Name Solomon Freehof | ||
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Died 1990, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Books The responsa literature, Reform Jewish Practice Awards National Jewish Book Award for Modern Jewish Thought & Experience People also search for Gleason Archer, William Henry Bennett | ||
Education University of Cincinnati | ||
Solomon Bennett Freehof (August 8, 1892 – 1990) was a prominent Reform rabbi, posek, and scholar. Rabbi Freehof served as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Beginning in 1955, he led the CCAR's work on Jewish law through its responsa committee. He also spearheaded changes to Reform liturgy with revisions to the Union Prayer Book (siddur). For many years, he served as the pulpit rabbi at Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh, PA ). According to the congregation, "For more than 35 years, Dr. Freehof's weekly book review series attracted audiences of more than 1,500 Christians and Jews."
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Personal life
Freehof was born in London, moved to the U.S. in 1903, received a degree from the University of Cincinnati (1914) and ordained from Hebrew Union College (1915). He was a World War I army chaplain, a liturgy professor at HUC, and a rabbi at Chicago's Congregation Kehillath Anshe Maarav before moving to Pittsburgh. He retired in 1966. He is descended from the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Lubavitcher Hasidism.
He studied halakhah with various Orthodox rabbis, including Rabbi Wolf Leiter of Pittsburgh and Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda (Leopold) Greenwald.
Lillian (née Simon) Freehof, his wife, wrote plays, novels and children's books. They married in 1934.
Freehof was followed at Rodef Shalom, and in work on Reform responsa, by his protégé, Rabbi Dr. Walter Jacob, who later established the Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah.