Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem from 1910 to 1920 Date of Birth: 01.12.1849 Country: Israel

1. Early Life and Education
2. Studies in Pressburg and Kobersdorf
3. Aliyah to Jerusalem
4. Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and Eda HaChareidit
5. Legacy and Influence
6. Family Life

Early Life and Education

Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld was born in Vrbové, Slovakia, in 1848. At the age of four, he lost his father and moved with his mother and stepfather to Senica, where he completed elementary school at age eight. Despite his stepfather's insistence on enrolling him in high school, he ran away and returned to Vrbové to study at the yeshiva of Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Mannheim. At 16, he graduated with honors from Mannheim's yeshiva, having written his first "chidushei Torah" (Torah novellae).

Studies in Pressburg and Kobersdorf

Sonnenfeld then moved to Pressburg (Bratislava) to study with Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer, son of the famed Chasam Sofer. There, too, he excelled in his studies. Later, he married Sarah, daughter of Shlomo Zelzer, a wealthy merchant from Kobersdorf, Burgenland. Zelzer promised to support his son-in-law for the next ten years. In Kobersdorf, Sonnenfeld joined the yeshiva (kolel) of Rabbi Avraham Shaag. However, when his father-in-law relocated, Sonnenfeld lost his financial support and resorted to teaching in a cheder (elementary school) to earn a living.

Aliyah to Jerusalem

In 1873, Sonnenfeld's teacher decided to make aliyah to Palestine, and Sonnenfeld followed him to Jerusalem. There, he became a disciple of Rabbi Auerbach of Kalisz and in 1877 became close to Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, assisting him in establishing an orphanage and serving as a judge in his rabbinical court. Sonnenfeld served as rabbi and director of the Kolel Shomrei Hachomot and was among the founders of the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Mea Shearim, Batei Ungarn, and Beit Israel.

Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and Eda HaChareidit

In 1910, following the death of Shmuel Salant, Sonnenfeld effectively became the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem. In 1913, he traveled with Rabbi Kook to the new settlements. In 1920, he refused to recognize the Chief Rabbinate and became a founding member of Eda HaChareidit. Under his patronage, Yaakov Israel de Haan acted as a representative to British and Arab leaders on behalf of Eda HaChareidit, leading to his assassination by Haganah agents. Despite Sonnenfeld's more extreme views compared to the "Agudat Israel" movement, which followed Rabbi Hirsch's ideology of "Torah im Derech Eretz" in Palestine, Agudah's leader, Rabbi Moshe Blau, deferred to Sonnenfeld's rulings, and Sonnenfeld's opinions carried significant weight in Agudah's world congresses.

Legacy and Influence

Rabbi Sonnenfeld lived in "Batei Machse" (Houses of Shelter) in the Old City, with windows overlooking the Western Wall. He rarely left his home and never stayed overnight outside the Old City for more than 30 days. After his death, his followers split into two camps: the more moderate continued as active members of Agudah, while the more extreme left and formed the Neturei Karta movement. Debates continue today among representatives of the two camps as to whose views Sonnenfeld more closely aligned with.

Family Life

Rabbi Sonnenfeld was married twice. His first wife, Sarah, daughter of Shlomo Zelzer of Kobersdorf, died in 1912. His son-in-law was Shmuel Hillel Shinker, and his granddaughter married Rabbi Nissim Karelitz. His second wife was Chaya, daughter of Mendel Ditch, who was 20 years his junior (1869-1968).