Yehudah Leib Landau

Yehudah Leib Landau (or Yehudah Loeb Landau (1866-1942) was a rabbi, scholar, poet and playwright.

Biography

Born in Lemberg in 1866, he studied at the University of Vienna and the seminar for rabbis.

After a stint as a rabbi in Manchester, Dr Landau became the chief rabbi in Johannesburg (1903-1915) and later Chief Rabbi of the Federation of Synagogues. He also served as honorary president of the Zionist Federation in South Africa and was a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

He began writing poetry, articles and plays from 18** onwards, producing several playtexts, among them Bar Kokhba, The End of Jerusalem, Israel Besh't, Don Isaac Abravanel and more. Some of his later plays, e.g. Israel Besh't and Don Isaac Abravanel, were probably written and even published (and possibly performed?) while he was living in Johannesburg.

Don Isaac Abravanel, two rare books 1. A historical play in five acts by Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Leib Landau, New-York 1919. The play is about the life of Don Isaac Abravanel after the expulsion from Spain, with his arrival in Naples. Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Leib (1866-1942) was the rabbi of Johannesburg and a rabbi in Manchester. He wrote several plays, among them 'Bar Kokhba', 'The End of Jerusalem' and more. He studied at the University of Vienna and the seminar for rabbis. He served as honorary president of the Zionist Federation in South Africa and as a professor in the University of Johannesburg. 112 pp. Condition: Very good.

Sources

Catalogue of Public Auction #2 (2015) by Jerusalem of Gold (lot # 173 - books)[1]