David Oppenheim (rabbi)
Rabbi in Prague (1664–1736)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Oppenheim (1664 – 12 September 1736) was the chief rabbi of Nikolsburg in 1691 and later of Prague.[1] His book collection constitutes an important part of the Hebrew section of the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
David Oppenheim | |
|---|---|
,_RP-P-1908-4085.jpg) Engraved portrait by Johann Balzer (1772). | |
| Born | June 1664 |
| Died | 12 September 1736 (aged 72) |
Resting place | Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague |
| Occupations | Rabbi, Posek, Book collector |
| Years active | 1691-1736 |
| Era | Nikolsburg, Prague |
| Known for | Book collector |
| Spouses | |
| Father | Abraham Oppenheim |
| Relatives | Samuel Oppenheimer (uncle) |
Personal background
Oppenheim was born in 1664 in Worms, where his father, Abraham, was a community rabbi and leader and a brother of Samuel Oppenheimer. David Oppenheim's teachers included: Yair Bacharach, Gershon Ashkenazi, Ya'akov Sack (father of Tzvi Ashkenazi, the "Chacham Tzvi"), Benjamin Wolf Epstein, and Isaac Benjamin Wolff.[2] In 1681, he married Gnendel, daughter of the "court Jew" Leffmann Behrends (Lipmann Cohen) of Hanover.[3][4] His rabbinical responsibilities grew over the years: in 1691, he became the chief rabbi of Nikolsburg, in 1703 of Prague, in 1713 of half of Moravia, and by 1718, he led the entire region.[2]
His grave is located in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, between the Klausen Synagogue and the Old-New Synagogue. His tombstone was restored in 1978.
The Bodleian Library in Oxford bought his extraordinary collection of manuscripts and prints in 1829 for 9,000 thalers.[5]
