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Rabbi Yaakov Meir | |
|---|---|
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| Personal life | |
| Born | 1856 Jerusalem, Arz-i-Filistin  Ottoman Empire |
| Died | May 26, 1939 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine |
| Nationality |  Mandatory Palestine |
| Spouse | Rachel |
| Parent | Calev Mercado |
| Known for | First Sephardic Chief Rabbi under the British Mandate of Palestine |
| Occupation | Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Palestine |
| Senior posting | |
Yaakov MeirCBE (1856–1939), was anOrthodox rabbi, and the firstSephardicChief Rabbi appointed under theBritish Mandate of Palestine. A Talmudic scholar, fluent inHebrew as well as five other languages, he enjoyed a reputation as one ofJerusalem's most respected rabbis.
Meir was born inJerusalem in 1856, the son of successful merchant Calev Mercado. He studied theTalmud under Rabbi Menachem Bechor Yitzhak, and at age 15 began to studyKabbalah under RabbiAharon Azriel, an elder of theBeit El Synagogue. He married his wife Rachel at age 17, and continued to study Torah in the years after his marriage. He was among the founders of aBikur cholim society in 1879.
In 1882, he was sent toBukhara as the firstemissary to visit there. He was received with great respect by theJews of Bukhara, and children were named for him during his stay. He was instrumental in encouraging the immigration of Bukhara Jews to the Land of Israel. In 1885, 1888, and 1900, he visited Tunisia and Algeria as an emissary. In 1888, he was appointed a member of theBeth Din of RabbiYaakov Shaul Elyashar in Jerusalem, serving in this position until 1899. Under Turkish rule, he often interceded with the authorities on behalf of the Jewish community; he also encouraged the construction of new Jewish quarters of Jerusalem, helping establish the new neighborhoods ofEzrat Yisrael,Yemin Moshe, and theBukharim Quarter. He worked to bring the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities together, and established an association called Hitachadut composed of Sephardim and Ashkenazim. He helped establish the Sha'ar Zion Hospital inJaffa in 1891.
Meir was committed to theRevival of the Hebrew language,[1] and together withEliezer Ben-Yehuda,Chaim Hirschensohn, and Chaim Kalmi, he co-founded the Safa Brura ("clear language") association, which was created in 1889 to teach and encourage the use of Hebrew. He was a founding member of the Hebrew Language Committee, which was established by Ben-Yehuda in 1890 and was later succeeded by theAcademy of the Hebrew Language.
In 1899, Meir was appointed deputy head of the Beth Din of Rabbi Raphael Yitzhak Yisrael. Following Elyashar's death in 1906, he was picked to succeed him as the chief rabbi of Jerusalem, but his appointment was vetoed by his opponents, supported by theHakham Bashi in Constantinople, because of his Zionist affiliations. He was subsequently inducted as Hakham Bashi of Palestine but six months later, he was deposed by the Sultan of Turkey, andEliyahu Moshe Panigel took charge of overseeing the Orthodox community.
Meir went on to be elected chief rabbi ofSalonica in 1908, where he remained until 1919.[2] He was elected chief rabbi of Jerusalem in 1911, but the Jews of Salonica prevented him from assuming the office.[clarification needed]
In 1921, theChief Rabbinate of Palestine was established. Meir was elected as Sephardi chief rabbi of Palestine, and took the position, assuming the title of "Rishon le-Zion". He was at the forefront of the effort torevive Hebrew as a modern language. He held the post until his death. A letter he wrote in 1936 called an "Appeal for Friendliness" called on the Muslims of Jerusalem to halt any hatred and animosity towards Jews who were returning to their Holy Land.
Meir died on May 26, 1939, aged 83 years old. Over 10,000 Jewish residents of Jerusalem, representing all sections of the population, took part in the funeral procession.
In 1920, Meir was honoured with theCommander of the Order of the British Empire award for service to the British. He was also awarded theFrench Legion of Honor, and received decorations from the sultan of Turkey and the Greek government, as well asHussein bin Ali,King of Hejaz. In 2006, theIsrael Postal Company issued a stamp bearing his image.
| Jewish titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Rishon LeZion Yaakov Meir 1906–1906 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Unknown | Chief Rabbi of Salonica Yaakov Meir 1908–1919 | Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by New creation | Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Palestine Yaakov Meir 1921–1939 | Succeeded by |
