Rabbi Naftoly Riff
RABBI NAFTOLY H.J. RIFF was the revered spiritual leader of Congregation Sons of Israel, which was located at 1128 South 8th Street, the corner of South 8th and Sycamore Streets. An Orthodox synagogue, Sons of Israel was popularly known in Camden’s Jewish Community as the “8th Street Schul.” Rabbi Riff led Sons of Israel from the early 1920s through the late 1960s.
Rabbi Riff was born in Bobrisk, in the guberniya (province) of Minsk, Russia on September 9, 1893. He came to the United States by way of Seattle in 1916 and by 1918 was ordained as a Rabbi. He had already come to Camden by June of 1917, when he registered for the draft. He then was boarding at the home of a hatmaker, Morris Gelman and his wife Sarah, 1112 Baring Street, just north of Kaighn Avenue. Rabbi Riff was at that time already serving as the head Rabbi at Sons of Israel, which had been founded in 1886.
Rabbi Riff applied for citizenship in December of 1920. By that time he had moved to 507 Mt. Vernon Street. By 1923 he had moved to 1426 Princess Avenue in Camden’s Parkside neighborhood. He brought his wife Bessie (Basja) to America from Russia in the summer of 1923 and became an American citizen in 1924. The Riffs had one child, a daughter named Roselynn. The Riff family resided on Princess Avenue through at least 1959.
Rabbi Riff led the Congregation in Camden for almost 50 years. In the late 1960s, changes in Camden’s demographics and the imminent construction of interstate highway Route 676 caused Congregation Sons of Israel to move to a new building in Cherry Hill. The 8th Street Schul was demolished shortly afterwards.
When Rabbi Riff stepped down from the pulpit in the late 1960s he retired to Israel, where his wife passed away. He became sick and returned to New York, where he passed in October of 1976. Besides his work in Camden at Sons of Israel, Rabbi Riff was the President from 1958 until 1976 of the highly respected Ezra’s Torah charitable organization, which has funded a variety of programs in Israel since 1915. The Rabbi Naftali Riff Yeshiva in South Bend IN, which operates as a high school and as a rabbinical college, was named in his memory.
Steve Ross, whose family lived on Baring Street during the time Rabbi Riff resided there and for whom Rabbi Riff was their spiritual leader, wrote the following article concerning Rabbi Riff during the summer of 2009:
Over the course of the last four years, I have embarked on a genealogy hobby to trace and document my family’s roots. Once I was able to recreate much of my family’s presence in Camden, I decided to expand the research web to include others who had a major impact on my family. As such, my first side-project involved one of the most esteemed rabbis ever in Camden, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Riff. My research sources included personal interviews with Rabbi Riff’s daughter, Rachel (Riff) Gettinger, my own family and friends, numerous historical repositories such as the Camden County Historical Society and New Jersey State Archives in Trenton, census reports, deeds from Camden’s City Hall, and the indefatigable efforts of Phil Cohen, whose www.dvrbs.com website on Camden and its citizens has helped me immensely. Rabbi Naftali Riff was born on October 23, 1893 in Bobroisk, Pinsk Russia. He was named for his maternal great-grandfather, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1817–August 10, 1893), who led the famous Yeshiva in Volozhin (in what is presently Belarus) from 1854–1892. Rabbi Riff married Bashe Elivitsky, daughter of Rabbi Elieazar Isiah Elivitsky, on July 9, 1914 in Telechon, Poland.
