16 Facts About Gustavus Poznanski

Gustavus Poznanski was cantor and religious leader in Congregation Beth Elohim, Charleston, a pioneer of Reform Judaism in the Antebellum South.

Gustavus Poznanski was one of seven children born to Joseph and Sarah Poznanski, members of the Hebrew Congregation of Storchnest.

Gustavus Poznanski left Poland in 1824 to go to Hamburg, which was a major center of the Jewish Reform Movement at the time.

Gustavus Poznanski spent time in Hamburg and later in Bremen learning about Reform Judaism before emigrating to the United States in 1831.

Gustavus Poznanski came to Charleston and so impressed the congregation and its traditional leaders through his gracious attitude and his skill in clerical duties that after just one year, he was elected minister for life even before his initial two-year contract was over.

Around this time, perhaps influenced by his time spent in Germany, Gustavus Poznanski began to show signs of support for reform.

Gustavus Poznanski was in favor of adding instrumental music to service and suggested building a new organ in the new synagogue building.

Some progressive members of the congregation, backed by Gustavus Poznanski, submitted a petition for the creation of an organ to the Board of Trustees.

Gustavus Poznanski became the rabbi of the newly constructed Beth Elohim synagogue and the reformers gained control over the congregation and the Board of Trustees of Beth Elohim.

The conflict between the Traditionalist and Reform groups came to a head when the Traditionalist group filed a lawsuit against the Reform group shortly after Gustavus Poznanski had given a sermon suggesting ending the observance of the second days of Passover, on the first day of Passover in 1843.

The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Reform position in 1846, allowing Gustavus Poznanski to continue his reforms.

Gustavus Poznanski offered to resign as minister in 1847, with the hope that a new minister could ease tensions and unify the community.

However, none of the successors of Gustavus Poznanski were very successful in achieving unity in the Beth Elohim congregation until the reunification of Shearith Israel with Beth Elohim in 1866.

Gustavus Poznanski married Esther G Barrett, the daughter of Isaac Barrett, the former president of the Hebrew Benevolent Society and Rachel Barrett.

Gustavus Poznanski signed the agreement that resulted in the reunification of the Beth Elohim and Shearith Israel congregations in Charleston in 1866.

Gustavus Poznanski died in New York in 1879 a few days after being hit by a horse-drawn trolley.