Raphael Lasker (February 19, 1838 – September 12, 1904) was a German-born American rabbi in Ohio, New York City, and Boston.

Life

Lasker was born on February 19, 1838, in Zirke,

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

, the son of Meyer and Rose Lasker. Lasker was educated by his father, the rabbi of Zirke, as well as by rabbi Joseph Chayyim Caro of Pinne and rabbis Feilchenfeld and Mendel of Rogasen. He later attended the gymnasium in

Gleiwitz Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...

and the

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the German-speaking world. It is named afte ...

. He immigrated to America in 1858 and founded Congregation B'nai Abraham in

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, Ohio, Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of th ...

. In 1862, he moved to

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, and became rabbi of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. In 1871, he became rabbi of Temple Israel in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. He became rabbi of Temple Ohabei Shalom in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, in 1876. Lasker was a member of the Boston Public School Board for six years, and from 1901 to 1903 served as the first editor of '' The New Era Magazine'', a Jewish periodical. In 1858, he married Ernestine Karger. Their children were Jacob, Alexander, Meyer, Arthur, Julia, Isabella, Lillie, and Florence. Lasker died at his home in New York City from a complication of diseases on September 12, 1904. He was buried in Beth El Cemetery in

Ridgewood, Queens Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth to the north, Middle Village to the east, and Glendale to the southeast, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick to ...

References

1838 births 1904 deaths 19th-century German rabbis People from Sieraków University of Giessen alumni American people of German-Jewish descent Prussian emigrants to the United States 19th-century American rabbis 20th-century American rabbis American Reform rabbis Rabbis from Ohio Rabbis from New York City Rabbis from Boston People from Portsmouth, Ohio {{DEFAULTSORT:Lasker, Raphael