Fischel & Kloziner Families

On this page we deal with two families: Klosner and Fischles. These two families eventually unite and become the ancestors of the Reis family descendants. The names by which the two families are known vary wildly including Fischles / Fishles / Fischel / Fishel / Fischls, etc. while the Klosner family name has such variants as Kloziner / Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner

THE KLOSINER FAMILY

Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner The Elder of Posen == Yutta Daughter of Betzalel ben Chaim and sister of Judah Loew ben Bezalel Maharal of Prague >> Binyamin Beinush Kloizner (ca. 1540 – 1626) == Sarah daughter of Naftali Zvi Hirsh >> Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner The Younger (died 1672 in Jerusalem) == Yuta Loew [?] >> Rabbi Aryeh Leib Sobotka Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner == Yehudit (Jute) Jutta Leib Saba Fischel  >>  Pearl Aryeh Leib Kloisner (ca. 1666 – 1722) == Ezekiel Joshua Feivel Teomim / Rabbi Feivel Premsler Joshua Ezekial Teomim (ca. 1637 – ca. 1726) >>  Chaim Jonah Frankel-Teomim == Sarah Oppenheim >> Magdelene Genendel Frankel-Teomim (1713 – 1778) ==  Simon Isaac Bondi (1711 – 1773) >> Jonas Bondi (1732 – 1765) == Bella / Belle Schifra  >>  Clara / Caroline Bondi (1760-1829)  == Koppel Loeb of Bamberg  >> Moises Loeb / Moritz Reis (1782 – 1855) == Émilie Bickartt (1784 ) >> Jonas Reis (1809 – 1877) == Marian Samuel (1825 – 1900) REIS FAMILY

Zecharia Mendle Kloizner the Elder of Posen was married to the sister of the Maharal of Prague. Their son was Rabbi Benyamin Beinish Kalisziner/Klausner of Posen  (1540-1626). Benyamin was chief Rabbi of the city of Posen (Poznan), Poland. He married Sarah, the daughter of Naftali Zvi Hirsh. Some sources say that he may also have married the daughter of R. David Tevli Auerbach (who was the son-in-law of the Maharshal). It is not certain.

Naftali Zvi Hirsh / Tzvi Hirsch Leib Tzvi Hirsch Sobotka, of Lublin married Tilla Sabotka Loew the daughter of Judah Loew ben Bezalel’s (1525 – 1609). The daughter of Naftali and Tilla was Sarah who married Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner The Younger.

THE FISHEL FAMILY

We know little about the ancestors of the Fischel / Fischls family. The descent to the Reis family (shown below) is via a female member of the family: Yehudit / Yutta / Jutta Leib Saba Fischel.

Ephraim Fishel of Krakow (1470 – ) == N. N. >> Moses Fishel == Rachel >> Ephraim Fishel ( ? – ca. 1530) == N.N. >> R’ Moses Yehuda HaCohen Ashkenazi Fishel, Rabbi and ABD Brisk and Medical Doctor (1504 – 1542) == N.N. >> Zvi Hirsch Ashkenazi HaCohen ABD of Lubmla == N.N. ( ? – 1576) >> Rabbi Ephraim Fishel Ashkenazi (Av Beit Din of Brest-Litovsk) & Jerusalem (ca.1530 – ca. 1585) == Valentina Luria >> Zevi Hirsch Fischel of Lukow (d. 1626) == N.N. >> Rabbi Ephraim Fischel, [of Lvov] ABD Lukow (ca. 1570 – 1653) == Gittel Schrentzel (ca. 1610 – 1652) >> Yehudit / Yutta (Jute) Jutta Leib Saba Fischel == Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner >> Pearl Aryeh Leib Kloisner (ca. 1666 – 1722) == Ezekiel Joshua Feivel Teomim / Rabbi Feivel Premsler Joshua Ezekial Teomim (ca. 1637 – ca. 1726) >> Chaim Jonah Frankel-Teomim == Sarah Oppenheim >> Magdelene Genendel Frankel-Teomim (1713 – 1778) == Simon Isaac Bondi (1711 – 1773) >> Jonas Bondi (1732 – 1765) == Bella / Belle Schifra >> Clara / Caroline Bondi (1760-1829) == Koppel Loeb of Bamberg >> Moises Loeb / Moritz Reis (1782 – 1855) == Émilie Bickartt (1784 ) >> Jonas Reis (1809 – 1877) == Marian Samuel (1825 – 1900) REIS FAMILY

The earliest member of this family appears to be Rabbi Ephraim Fishel who was born around 1470 in Kraków, Poland. This Fishel of Krakow is said to be the ‘founder’ of the family which later spread throughout Europe. They flourished in Poland for several centuries as merchant bankers, rabbis, and community leaders.