Rabbi Riff descended from an illustrious line of rabbis and Talmudic scholars. Naftali Riff was the son of Rabbi Israel Riff & Miriam (Shapiro) Riff. He was educated at the Yeshiva in Volozhin before emigrating to the United States in 1916. Apparently, an uncle informed him that Camden had an opening at a shul as Congregation Sons of Israel purportedly had about 8 rabbis before Rabbi Riff arrived. There was also some sort of connection with Rabbi Riff’s mentor, Rabbi Bernard H. Leventhal of B’nai Abraham in Philadelphia. Rabbi Riff experienced a very arduous trip in order to get to America. Unlike most immigrants of the day, he did not travel westward over the Atlantic Ocean for arrival at an east coast port of entry. He travelled east from Russia because he was living in Czarist Russia at the time and Russia considered some Jews sympathizers to Germany. So Rabbi Riff and his brother, Chaim Riff, travelled east with their father who accompanied them part way toward their disembarkation point in Yokohama, Japan. However, they experienced a slight delay after they hired an illegal boatman to take the Riff sons from Russia across the border to Manchuria, China. The Russian police intercepted the boat and locked the Riff sons in prison, since they had no papers to speak of for proper travel and they could be considered spies. Nevertheless, the Riffs’ father, Rabbi Israel Riff, demanded to speak with the commanding officer in order to negotiate his sons’ release from prison. The officer arrived to hear what Israel Riff had to say when he detected a particular dialect from his home region. Sure enough, the Riffs came from the same town in Russia as the commanding officer. In fact, the police officer told Rabbi Riff a story that when he was young, his father admonished him to always respect a particular rabbi in the village. The particular rabbi happened to be Rabbi Naftali Riff’s maternal grandfather and Israel Riff’s father-in-law. It was this uncanny act of G-d that caused the Riffs to be released from prison where under most other circumstances they could very well have been killed.
According to Naftali Riff’s naturalization papers, he emigrated from Yokohama, Japan and sailed on the S.S. Taubman to the Port of Seattle around August 15, 1916. The journey took about 2 weeks and he undoubtedly bunked in steerage. Sometime after his arrival to Seattle, Rabbi Riff then took a 5-day train ride to New York and then took another train south to either Philadelphia or Camden. He boarded with Morris & Sarah Gelman and their family at 1112 Baring Street in Camden.
Rabbi Riff submitted his intention papers in the Common Pleas Court of Camden County to become a U.S. citizen on December 13, 1920. His papers stated that he was 5’ 8” tall, weighed 115 pounds, had black hair and brown eyes. At that time, he lived at 507 Mt. Vernon Street in Camden. By March, 1924 he submitted his Petition for Naturalization while living at 1426 Princess Avenue with his wife Basha. The two witnesses who attested for his character where Samuel Shane, merchant, living at 1026 Broadway and David Lefkowitz, real estate, living at 1216 Langham Avenue. Finally, on October 2, 1924 Rabbi Riff became a United States citizen.
In addition to being the rabbi at Sons of Israel, Rabbi Riff also performed his duties at Congregation Ahev Zedek and Congregation B’nai Abraham Shomre Sabbath, otherwise known as the Liberty Street shul. His other affiliations included being chairman of the board of education at Camden Hebrew School since 1918; member of the executive boards of Mizrachi Organization of America, Ezras Torah, Union of Orthodox Rabbis of US and Canada, Camden Federation of Jewish Charities, Camden branch of U.P.A, Central Relief, Yeshiva Etz Hayim in Jerusalem, Yeshiva of Volozhin and Yeshiva of Telechon.
The Rabbi’s wife, Bessie (Basha), was born on July 28, 1893 in Telechany, Poland. She emigrated to New York from the Port of Hamburg, Germany on the SS Kroonland and arrived at Ellis Island on July 18, 1923. She became a naturalized citizen in the Common Pleas Court of Camden, NJ on December 9, 1938. The two witnesses who attested for her character were Samuel Shane, insurance agent, living at 1488 Kenwood Avenue and Herman Natal, realtor, living at 1540 Wildwood Avenue.
Rabbi & Mrs. Riff had one child, Rosalind (Rachel), born in Philadelphia on November 15, 1927. Rachel (Riff) Gettinger lives in New York City with her husband, Rabbi Emanuel Gettinger, who is the Emeritus Rabbi of Young Israel of the West Side in New York City.
