• Revised based on A. Putik and D. Polakovic (2009) 'Judah Loew ben Bezalel, Called Maharal. A study on his genealogy and biography', in P. Demetz (ed) Path of Life. Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel ca. 1525 *1609, Academia, Prague, pp29-83.
  • Chaim *geni

    Note: previously above: Haim (Hayyim, Chaim) Worms (yiddish Virmis or similar) of Worms source Prof. Isak Gath or Haim (Chaim/Hayyim/Khaim) Loew-Beer (b.1450 - 1480 Isenheim /Issenheim), Alsace, France or Worms, Germany - 1522 Prague, Bohemia, Czech or Nov 24, 1565 Worms) & Vogelin Feigele (unknown)

    • Nathan LOEB or WORMS

    • Zvi HELMAN or HaLEVI + (?) TREVES Father: R' Eliezer Treves ( - 1566 Frankfurt) *Eliezer Treves, son of Naftali Herz Treves (1493-1566) on Infobank and on JE Eliezer ben Naphtali Hirz Treves (1495-1567) (aka Eliezer Frankfurt) Mother: Juta (?) both buried in the old cemetery Boerneplatz in Frankfurt Grandfather: Naftali Treves G- grandfather: Eliezer Treves Gg-grandfather: Samuel Treves of Alsace Ggg-grandfather: Joseph Treves. Gggg-grandfather: Mattithiah Treves (abt 1325 Paris - 1385/7) chief rabbi (ABD) of Paris, whose daughter Vergentlin (Hana, Channah) Treves (abt 1375 in Landau, Germany) married Solomon Spira on 2nd Spira page
      • Gitl HaLEVI + Yehuda HaLEVI a Talmudist *they had several children
        • R' Samuel (Shmuel) Eliezer haLevi EDELES or EIDELS "MaHaRSHA" Born: 1555 in Krakow, Poland. Died: 1631 + (?) Father: Edel Lifschitz (from Posen, Poland) and? the late Moshe Lifschitz rabbi of Brisk

          Note see wikipedia: "..Samuel adopted the name of his mother-in-law and served as rabbi in the following prominent communities: Chelm, Lublin and Ostrog. Eidels was also active in the Council of Four Lands.." OR MaHaRSHA on Loeb site

        • Abraham HaLEVI + (?)
          • daughter HaLEVI + Yaakov haKOHEN

            Note: ancestors of the famous Hakohen Lasker families in Poland and Germany, Eduard Lasker (1829-1884) the German liberal politician, Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941) the world chess champion and many others

    • R' Yaakov (Jacob) WORMS Died: 1563 in Worms. Reichsrabbiner "Rabbi of the Reich", Chief Rabbi of the German Jews, of the Holy Roman Empire and pupil of the Maharshal, Rabbi Zvi Ha’alman

    • Betzalel (Bezalel) ben Chaim Born: abt. 1480 in Prague, Bohemia, Czech. Died: abt 1550 in Poznań, Poznań county, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland + unknown ISSEMHEIMER Born: abt 1480 in Issenheim, Alsace, France Father: R' Chaim Issemheimer (1465 - 1525 Worms, Germany) Mother: Vögelin Löw-Beer (abt 1454 - ) *geni-more

      Note: Betzalel’s tombstone ”his praise and merits can not be told and no man like him can be found” *JE Judah Löw "MaHaral", Barkai ancestry listing, Noda b. Yehuda notes page *previously above also wife?: unknown Klober, daughter of R' Yitzchak (Isaac) Klober (Klauber/la) (abt 1480 -) of Worms or Posen, maternal grandfather of R' Shlomo (Salomon) Luria (1510-1574) "Maharshal" and son of R' Zacharia Mendel of Posen on 2nd Spira page

      • Rabbi Sinai LOEW *see below Born: abt. 1508 or 1535 in Poznań, Poznań county, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland. Died: 1600 in
        Mikulov (Nikolsburg), Břeclav, south Moravia, Czech.Buried in Kolín, Bohemia, Czech + Hanna (Khana, Enokh) (see WEISELS / WESSELS family) *geni-more

      • daughter LOEW

      • R' Hayyim (Chaim) LOEW Born: 1506 or 1510 or 1515 in? Died: 1588 in Freidberg, Germany. President of the Rabbinate Court in Friedburg. *his works: "Sefer ha-Ḥayyim," Cracow, 1593; Amsterdam, 1713; Lemberg, 1887; "Mayim Ḥayyim," Amsterdam, 1711; Lemberg, without introduction; "Iggeret ha-Tiyyul," Scriptural comments in alphabetical order, Prague, 1605, and Offenbach, 1717; "'Eẓ ha-Ḥayyim"; "Be'er Mayim Ḥayyim," supercommentary to Rashi's commentary on the Pentateuch *see book; In the Shadows of Greatness: Rabbi Hayyim Ben Betsalel of Friedberg

