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Dr Richard Barnett - a recollection

Adolf Schischa

<plain_text><page sequence="1">Dr Richard Barnett-a recollection A. SCHISCHA On one of the late Dr Richard Barnett's visits to our home in Letchworth, he mentioned his ancestor Rabbi Issachar Beer ben Rabbi Aryeh Leb of Krotoschin. It was this paternal ancestor who provided the patronymic Beer, or Barnett, which was to be adopted by his son, the Dayan of the Ashkenazi Beth Din of London, as his family name. Dr Barnett mentioned that Rabbi Issachar Beer was the author of the book entitled Ohel Issachar, which he had never seen. Great was his delight when I showed him a copy of that slender volume of sermons and homilies printed in Altona in 5586 (1826). I then declared my personal interest in his heritage. The preliminaries contain a number of laudatory approbations. The one the author deemed fit to print first was not the earliest in date, but was from Rabbi Akiba Eger, the Chief Rabbi of Posen, one of my maternal ancestors. Rabbi Akiba Eger makes a point of mentioning that he had had the opportunity of appreciating Rabbi Issachar Beer's wide range of learning from the halahic problems he submitted to him in writing, over the years. Richard Barnett was still more excited when I showed him a letter in the handwriting and bearing the signature of Rabbi Issachar Beer, addressed to Rabbi Akiba Eger, and dated 5590 (1830), four years after the publication of Ohel Issachar. The two of us sat enjoying a sunny afternoon in the gentle Hertfordshire countryside: Dr Barnett a fifth-generation descendant of the writer of the letter, and I, seventh-generation descendant of the recipient, handling an autograph that some 130 years earlier had passed between our respective ancestors in the far-off Province of Posen. To each of us it was a moving experience, the memory of which I will always cherish in humility. Dr Barnett had more than sentimental reasons to appreciate Ohel Issachar. The title-page, the author's short introduction, the three-line colophon and above all the subscribers' list, contain details of family connections unknown from other sources. They, as well as the approbations, also contain useful biographical data, as, to a lesser degree, did the last paragraph of the autograph letter. Shortly before leaving for Israel in 1986 Dr Barnett gave me a copy of the genealogy compiled by his late father, Dr Lionel Barnett, and a draft of his own reconstruction of his family tree. It was to be included in the introductory chapter of his autobiography, which he intended to write at his leisure while in Israel. He asked me to compare them with the source material available to me, and to discuss them with him on his return. Alas, to my deep regret, that was not to be. I offer the reproductions of the signature of Rabbi Issachar Beer Lichtenstadt, the postscript of what may be a unique survival of his correspondence, and some genealogically informative pages of his sole literary legacy, the Ohel Issachar, as a small tribute to the memory of Dr Richard D. Barnett. 