Yaakov Ben Zion Mendelson

Yaakov Ben Zion Mendelsohn (October 12–14, 1875 – August 5, 1941) was a renowned Russian-born Orthodox Jewish scholar, communal rabbi, Talmudist, Halachist, and rabbinical author (mechaber seforim).

Early life Mendelson was born Yaakov Ben Zion Morein in 1875, in Kreitzburg,

The British years

Eventually, Mendelson emigrated to London, England. At age 22, he found a position as Rabbi and Dayan of Leeds, and of the ‘Chevras Torah’ shul there. He sent for his cousin Feiga, and they married in Leeds, in 1898.

In 1905, he took a new position as rabbi of Gateshead, and later, as rabbi of Glasgow, Scotland. In Glasgow, Mendelson demonstrated his community leadership and concern for its well-being countless times. In two instances, he thwarted cartels controlling certain commercial aspects of ritual, to keep prices stable. (See details in Communal advocacy and disputes.)

Chief Rabbi of Newark When war broke out, Mendelson's son Chaim was old enough to be drafted. After Mendelson's experience with the Russian Army, he wanted to avoid that, and relocated to the United States in 1915. He moved to Congregation Tifereth Israel of Brisk d’Lita in 1919. attended by hundreds of locals along with rabbis from Passaic, West New York, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia, and members of the New York press. The new congregation was commonly known as the Bergen Street Shul.

Distinguished for his scholarship and devotion to the Jewish community, Mendelson was a member of Knesseth ha-Rabbanim (the Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis of America and Canada), 15th convention, presided, and elected vice president of the organization. At the September 10, 1940 convention session, he made an impassioned plea, to all of American Jewry, for the support of war refugees. His name appeared on their letterthead in two places.

Legacy Mendelson died in 1941, leaving a widow, five sons, four daughters and twelve grandchildren. Another son, Shmuel Dov, died in a scalding accident in Gateshead in 1905. Interment is at North Arlington Jewish Cemetery, whose Newark Orthodox section was purchased and organized under his aegis.

His synagogue, Beis Hamedrash Hagadol, continued to function, until an eminent domain seizure for the construction Interstate 78. Both the synagogue and Mendelson's house, one block east at 349 Chadwick Avenue, were condemned.

He was the personal Talmud teacher to a young Gedalia Dov Schwartz, who became a leading American rabbi in New York and Chicago.

Mendelson was an author of Talmudic and Rabbinic works. He wrote six volumes of scholarship:

Sha’arei Tzion (Leeds, 1903) - on the Talmud (with approbation from Rabbi Shlomo HaKohen, Dayan of Vilna) Sefer Hatzid (Leeds, 1904) - laws relating to ritual slaughter Midrash Yaavetz (Glasgow, 1911) - Halacha and Aggadah on the Book of Genesis Mishnas Yaavetz on Chagiga (Leeds, 1903) a summary of the final rulings of this volume of Talmud Bavli Mishnas Yaavetz (1928) an anthology of three previously unpublished books by the author Vol. One on androgyny Vol. Two of Talmudic novellae Vol. Three of responsa

Many of Mendelson's descendants took leadership positions in national Jewish organizations and local Jewish communities; see Relatives, below.

One of his grandchildren claims to have a collection of zemiros, Sabbath meal devotional songs, composed by his grandfather.

Relatives Mendelson's son Harry and his descendants reverted to the original family surname of Morein, though other family members continued to use Mendelson. Harry Morein was a founder of the Young Israel of Newark, and an early advocate He served as Chazzan of Montreal's Congregation Shaar Hashomayim from 1938 to 1973. Nathan's son, David Mendelson, continued as an assistant cantor at the synagogue for many years.

Two grandchildren, brothers Jacob "Jackie" Mendelson and Solomon, or Sol, "Tucky" Mendelson have been presidents of the Cantors Assembly. Sol served in 1987-1989, while Jackie served in 2003-2004. Sol had multiple additional roles in the organization, including Programming Chair, Journal Editorial Board member, journal article author. He led many events on behalf of the Assembly, including: He won the Swift & Co. kosher division's contract, displacing the incumbent city kashruth agency, and attempted to become the sole kashruth authority for Newark. Many noted rabbis of the day were involved in this dispute, including Rabbis Abraham Kook, Moshe Mordechai Epstein, Avrohom Dov Ber Kahana, Joseph Rosen (the Rogotchaver Gaon), Moses Margolies (RAMAZ), and Velvele (Gavriel Zev) Margolis.

The two main parties and their organizations brought allegations, rebuttals, and counterallegations against each other. Konvitz filed a lawsuit in religious court (Beth Din), while Mendelson got a consensus of leading rabbis to back his position. There resulted a permanent rift in the city over rabbinate, with competing Vaadei Kashruth.

and was appointed its vice-president in 1932.