        Note: JE: "German Talmudist; died at Friedberg on the Shabu'ot festival, 1588. He was the eldest of the four sons of Bezaleel ben Ḥayyim, and spent his youth at Posen, the native city of the family.. He began his literary activity at Worms, where he had gone in 1549; and, apparently, he succeeded his uncle Jacob ben Ḥayyim as rabbi in that city, after Jacob's death in 1563.. He subsequently went as rabbi to Friedberg.." OR Rabbi Chaim Loeb"One of four brothers about whom the great commentator and posek R' Shlomo Luria "Maharshal" wrote: "I have heard about the wise brothers, the lofty, wise and pious one R' Chaim; the lion of Torah R' Laib; and the 2 shining stars R' Sinai and R' Shimshon.. "R' Chaim was a leading sage of his generation, though his legacy is overshadowed by that of his younger brother R' Laib, better known as the MaHaral of Prague. When he is quoted, it is usually by the name "R' Chaim, the brother of MaHaral".. As a young man R' Chaim traveled to study under R' Shalom Shakna of Lublin, one of the leading sages of Poland and the leader of the pilpul school of Torah studies. However, like his fellow student (cousin of Maharshal) R' Moshe Isserles "Rema" (both on 2nd Spira page), R' Chaim apparently rejected the pilpul method. R' Chaim's next teacher was Maharshal, and it was his method of studying halachah that R' Chaim adopted as his own.. R' Chaim was reluctant to leave any written works. He encouraged his students to memorize material and study by heart, thus developing their memories and their analytical abilities. That R' Chaim wrote any books is a testimony to the persistent demands of his students, and even so, he postponed his writing until an epidemic forced him to be quarantined and separated from anyone with whom he could "talk in learning." (This happened in 1569 and again in 1579.)" another article

      • R' Shimshon (Samson) LOEW Born: 1522? or 1510? in Prague. Died: in Kremitz + (?) BAK Father: Shmuel Bak *Shimshon was the president of the Rabbinate Court in Kremnitz *see descendants of Shimshon on Lipa Roitman genealogy site
      • daughter LOEB + Pesach (Peisach, Pesah) OSTROPOLIE
        • R' Shimshon "Samson" OSTROPOLIE (OSTROPOLI) "Dan Yadin" Born: 1600 in Poland. Died: Jul 15, 1648 in Polonnoye, Ukraine + (?)

        Note: Samson ben Pesah Ostropoli was a Polish rabbi and a noted kabbalist who martyred at Polonnoye, government of Podolia, in the Cossacks' Uprising. When the Cossacks laid siege to Polonnoye, Samson, with 300 of his followers, arrayed in their shrouds and praying-shawls, went to the synagogue, and stood there praying until the enemy came and butchered them all

        • child + (?) (see KOHEN family) Father: R' Sabbatai HaKohen "SHaCH" Sabbatai: Shach, Shabbetai Ben Meir HaKohen) Born: 1621 in Amstibov, Lithuania. Died: 1662/3 in Holešov (Holleschau), Bohemia

      • daughter LOEW + Rabbi Zecharia (Zacharia) Mendel KLOIZNER (KLOSNER) the Elder of Posen Born: Poznań, Poland Died: 1672 *geni
        • Benyamin (Binyamin) Beinush KLAUSNER (KLOIZNER) of Poznan Born: in Posen, Poland. Died: 1626 + Sarah (Sarka) HIRSH Father: Rabbi Naftali Zvi Hirsch /Hertz (Levuv, Russia - ) Grandfather: Yitahak Hirsh/Hertz "HaDarshan of Levuv, Russia"
        • Sarah KLOIZNER Born: 1590 + Moshe Wahl (see KATZENA/ELLENBOGEN family) Born: 1589 Died: abt 1643 *geni, tree chart Father: Meir Wahl Katzenellenbogen "The MaHaRaSH" (1565 Brest-Litovsk, Belarus - 1630 Brest-Litovsk) Mother: Heinda (Hinda, Hinde) Horowitz ( m. 1585 - ) *chart

