(1919-2017) Born in the old city of Jerusalem in 1919, Rabbi Abramowitz lived an incredibly vibrant and meaningful life. Rabbi Abramowitz came to the US in 1928. He received his BA from Yeshiva College in 1941 and his Rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1944. He immediately enlisted in the US Army as a chaplain and 1st Lieutenant stationed in Europe. Beyond his responsibilities to the American GI's, Rabbi Abramowitz helped thousands of refugees who survived the War rebuild their lives, especially those who found their way to the Displaced Persons camp in Berlin, Germany called Schlachtensee-Templhof. He trained teachers and established a school and summer camp for the over 2500 children. He was also very involved in the Bricha, the clandestine smuggling of Jews to Palestine. It was also in the DP camp that he met and married a beautiful refugee, Rachel, who would become his partner in life for almost 70 years. After his discharge from the army, Rabbi Abramowitz became the chief Emigration Officer for the JDC based in Italy. For three years he continued the important work of helping refugees. In 1951 he and Rachel came to Miami Beach where he became the Rabbi of Temple Menorah in Miami Beach. He served as rabbi for 45 years. There are so many highlights in his career. One in particular, is his warm welcome to the Jewish Cuban refugees who arrived in the early 1960's. He was the only rabbi who opened the doors of the synagogue to all who came in search of a new home. Rabbi Abramowitz served in various capacities for many important charitable organizations, including Israel Bonds, JNF, FIDF, Federation and many more. Upon his retirement from Temple Menorah, Rabbi Abramowitz created the Jewish Leadership Institute. The program takes college students to Israel to build and enhance a strong Jewish identity. For almost 25 years, Rabbi, along with Rachel, led the trips. Together, they brought hundreds of young people to Israel to learn first-hand about their heritage and the land and people of Israel. (Biographical information from his Obituary, which can be found linked.)
