Aaron Tzevi Friedman was born in Stavisk, Poland on March 22, 1822. When he was seventeen he became the shochet (a licensed and trained ritual slaughterer) for the city of Stavisk. He later moved to Bernkastel-on-the-Moselle in Germany where in 1844, he became a rabbi and shochet for the city. He married Rebecca Lieberman of Frankfort. In 1848, he moved to New York where he was chosen as shochet of one of the largest abattoirs (slaughterhouse) in the city. In response to attacks made against the practice of shechita, Friedman wrote a defense of shechita entitled “Tuv Ta’am” in 1874. He became known as the “Ba’al Shem” of America because of his strict Orthodoxy. He remained a shochet of New York City until his death on May 17, 1876.
Abraham Isaac Friedman was one of Aaron’s twelve children. He was born in Trier-on-Moselle in Germany in 1843. He married Rachel Isaacs.
Nathan Halliday Friedman was one of Abraham’s sons. He was born in 1890 in Brooklyn, New York, and married Sadie Stone on May 28, 1912. They had two children; Robert Simon Friedman, born in 1915 and Ruth F. Friedman, born in 1920. Nathan moved to Taunton, Massachusetts where he was the treasurer and manager at Harodite Finishing Company.
-
March 22, 1822:
Aaron Friedman is born in Stavisk, Poland.
-
1839:
Aaron Friedman becomes shochet of Stavisk.
-
1843:
Abraham Friedman is born in Trier-on-Moselle, Germany.
-
1844:
Aaron Friedman becomes rabbi and shochet of Bernkastel-on-the-Moselle.
-
1848:
Aaron Friedman moves to New York City.
-
1874:
Aaron Friedman writes “Tuv Ta’am.”
-
May 17, 1876:
Aaron Friedman dies in New York City at age 54.
-
1890:
Nathan Friedman is born in Brooklyn, New York.
-
May 28, 1912:
Nathan Friedman marries Sadie Stone.
-
1915:
Robert Simon Friedman is born (son of Nathan and Sadie).
-
1920:
Ruth F. Friedman is born (daughter of Nathan and Sadie).
-
Footnotes
- 1Information used in this finding aid is from the following sources:
"Rabbi Aaron Zebi Friedman." Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records and Online Memorials. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr>.
Friedman, Daniel. "Tuv Ta'am." Tuv Ta'am. N.p., 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://tuvtaam.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-05:00>.
"Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (<https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N469-GG4> : accessed 14 Nov 2012), Nathan Halliday Friedman and Sadie Mae Stone, 1912.
Materials from the collection.
From the guide to the Friedman Family Papers, 1844-1944, (American Jewish Historical Society)