Moses Fishel was another prominent figure of the community, Poland during the early 16th century.

Moses Fishel was another prominent figure in Cracow who was a member of the wealthy Fishel family, which had arrived in Cracow from Bohemia. The family was named after Ephraim Fishel (born ca. 1470), Moses’ great grandfather.

Moses Fishel had a multifaceted career: He studied medicine at the University of Padua in Italy. Upon returning to Cracow, he practiced medicine as his primary occupation, gaining fame and becoming a physician to state dignitaries.

In 1520, the king of Poland [Sigismund I the Old] exempted him from paying Jewish taxes in recognition of his competence and achievements. In 1532, he was appointed as the rabbi of the Polish community in Cracow, following the death of Asher Lemel.

In 1541, King Sigismund I appointed Moses as one of the leaders of the Jews (senior generalis) for Little Poland Uplands (Wyżyna Małopolska), with authority over a quarter of the territory. This appointment was controversial among the Jewish community, who saw it as an infringement on their autonomy.

Moses Fishel’s life came to a tragic end: In 1541, he became involved in a false charge related to proselytes to Judaism. He was imprisoned and faced a harsh trial. Moses died soon after his imprisonment in 1542, with some sources referring to him as a martyr.

Moses Fishel’s life exemplifies the complex interplay between Jewish religious leadership, secular professions, and political dynamics in 16th-century Poland. His story also highlights the precarious position of Jews in society at that time, despite their achievements and contributions.

Rabbi Ephraim Fischel Ashkenazi of Brisk & Jerusalem (ca.1530 – ca. 1595) was the grandson of Moses Yehuda HaCohen Ashkenazi Fishel. He served as a rabbi in Brisk (Brest-Litovsk), which was an important Jewish center in Lithuania at the time. Later in life, he became the first rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem. He married Valentina the daughter of Maharshal (Rabbi Shlomo Luria).

As the first rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem, Rabbi Ephraim Fischel played a crucial role in establishing and organizing Ashkenazi Jewish life in the Holy City during a period when the Sephardi community had been dominant there for centuries. His move from Brisk to Jerusalem represents an early example of rabbinic immigration to the Land of Israel, predating larger movements in later centuries. His role in Jerusalem was particularly significant for the development of the Ashkenazi presence in the Holy Land.

Ephraim and Valentina had a son Zevi Hirsch Fischel of Lukow (d. 1626). We know little about him other than he carried on the rabbinical tradition of the family. The name of his wife is not known but their son was another Ephraim who married Gittel Schrentzel.

Their daughter was Jutta who married Arye Leib Klausner in around 1620 and who, from then on, was known by his father-in-law’s name and so became Rabbi Arye Leib Fischles, and also as “der Hoicher Rebbe Leib” and sometimes Rabbi Arye-Leib Fishles Kalusner / Kloisner. His father was likely Tzvi Hirsch Leib, and his mother was Tilla Loew.

He was known as “der Hoicher” (The Tall) and was a prominent rabbi and scholar in the Jewish community of Krakow. While specific details about Rabbi Aryeh Leib Fishles’ life and works are limited, his nickname (The Tall) suggests he may have been physically imposing or metaphorically stood tall in his community as a respected figure.

He lived approximately from 1610 to 1671.

Another view:

The Freud Connection:

The various children of Jutta / Yutta Fischles and Aryeh Leib Fischles / Klausner married into leading rabbinic families such as that of Abraham Joshua Heschel of Krakow. One of their sons, Efraim Fischel ben Arieh Leib of Ludmir (d. 1719), was Head of the Council of the Four Lands and who married a granddaughter of Chief Rabbi Naftali Hirsch Katz of Frankfurt and Posen. He was a central figure of Jewish Poland in his day. In 1679, he received special privileges from Polish King Jan Sobieski, including permission to live in the royal court and trade freely. These privileges were confirmed by King Augustus II in 1699.

Regarding the descent from this family to the Reis family – one of the daughters of Jutta and Arye Leib Klausner / Fischel – was Pearl / Perl Aryeh Leib Kloisner / Klausner – who married Ezekiel Joshua (Yechezkia Yehoshua) Feivel Frankel Teomim from whom the Reis family descends.

