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 Rabbi Israel Porath 1886 - 1974  
Dean of Cleveland's Orthodox rabbis

Jerusalem - 1910

Cleveland - ca. 1930

Cleveland  - ca. 1950

Cleveland  - 1970

These pages are dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Israel Porath ztz"l
RABBI ISRAEL PORATH
Encyclopedia entries   Encyclopaedia Judaica and the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Early years   The Porath family in Jerusalem - through 1923
With President Coolidge 1926 A Mizrachi delegation meets Coolidge on the White House lawn
Porath family in 1929 1929 Rabbi and Mrs Porath and their seven children in 1929
50th wedding anniversary 1955 The mishpacha gather for the 50th Porath wedding anniversary
US Congress 1964 Opening prayer before the US Senate, May 30, 1964
Soviet Jewry 1966 Participation in the fight to free Soviet Jewry
Trip to Israel 1969 Rabbi and Mrs Porath return to Jerusalem for the last time
Biography 1971 A full-page story in the December 24, 1971 Cleveland Jewish News
Three congregations   Oheb Zedek, N'Vai Tzedek and the Heights Jewish Center
Retirement 1972 Announces retirement and his plans to move to Israel
Obituary 1974 From the Cleveland Jewish News 
Appreciations 1974 Essays by Rabbis Shubert Spero and Marvin J Spiegelman
Messages to the community   Rosh Hashanah 1971 and 1974
Final resting place   Har HaManuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem
Porath and Silver   The friendship of Rabbi Israel Porath and Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver
A granddaughter remembers 1974 An essay by Laura Steinberg née Porath, written when she was 16 
The Stranger    1987 A tale from the Plain Dealer about Rabbi Porath and the tenth man
Porath Street 1988 Dedication of Harav Israel Porath Street in Jerusalem
Memorial Window  2011 Stained glass window in Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue
Rabbi Porath's Lamentation 2019

Professor Ira Robinson's translation and discussion of The Second Destruction of Cleveland Orthodox Synagogues” in the March 28, 1945 Yiddishe Velt

Porath Family Tree   Three generations: father, Israel and Peshe Miriam Porath and children
 

Webkeeper's note

Late in 2011 the Cleveland Jewish News printed a letter from Yehudit Spero, a granddaughter of Rabbi Israel Porath. How, she asked, could a recent story about an organization have failed to mention his long-term leadership role. Through the CJN I sent an email to her offering to develop web pages about Rabbi Porath if she would help.

These 22 pages (I had initially expected about eight) are the result. For their contents I give thanks to Porath grandchildren Yehudit Spero, Paul Porath, Rabbi Jonathan Porath and Laura Steinberg, to Laura's mother Hannah Porath and to Rabbi Shubert Spero. Thanks also to the many Porath mishpacha who helped through those already mentioned.

It has been a pleasure to publish these pages on Rabbi Israel Porath and to get to know his caring and growing family.

Arnold Berger 
Cleveland June 21, 2013
latest update September 12, 2020