        • Zecharia Mendle KLOIZNER Died: 1672 in Jerusalem + (?) *see also on Heymann or Loeb site

        • Rabbi Arye LEIB "der Hoycher" ABD Cracow *geni + (?)
          • Rabbi Naftali Zvi HIRSCH "ABD Lvov & Lublin"

          • daughter LEIB + Rabbi Shmuel "baal Habeit Shmuel"

      • daughter LOEW + Rabbi Avigdor KARA

        Note: any relation to Rabbi Avigdor ben Jicchak (Isaac) Kara, rabbi of Prague, noted poet and kabbalist, and one of the most important names, that Jan Hus was influenced by, in the development of his doctrines. Prague has the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe, opened from the 15^th Century to the late 18^th Century. In 1439, Avigdor Kara (the court poet of Wenceslaus, who lived through the pogrom of 1389 to later eulogize about it) was the first person to be buried there. Over the next 400 years, about 200,000 residents of the ghetto in Prague were buried in its confines. Since the cemetery could only hold about 10 percent of that amount, the tombs are situated at 12 different layers. Two of the cemetery’s most famous tombs are Rabbi Jehuda Loew/Loeb (1609) and Mordechai Maisel (1601). Since 1990, the Jewish Museum of Prague has been conserving and restoring the cemetery. Today, about 12,000 tombstones remain AND this article: “The son of Judah's sister was the gaon (religious authority), Avigdor Karo ABD (av bet din, i.e., chief judge), Prague, uncle of Joseph Karo, author of Beit Yosef (Joseph's House) (of which Shulchan Aruch was an abbreviated version), and father of the gaon Judah Karo ABD Glogau, father of the gaon Joseph Karo who was ABD in 20 communities..”

      • Rabbi Jehuda LOEW (see MaHaral of Prague family) Born: 1525 in Poznań, Poznań county, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland. Died: Aug 22, 1609 in Prague, Bohemia, Czech. Buried: Old Jewish Cemetery at Josefov, Prague + Sarah CHAJES Father: Abraham Chajes *geni

        *2nd wife of Yehuda Loew ben Betzalel: Perels (Perl, Perla) SHMELKES-REICH Born: 1528 in Prague. Married: 1544 Died: May 5, 1610 in Prague. Buried: Old Jewish Cemetery at Josefov, Prague *geni

---

*geni - Both the MaHaRal and his elder brother Sinai - are 12th great-grandfathers of Heidi (Klimesh) Rohel - my (Peter Rohel) mother, via 2 different family lines. Source of our ancestry line: Sinai Loew > Joseph Abraham Oberländer - was an Oberländer relative, who visited Czech synagogues in late 1800's - early 1900's.

Rabbi Sinai LOEW Born: abt. 1508 or 1535 in Poznań, Poznań county, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland. Died: 1600 or 1607  in Mikulov (Nikolsburg), Břeclav, south Moravia, Czech. Buried in Kolín, Bohemia, Czech + Hanna (Khana, Enokh) WEISELS / WESSELS *geni-more Father: Enoch Wiesels / Wessels Mother: Rykl daughter of a doctor? (des arztes) *geni

Sinai had a "yeshivah" in Prague, later becoming a "Chief Rabbi" of Mikulov/Nikolsburg and all of Moravia, CZ. Teacher of Rabbi David Ganz, he was noted for his knowledge of history and teaching. Like his brothers Hayim and Samson, he was a distinguished scholar, however their works are hard to find. Sinai was noted for his knowledge of history and teaching: .."Intrigued by the MaHaral's magical powers, Emperor Rudolf-II requested several meetings with the MaHaral to learn his secrets. On February 16, 1594, his colleague astronomer Tycho Brahe arranged the meeting, on which he was accompanied by his brother Sinai and his son-in-law Isaac Ha-Kohen".. *Senator John Forbes (see Kerry family) "may" also be a descendant of Sinai Loew

• Rabbi Chaim (Khaim) ben Sinai LOEW Born: 1545 Died: 1620 age 75 est + Krasna bat Gabriel *geni Father: Rabbi? Gabriel

  Note: rabbi Chaim was av beit din and head of yeshiva in Kolin and Bohemia and everybody called him Rabbi Chaim son of Rabbi Sinai

  • Rabbi Betzalel ben Haim GLAZER Died: 1658 in Prague or 1670? in Krakow

• Rabbi Gabriel LOEW Born: 1592 Died: 1629. President of the Rabbinate Court in Mikulov (Nikolsburg), Moravia + unknown BACHRACH *geni-more, she is also known as SPITZ (another marriage?)

