Dr. Felsenthal, for many years minister of Zion Congregation of Chicago, was born January 2, 1832, in Munchweiler B avaria, and is the son of Simon Felsenthal, an agriculturist of that place. He gained his preliminary education in the schools of his native town, and afterwards in his fourteenth year went to Kaiserslautern where he pursued his studies in the college forthree years. At the expiration of this period he prepaired to Munchweiler where he passed two years in completing his education, under the rare advantages afforded by its renowned university. After graduating here he became minister of a Hebrew congregation at Steinbach in Bavaria.

Having brothers in America, he was led in 1854 to visit the United States. After passing a short time with a brother residing in Louisville, Ky., he became during the same year the minister in Madison, Indiana.

In May 1858, he removed to Chicago, where he has since remained and where he has won a high reputation for his ability and learning. A short time after his arrival in Chicago, the Sinai Congregation was formed and he was chosen as its minister and officiated six years therein.

In 1864 the Zion Congregation was called into life and the Rev. gentleman was called to preside in the pulpit of that congregation which position he has for the past sixteen years successively filled.

In 1868, he published, "A Practical Grammar of Hebrew Language." He has also printed at various times several pamphlets in German. Among these may be mentioned "Yudisches Schulwesen In America," or "The Proper Construction of Jewish Sabbath Schools," and "Critick Des Christlichen Missionswesens," a criticism on Christian Missionary efforts, also a pamphlet on the "Reforms Desirable in Judaism."

In 1872, he was invited to deliver a lecture in English at Standard Hall, before a public audience on the "Wandering Jew," which was subsequently published in pamphlet form. Aside from these works the Reverend Gentleman 3has delivered many important discourses and lectures before our leading Lodges and Societies, chief among which the one relating the "Origin of Judaism and its Epochs," "Uber den Ursprung des Judenthums and die Epochen desselben"read before Romah Lodge by him Jan.16,1867. No better dissertation on this subject has yet been adduced. This paper was widely disseminated by the Chicago Sanntags Zeitung in an extra edition.

Prior to the above, appeared his Kol-Koreh Bamidbar, (a voice fromthe desert of Egypt) which touched on the then (1859-60) questions of reforms in rituals. This pamphlet is exceedingly exhaustive and marked Rev. Felsenthal's conservative conceptions of true reform in that sphere. The most important of his writings relating to the question of Proselytism in Judaism, was published by E. Rubovits entitled, "Zur Proselytenfrage in Judenthum," in 1878. Occident gave this pamphlet at its appearance a thorough review. The research and philosophy respecting this all important topic is not only exhaustive but marks the writer as a bold fearless and consistent logician.

He alone of all American Rabbis has elucidated this question from a true Jewish standpoint. Hot and fierce was the journalistic contention between Dr. K. Kohler, then of Sinai Temple and Dr. Felsenthal which was waged in the Staats Zeitung of this city, but not one iota has the writer a bated from his position inthe premises.

Aside from these valuable works, Dr. Felsenthal has and is now contributing to Hebrew literature valuable and highlyinteresting dissertations on leading topics. His letters to the Zeitgeist of Milwaukee and other periodicals, of a special value, treat of live questions that have agitated the Jewish status at this time. He was married in 1862 to Henrieatta Blumenfeld of Chicago.