Whereas the Reis family is descended from Aryeh Leib Klausner’s daughter Pearl, Sigmund Freud is descended from Pearl’s brother Efraim of Ludmir. But this is not the only descent the Reis family shares with Freud’s. They also have a common descent via the Katzenellenbogen family.

It’s worth noting too that the Fischles lived during a tumultuous period in Jewish history, which included the Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648-1654) and its aftermath. As a rabbi in Krakow during this time, Ephraim Fischel would have played a crucial role in guiding and supporting his community through these challenging events. The Uprising had the following devastating effects on the Eastern European Jews:

• Mass casualties: While exact numbers are debated, tens of thousands of Jews were killed during the uprising. Estimates range from 20,000 to 100,000 deaths.
• Forced displacement: Many Jews fled north to Poland, Lithuania, and as far as Italy and Holland to escape the violence, abandoning their properties and livelihoods.
• Economic devastation: Jews lost homes, businesses, and opportunities to collect debts. The economic impact was severe and long-lasting.
• Slavery and conversion: Thousands of Jews were captured and sold into slavery in the Ottoman Empire. Some converted to Christianity to save their lives.
• Community destruction: Numerous Jewish communities in Ukraine were completely destroyed or severely damaged.
• Long-term trauma
• Strained relations: The uprising marked the beginning of a tense relationship between Jews and Ukrainians that persisted for centuries.
• Religious response: The tragedy prompted religious and spiritual responses from Jewish leaders, including calls for repentance and messianic hopes.
• Migration patterns: The upheaval led to significant changes in Jewish settlement patterns in Eastern Europe.
• Recovery and resilience: Despite the devastation, many Jewish communities in the affected regions showed remarkable resilience, with relatively rapid reconstruction and revival in the years following the uprising.

The Kloisner Family

Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner The Elder of Posen == Sister of Judah Loew ben Bezalel Maharal of Prague >> Binyamin Beinush Kloizner (ca. 1540 – 1626) == Sarah daughter of Naftali Zvi Hirsh >> Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner The Younger (died 1672 in Jerusalem) == Yuta Loew [?] >> Rabbi Aryeh Leib Sobotka Kalusziner / Klausner / Kloisner == Yehudit (Jute) Jutta Leib Saba Fischel  >>  Pearl Aryeh Leib Kloisner (ca. 1666 – 1722) == Ezekiel Joshua Feivel Teomim / Rabbi Feivel Premsler Joshua Ezekial Teomim (ca. 1637 – ca. 1726) >>  Chaim Jonah Frankel-Teomim == Sarah Oppenheim >> Magdelene Genendel Frankel-Teomim (1713 – 1778) ==  Simon Isaac Bondi (1711 – 1773) >> Jonas Bondi (1732 – 1765) == Bella / Belle Schifra  >>  Clara / Caroline Bondi (1760-1829)  == Koppel Loeb of Bamberg  >> Moises Loeb / Moritz Reis (1782 – 1855) == Émilie Bickartt (1784 ) >> Jonas Reis (1809 – 1877) == Marian Samuel (1825 – 1900) REIS FAMILY

Zecharia Mendle Kloizner the Elder of Posen was married to the sister of the Maharal of Prague. Their son was Rabbi Benyamin Beinish Kalisziner/Klausner of Posen  (1540-1626). Benyamin was chief Rabbi of the city of Posen (Poznan), Poland. He married Sarah, the daughter of Naftali Zvi Hirsh. Some sources say that he may also have married the daughter of R. David Tevli Auerbach (who was the son-in-law of the Maharshal). It is not certain.

Naftali Zvi Hirsh / Tzvi Hirsch Leib Tzvi Hirsch Sobotka, of Lublin married Tilla Sabotka Loew the daughter of Judah Loew ben Bezalel’s (1525 – 1609). The daughter of Naftali and Tilla was Sarah who married Zecharya Mendel Kalusziner / Klausner The Younger.

Pearl Aryeh Leib Fischls had a sister Deborah who married Rabbi Saul Babad Teomim. Their son Rabbi Aryeh Leib Löwenstam (Teomim) was the Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam (1740-1755) and at some point, he had his portrait drawn which is shown below. His son, Rabbi Saul ben Aryeh Leib Löwenstam, was also the chief Rabbi of Amsterdam and he too had his portrait painted as shown below (right):