Simcha Paltrovitch (abt. 1842 - 1926)

Born about Jan 1842 in Russia (Poland)

Ancestors

Husband of Zipporah (Lewitański) Paltrovitch — married 1862 in Suwalki, Lithuania

Descendants

Died 6 Sep 1926 at about age 84 in Manhattan, Kings, New York, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Harvey Levitt [send private message]

Biography

The Rev. Simon Paltrovitch, formerly chief rabbi in Buffalo, who also held pastorates in Chicago, Boston and Cleveland, died yesterday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Charles Rosen, 75 Fort Washington Avenue. He was born in Russian Poland eighty three years ago and came to the United States in 1872. He leaves, besides Mrs. Rosen, two sons and another daughter. ^[1]

He died at age 76 and is interred at Riverside Cemetery, Bergen County, NJ. ^[2]

PER JOHN PHILIPS: Simcha was totally immersed in his studies of Torah and not involved with family or with grandchildren.^[3]

PER MARIAN "TODDIE" PALTROW: The family moved several times whenever Simon (Rabbi Paltrovitz) changed congregations. Simon exchanged Hebrew lessons for English lessons with the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin").^[4]

THE HEBREW STANDARD: GOLDEN WEDDING. Paltrowitz - Rev and Mrs. S. Paltrowitz of 210 West 143rd St., celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last week at the Lexington, 103 East 116th Street. Only kins people were present. The bride and groom were preceded to the altar by their sons and daughters, the youngest walking grandchildren acting as maids of honor. The bride was presented with a new wedding ring and pledged her loyalty to her husband. A dinner followed, the table service of the bride and groom being of solid gold. Many toasts befitting the occasion were made by those present and as a souvenir each guest received a photo of the couple mounted in a gold frame. Rabbi Paltrowitz who is a fine type of Orthodox Jew, lately moved to this city from Buffalo, where for over thirty two years he acted as chief rabbi of the orthodox community preferring to spend his declining years in the company of his children. He possesses a fine physique, is active and thoroughly modern in all his ways. He is an author of note and is at present engaged in compiling a book entitled 'Kol Simchah," the sequel to an earlier volume "Keser Swle." Mrs. Paltrowitz is also in splendid health and thoroughly active.^[5]

PER JOHN PHILIPS: Simcha even refers to [Reb] Joshua Moses [Paterovich Margolis] in the preface to one of his books.^[6]

Research Notes

• Ancestor of actors Bruce Paltrow and his daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow^[7]

• s/o Tzri Hirsch Pelterowicz, Master of Kabalah^[7]

Rabbi Simon Paltrovitch, born Jan. 1842 in Poland (then Russia), died 6 Sept. 1926 in Manhattan, New York.

The rabbi used the spelling Paltrovitch, which has since been anglicized to Paltrowitz and Paltrow. Palterovitch has also been used.

The Genealogy of the Paltrovitz family is entitled FROM THE ARK TO SUBURBIA and is registered in the Library of Congress.^[8]

Rabbi Simcha (Simon) Paltrovitz was the 32nd generation of Rabbis. He wrote three books of Commentaries which are in the Hebrew University Library.

Rabbi Paltrovitz was married previously before marrying Zippi Levitansky. However, he had no children with the first wife. Zippi and he had seven children. After Zippi passed away, Rabbi Paltrovitz married for the third time.

Sources

1. ↑ according to his death record and his obituary from the New York Times of 7 Sept. 1926
2. ↑ "Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current," Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, [1], Original data: Find A Grave: Memorial #67915530 citing Name: Rabbi Simon Paltrovitch; Birth Date: Jan 1842; Birth Place: Russia; Death Date: 6 Sep 1926; Death Place: New York, USA; Cemetery: Riverside Cemetery; Burial or Cremation Place: Saddle Brook, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA.
3. ↑ Per John Philips, March 2002, who spoke to one of the grandchildren of Simcha
4. ↑ per Marian "Toddie" Paltrow, granddaughter of Rabbi Paltrovitz, daughter of Meyer (Mike) Paltrovitz in a conversation May 29, 1993 with Zelda Gifford
5. ↑ The Hebrew Standard, Friday July 4, 1913
6. ↑ per John Philips, July 17, 2000
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Gwyneth Paltrow." Who Do You Think You Are? (Season 2, Episode 7) NBC. 1 Apr 2011.
8. ↑ {NOTE: I am uncertain as to who entered this comment originally; I am currently unable to locate anything that verifies this source.} Harvey Levitt.

See also:

• Levin, Etta Levine. "Genealogy of the Levitansky Family" 107 pages. Typescript. Los Angeles, 1960. AJHS, Waltham, MA.