Memory Lane: Rav Menashe Magolis

A scion of generations of Rabbonim, descended from the royalty of Lita, and the son of one of America’s most senior Torah leaders, Rav Menashe arrived in turn-of-the-century America to find a spiritual wasteland. Alongside his legendary father, he worked for the cause of upholding authentic Torah Yiddishkeit. He resided in Boro Park for the last three decades of his life. 

In the Shadow of Rav Nachum’ke

He was born in Grodno in the year 1868 to his father Rav Gavriel Zev, known as Rav Velvele Margolies, and his mother, Rebbetzin Rivka Meida (Kaplan), the daughter of the legendary Rav Nachum’ke Horodner (same as Grodno), the rebbi of the Chofetz Chaim. 

Rav Velvele had been born in Vilna, and learned—as any prominent talmid from that era would have—in the great yeshiva of Volozyn. He received semicha from the Netziv, before being taken as a son-in-law by Rav Nachum’ke. He began his rabbinic career in the town of Grodno, where he served as a rov and a maggid. He was called to Vilna to assist Rav Eizele Charif with the publication of his sefer, after which he assumed rabbinic positions in a number of Lithuanian cities. 

In 1907, following intense persecution by the Bolsheviks, Rav Velvele moved to America, taking over the position of Chief Rabbi of Boston which had been vacated by Rav Moshe Zevulun (Ramaz) Margolies (no relation). One year later, he was joined by his son Rav Menashe, who arrived to Boston in the fall of 1908. 

Although Rav Velvele instituted many positive changes in the Boston community, in 1911, following bitter disputes over shechitah, Rav Velvele accepts an invitation of the Adas Yisroel community in New York—an organization strictly committed to unflinching orthodoxy. 

Rav Menashe’s wife arrives in 1912, and was reunited with her husband who was still residing on Poplar Street in Boston. 

Taking the Helm 

Following the passing of his Rav Velvele, Rav Menashe assumed the presidency of the Knesseth HaRabonim HaOrthdoksim d’America v’Canada. It is unclear how prominent or dominant the organization was in American Orthodox life during these years—but he remained at the helm for close to two decades, until his passing in Boro Park on Rosh Chodesh Sivan of the year 1954. 

At the time of his passing, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote in tribute: “Rev. Menashe Margolis, 86, ex-Chief of Orthodox Rabbis. Rabbi Menashe Margolis, 86, former preidents of the Assembly of Orthodox Rabbis of America, died yesterday at his home, 1555 40th Street. 

“Prominent for many years in Jewish literary circles, Rabbi Margolis wrote extensively and was noted as a commentator on Jewish affairs. He was head of the Assembly of Orthodox Rabbis for many years. Rabbi Margolis, a native of Grodno, Poland, came to the United States in the early part of this century. He was the son of Rabbi Gabriel Wolf Margolis, former Grand Rabbi of Grodno, Boston, and New York, and the Grandson of Rabbi Nahum of Grodno, a revered and legendary figured in Jewish Orthodox circles.” 

Thus, Rav Menashe was laid to rest in the “United Hebrew Community (the official name for the Adas Yisroel community of the Lower East Side)” section in Old Montefiore cemetery, right next to his father, Rav Velvele, who led this congregation with great devotion and unbending conviction—bequeathing this legacy to his illustrious son who spent twenty-five years in Boro Park of yore.