Liepāja / Libau / Libava
Born on 28 Iyyar 5609 (20 May 1849) in the village of Baratschka in Hungary. He studied in Pressburg under R. Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer, author of the Ketav Sofer, at the yeshiva of R. Azriel Hildesheimer in Berlin, and was ordained for halakhic rulings by R. Tzvi Binyamin Auerbach, rabbi of Halberstadt.
Son-in-law of R. Menachem Mendel Hirsch, son of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, rabbi of Frankfurt.
He was accepted as rabbi here in 56411) (1881) and served until 56502) (1890), when he was compelled to leave because he was a foreign citizen and the authorities would not extend his residence permit. He also served as official government rabbi.
From Tammuz 5651 he served as rabbi in New York at the congregation Ohav Tzedek. He was among the most prominent rabbis in New York, served as honorary president of the Rabbinical Association in the United States and Canada, treasurer of Ezrat Torah, and was president of several important organizations.
He passed away on 6 Nisan 5686 (21 March 1926) in New York and was brought to rest at the Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
An approbation from him in the book Divrei Eliezer (New York 5671).
Dor Rabbanov veSoferav, vol. 5, pp. 88–9, and more. The inscription on his tombstone.
Blessed are you in your coming and blessed are you in your going. \
Here lies \
the great Kohen among his brethren, the great luminary, the distinguished rabbi, \
our lord, teacher, and rabbi, Hillel, son of our teacher and rabbi \
Ze'ev Tzvi HaKohen, of blessed memory. \
Who illumined the eyes of the generation with the Torah of truth that was \
in his mouth — his mouth uttered pearls. \
And he did righteousness for all who came to him with piety. \
President of Kollel Shomrei HaChomot in the Holy Land. \
He is the one who served in the crown of the rabbinate \
at the congregation Ohav Tzedek \
these thirty-six years, and previously his Torah light shone \
at the holy congregation of Libau. \
And now the generation is left as orphans — none like him remains \
in his wisdom, his humility, and his pure fear of Heaven. \
He left us in sorrow on Sunday, six days of the month of Nisan, \
and was buried the next day, Monday, seven days of the month of Nisan, year 5686. \
In the seventy-sixth year of his life. \
May his soul be bound in the bond of life.
Latvia and Rabbis