Josef Benjamin Levy

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Josef Benjamin Levy (born October 6, 1870 in Kiel , † June 24, 1950 in New York ) was a German educator and Chasan (cantor) .

Life

Josef Benjamin Levy was born the tenth of twelve children of the religion teacher, cantor and slaughterer Benjamin Benjamin Levy, who worked as a cultural officer in Kiel. Three of his siblings died in early childhood. Josef Benjamin was the last child in the family to be born in Kiel, as the family moved to Bremen in 1872 . There his father became a cultural officer again, but also set up a kosher restaurant and later also a hotel. The restaurant was initially located at Buchstrasse 57, later Levy's Hotel moved to Bahnhofstrasse 11. Although it was the only kosher restaurant and hotel in Bremen, there was a shortage of money in the large family. The parents - Josef Benjamin Levy came from his father's second wife - made it possible for all of their children to receive a qualified education.

The Börneplatz synagogue in Frankfurt

Josef Benjamin Levy attended a secondary school. From 1883 to 1887 he was trained at a preparatory institute in Burgpreppach , then at the teachers' college in Hanover . In 1891 he supplemented his training as a primary school teacher with further training in Leipzig , where he learned bookbinding and carving. From 1892 he did his military service in the 37th Fusilier Regiment in a unit for elementary school teachers and in 1893 he became cantor and soon afterwards also a teacher at a girls' school in Hamburg . In 1896 he became cantor of the Börneplatz synagogue in Frankfurt am Main . Soon afterwards he took up a teaching position at a commercial school and later at a girls' school, later he taught at a middle school and at times at a training institute for the deaf and dumb. Levy's eldest son went through the entire First World War as a war volunteer.

In 1924 Levy became chairman of the General German Cantor Association and from 1921 to 1938 he taught at the Philanthropin in Frankfurt. He was temporarily president of the B'nai-B'rith-Lodge in Frankfurt.

In 1935 the family had to break up their household and move into a pension because Jews were no longer allowed to employ non-Jewish domestic servants under the age of 45 and Levy's wife was no longer able to look after the household without the help of her long-term domestic servant. In July 1939 Levy emigrated to the USA.

Publications

Josef Benjamin Levy published, among other things, several Hebrew textbooks and the prayer book Schaarei Tefillah , which had 13 editions. By Levy and Dr. Benjamin May also included the Monuments of the Jewish Spirit , which appeared in 1912, and a psalms edition from 1915. In 1916 Levy translated the Vincenzlied. In 1930 he published the collection of synagogal music that Fabian Ogutsch had put together, and in 1934, together with Frank Rothschild, the Sabbath songs for school and home .

Levy wrote the book Mein Leben in Deutschland before and after 1933 about his life before and after the Nazis came to power .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Max Markreich, Helge-Baruch Barach-Burwitz, Association "Remembering for the Future": History of the Jews in Bremen and the surrounding area (=  series of publications Remembering for the Future . Volume 1 ). 2nd Edition. Edition Temmen, Bremen 2003, ISBN 3-86108-692-1 , p. 81, 104 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  2. ↑ Excerpts from Levy's autobiography (PDF; 2.0 MB)
  3. ^ Excerpts from Levy's autobiography in English translation in Before the Holocaust
  4. ↑ life data on bibelarchiv.com
personal data
SURNAME Levy, Josef Benjamin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Levy, Joseph Benjamin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chasan, teacher, music writer
DATE OF BIRTH October 6, 1870
PLACE OF BIRTH Kiel
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 1950
Place of death new York