Daniel Abraham

Alternate name: Israel Isidor Auerbach

Israel Auerbach was born in April 1878 in Wissek, in the former Prussian province of Posen (Poznan), Germany, (now Wysoka, Poland), the son of Borukh-Mendel (Baruch Menachim) Auerbach, a Rabbi in the town forest of Ritschenwalde (today Ryczywól in Poland).

Berlin

Auerbach studied in the University of Berlin where he joined the Zionist Organization, together with his brother Elias Auerbach, and brother-in-law Heinrich Loewe, all future leaders of German Zionism.

In 1898 he participated in the creation of Bar Kochba, the first Jewish German sports club in Berlin. He became the president of Bar Kochba and of the Association of Jewish Gymnastics Societies in Germany.

In addition to this leadership role, he was the editor of "Jüdische Turnzeitung", the Jewish sports association journal. In a 1901 issue of Ost und West, he published the "Song of the Bar Kochba Berlin Jewish Sports Organization."

A respected Berlin educator, he held a doctorate in history - hence the title "Dr."

Bern

Israel later came to Bern in Switzerland around 1904 (?) where he became a teacher. There he continued to be active in the local Zionist circles.

In June 1904, he sent a card written in French to introduce himself to Ronya, Bertha's younger sister:

To Ronja Datnowsky, Windau, Russland.

"Although you don't know me (...) I take the liberty to send you my best regards. I hope to meet the dear brother and sisters of my friend Bertha. Best regards to your parents".

"Quoi que je ne vous suis pas connu (...) je me permet de vous envoyer mes salutations. Ainsi j'espere faire la connaissance des chers freres et soeurs de mon amie Bertha. Salutations a vos parents."

In May 1905, he gave Ronya a leather-bound notebook for her birthday, this time writing in German:

Seiner liebchen Ronya
zum geburtstag
von Israel Auerbach
auf der Reise nach Palastina, Bern, 8 Mai 1905

To dear Ronya
on your birthday
from Israel Auerbach
on his trip to Palestine, Bern, May 8 1905

This inscription indicates that Auerbach visited Palestine that same year.

Marriage

Israel married Bertha Datnowsky in December 1905.

(data from: The Riga Rabbinate Vital Records - Marriages in Libava/ Libau/ Liepaja in 1903, 1904, 1905.)

Note: All dates are from the Julian calendar. The marriage took place on December 24, 1905 according to the Gregorian calendar.

The couple had one daughter, Lea born in 1906.

Israel Auerbach with Lea, Cospoli.

Constantinople.

Israel Auerbach was sent to Constantinople in 1908 to head the educational network of the Hilfsverein der Deutschen Juden ("Aid Association of German Jews", aka Ezra) which he would lead until his return to Germany in 1919.

In Constinople, he continued to be involved in Jewish Sports organizations, joining the leadership of the Maccabi Club.

In "HaMaccabi Be'Artzot HaBalkan" (The Maccabi in Balkan States), p96, David Rimon wrote:

"A few weeks after the Young Turks revolution [July 1908], [...] Dr Israel Auerbach, the representative in Turkey of the German Jewish "Ezra" society ["Hilfsverein der Deutschen Juden"] and a reporter of the official Zionist weekly "Die Welt" arrived in Constantinople."

"Dr. Auerbach, who prior to his arrival in Constantinople had been the president of "Bar Kochba" in Berlin and the president of the Association of Jewish Gymnastics Societies in Germany, as well as the editor of the journal "Jüdische Turnzeitung", joined the management of the Maccabi association in Constantinople and contributed his talent and extensive experience in both the organisational and technical fields".

[...] [In October 1908], the Israelite Gymnastics Association held a gymnastics celebration in honor of Dr. Israel Auerbach, and in the same year (1908) a large gymnastics celebration was held in which Jamal Pasha, son-in-law of Sheikh al-Islam and the Minister of State, participated.

David Rimon, p100:

"Most of the members in the suburbs [of Constantinople] were Sephardim, while in the city center one bloc of the two communities was formed, which led to the creation of a joint Maccabi committee of the Sephardim and Ashkenazim, consisting of HH: Moritz Abramovich - chairman, Dr. Israel Auerbach, Haim Avraham and more."

A short note in l'Aurore dated June 17, 1910, lists the newly-elected members of the Pera section committee. Dr. Israel Auerbach's name appears as assistant manager.

L'Aurore, June 17, 1910.

Source: www.jpress.nli.org.il

He was the secretary of the Constantinople B'nai B'rith lodge, second only to its president, and published many articles about Turkey and Germany in HaMenorah, the B'nai B'rith publication.

B'nai B'rith District XI 1914 General Assembly.
Dr. Israel Auerbach is in the middle of the second row.

Photo courtesy of Metin Delevi.

He also contributed to "Die Welt", the weekly organ of the Zionist movement founded in 1897 by Theodor Herzl.

"Die Welt" article by Israel Auerbach, November 1911. (pdf, 6.5 MB)

Through Israel Auerbach's social network, Bertha introduced her sisters to their future husbands: Liska to Ascher Mallah, and my grandmother, Ronya, to Moritz Abraham.

World War 1

In 1914, Bertha and and daughter Lea went to Germany on vacation. Soon after, the war broke out. Because it was now impossible to cross borders, the family would remain separated for the entire duration of the war.

Israel Auerbach, 1915 (first from left)

Israel Auerbach, 1915 (first from left), and Ronya Abraham (Datnowsky), second from right?

Lea Rubin, Fanny Rubin, Israel Auerbach, Ronya Abraham, Perlmutter. 1916.

Perlmutter, Israel Auerbach, Fanny Rubin, Lea Rubin, Ronya Abraham, 1916

Maurice M., Mrs. Moritz Abramovitz, Moritz Abraham, Braunstein, Irma, Israel Auerbach, Ronya Abraham, Aline and Jacky R. 1918

Berlin

In 1919, with the end of the war, Israel Auerbach was finally able to leave Constantinople and return to Berlin, where he was reunited with his family. Israel and Bertha lived in Berlin until 1932.

After returning to Berlin, he became secretary-general of the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (Higher Institute for Jewish Studies). (Among the students of the institute, Franz Kafka attended lectures by Julius Guttmann during that time).

Paris - 1933

In 1933, as a result of the political instability in Germany and the Nazis' coming into power in early 1933, the Auerbachs left Berlin and came to Sèvres, on the outskirts of Paris. There, Israel Auerbach directed the Karen Hayesod (the Jewish National Fund) office of France from 1933 to 1936.

Palestine - 1937

Israel and Bertha finally moved to Palestine in August 1937 and settled in Jerusalem. There Israel direted the Keren Hayessod office of Jerusalem.

Israel Auerbach, Jerusalem, 1940s

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Gilad Rosenberg)

Israel Auerbach, Jerusalem, 1944

Israel and his brother Elias Auerbach.
(From left to right: Elias Auerbach, Israel Auerbach, unknown.)

(Photo courtesy of Jan Price)

Author

Israel Auerbach contributed articles to the Zionist and Jewish press, including reports from Constantinople written for the central Zionist organ, Die Welt. He also published poetry, essays, and a play, Mose (1925, in German), which was performed on the occasion of the 14th Zionist Congress.

Israel Auerbach died in 1956.