Bernard L. Levinthal

Rabbi Bernard Louis Levinthal (Hebrew: הרב דוב אריה בן הרב אברהם הכהן לבינטל; May 12, 1864 – September 23, 1952), the "Dean of U.S. Rabbis," built Philadelphia's first Eastern European Orthodox Jewish community from his arrival in the United States in 1891 until his death in 1952. Rabbi Levinthal helped found American Jewish Orthodox institutions including Yeshiva University in 1896, the Orthodox Union in 1898, Mizrachi in 1902, and the American Agudas Harabbanim. His grave is in Congregation Mikveh Israel's 55th Street Cemetery in West Philadelphia.

Early life

Levinthal was born on the festival of Lag BaOmer in Kaunas (Kovno), Lithuania to a prominent, 17-generation rabbinical family. One of his ancestors was the 17th century author of Beth Hillel and Masse Hashem.

In 1888, he received semicha (rabbinic ordination) from rabbis Isaac Elchanan Spektor and Samuel Mohilever. The following year his father-in-law became rabbi of Bnai Abraham in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but died within a few years and was replaced in September 1891 by Levinthal, who remained the rabbi there until his death in September 1952.

Rabbinic career in America

In the early 1890s he helped start the Communal Hebrew School, the city's first daily Jewish school, and in the early 1900s Yeshiva Mishkan Yisroel — both predecessors to the United Hebrew Schools and Yeshivos.

In 1896, he helped found what became Yeshiva University's rabbinical seminary. He served as Yeshiva's president and later, in 1941, joined its board.