• Rabbi Yehuda Leib Jitskhak LOEW Born: 1593 or 1595 "controversial generation" + (?) haCOHEN (ha-KOHEN) Born: ca. 1600 *geni-more Father: Jitskhak (Yitzchak, Isaac) (see haCohen family) (haKohen) (of Vienna and Nicholsburg /Mikulov? - 5/30/1624 Prague) Mother: Vögele Bezalel (see LOEW family) (ca.1555 - 1629) daughter of the MaHaral *any relation to Isaac, son of Joseph ben Joshua ben Meïr Ha-Kohen (1496-1575 in Genoa, Italy) who had three sons (Isaac, Joshua, Judah) and two daughters, more on Joseph

  *The Eskeles Genealogy book omits Rabbi Yehuda Lieb and places his children directly here - see ESKELES family page

  Note: Gilbert Hendlisz skips this generation and gives Rabbi Yehuda Lieb as the son of Rabbi Chaim of Konin. Yehuda Leib, known as Leib Hendels, was the son-in-law of a Rav Moshe Israel Hendlish of Cracow. This person had married the daughter of Israel Hendlish of Cracow. Israel Hendlish (1560-1629) had a son, Avram Yehuda Hendlish, known as Rabbi Avram Israel Hendlish. He was a leader of the jewish community of Cracow for more than 50 years and also member of the Council of the Four Lands. Daughter of Avram Israel Hendlish married Rabbi Chaim Mendel Mann and this couple had a daughter who married Rabbi Rafael of Cracow ("preacher, holy teacher and sofer") . Rafael was the son of Moshe Livah, a well known Rabbi of Slonim, Vilna and Brisk, otherwise known by his work "Chelkas Mechokek". Moshe Livah was the son of a Rabbi Isaac Yehuda Livai, surname that is a corruption of Loew, Loeb.

• Yehudit (Judith) LOEW Died: ca. 1635 + Eliezer (Elasar, Eleasar, Eleasor, Lasar) TODROS /TODRES of Prague. Died: 1635 in Prague, Bohemia, Czech *geni

  Note: family tree DNA "Todres is a distinguished name throughout Jewish history, but until now we have not been able to trace the descent from the famous medieval and ancient Todres's to those alive today. Just one example is the fact that a Todros family of renowned rabbi's is mentioned in the Talmud. No one knows whether or not all Todres' are related in the remote past. Todres or Todros and many other variations on the spelling are all the same as the name was always Jewish and hence often no vowels" OR any relation to Todros names on Jewish Encyclopedia and ref. to poet or wordsmith Eliezer Todros ( - 1527) of Saloniki(a), Greece OR Benedict/Baruch Todros (living 1580) in Turin and Jaquia Todros (Pô) banking family in Turin and Piémont 1700 OR Rabbi Todros of Kovno /Kaunas, Lithuania mentioned 10/20/1559 OR seforim "..Rabbi Man. Todros Spira sometimes only called Man Todros, was rabbi in Friedberg until ca. 1582.." and jstor Todros Joseph was chief rabbi of Friedberg 1575-1582

  • Moses Haim (Chajim) Lasar TODROS Born: 1634 Died: 1709 + (?)

    Note: google book "Grabsteininschriften des Prager Isr. Alten Friedhofs" Moses Chajim S. Lasar Todros ( - 1709), Abraham son of Israel Todros OR Judaica Bohemiae (JB): "the Todres faction dating from Sep. 7, 1696 bore the name of its founder Moses Hayyim ben Elazar Todres Mezia ( - 1709), son Hirsch and Gabriel (see Elkesch / Eskeles family) were relatives. The successful and wealthy businessman "morenu we-ha-rav-rabenu (mwhr)" R. Hayyim Todres was also rabbi at the Klausen Synagogue and from 1693 onwards at the Pinkas Synagogue" both in Prague OR JB Moses Hayyim Todres who did not have any children after 1700, supported this custom by accepting the office of sandek or mohel at 'anonymous' circumci-sions.. OR Hayyim Moses Todres, Joachim Todres, Joachim Roßtheusch[er] Todros OR Nehemiah Todros "nassi", newly arrived from Spain, and a descendant of Todros Abulaffi Halevi and "struggles for the Prague and particularly for the Land Chief Rabbinate. 312) Ibidem (Memorandum by Israel Bondy in 5/22/1688; Memorandum by M. H. Todros).."