327</page><page sequence="2">A. Schischa 1^ ^ ^ ^ K.r''" ^ ^ ^ ^-^ r^" ^-^ ^'^ ^".r^ fi^.^ ^ K^r-^ ^'^ >^ ^ ^ k^- .y .^1^ ;; ns>D n? mwn ,rron nran mmn tms own rrcton ?vjrcn .man ?aya .Tram tobd ^rman ?n? yto am wawba npa isbw ,?hok rrab pion na? .wr jw**np ppi pi rrrtrar ar^ a*^ rma oonnan ann j*pr6 toi .o* apt may bva ?trjr anD jypi DT? ?Vi ?ene in pua tra p-aS ^Srn? w mo rata Fig. 1 Title-page of Ohel Issachar, printed in Altona in 1826. 328</page><page sequence="3">Dr Richard Bamett-a recollection , jr?S^T?W 'bm'pisrH?mm rmb ar?D n?fo (tt Mannwro Sp n?yno 5? mm? wvtpttn *)t$r , w? o??? TWOD wt?n ,0TpP3 trpoo) faw wie* ]tm p-nw- Dir vpmfr <rn>3iw irpp ?twe "k*3 '' ' towhop vn?nu<iM> ,3ikvui5i mafr<90tsub* ,.do wir c*5?V33*3*i oSbpnunp l>"B13f|fr ITT* l*3D 3)5g*| JJ'P*lpfo q03 "fr *JDD P?IcS SlIW PDP Fig. 2 Approbation of Okel Issachar by Rabbi Akiba Eger, Chief Rabbi of Posen, written in Posen, 16 May 1825. It appears on the verso of the title-page. 329</page><page sequence="4">A. Schischa ? n^oia mV 'n ? Vi3 a^S n"an ? l?n vno 'ino .Bttoia nwo 'wo . ?"m bsyv 'ino ? >S3 jnM 'mno "i ..$*an> nso 'i ? iwnp ?"ia nwo 'irm ? d^n btfra ?i ? nMi3 r?n 'i ? n'13 N3^pp *i ? Ens ipnp noSu '"i ? *tt?piW p'jTl Y3N 31.1 . mSh Snio? 'mo (JNajSprXNp S?1B '1 .|nw nipS p^n 'i ? V'l3 *}S?u 'i ? ?jid p*B S^ur '1 ,e"jj p'pi Y38 o^n 'mo sin ? 3"l3' D^n '1 ? a*i3 ijor fr ? tons ?fa. nm13 bmw "i ?tfj 3pp* 'ino ? hSn Snicp 'ino VU'ep 'i yin ? pn H3^- 'wo ? ns* ?3^ 'ino . n'ta 2^ 'i . 7"na a"'? 'i **{>M013 3^ '1 "DM ? ?fna pr^n *t ? JNOOU- dh13n f1ho ? Dtt-i3 p?"N '1 ?D^H D.T13N "l ? a-.rnarwro Spsrs onsN "i * 3^ 'ns 'mo ^3 ? iispWNi pn? 'n ? insn wra jo^a 'ino ? M^n ?ra jo^a 'mo . via 0313 'i .p*B ?wnaa 'mo ? to via in 'mo . N'JDyia w 'i 'nan ..nd^o ria wvn 'i oan?n n&ipn trains "V nn*? , w tr? nVi npSin, \3yi m Sri Din1* Sp ! 'n "poni nip H3p*3 D^ri Y3s nacr nisir 1JT21 np^j 1WN3 ,t:i33d dj^iao, 'i^imiuNnisbnnSao^ionjDnjrwoi Deatr, ^losnnnswau3?rn p3 , *j3sn n*? , \jspn ":ip nm sm , \3iS3 opo3 Nn v^ npmn "on "tarn "Si4?, ^iini mo^sN *wn"i mop *:oo \noS ^mn iep awi ntro miN . to** nssm innawN ds* , ^ti^i "a1? ^on, %2:n dyiSn n^ian oyon Sni ? niOC^ 'ni DWNia on^nney d-p^i^n dp , no^sr imj?o iSj?d 'n , no^m nwnpn nuna #noMoi nyi eipVn D^ja myi1? nns3 "?nai fc;nSj p"p , ^hnsh ^Nic^a oni tpV , ":n^m nr?? -pia nns *3 nonn 'n "f?! Tinnsa t?n nn'^r t?"t^n Yimo i"Dnn pn;.i Von? n"n msiN bsh nissn peo mnp? o^tn? o^ono '?naa rmnap o^po avn: am inm33 v.aa. pJ?2D"USn 3n2Cn ^sjICD^ nwnpniSnp sSwa nnm vd* nona mSp1? , moan ^ ipmn am , imino niN^Di pitsoV , in^n^a nsncnb ,,nao,i ^man iVsa ?waoa nyV I - tyCDNlp p"P o^bidi roan nN"bo yp . "maN pN *?n , "HEoa: fjoDj ^3 Sat?, -moi viDioa finsSi *3JN dj nicrpS dim Sa ?>n noNa/n^Ni iSp uinwv, <n?*o nS nni:o d-om *S w? "3 m^i #^jpneu nwo , wi3J n? n^anb dn ^maup S3 iS;j i^e*? ."niacno Sa jnrni "ni33 m:am ^3 o^an rjen "dS on1? /n^aS ^p m?on nwnpn rnpn iow ^a. "mas non pi?3 i?n or?njn iiapa , -nrnn Sipa 'n pcr?