Solomon Gaon
Encyclopedia
Solomon Gaon was Sephardic Rabbi and Hakham
of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews
of the British Commonwealth.
, Yugoslavia
in 1912 and studied at the yeshiva
in Sarajevo
. Both his parents died in the Holocaust. He received his rabbinic ordination from Jews' College
in London
. In 1949 he became Haham (Chief Rabbi) of the Sephardic congregations
of the British Commonwealth. With Alan Mocatta
, he is credited with revivifying a declining community. Beginning in 1963 he became involved (initially on a part time basis) with Yeshiva University
in New York, and was integral in the founding of its Sephardic Studies Program.
Dr Gaon's overseas activities were controversial with some members of his London congregation, and he left under difficult circumstances. His departure contributed to a rift within the community. No successor was elected until 2011.
After moving to New York, he was also connected with the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel
. In 1968 Dr Gaon delivered the main address at the dedication of the first synagogue consecrated in Spain since the Expulsion of the Jews in 1492. He became a professor at Yeshiva University in 1976, and founded and directed the Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies. He served as president of the Union of Sephardic Congregations of the United States and Canada. He received Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for 'Concord' in 1990.
In addition to numerous articles and sermons, Gaon authored:
Hakham
Hakham is a term from Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. The word is generally used to designate a cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise thing is called a wise man ["hakham"], even if he be not a Jew"...
of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
of the British Commonwealth.
Biography
Solomon Gaon was born in TravnikTravnik
Travnik is a city and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 km west of Sarajevo. It is the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton, and is located in the Travnik Municipality. Travnik today has some 27,000 residents, with a metro population that is probably close to 70,000 people...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1912 and studied at the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. Both his parents died in the Holocaust. He received his rabbinic ordination from Jews' College
Jews' College
-Origins and Remit Today:Jews' College, now known as the London School of Jewish Studies , was opened in Finsbury Square, London as a rabbinical seminary in 1855 with the support of Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler and of Sir Moses Montefiore, who had conceived the idea for such a venture as early as...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1949 he became Haham (Chief Rabbi) of the Sephardic congregations
Bevis Marks Synagogue
----Bevis Marks Synagogue is located off Bevis Marks, in the City of London. The synagogue, affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community, is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom still in use...
of the British Commonwealth. With Alan Mocatta
Alan Mocatta
Sir Alan Abraham Mocatta was an English judge, an expert on restrictive practices and a leader of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of Britain.-Legal and military career:...
, he is credited with revivifying a declining community. Beginning in 1963 he became involved (initially on a part time basis) with Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
in New York, and was integral in the founding of its Sephardic Studies Program.
Dr Gaon's overseas activities were controversial with some members of his London congregation, and he left under difficult circumstances. His departure contributed to a rift within the community. No successor was elected until 2011.
After moving to New York, he was also connected with the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel
Congregation Shearith Israel
Congregation Shearith Israel, often called The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, is the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. It was established in 1654....
. In 1968 Dr Gaon delivered the main address at the dedication of the first synagogue consecrated in Spain since the Expulsion of the Jews in 1492. He became a professor at Yeshiva University in 1976, and founded and directed the Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies. He served as president of the Union of Sephardic Congregations of the United States and Canada. He received Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for 'Concord' in 1990.
In addition to numerous articles and sermons, Gaon authored:
- The Influence of the Catholic Theologian Alfonso Tostado on the Pentateuch Commentary of Isaac Abravanel Ktav, 1993 (ISBN: 978-0881254389)
- Minhath Shelomo: A Commentary on the Book of Prayer of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews Union of Sephardic Congregations, 1990 (ISBN: 978-0881253511)