Moritz Ellinger (October 17, 1830 – August 27, 1907) was a

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

-born Jewish-American journalist and city official.

Life

Ellinger was born on October 17, 1830, in

Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division ('' Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the ...

, the son of Jacob Hirsch Ellinger and Jochabed Fegersheim. He was educated at the Fürth Orphan Asylum and spent two years studying at the

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

Yeshiva under

Seligman Baer Bamberger Seligman Baer (Isaac Dov) Bamberger (born Wiesenbronn, near Kitzingen, Bavaria, 6 November 1807; died Würzburg 13 October 1878) was a Talmudist and a leader of Orthodox Judaism in Germany. Between 1840 and his death he served as rabbi of Würzb ...

. Ellinger immigrated to America in 1854 and initially worked in the importation of rare books. He then entered political life, running as a Republican against

Fernando Wood Fernando Wood (February 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American Democratic Party politician, merchant, and real estate investor who served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City. He also represented the city for several terms in ...

in the strongly Democratic

New York's 9th congressional district New York's 9th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City, represented by Yvette Clarke. The district is located entirely within Brooklyn. It includes the neighborhoods of ...

in the 1870 United States House of Representatives election. He lost the election to Wood and came in third place. From 1873 to 1876, he served as apportionment clerk in the

New York City Department of Finance The New York City Department of Finance (DOF) is the revenue service, taxation agency and recorder of deeds of the government of New York City. Its Parking Violations Bureau is an administrative court that adjudicates parking violations, while its ...

. He then served as Coroner of New York City from 1876 to 1881. He then became record clerk and interpreter of the Surrogate's Court from 1881 until his death. Prominently identified with

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peo ...

, Ellinger served as secretary of its executive committee from 1869 to 1879, corresponding secretary from 1895 to 1905, and an executive committee member. He founded the ''Jewish Times'' and served as its editor from 1869 to 1878. An advocate of

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

, he used the paper to express the views of Rabbi David Einhorn. In 1882, he toured Europe on behalf of American Jewish leaders to help organize the migration of Russian Jewish refugees. He edited the ''Menorah Monthly'', the official organ of B'nai B'rith, for twelve years following the death of Benjamin F. Peixotto. Ellinger was secretary of the Goethe Club and the Palette Club, corresponding secretary of the Medico-Legal Society, a member of the Society of American Authors, a fellow of the

New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wi ...

, and chairman of the Council of the Congress of Tuberculosis. He instituted the first B'nai B'rith lodge in Germany. In 1876, he married Julia Waterman, with Rabbi David Einhorn officiating the marriage. They had a son and a daughter. Ellinger died at his home in

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

on August 27, 1907. His funeral took place in Temple Beth-El. He was buried in the Beth-El Cemetery in

Ridgewood, Queens Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick and East Williamsburg. Historically, the neighborhood st ...

References

1830 births 1907 deaths People from Fürth People from the Kingdom of Bavaria 19th-century German Jews American people of German-Jewish descent Bavarian emigrants to the United States New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American politicians Politicians from Manhattan Citywide elected offices of New York City American male journalists Editors of New York City newspapers Journalists from New York City Jewish American journalists 19th-century American newspaper editors 20th-century American newspaper editors 19th-century American Jews 20th-century American Jews American Reform Jews Jewish American people in New York (state) politics Coroners of New York City People from Mount Vernon, New York {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellinger, Moritz