Uri Levi

Moses Uri ben Yoseph HaLevi (also known as Moses Uri Levi, Moses Uri Halewi, Philip Uri Joosten Halevi; ; , presumably in Amsterdam) [not to be confused with Moses ben Joseph ben Merwan Ha-Levi, Mullah Moshe Halevi of Kashan, or Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi (from geniza documents)] was a German rabbi who become an instrumental figure and a key founder of the Spanish-Portuguese community of Amsterdam. Born likely in either the German city of Wittmund or Braunschweig, he became the first chief rabbi of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam. He is considered to be the founder of the first Jewish community in Amsterdam and the first rabbi of a Sephardic community in Northern Europe.

Biography

Moses Uri HaLevi was born to Joseph ben Ephraim HaLevi, a native of Braunschweig. He probably had to flee his hometown in 1557 when the Jews were expelled. He settled in the East Frisian Emden. Ashkenazi Jews had settled there for several years because the Count of East Friesland had placed them under their special protection; HaLevi is the first Emden Jew whose name has been passed down. The narrative of these events was described by the grandson of Moses and Aaron's son, the printer Uri Phoebus HaLevi, in his 1711 book Narração da vinda dos judeos espanhoes a Amsterdam. Another report differs in the there is the establishment of contact between the group HaLevi . Uri HaLevi s son Joseph is said to have traded with conversos as early as 1598 and established connections.

Just a few weeks after their arrival in Calvinist Amsterdam, Moses HaLevi and his son Aaron are said to have been arrested. The reason for the arrest was the suspicion that masses were being held in Latin in their home, which is why it was assumed that they were Spanish Catholics hated in the Netherlands. Both men were released shortly after they had declared that they were Jews. They rented a house in Amsterdam, where they were evidently instructed by haHaLevi Levi, who, however, did not necessarily have to be aware of the differences between the various rites.

HaLevi was a rabbi and circumcised the converso men who had had no such opportunity in Catholic Iberia. He was a ritual slaughterer of animals, himself the provisioner of kosher meat to the community. His son Aaron acted as a chazzan. Both are said to have performed a total of around 2500 circumcisions.

Despite all these important functions within the Portuguese Jewish community, the HaLevi family were among the poorer in the community and were dependent on donations from the richer Sephardi. The Ashkenazi descendants of HaLevi retained special rights within the Sephardic community for around 100 years. These special rights could have given rise to a dispute between the grandson Uri Phoebus HaLevi and the community, after which he gave the Amsterdam Machsor as a gift to the Sephardic community in 1669.

In addition to Aaron and Joseph, two other children are recorded for HaLevi , a daughter of unknown name, and Jacob, the progenitor of a Jacobson family in Hamburg.