Philip Klein (May 22, 1849 – March 21, 1926) was a Hungarian-born rabbi who ministered in the Russian Empire and America.
Klein was born on May 22, 1849, in Baracska, Hungary, the son of Hermann Klein.[1]
Klein began studying at the Pressburg Yeshiva when he was twelve and spent the next four years there. He then went to Azriel Hildesheimer's Yeshiva in Halberstadt when he was sixteen. He was appointed dean of a department in the Yeshiva shortly afterwards and spent two years there. He then went to Vienna, and in 1868 he entered the gymnasium there. He later studied at the University of Vienna. With the encouragement of Hildesheimer (who by then became Chief Rabbi of Berlin), he moved to Berlin, Germany and enrolled in the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary and the University of Berlin. He received his rabbinical ordination in 1871 and a Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1873. He spent some time as an instructor at the University of Berlin, and then accepted a position as tutor for the son of Israel Brodsky in Kyiv, Russia.[2] His rabbinical diploma was conferred by Rabbi Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach of Halberstadt.
Klein lived in Kyiv from 1874 to 1880.[3] He then served as Rabbi of Libau, Courland from 1880 to 1890, when he immigrated to the United States due to the growing antisemitic policies in the Russian Empire, which resulted in him being told he would not be reappointed to his rabbinic post. Through the efforts of Chief Rabbi Jacob Joseph in New York, he was appointed rabbi of Congregation Ohab Zedek, an important Hungarian congregation in the Lower East Side.[4] [5] He served as rabbi there until his death. He was a founder of the war relief movement in the United States when World War I began in 1914. He was a leader of Agudath Israel and president of Agudath Israel of America when he died, although he wasn't entirely separated from Mizrachi Zionism. He was also honorary president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada[6] and president of Kollel Shomrei HaChomos. He remained in charge of Congregation Ohab Zedek after it merged with Pincus Elijah in 1923.
Klein married Julie Hirsch, daughter of educator Mendel Hirsch and granddaughter of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, in around 1881. She served as vice-president of the Women's Branch of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and honorary president of the Sisterhood of Congregation Ohab Zedek, conducted a Talmud Torah in the Lower East Side for over 200 children, and organized the Julie Hirsch Klein Benevolent Society. Their children were Leo, Samson, Marcus, David, Raphael, Emanuel, Mrs. Harriet Lunzer, and Elizabeth. The oldest two daughters, Sarah and Hannah, had died in 1904, and another son, Herman, had died at three from scarlet fever in Libau. Julie Klein grew sick from pneumonia while taking care of her husband, who was dying of the same illness. She died less than 48 hours after Klein, and was never told about his death.[7]
Klein died at home on March 21, 1926.[8] As per his last wishes, his body wasn't taken to a synagogue during his funeral and no eulogies were made. Thousands of people attended his funeral,[9] and 300 rabbis, headed by Rabbi Moses Margolies and Rabbi Isaiah Levy, took turns carrying the coffin during the funeral procession. He was buried in Washington Cemetery.[10]