Papers of Rabbi Israel Yoffey
1909-1934
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Correspondence and newspaper cuttings relating to Kashrut, 1926 -1930; correspondence relating to Shechita 1913 - 1933; correspondence and newspaper cuttings relating to Jewish Law, 1920 -1932; correspondence relating to divorce, marriage and conversion 1928 -1934; newspaper cuttings on official duties 1915 -1927, correspondence relating to Mizrachi and Zionism 1926 -1931; correspondence relating to charity and donations 1915 -1932; sermons and speeches c. 1910 -1933; published articles relating to Ha' Yehudie (The Jew), 1909 -1911; character references 1927 - 1932; personal papers 1922 -1932; correspondence relating to Rabbi Yoffey's writing, 1928 -1934; correspondence relating to donations 1927 -1931; correspondence relating to voluntary services 1923 -1934; general correspondence and newspaper cuttings 1923 - 1934
Title:
Papers of Rabbi Israel Yoffey
Date of work:
1909-1934
Reference number:
GB127.M648
Level of description:
Fonds
Includes:
Custodial history:
Rabbi Israel Joseph Yoffey was born near Salant, Lithuania, sometime in 1874, migrated to Manchester in 1897 where he married Perra Jaffe, daughter of Rabbi Yosef Jaffe, Rabbi of the Central Synagogue, and settled in the Cheetham Hill district of North Manchester.
Though resolutely Lithuanian in character he rapidly became part of established Orthodox Jewry in Manchester as an adept representative, journalist, speaker and expert in Jewish Law in Hebrew, Yiddish and English. He became a regular columnist in the Manchester Evening News, Jewish Gazette, Daily Record, Manchester Guardian and Jewish Chronicle, and also attracted commissions from Shanghai's Jewish Correspondent, South Africa's Jewish Yearbook and Poland's HaHed. Associations that remained strong until his death. He also published three books Shofar Yisroel (c.1909), Hadrat Yisroel (c.1920) and Kneest Yisroel (c.1929) that were positively reviewed in Europe and America.
As a Rabbi he succeeded his father-in-law as minister of the prestigious Central Synagogue in 1898 and became a Dayan (Judge) of the Manchester Beth Din (Jewish Law Courts), becoming it's first leader in the 1920s. He skilfully captained it through the Sechita (Ritual Slaughter) Affair (1929-1930), negociating the right from the Chief Rabbi's Office for the Manchester Beth Din right to appoint its own Shochetim (Ritual Slaughterers) and hence gain judicial autonomy. He also oversaw the implementation of scholastic standards in the Kashrut (Dietary Law) Division. These roles brought him into contact with provincial leaderships and, sometimes, in direct opposition to the Chief Rabbi, Dr.Hertz.
Such contacts formed the base of Rabbi Yoffey's reputation. They brought invitations to serve as advisor to the Manchester Home for Aged and Infirm Jews, the Talmud Torah and Chaplain for the University of Manchester. Nationally he served the Board of Deputies for British Jews as Sechita advisor and was courted by a variety of Mizrachi (Zionist) groups in Britain and the continent as fundraiser and conference speaker. His attraction to Mizrachi was unusual as Zionism was noted for it's secular doctrine and negativity towards Orthodoxy.
This internationalist perspective brought Rabbi Yoffey to the attentions of charitable and aid societies in Eastern Europe and Palestine. Courted by Yeshivot (Seminaries), schools, hospitals, charities and individuals he wrote a countless number of references for collectors and organsiations and even established the Ezrath Torah ('Aid of the Law') Charity for relief from poverty and destitution and for the promotion of Torah (Orthodox) Judaism.
He died near Turin (Italy), May 1934, on his way Palestine for an interview for the post of Chief Rabbi of Tel-Aviv with Rabbi A.I.Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine.
He is buried in Jerusalem.
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedSome closed papers (Ghets).
Use restrictions:
Unrestricted
General notes:
Old Accession Number: 1999/8 1999/14 1999/102
Record types:
Manchester Archives and Local Studies
Language:
English
Record number:
7198054
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