Iconic Williamsburg: Rav Simcha Abeles

As we continue our sojourn through the history of the Jewish community in Williamsburg of yore, we come upon the area a wee bit south of the Moore Street area—again east of where today’s Williamsburg community is—to Monroe Street, and to Sumner Avenue, where Rav Simcha Abeles, a scion of a great Hungarian rabbinic family, led large shuls, and was deeply involved in kashrus in those fledgling days, beginning at the turn of the century. 

Vác

Rav Simcha was born in the Hungarian town of Vác (Veitzen; in the Pest region), where his father Reb Moshe Yehuda Abeles was one of the heads of the Jewish community. His father was from a large family of Rabbonim, and was dedicated to the Jews of Veitzen, as is evidenced from the text on his matzeiva that stands in the cemetery there. He followed in the footsteps of his own father, Rav Gavriel Abeles who headed the kehillah in Serdahel, and was responsible for bringing “Mahari Asad” to serve as rov there. 

As a bachur he learned in the Pressburg yeshiva, in the days when it was headed by the Shevet Sofer, Rav Simcha Bunim Sofer, a grandson of the Chasam Sofer. He was highly regarded in the yeshiva.  

Crossing the Pond

In 1907, he arrived at Ellis Island. His first position was at Congregation Ahavas Shalom on East 6th Street in New York City. In 1916, he was appointed as the Rov of Congregation Beth Aaron Beth Sholom, also known as First Austro-Hungarian Congregation, located at 23 Sumner Avenue in Williamsburg. Given that it was founded by Hungarian Jews, it follows that they would have taken a rov from a prestigious Hungarian family. According to the newspaper reports of that time, Rav Abeles was welcomed at the congregation—which was 25 years old in 1916—with great fanfare. He was introduced by his friend Rav Baruch Binyomin Guth (a native of Satmar, rov of the Chasam Sofer Shul on Clinton Street). 

He later founded his own congregation at 452 Monroe Street, named Tiferes Yehuda (presumably in the name of his father). 

Kashrus 

In addition to his dissemination of Torah—through his derashos, published after his passing as Zoharei Torah, and his teshuvos that he exchanged with his American counterparts, Rav Simcha was active in the field of kashrus. He was also extremely active supporting Torah institutions back home in Hungary. 

As noted, he was active in kashrus. Primarily at the Dairylea creamery, and also of the Harrison Catering Hall in Brooklyn, and on other products. 

In addition to the tribute paid to him with the publication of his sermons, his son in Flatbush was among the founders of Kingsway Jewish Center on Nostrand Avenue in 1928. He donated a sefer Torah at the opening, and in honor of this, the shul was named Shaarei Simcha in the name of his illustrious father. 

Rav Simcha passed away in the year 1926, at the young age of 63. Many of his descendants are in Torah communities around the world, following in the footsteps of their illustrious ancestor who led and inspired his people in old Williamsburg.