    • Hirsch TODROS *JB: Moses Hayyim Todres and his son Hirsch

  • son TODROS Died: 1680 in Prague

  • Pessel (Perl) TODROS Born: 1624 in Prague, Bohemia. Died: 1681 + Rabbi Michl "Mechl, Michal, Michael" (see WIENER-SPIRA family) Born: 1620 Died: 1691 Father: rabbi David (Chayim, Chaim) Wiener /Spira Wedeles (1595 - 11/7/1634 Vienna) rabbi in Vienna *geni Mother: Chaya (?)

    Note: Michael remained in Vienna and his memory was perpetuated by his gift of several valuable curtains to the Old-New School of Prague. Mechl Wiener & Perl ben Chayim?, his father David Chayim Wiener are listed in "Anaf Etz Avoth" (H) by Shmuel Sanvil Kahana, Krakow 1903, page 26 (XXVI) under item 211 (resh, yod, alef) as son son of gaon Chayim m'Worms - source dr. Yehuda Klausner

    • Rabbi David WIENER (Wiener-Spira, David Michl Wien) + Mirl (see SCHLACKENWERTH family) Died: 1681 Father: rabbi? Sinai Schlackenwerth ( - 1676 Prague, Bohemia) Mother: Sheva (Schlaggewehr) Spira *geni

      Note: *google book - see also on Spira, Günzburg pages Grabsteininschriften des Prager Isr. Alten Friedhofs - by Solomon Judah Leib Rapoport; "Aron Schlackenwerth ( - 1694) sohn S. Sinai's welcher Letzterer ein schweigersohn Simon Spira's war, gemeinderepräsentant, ft. 1694. Mirl tochter des vorgennanten Aron Schlackenwerth, enkel des Dr's Simon Spira, gattin des Abraham S. Anschel Günzburg, ft. ende 1714. Simon S. des genannten Abraham Günzburg, einer der honoratioren der gemeinde, ft. 70 jahre alt ende 1778. Seines Vaters Bruder Moses Günzburg unternahm aus Frömmigkeit eine Reise nach Palästina. starb jedoch auf dem Wege in Sidon."

      • Salman WIEN / WIENER + Gutel (see AUSTERLITZ family) Died: 1722 *geni-more Father: Jacob Austerlitz *geni *possibly relative of familieas on Austerlitz page
        

        Note: Judaica Bohemiae .. On January 28, 1698, a decree concerning new elections was issued, ordering that the functions of governors be divided according to the aforementioned instructions. With the exception of the one appointed neutral governor, the others were to be elected. The electors were obliged to elect four candidates from each of the two permitted parties. The elections were held in mid-March (before March 17). While Samuel Taussig Sachsel who kept his title of primas, 340) Selig Libochowitz, Aaron Katz Reiterles and Lazar Michael Wien were elected on behalf of the Sachsel party, Wolf Wedeles, Löbl ben Gerschom Karpeles, Seckel Aaron Raudnitz and Aber Schnürdreher were elected on behalf of the Bondy-Todres party. The Bohemian Chamber appointed Feit Fanta 341) as the ninth, neutral governor. Usually, Fanta voted with Samuel Taussig. It is worth noting that the prominent secular function was re-assumed by Rabbi Wolf Wedeles, a man who was the true Land Rabbi for one-half of Bohemia and pretender to the post of Chief Rabbi of Prague!..

        • Beile (Bele, Bejle, Beilah) WIEN / WIENER Died: 1740 + Falk Markus (see PRESSBURG family) Died: 1740 *geni

          Note: any relation to? in Hugo Gold Moravia Triesch =Třešť history: 1/24/1757.. The undersigned therefore saw their children shortened, the police ignored, so the reputation of the community was damaged. They asked the couple to abolish. ..Falk Marcus, Löbl Marcus ?..

          • Chaya Cheyle PRESSBURG + Joseph Wolfgang (Wolf) (see GRÄTZ family) Married: Aug 6, 1750 in Náchod, Hradec Králové, Czech *geni
            • Barbara Ludmilla "Beile" GRÄTZ Born: after 1750 Died: Sep 21, 1818 age 81 est + Joseph Abraham (see OBERLÄNDER family) Born: 1725 Died: 1787 age 62 est *geni

• Zalel Bezalel LOEW + Regina Golda unknown Died: 1603 in Prague
• Baruch LOEW + Beilah unknown

---

*see Miscellaneous Names page from Judaica Bohemiae documents

Home | Names | Stories | Pictures | Toolbox | Peter's Page | Site map