^ ^n^n p?S Kan oa ^po '?noizf tNoi, "ni:a onsen iwn , ^nunoi \3-u p , inpa iai 'n ian , maua nan no on^TJnS., n03ttf oSin , mosmS nns "pniSi ^S rm jpoS, ??mos i?n hSnh onain ns anaa %no?f. mn iv Sio^ai ? ma? nsoa WjpoSiinSdn^ihSiSai? ^uopoi^n^r nopir-o /iro^SxsnS,i^^VSn*mao,isoonuw nnN ? rho VBJ3,inD3 nonN , oSip 'n Sr*s3 mu? , ^Sn? nm nnN- ^nSipsS 13* n? n%n> / w Fig. 3 Subscribers' list appearing on pages 9 and 10 of Ohel Issachar, including close relations of the author in London and Krotoschin. These are marked with an asterisk . Also the author's introduction. 330</page><page sequence="5">Dr Richard Barnett-a recollection ?atmn hnx isd rmpb ennnn by tram osn munun V?0* ypvh ^ ? pVo *jor 'ino .^DOM 3^ 'mo nso 'ino aoiiBon p^on am ?3 ,1*331 p^sip |H3 S^o ?ins . ppcw nwo 'ino ?fonan trap 3^ wrn 'ino ?'b Vio* Y'no3 nwo no'is 'ino ' *.V031 .H'hpopd OPO '? . ^PliP^pd ira 'o . bpnpopo 'o ??^n B^ns 'wot? 'o *d*j B^ns n?o ?o ^ . vhvt 'O ?#1b ?jnan jD^ns Skiow 'o * . o'd ir?s -3nn *? Vijpo 'i n"3n "?J3 .jnsiBON? nnw 'o ? jnKIEOtf? p?O? 'o ? |n?isoKi nrro 'n ? '0 'il 1J31 PDD81? p'dPK 'l ? JlianPKU? KH.T 'ino . p'U ip1? 'ino ?manpa? rjbsn 3^ 'ino i3?i ainwta '"31? 'mo jisun ??IPlVlMJPB? T'3?jh ?jnan "tfp\* 'ino . V* via? 'i *f .a"i3 IUP) map .jh13-js11 ^WlOtf '"1 ?i3*p*n "-wscr '"i 1?3*ik nmo 'ino rniwn am ?V,3V3H #Y^03 ?i3? 'ino .Via in? '1 ?irVia pi? 'i ? o"b oni3? 'i ?1*03 ini 'ino j ?siup^sno ojia '11 ? tr^p p^n 'ino ? 03 "?pp? 'ino ? mfaum o^n Vnip^ 'ino ? d"T?a ^i?1 'ino ? jaoipi* *an? 'ino .jna n?o 'i *,5Pbxpo M^n oinj 'mo ? iroaptana -ip;m? {o*?p 'ino ..vosrrtiw iP3 '1 ? *Pp3P1B TH "ij ? s^ns 'n ? pVi30 jna ^wjn 'ino .?oMw?3 gSmi 'ino ? iPr?B^^ n'lO #1 .i^pbpV *?pi^op 'n ? ^pirjpn n"n ^z* 'n *ip^bn iiir^? ?jor Vno jiNjn ? ens p'? ^?^3 y3 pr\^ *t .jna pv\s 'iro ? p^ipn jruv 'ino .n'pa l?n p^N 'i ?PPT "1P3 *i s3? V'no jiNaha spurn jo^3 'mo ? ?Tjp Vn? p'pi t'3d 'j"?? ?rrn ? ^j?p ^sa^o wth '1 ?j-opt3w wvn 'i o*ib ? Bia^n ?i^nii "1 ?iawn ^iwi 'ino .i:ri*?p |?Vt 't oiiajjoN^a ^iai?n ^o"r "1 . N"0 o^n 'i ? rjDV 1**3 o^n '1 ?ijn^mottf |om,? 't .??|i?ior^ '1 ? *>?jn^ i'3 rjor '1 ?un^p "i3un fjor 't ?iTfio awwjpn 3pp^ 'i 'nsn ? ipon finoDi9 .?njp?p joB^'ino .p'tt 3"1? 'i ? ppi op^SN V1-103 03^ 'i ? ^n^no^vr i "3 3^ tm% 'nsn .''pjp^B n?o '1 . i^pi^p nwo 'mo ? ?nV^n n?o 'i o"ib .rrn^Nn nwo h ? b"b nwo '1 ? b"d ^jia^o '1 ? tngtonntt nwo 'i ? \m i"no3 *?.3Tio ?3^pp i'no pNjn3 n?o pi 'nsn n'^ wio^n p"pt n%3? V13 ? UPl^p ?s?^B ?1 ? pns 13 wa^? h ? n?O 1*3 |31N1 "1 o'l? ? 1J?3^3nNn ^NBI '1 0*13 .B"? S?l1 't ? *1P^PT '^N "1"3 131??1 '"1 331</page><page sequence="6">A. Schischa ?515*5 pwS , '??r? )pi5 pw? i *-:>bw nDm sro "?Pf? 5r> 'ob mit pf? , ow? S6 to od6 "OJTfi . d&m ^mm? wttto w Sj , wttn jw? *Jj>? "3d? r>>f?35 'o.?N> fo /?wjwwp? -a* b^V? ]"}3lS Dn35. 'coW'ft np3V? swto wf> wm> "fTOn D3 Fig. 4 Colophon of Ohel Issachar (page 27b), mentioning the author's wife Rivka, daughter of Pinehas London. In the subscribers' list two of his wife's brothers appear as Samuel and Moses Philip. Jn)< (Vv^yv^- r 7<^fi ^n*? ^*??a ?^r*'/' jfj^t^r>/\ Fig. 5 Signature and postscript of a letter from Rabbi Issachar Beer to Rabbi Akiba Eger, dated 1830. Also the name and address in Rabbi Issachar Beer's handwriting in German. 332</page></plain_text>