Many old Jewish families of Camden have their own personal connection to Rabbi Riff. In the case of my family, Rabbi Riff’s presence scaled generations. In 1919 he conducted the second marriage of my young-widowed great-grandmother and family matriarch, Rebecca Silverman, who in the 1920s sold her army-navy store to her son-in-law and daughter, Herman & Fannie Levin, who started Rochester Formal Wear at 299 Kaighn Avenue. The Rabbi married many of Rebecca’s daughters, one of whom was my grandmother, Anna Silverman, who in 1918 married Isreal Ross, a 29-year-old plumber who started Ross Plumbing & Heating Company at 1145 Baring Street and later at 1142 South Sixth Street. Rabbi Riff married also married two of three Ross sons, Manuel (1949) and Leonard (1958). Manuel is now 90-years-old and recalls that he was married in Rabbi Riff’s home study and that his daughter Rachel played the piano at his wedding. The Ross family lived right around the corner from Talmud Torah and also were loyal members of Congregation Sons of Israel at Eighth and Sycamore Streets for many years.
The Ross family performed all the plumbing work at Sons of Israel as well as the Rabbi’s home at 1426 Princess Avenue in the Parkside section of Camden. In order to properly divert natural rainwater for the shul’s mikvah, the Rosses built a cistern adjacent to the roof that provided the necessary amount of storage rainwater to be used for ritual baths. Since my grandfather, Isreal Ross, did a fair amount of plumbing work at the Riff home, he was approached one day by the Rabbi who claimed that no bill was submitted for some recent plumbing repairs. After my grandfather responded that it was his honor to repair the toilet in the Riff home, Rabbi Riff said something in Yiddish about maintaining a man’s pride and insisted that my grandfather treat him as a normal customer. To wit, Isreal the plumber subsequently billed the rabbi anywhere from $1 to $5 for services rendered. Clearly, he forgot to add tax to the bill!
I often heard from many old “Camdenites” that there wasn’t a dollar in Rabbi Riff’s pocket that he didn’t give away to people in need. He was a “rabbi’s rabbi” who conducted himself throughout his life with honor and integrity.
Thanks to Steve Ross, Elliot Rosen, and Rabbi David Herman for their help in creating this page.
World War I Draft Card
Marriage License Signed by Rabbi Riff
1920 Census
Rabbi Riff was boarding with Morris Gelman at 1112 Baring Street.
Declaration of Intention to Become a U.S. Citizen
Rabbi Riff filed this in Camden with William D. Brown, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas.
Mrs. Riff Comes to America
Petition for Naturalization
Talmud Torah
View transcription
1930 Census
Rabbi Riff was living at 1426 Princess Avenue, Parkside, Camden.
Return from European Trip Aboard the Steamship Bremen
Rabbi Levinthal Married
View transcription
Who’s Who in American Jewry
View transcription
RIFF, Naftoly Hirsch Jehudah, rabbi. Born Babroisk, Russia, Oct. 1894, s. Rabbi Israel and Miriam (Shapiro) R.; came to U.S. 1917. Ed. Yeshiva of Volozhin, Poland. Rabbi Cong. Sons of Israel, Cong. Oheb Zedek and Cong. B’nai Abraham Shomre Sabbath, Camden, N.J., since 1917. Chmn bd of edn Camden Hebrew Sch. since 1918; mem. exec. bd: Mizrachi Orgn of Am. since 1920, Ezras Torah since 1920, Union of Orthodox Rabbis of U.S. and Canada since 1922, Camden Fed. of Jewish Charities, Camden branch U.P.A., Central Relief, Yeshiva Etz Hayim (Jerusalem, Palestine), Yeshiva of Volozhin, Yeshiva of Telz. Married Bashe, d. Rabbi Elieazer Isiah Elivitsky, Oct. 1916, Terlechan, Poland; child, Rachael. Society: B’nai B’rith. Address: 1426 Princess Ave, Camden, N.J.
World War II Draft Card
Congregation Sons of Israel
Rabbi Riff & Study Group
Return from European Trip via K.L.M. Royal Dutch Airlines
Letter from Rabbi Riff — Translation
The script in the middle of the two printed addresses on the stationery is the hardest to make out, and it’s unfortunate, because it’s the date! It reads:
Baruch Hashem — Blessed be God. Wednesday, the fifth of the month Marcheshvan in the year of creation 5708 or 5728. [This corresponds to either November 28, 1947 or November 20, 1964. I would guess it’s 1947 because I’m not sure if Rabbi Riff was still active as late as 1964, but I don’t know.]
To my exalted, respected, dear cousin, Rabbi __________, may he long live, [a pity, the name is obscured] Shalom, and blessings.
I am requesting my exalted and dear cousin, in every language of entreaty, to perform an act of charity [a bit of a guess because the writing is not entirely clear] on behalf of the daughter of my departed brother-in-law, Reb Mordechai Sand… [complete name obscured] of blessed memory, who is an orphan of her father and mother, ….??… [a few obscure words] that if you would be able to try and [arrange] her acceptance to the Mizrachi School for Young Girls in Tel Aviv, it would be good; and if you were not successful, an admissions to a different place. If you would inform me of your efforts in this.
I look forward to the compassions of heaven.
Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Riff
Thanks to Elliot Rosen for taking the time to translate this letter.
Biography of Rabbi Naftoli H.J. Riff
A liberal translation of the Hebraic biography written by his loyal and devoted friend, Rabbi B. L. Levinthal
In conjunction with the splendid celebration which the City of Camden is planning in honor of its great spiritual leader, Rabbi N. H. J. Riff, it is my pleasant duty to congratulate both him and his community. I wish to indicate herewith several characteristics which distinguish Rabbi Riff as one of the most illustrious Rabbis of today.
I am, it seems to me, the proper person to give a genuine evaluation of his prominent personality, his outstanding gifts, his beautiful character and widespread influence. I know him well, for he has been a close friend of mine since he first arrived in this great and free country of ours.
Rabbi Riff was known long before he came to America. He was born in Russia in 1894 to a family renowned for scholarship and Jewish authority. (He is a descendent of Rabbi Isaac Al-Fasi, the much-cited Jewish codifier of 900 years ago.) He was privately instructed by his father up to the age of fifteen. He then entered the Yeshivah of Walozin, where he was taken care of by his grandfather, Rabbi Raphael, then the head of that Talmudic Academy. He studied there both the Babylonian and the Palestinian Talmuds as well as the post-Talmudic literature. When he reached the age of twenty, he had managed to acquire unusual versatility and skill in the wide spaces of Talmudic literature.
His learned ancestors believed that the study of the Torah is the greatest principle of Jewish life. Rabbi Riff is much influenced by his great ancestors, whose methods of study he follows very closely. All his ethically beautiful conduct is based upon the teachings of the Torah.
In 1916 he married into the eminent family of the late Rabbi Isaac Elhanan of Kovno. That very year he was elected Rabbi of Telechon, Russia, as the successor of his father-in-law. The community was soon completely destroyed as a result of the Great War. He then left Europe and came to the United States in 1920. We immediately recognized him to be an unusual personality, and recommended him as the Rabbi of Camden, whereupon he was elected without further delay.
Rabbi Riff is constantly aware of his duty to teach, preach and inspire his people. And like the responsible leader that he is, he never ceases to exert every effort to improve the religious life of his fellow-Jews. His public addresses are on all occasions replete with references to all branches of Jewish lore. He particularly stresses Jewish ethics, intending thereby to induce his audiences to the practical discharge of their daily duties of charity and benevolence rather than merely amusing them.
Rabbi Riff is a saintly character. When he opposes someone, he never does so from a personal dislike. He remonstrates with transgressors out of love for them. Therein lies the secret of his success with people. His relationship to his human surroundings is extraordinarily friendly. That is undoubtedly the reason that he is always listened to. His sympathy with the sufferings of others is boundless. Indeed, he symbolizes truth, justice, and uprightness. That is why he exerts an enviable influence upon all those who come in contact with him. In a word, he is beloved by all. He despises personal gain. This alone marks him as one of the few truly outstanding men in the Rabbinical world. His manifold charity is far beyond his financial means and too often at the expense of his own family welfare. His house is open wide to anyone in need. He and his devoted wife and daughter are invariably the hosts of many a stranger passing through town.
