jewish prayers were done with respect.
He brought a new and special quality to the Spanish and Portuguese synagogue services: a choir. Because he was from Italy, he loved music. He was the first to bring a choir into the London synagogue. This made the services more beautiful and special.
His Final Years
Raphael Meldola passed away in London in June 1828. One of his last wishes was to be buried next to his predecessor, Rabbi David Nieto.
People remembered Meldola as a very kind person. He was always ready to listen to people's problems and help them. His name is forever connected with the Bevis Marks Synagogue, where he served for many years.
His Family and Descendants
Raphael Meldola married Stella Bollaffi. They had four sons and four daughters. One of his daughters, Rica, married Hazan David Aaron de Sola. David de Sola later became the rabbi at Bevis Marks, following in Meldola's footsteps.
Many of Raphael Meldola's descendants also became important rabbis and scholars. These include:
- Rabbi Abraham de Sola in Montreal.
- Rabbi Abraham Pereira Mendes in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes in New York.
- Rabbi Frederick de Sola Mendes at the West End Synagogue.
- Rabbi David de Sola Pool in New York.
- The famous chemist Raphael Meldola, who was his grandson.
