Yossele the Holy Miser

The tombstone of Yossele the Holy Miser, found in the back of the Remuh Cemetery next to the grave of Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller. The dozens of stones found on his tombstone are a mark of remembrance and respect in the Jewish tradition.

Yossele the Holy Miser was a Jew who lived in the Kazimierz Jewish quarter of Kraków in the 17th century. His apparent stinginess but hidden generosity is at the center of a well-known tale of Jewish folklore that speaks to one of the highest levels of tzedakah (charity) in the Jewish tradition: giving anonymously. The Holy Miser's tombstone can be found in the Remah Cemetery of Kraków next to the grave of the renowned Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller.

Jewish folktale According to the general outline of the legend, the richest Jew in Kraków in the 17th century was Yossele the Miser. He was known by this title because in the community he was reviled for his stinginess and refusal to contribute to tzedakah (charity) despite his great wealth. When the Miser died, the townspeople who long despised him refused to bury his body for several days. Out of scorn, they eventually buried him in the back of the cemetery, an area normally reserved for paupers and other societal outcasts.