5 Elul 5780

Today, 405 years ago, in the year 1615, R’ Yisrael Hammerschlag from Prague passed away in Venice.

Country: Italy
Site: Jewish Cemetery on the Lido
Caption: First established in 1386, the cemetery was unused since the end of the seventeenth century, when the “new” cemetery was opened. The old burial ground had become overgrown with vegetation and overcrowded with tombstones, many of them randomly scattered and broken.
Image Date: February 1975
Photographer: WMF
Provenance: Site Visit
Original: from slide collection

R’ Yisrael was the Rosh HaKahal of the Jewish community in Prague. In his later years he decided to make “Aliyah” to our holy land, but sadly enough, whilst in Venice, he passed away and was put to rest there in Venice.

What is not so known, is that his granddaughter Rikel was engaged to be married to one of the sons of Rabbi Yoel Sirkes from Krakow, known as the Bach. 

She, most probably, actually married the Bach’s son, but we only have the supporting evidence that she got engaged, we don’t even know the name of her betrothed.

Sources: Hebräische Grabschriften in Italien & Judische Privatbriefe