Rintel, Moses

Australian rabbi; born in Edinburgh 1823; died at Melbourne, Victoria, 1880; son of Myer Rintel, Hebraist and Talmudical scholar. For some years Moses Rintel acted as reader to the Brighton synagogue; in 1844 he went to Sydney; and in 1849 he was elected minister of the East Melbourne Congregation. In Sydney he established the Sydney Hebrew Academy, founded in 1856 the United Jewish Friends' Benefit Society, and helped to establish a duly constituted bet din. In 1857 Rintel resigned his office in Melbourne, and another place of worship was established under the title of "Mikveh Israel Melbourne Synagogue." This synagogue was opened in 1860; and Rintel officiated at the new place of worship for some time without remuneration. He acted also, on the nomination of Chief Rabbi N. M. Adler, as chief of the bet din. He was a steadfast upholder of Orthodox Judaism and was widely esteemed in the Australian colonies. He published two sermons, one on Yom Kippur (Melbourne, 1859), which are among the earliest Jewish publications in the Australian colonies.

Bibliography:

  * Jew. Chron. July 9 and 30, 1880;
  * Heaton, Australian Dict. of Dates;
  * Brit. Mus. Cat. s.v.



J. G. L.