Rabbi Ephraim Epstein (1876–1960) was an orthodox rabbi and prominent member of the Jewish community in

Chicago 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 the half-century after his arrival in Chicago in 1911.

Biography

Epstein was born in Bakst, Lithuania and trained in

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

Slabodka yeshiva Slabodka yeshiva may refer to: * Hebron Yeshiva, a branch of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Hebron, relocated afterward to Jerusalem * Slabodka yeshiva (Bnei Brak), a branch of the Slabodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak * Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael (Slabodka) Ye ...

, where his brother, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein served as the dean..Bauman, Mark K., ''Harry Epstein and the Rabbinate as Conduit for Change'' (Rutherford, NJ: Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 1994). He arrived in Chicago in 1911 after being asked to serve as rabbi at Congregation Anshei Kneseth, one of the leading Orthodox congregations in the city. He served as rabbi of the congregation for almost 50 years. Epstein was a renowned Talmud scholar.Cutler, Irving, ''The Jews of Chicago'', Champaign, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1996), p. 215. Epstein rose to prominence in Chicago's orthodox Jewish community through his many activities outside the synagogue. He raised millions of dollars for aid to European yeshivas during and after World War I. In addition, Epstein served as an officer with a number of other Jewish self-help organizations, including the Central Relief Committee of America, Relief Committee of Jewish War sufferers, and the Federation of Orthodox Charities. A son was tragically killed in a fire. Another son, Aaron David Epstein, was murdered by rioters in the Hebron massacre of 1929. During the World War II, Epstein helped rescue many Jews from Europe. His son, Harry H. Epstein (1903-2003), was a prominent rabbi in the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

movement, spending over 50 years in the pulpit at Congregation Ahavath Achim in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Epstein, Ephraim 1876 births 1960 deaths American Modern Orthodox rabbis Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Rabbis from Chicago