Aaron J. Messing (June 18, 1840 – September 23, 1916) was a German-American rabbi who ministered primarily in San Francisco and Chicago.

Life

Messing was born on June 18, 1840, in

Gniewkowo Gniewkowo (Polish pronunciation: ) is a town in Inowrocław County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland with a population of 7,301 inhabitants (2005). It is located within the historic region of Kuyavia. Location Gniewkowo ...

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, ...

. His father Joseph Messing was a

Talmudist The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

exegete Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...

, and rabbi who wrote a number of Jewish books. His brothers Mayer and

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

were also rabbis. Messing was educated in Breslau and Graetz. He received a Ph.D. from the

University of Rostock The University of Rostock () is a public university located in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Founded in 1419, it is the third-oldest university in Germany. It is the oldest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Se ...

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

. He was ordained a rabbi by Rabbi E. Gutmacher, Rabbi M. Feilchenfeld, Rabbi N. Caro. He then served as rabbi in

Militsch Milicz () is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of Milicz County and of Gmina Milicz, part of the larger Wrocław metropolitan area. Geography The town is situated in the historic Lower Silesia regio ...

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

as well as in

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II divided ...

. He later immigrated to America, and in 1866 he was named rabbi of Beth Israel Bikur Cholim in

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 ...

. In 1868, he became rabbi of the B'nai Shalom Congregation in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. In 1870, he became rabbi of Congregation Sherith Israel in

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Over the course of the next two decades, he founded at least twelve congregations and twenty three Sunday schools in Nevada, Oregon, and California. He also wrote several popular Sunday school textbooks, namely "A Hebrew Primer" and "The Jewish Catechism." In 1890, he went back to Chicago and again served as rabbi of B'nai Shalom. He served as rabbi there until his death. In 1870, Messing married Fannie Livingston. Their children were Mrs. Minna Levy of San Francisco, Mrs. H. H. Mitchell of Chicago, Mrs. David Livingstone of

Kankakee, Illinois Kankakee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Kankakee River, as of 2020, the city's population was 24,052. Kankakee is a principal city of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley, IL MSA, Kan ...

, Mrs. Hebert Ullman of New York, Mrs. Theodore Loberman of

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, Herman J. Messing of New York, Sigmund Messing of Los Angeles, and Rabbi Abraham J. Messing. Abraham was also a rabbi who ministered in Alabama and Illinois. Messing died at his daughter's home on September 23, 1916. He was buried in the Jewish Graceland Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messing, Aaron J. 1840 births 1916 deaths 19th-century German rabbis American people of German-Jewish descent University of Rostock alumni Prussian emigrants to the United States American Reform rabbis 19th-century American rabbis 20th-century American rabbis Rabbis from New York City Rabbis from Chicago Rabbis from California Clergy from San Francisco