Rabbi Riff is very public spirited and he has been instrumental in making the Camden community one of the finest in the United States. The works and accomplishments of this distinguished Rabbi are too numerous to catalogue. His interests have found expression in a variety of activities in addition to his regular Rabbinical duties.
His untiring efforts have helped to establish the Federation of Jewish Charities, the Talmud-Torah, the Mizrachi Organization, various Palestine and relief drives and any other local, national and Holy Land charitable and educational institutions that may be mentioned. He has been named by the State Board of Health to be the local inspector of all kosher meats in Camden County. He is the director, with sole authority to issue licenses, for Shochtim in our community.
His influence is nation wide as evidenced by the position he holds as Vice-President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada. Happy is the community that knows properly to evaluate and respect their most learned Rabbi. May God lend new strength to my dear friend, Rabbi Riff, his devoted wife, and his gifted daughter in order that they may continue their splendid work without interruption, and may God bless all of you for your interest in behalf of so great and so good a man.
Participants in Program:
Nathan S. Rubin — George E. Brunner — Rabbi Bernard L. Levinthal — Mrs. Betty K. Kapel — E. George Aaron — Rabbi Wolf Gold — Louis E. Levinthal — Rabbi L. Selzer — Jacob Zuckerman — Meyer Adleman — Mrs. Meyer Adleman — Dan S. Rosenberg — Nathan S. Rubin — Samuel Yaffe — Samuel A. Weiss — Mrs. Samuel A. Weiss — Joseph Getzov — Emanuel L. Kapel — Manuel Ross — Joseph Ruttenberg — Joseph Shapiro — Harry Antelman — Mrs. Harry Antelman — William Remer — Morris Finkelstein — Benjamin P. Rosensweig — Mrs. Benjamin P. Rosensweig — Irwin L. Levy — Saul Lippman — Mrs. Harry Albert — Mrs. Samuel Bellitz — Mrs. S. S. Lewis — Henry Gaulton — Mrs. Edward Markowitz — Mrs. Benj. Rosensweig — Mrs. Abe Stoolman — Allan Hecsh — Morris Kress — Samuel Zeff — Mrs. Samuel Zeff — Nathan W. Elkitz — Hyman Bloom — Simon Abramson — Isidor Savage — Benjamin F. Friedman — Maurice H. Clyman — Mrs. Maurice H. Clyman — Edward Adelman — Louis Markowitz — Michael Albert — Dr. Alexander Ellis — Stanton Tarter — Henry Schreibstein — Jules Jaspan — Nathan Wolpert — Samuel Rosen — Benjamin Asbell — Leon Faerber — Samuel Shane — Israel Heine — Joseph Grossberg — Barney B. Brown — Jacob L. Furer — Sol Hoffman — Martin Yuderfriend — Samuel L. Reichman — William Arensberg — Henry J. Bass — Cantor and Mrs. Louis J. Herman — Emil Wise — Abraham Brandt — Congregation Sons of Israel — I. Eskin & Son — Greenetz and Greenetz — Joseph Rosenberg — Dr. Samuel Yubas — Max Weisfeld — Harry Katz — Morris Finkelstein — Benjamin Davis — Mrs. Bessie Rubin — Ruby’s — Charles H. Blank — Philip Kalikman — Manuel I. Wertheimer — Meyer Leider — Beth Israel Sisterhood — Dealers Liquor Co. — Ladies’ Auxiliary of Congregation Sons of Israel — Rabbi and Mrs. Harry B. Kellman — Rabbi Albert Lewis — Rabbi Isaac Furman — Rabbi Lester Hering
Tag: rabbi-naftoly-riff
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