Nahum Trebitsch

Who was Nahum Trebitsch?

Menahem Nahum Trebitsch was a Czech rabbi.

He was a son of Selig Trebitsch, ḥazzan at the Old New Synagogue, and he received a thorough Talmudical training at the yeshiva of Jacob Günsberg. Upon the recommendation of the "Landesrabbiner" Mordecai Benet, Trebitsch became rabbi of Prostějov in 1826.

On May 13, 1832, the government confirmed the election of Trebitsch as "Landesrabbiner" of Moravia, in succession to Mordecai Benet, and granted him a salary of 600 florins; he was the last Moravian "Landesrabbiner" of the old school. In September 1833, the provincial government issued a decree conferring upon the chief rabbi the power of proposing candidates for the various rabbinates of the province, and of making an appointment when the congregation failed to inform him of a vacancy or rejected the candidate proposed by the "Landesrabbiner". This decree, for which Trebitsch was declared by his opponents to be responsible, brought him into conflict with the congregations of Jevíčko, Hranice na Moravě, Prostějov, and Loštice; and five years later another decree canceled the chief rabbi's privilege of proposing candidates. Abraham Neuda, rabbi of Loštice, whom Trebitsch refused to confirm on account of liberal tendencies, was reinstated after having passed a successful examination before a committee of which Trebitsch was a member. This defeat, and the censure of the government for his opposition to the use of the German language among the Jews greatly affected Trebitsch, who died while on a journey to Karlovy Vary.