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:''Not to be confused with Jacob Joseph, former chief rabbi of New York City.'' Yaakov Yosef Herman (1880 – 1967) was an Orthodox Jewish pioneer in the United States in the early 20th century. A native of Slutsk, Russia, he immigrated with his parents and younger sister to New York City at the age of 8 and was left on his own five years later after his family returned to Russia. Following his marriage, Herman became known for feeding and lodging dozens of people in his home, including visiting European rabbis seeking kosher meals. He displayed a staunch commitment to mitzvah observance at a time that many abandoned their faith, and urged promising young Jewish men to pursue advanced Torah study in the great yeshivas of Europe, including his son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (1910–2012). For his promulgation of Torah values to his co-religionists, Herman was called the "Chofetz Chaim of America" by Rabbi Boruch Ber Leibowitz, the Kaminetz rosh yeshiva, who lived with the Hermans for two years while he was fundraising in the United States. Herman's youngest daughter, Ruchoma Shain (d. March 2013), immortalized his exploits in ''All For The Boss: The life and impact of R' Yaakov Yosef Herman, a Torah pioneer in America: An affectionate family chronicle'', first published by Feldheim in 1984. ==Early life== Herman was the eldest child of Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac Herman and his wife, Minna Rivka. His father was his primary teacher until his bar mitzvah. Finding it difficult to earn a living in Russia and believing that it would be easier to do so in America, his father emigrated with his wife, son, and daughter Molly in 1888. But in New York City, he was unable to find work as a private rebbi (teacher), and could not keep other jobs because he refused to work on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath). Five years later, he decided to return to Russia. He did not have enough travel fare for all the members of the family, so Yaakov Yosef, at age 13, was left behind with cousins until money could be saved for his fare. Yaakov Yosef earned $1.25 a week working as a handy-boy in a Shabbat-observant fur shop in New York City. His cousins charged him $1 a week for room and board. A few weeks later, they raised his rent to $1.25. Feeling betrayed, he spent Shabbat alone in a park, where he promised himself that he would host poor and homeless people in his home after he married. After Shabbat ended, he moved to a rooming house. At work, he advanced from handy-boy to apprentice to professional worker, and four years later he was able to send money for his parents, sister, and newborn brother to join him. He was able to support his family in New York City on his salary, enabling his father to work as a rebbi. At age 21 Herman met his future wife, Aidel, daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchok Andron, on a shidduch. At first Herman’s mother nixed the match, since Aidel's father could not afford a dowry. A few months later, Herman bumped into Aidel's brother Yankel Leib, who asked why he had ended the shidduch. Herman explained his mother's demand and Yankel Leib suggested that Herman give him $2,000, which he would present to Herman as the "dowry" on the night of the engagement. The shidduch was concluded successfully, and the couple was married on 29 December 1903. They had four daughters and one son. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Yaakov Yosef Herman」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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