Eliezer Adler (1866-1949) was one of the founders of the Jewish community in Gateshead,

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Biography

Adler was born on 30 August 1866 in what is now Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, then known as Stanisławówin in Galicia, then part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...

. Adler's parents were Yehuda Yona Hass and Chayale (nee Adler) Hass and he was probably registered as Adler because his parents were not civilly married. Adler arrived in

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in 1882 at the age of 15 looking for a better way to financially support himself and his widowed mother. Adler moved to

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

and when his mother died, he needed a minyan to say

Kaddish Kaddish or Qaddish or Qadish ( arc, קדיש "holy") is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy, different version ...

. Being that the Newcastle synagogues were not up to his religious standard, Adler crossed the bridge to Gateshead for the services. This led to the establishment of the " Shomrei Shabbos" synagogue in 1887. From that beginning the Gateshead Jewish community went on to establish a

cheder A ''cheder'' ( he, חדר, lit. "room"; Yiddish pronunciation ''kheyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. History ''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th ...

in 1912, the

Gateshead Talmudical College Gateshead Talmudical College ( he, ישיבת בית יוסף גייטסהעד), popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the Bensham area of Gateshead in North East England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be o ...

in 1929, 'Gateshead

Kollel A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...

in 1941 and the Jewish Teachers' Training College in 1944; institutions that thrive to this day. "Eliezer Adler ... was to become the most prominent figure in the infant community, for he possessed a forceful personality, and a flair for organization. With his arrival "Jewish Gateshead" began to expand".Dansky, pg. 33 In honour of his historical importance, his seat in the Gateshead synagogue remains vacant.Dansky, pg. 82 Adler married Sarah Rosenthal Doyschen and together they had 10 children. He was self employed as a

hawker Hawker or Hawkers may refer to: Places * Hawker, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Hawker, South Australia, a town * Division of Hawker, an Electoral Division in South Australia * Hawker Island, Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarct ...

selling jewellery and later as a furniture dealer. Adler died on 16 January 1949 (15

Tevet Tevet ( he, טֵבֵת, ''Ṭevet''; ; from Akkadian ) is the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It follows Kislev and precedes Shevat. It is a month of 29 days. Tevet usually occ ...

) while living with his daughter in

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and is buried in Rainsough Jewish cemetery in Manchester.

References

* 1866 births 1949 deaths People from Ivano-Frankivsk People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Ukrainian Jews Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe) English Jews {{Judaism-bio-stub