Solomon Joachim Chayim Halberstam (February 23, 1832–March 24, 1900) known from his acronym as ShaZHaH (שזחה), was an Austrian scholar and author born at Cracow. His father, Isaac Halberstam

Isaac Halberstam

Isaac Halberstam was the father of Solomon Joachim Halberstam and author of Siaḥ Yiẓḥaḳ Lemberg, 1882, which contains insights on the Pentateuch and notices on the genealogy of the Halberstam family, published after his death by his son. Isaac was a prominent merchant who devoted his leisure time...

, was a prominent merchant who devoted his leisure time to study, and left in manuscript a work which Solomon published in his honor under the title Siaḥ Yiẓḥaḳ, Lemberg, 1882. This work contains also notices on the genealogy of Halberstam, who numbered eminent rabbis among his ancestors both on his father's and on his mother's side. In 1860 he settled at Bielitz as a prosperous merchant. The larger part of his time, however, he devoted to Jewish learning, and a considerable part of his income to increasing his library, which was especially rich in rare and valuable manuscripts, the love of collecting having been developed in him early. For half a century he corresponded widely with the representatives of Jewish learning of all shades of opinion; he took part in learned discussions on the most diverse questions, contributing to nearly all the periodicals papers written in Hebrew and in other languages.

Halberstam was one of the directors and chief supporters of both the old and the new Meḳiẓe Nirdamim, the publications of which include contributions from him. He contributed valuable introductions to the works of a great number of Hebrew writers, and was also a collaborator on collective works, such as the jubilee or memorial volumes in honor of Grätz, Steinschneider, Kohut

Alexander Kohut

Alexander Kohut was a rabbi and orientalist. He belonged to a family of rabbis, the most noted among them being Rabbi Israel Palota, his great-grandfather, Rabbi Amram , and Rabbi Chayyim Kitssee,...

, and Kaufmann.

Halberstam's editions are:

• Ḥiddushe ha-Riṭba'al Niddah, novellæ and discussions on the tractate Niddah
  Niddah
  Niddah is a Hebrew term describing a woman during menstruation, or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirement of immersion in a mikveh ....
  
   by R. Yom-Ṭob ben Abraham (abbreviated "Riṭba") of Seville, Vienna, 1868
• Abraham ibn Ezra
  Abraham ibn Ezra
  Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
  
  's Sefer ha-'Ibbur, a manual of calendar science, 1874
• Hillel ben Samuel of Verona's Tagmule ha-Nefesh, 1874
• Judah ben Barzilai of Barcelona
  Barcelona
  Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
  
  's commentary on Sefer Yeẓirah, 1884
• The same author's Sefer ha-Sheṭarot, 1900

In 1890 Halberstam issued a complete catalog of his manuscripts (411 items) under the title Ḳehillat Shelomoh. The greater part of them was acquired by Montefiore College, Ramsgate

Ramsgate

Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, while his large collection of printed books, and a considerable number also of manuscripts, was bought by Mayer Sulzberger

Mayer Sulzberger

Mayer Sulzberger was an American judge and Jewish communal leader; born at Heidelsheim, Bruchsal, Baden, June 22, 1843. He went to Philadelphia with his parents in 1848, and was educated at the Central High School of Philadelphia, and after graduating he studied law in the office of Moses A. Dropsie...

 and presented to the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Jewish Theological Seminary of America

The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...

.

Halberstam died at Bielitz on March 24, 1900.

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography

• Moses Reines, Dor wa-Ḥakamaw, 1890
• Chaim David Lippe
  Chaim David Lippe
  Chaim David Lippe was an Austrian Jewish publisher and bibliographer....
  
  , Bibliographisches Lexicon
• Moïse Schwab
  Moïse Schwab
  -Life:He was educated at the Jewish school and the Talmud Torah at Strasburg. From 1857 to 1866 he was secretary to Salomon Munk; then for a year he was official interpreter at the Paris court of appeals; and from 1868 was librarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale...
  
  , Répertoire.