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Günzburg, Asher ben Löb

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Chief rabbi of Carlsruhe; born at Minsk in 1754; died at Carlsruhe July 23, 1837. He studied under his father, Aryeh Löb, rabbi of Metz; and when the latter had become blind he assisted him in conducting his yeshibah or rabbinical college. In 1783 Asher was elected rabbi of Niederwerrn, and in 1785 rabbi of Wallerstein. When in 1809 the Grand Duke of Baden organized the Jewish congregations of his country upon the Napoleonic model, Asher was elected member of the consistory and chief rabbi ("Oberrath" and "Landrabbiner") of the grand duchy. He accepted these positions in 1810, and occupied them until his death, declining a call to Paris and, later, one to Metz. Asher was a strict Talmudist of the old school, and very orthodox in his views, though at the same time tolerant of those of others.

In his last years his health was very precarious, and the work of the rabbinate was done by his assistant, Elias Willstätter. Shortly before his death he sent various manuscripts dealing with rabbinical subjects to Wilna; but only some responsa were published—in a work of his father, "She'elot u-Teshubot Sha'agat Aryeh ha-Ḥadashot," Wilna, 1873. One of his sons, who adopted the family name "Ascher," was rabbi of Bühl, and died there Feb. 20, 1838.