| Moisés Kaiman | |
| Birth Date: | 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Szczuczyn, Poland |
| Death Date: | 22 January 2012 |
| Death Place: | Monterrey, México |
| Occupation: | Rabbi |
| Spouse: | Sarah Dublin |
Rabbi Moisés (Moshe) Kaiman (1913 – 22 January 2012) was the rabbi for the Jewish community of Monterrey, Mexico, from 1944 until his death in 2012.[1] Besides his rabbinical duties, he acted as a liaison between the local Jewish community and the city's religious and political figures. He was a contributor to several newspapers and published six books.
Born in Szczuczyn, Poland, in an observant Jewish family, he became known for his knowledge and oratory. At 13, he left his home to study at the Rabbinical Seminary in Bialystock. According to anecdotes, his teachers and classmates used to call him "Moshe the sage". At 18, he graduated and received the title of rabbi.
Kaiman fled Europe during World War II. His parents and siblings, and his wife's family, were murdered by the Nazis at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
In 1941, Kaiman arrived in Cuba, where he was hired as a rabbi. His children were born while he worked there. In 1944 he moved to Monterrey in Mexico, after a friend from his hometown of Szczuszyn convinced him to work as the rabbi of the small local Jewish community there.
Given the small size and limited resources of the community, he not only performed the duties of rabbi, but had to take on other tasks including hazzan, mohel, shochet and teacher. He was the rabbi of Monterrey for 68 years, making him the longest serving rabbi in the world. He became a Mexican citizen in 1993.
From his arrival, he formed a cordial relationship with members of other religions and of the local community in general, and promoted peaceful co-existence and inter-religious dialog. He formed a close friendship with Archbishop and Cardinal Adolfo Suárez Rivera, who referred to him as "brother". He maintained friendly ties with his successor Cardinal Francisco Robles, who subsequently became Archbishop of Guadalajara. He was part of the committee that received Pope John Paul II on both of his visits to the city, and received a thank you note from the Vatican for the Hebrew Bible he gave the Pope as a present.
Between 1993 and 2006, he wrote a popular weekly column Desde la Sinagoga (From the Synagogue), in a local newspaper El Norte with advice on daily life. From 2007 to 2009, he wrote "Cartas de la Sinagoga" (Letters from the Synagogue) for the same newspaper. He also collaborated with El Porvenir and El Diario de Monterrey, and for the New York-based Algemeiner Journal.
Rabbi Kaiman wrote six books: