That the Chasam Sofer would have such a proliferation of eineklach wasn’t so obvious at the outset of his storied life

Title: The Chasam Sofer Centennial Cancellation

Location: Bratislava, Slovakia

Document: Hoemesz

Time: September 1939

As it is known, on the 29th of Tishrei (October 7) it will be 100 years since the world-renowned Chief Rabbi of Pressburg, the Chasam Sofer, passed away. (For this occasion, Rabbi Joseph Schwartz of Oradea published a massive memorial book called Zikorajn Lőmajse, which contains very interesting data about the life and work of the Chasam Sofer.) To commemorate this centenary appropriately, a large gathering was planned in Pressburg, the seat of his activities, which would have been attended not only from all over Europe but also from America. However, unfortunately, it is not so easy to reach Pressburg now.

As a result, several rabbis, Torah scholars, and community leaders have decided to commemorate this yahrtzeit day in each community. On this day, followers of the Torah and admirers of the Chasam Sofer will gather to pay tribute to his memory, as the Chasam Sofer was not only the Chief Rabbi of Pressburg but indirectly of the entire Orthodox world, and he raised many worthy disciples.

On this day everywhere, people would study from his works, organize siyumim (completion of Torah study), and give lectures about his life story, etc., so that his great name remains in our eternal memory.

I would offer more proposals for what could be done, but I don’t want to preempt things. Instead, I leave it to Messrs. Ullmann of Oradea, Citrom of Medias, Freudiger of Budapest, Strasser of Debrecen, Schreiber of Nyíregyháza, Deutsch of Subotica, Glasner of Cluj, Ehrenfeld of Surány, Frei of Szerdahely, Hirsch of Baia Mare, and Steiner of Szombathely, as descendants of the Chasam Sofer. Let them develop a grand and worthy unified program that can be carried out even under today’s circumstances.

Korniczer

From time immemorial, distinguished lineage has been a point of pride for Jews. Rooting oneself within the family tree of one’s illustrious ancestors strengthens identity and generates a sense of continuity and tradition. One historic figure looms over all others when it comes to the sheer number of eineklach, and their immense and justified pride in tracing their lineage back to his overarching influence. This is of course Rav Moshe Sofer, the Chasam Sofer (1762–1839).

That the Chasam Sofer would have such a proliferation of eineklach wasn’t so obvious at the outset of his storied life. Shortly after his arrival in Prusnitz (Prostejov), Czechia, in 1786, he married Sarah Malkah Yurvitz. The couple remained childless until her passing 26 years later. His second marriage was to Sarel Eiger, daughter of Rav Akiva Eiger, and this marriage produced four sons and seven daughters.

As was unfortunately common at the time, not all of his children survived until adulthood. The majority did, however, and each established a branch of the dynasty. Within a few generations, dozens of descendants of the Chasam Sofer were continuing the legacy of their illustrious forebear, serving as rabbis, dayanim, and roshei yeshivah across the length and breadth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as in Romania and Poland. A full profile of his many illustrious family members through the ensuing generations is beyond the scope of this column, and would likely fill a couple of volumes.