Samson H. Rausuk (; 1793 – 11 September 1877) was a

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Je ...

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librarian,

Hebraist A Hebraist is a specialist in Jewish, Hebrew and Hebraic studies. Specifically, British and German scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries who were involved in the study of Hebrew language and literature were commonly known by this designation, a ...

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

ic scholar, and poet. He was regarded as the '

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

' of the London Jewish community for nearly thirty years.

Biography

Rausuk was born in Vilkovishk, Lithuania, where he received a traditional Litvak

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; 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 stu ...

education, and pursued a career as a merchant. On the occasion of the visit of Sir

Moses Montefiore Sir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, (24 October 1784 – 28 July 1885) was a British financier and banker, activist, philanthropist and Sheriff of London. Born to an Italian Sephardic Jewish family based in London, afte ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

in 1846, Rausuk was one of the delegates appointed to receive him. He moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1848, and held the post of librarian to the

Leadenhall Street __NOTOC__ Leadenhall Street () is a street in the City of London. It is about and links Cornhill in the west to Aldgate in the east. It was formerly the start of the A11 road from London to Norwich, but that route now starts further east at ...

Beth Hamedrash for nearly a quarter of a century. During this time, he published many of his Hebrew compositions, often dealing with subjects of passing interest to the local community, and contributed to the ''

Jewish Chronicle Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

''. Among Rausuk's poems were

ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

s to Montefiore in commemoration of his

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and

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. He also contributed to a volume of translations of

Martin Farquhar Tupper Martin Farquhar Tupper (17 July 1810 in London – 29 November 1889 in Albury, Surrey) was an English writer, and poet, and the author of ''Proverbial Philosophy''. Early life Martin Farquar was the eldest son of Dr. Martin Tupper (1780–1 ...

's ''A Hymn for All Nations'', other contributors to which included

William Hodge Mill William Hodge Mill (1792–1853) was an English churchman and orientalist, the first principal of Bishop’s College, Calcutta and later Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge. Life He was son of John Mill, a native of Dundee, by his wife Ma ...

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, W. Burckhardt Barker,

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Richard Shilleto Richard Shilleto (25 November 1809 – 24 September 1876), English classical scholar, was born at Ulleskelf in Yorkshire. He was educated at Repton and Shrewsbury, then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated second classic in 1832. Thou ...

, Rowland Williams, W. Gifford Cookesley,

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Gabriele Rossetti Gabriele Pasquale Giuseppe Rossetti (28 February 1783 – 24 April 1854) was an Italian nobleman, poet, constitutionalist, scholar, and founder of the secret society Carbonari. Rossetti was born in Vasto in the Kingdom of Naples. He was Roma ...

, and Kah-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh.

Publications

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References

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Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rausuk, Samson 1793 births 1877 deaths 19th-century Lithuanian Jews 19th-century English poets British Hebraists Jewish English writers Hebrew-language poets Librarians from London People of the Haskalah People from Vilkaviškis Rabbis from London Poets from London Lithuanian emigrants to the United Kingdom