Isaac Juda Palache


Isaac Juda Palache was grand rabbi of the Portuguese Sephardic community of Amsterdam from 1900 to 1926 and a member of the Pallache family.

Background

Palache was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on January 30, 1858. Orphaned at age eight years old, he went to the Portuguese-Jewish Orphanage. He showed early interest in attending the Portuguese Sephardic Jewish seminary. There he studied under rabbis A. v. J. Vaz Dias, D. Lopes Cardozo, E. Beneditty, A.D. Delaville. Later, he studied under the grand rabbi of Loen. He also studied mathematics.

Career

In 1884, age 24, Pallache was appointed aspiring rabbi and in 1885 rabbi to the Portuguese Sephardic Jewish congregation in Amsterdam. In 1888, when his teacher in Loen was appointed Chief Rabbi in Groningen, he followed him as rector of its Portuguese Jewish seminary "Ets Haïm." In 1990, he was appointed Chief Rabbi of the Portuguese Sephardic Jewish congregation of Amsterdam.

Personal and death

His son was professor Juda Lion Palache.
Palache died on December 2, 1926.

Legacy

In 1929, the Kennis en Godsvrucht Association opened the Palache School as a primary school in Amsterdam, which it named after grand rabbi Isaac Juda Palache. It was one of three Jewish elementary schools there before World War II. Later, it was renamed Brugmaschool. Today, it is an apartment building.

External sources