Isidor Grunfeld (1900–1975), also known by his Hebrew name Yeshaya Yishai ha-Kohen Grunfeld, was a '' dayan'' (rabbinical judge) and author who was associated with the

London Beth Din The London Beth Din (LBD) is the Ashkenazi Beth Din of the United Synagogue, the largest Ashkenazi synagogal body in London, England. In its capacity as ''Court of the Chief Rabbi'', it is historically the supreme halakhic Authority for Ashken ...

(rabbinical court). He is best known for several popular works on Jewish law, and for his translations of the works of

Samson Raphael Hirsch Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the '' Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', hi ...

Biography

Grunfeld was born in the Bavarian town

Tauberrettersheim Tauberrettersheim is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Würzburg (district), district of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Tauber. Notable residents *Isidor Grunfeld, 1900–1975; Rabbi References

Würz ...

. He was one of his father's eleven children. His mother, Caroline, was his father, Joseph's, second wife. His father drove cattle and dealt in agricultural products. His parents were both descended from noted rabbis. He was educated in German ''

yeshivot A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish education, Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish p ...

'' and acquired a legal degree after attending Frankfurt and Heidelberg universities between 1920 and 1925. He married teacher and

Bais Yaakov Bais Yaakov ( he, בית יעקב also Beis Yaakov, Beit Yaakov, Beth Jacob or Beys Yankev; lit., House fJacob) is a genericized name for full-time Haredi Jewish elementary and secondary schools for Jewish girls throughout the world. Bais Yaa ...

educator Dr Judith Rosenbaum on 22 November 1932. She had been encouraging the Jewish girls to aspire to a career in teaching. He worked as a lawyer in

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 ...

until 1933, when the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

s' rise to power prompted them to move, initially to Palestine and then to London. After initially working in the legal field, he underwent rabbinical training and became a member of the London Beth Din. In 1954 a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

led to his early retirement from the London Beth Din. The following year his wife retired to start twenty years of caring for him. After retirement he published a number of books on Jewish law: on the Sabbath, kashrut (Jewish dietary laws), the laws of '' shmita'' and ''

yovel The Jubilee ( he, יובל ''yōḇel;'' Yiddish: ''yoyvl'') is the year at the end of seven cycles of ''shmita'' (Sabbatical years) and, according to biblical regulations, had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the Land ...

'' (the Sabbatical year and Jubilee) and inheritance law. In addition, he translated some of the works of 19th century German-Jewish leader

(1808-1888), namely ''Horeb'' and ''Judaism Eternal'', and he wrote on the influence of Hirsch in ''Three Generations'' and the introduction to ''Horeb'' as well as an introduction to the translation of Hirsch's Torah commentary by Levy. He died in 1975 and his wife Judith survived him until 1998.

Bibliography

* Samson Raphael Hirsch (translated by Isidor Grunfeld). ''Judaism Eternal - Selected Essays From the Writings of Samson Raphael Hirsch'', 1956. * Isidor Grunfeld. ''Three Generations: The Influence of Samson Raphael Hirsch on Jewish Life and Thought''. Jewish Post Publications, 1958. * Samson Raphael Hirsch (translated by Isidor Grunfeld). ''Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances''. London: Soncino Press, 1962 eprinted 2002 . * Samson Raphael Hirsch (translated by Dr Isaac Levy, introduction by Isidor Grunfeld). ''Commentary on the Pentateuch''. Judaica Press, 1962 eissued 1989 . * Isidor Grunfeld. ''The Jewish Dietary Laws''. London: Soncino Press, 1972. . * Isidor Grunfeld. ''Shemittah & Yobel: Laws Referring to the Sabbatical Year in Israel and its Produce''. London: Soncino Press, 1972. . * Isidor Grunfeld. ''Jewish Law of Inheritance''. Feldheim, 1987. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grunfeld, Isidor British Orthodox rabbis German Orthodox rabbis 1900 births 1975 deaths 20th-century German lawyers People from Würzburg (district)