Prof. Samuel Soloveichik attending a wedding with his wife in
New York City , 1963.
Dr. Samuel (Shmuel Yaakov) Soloveichik (1909 – February 25, 1967) was an Orthodox Jewish
chemist and
talmudist .
[1]
Early life
Born in
Pruzhany , Samuel Soloveichik was the second son of Rabbi
Moshe Soloveichik . He was the brother of rabbis
Joseph Soloveitchik (1903-1993) and
Ahron Soloveichik (1917-2001). He had two sisters, Mrs.
Shulamith Meiselman (1912-2009), and Mrs.
Anne Gerber (1915-2011).
[1]
After engaging in talmudic studies with his father, Soloveichik studied
mathematics and
science .
[2]
[3]
In 1934 he received a doctorate in
chemistry from the
University of Brussels , graduating magnum cum laude .
[1]
[4] In 1939 he emigrated to the United States. During the Second World War Soloveichik worked as a research chemist for the
Board of Chemical Warfare and the
Board of Economic Warfare .
[4]
Career
In 1950, he received a Research Fellowship at
Yeshiva University becoming Lecturer in
Chemistry in the University's Chemistry Department in 1953. From 1959 until his death he was Associate Professor of Chemistry.
[1] He was also a member of the
American Chemical Society and the
American Association for the Advancement of Science .
[1]
[4]
In a paper published in 1966, Soloveichik proposed a means of classifying
aliphatic compounds similar to the
periodic table .
[1]
[4] Prior to publishing the paper he discussed its contents with the chemist
Linus Pauling in August–September 1955.
[5]
Soloveichik was an expert and frequently lectured and wrote in the field of the
History of Chemistry .
[1] In a series of papers he attributed the premature deaths or illnesses of the chemists
Joseph Priestley ,
Carl Wilhelm Scheele ,
Humphry Davy ,
William Cruickshank (chemist) and
James Woodhouse to chemical poisoning.
In lectures at Yeshiva University Soloveichik discussed the relationship between science and Torah with regard to issues such as the age of the earth
[6] and whether the earth orbits the sun or vice versa.
[7]
Death
Soloveichik died aged 58 on February 25, 1967, at
Montefiore Hospital in
the Bronx, New York .
[1] He was survived by his wife Bathsheba Ziv, a teacher at the
Beis Yaakov-Beis Miriam High School in the Bronx, and his four siblings. His older brother Joseph Ber delivered a brief eulogy at his funeral, as did Yeshiva University President, Dr.
Samuel Belkin . The main eulogy, lasting close to two hours, was delivered by his younger brother, Ahron.
The Dr. Samuel Soloveichik Prize in Natural Science was established at Yeshiva University in his memory.
Brisker Family Tree
Brisker family tree
Rabbanit
Esti Rosenberg , director of
Migdal Oz (seminary)
Rabbi
Yitzchok Lichtenstein , Co-Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas ; Rabbi Bais Avrohom, Monsey, NY
Rabbi
Yosef Dov (Reb Berel) Soloveichik Rabbi
Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveichik Rabbi
Mosheh Lichtenstein , Co-Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshivat Har Etzion
Rabbi
Meshulam Dovid (Reb Dovid) Soloveichik Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveichik Rabbi Mayer Lichtenstein, Rabbi Ohel Menachem Bet Shemesh
Rabbi
Yosef Dov (HaLevi) Soloveichik author of Beis HaLevi Rabbi
Chaim Soloveichik "Reb Chaim Brisker " Rabbi
Yitzchak Zev (Reb Velvel) Soloveichik "The GRIZ "The Brisker Rov Lifsha Soloveitchik Feinstein Dr. Tovah Soloveitchik Lichtenstein Rabbi
Jonathan Rosenblatt
Rabbi
Refael Shapiro , Rosh Yeshiva of
Volozhin yeshiva Lifsha Shapiro Rabbi Refoel Soloveichik Rabbi Dr.
Aharon Lichtenstein Tzipporah Rosenblatt
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik Dr. Atarah Soloveitchik Twersky Rabbi Mosheh Twersky z"l, Maggid Shiur at
Yeshiva Toras Moshe
Rabbi Dr.
Joseph B. (Yosef Dov) Soloveitchik "The Rav " Rabbi Dr.
Isadore Twersky , Talner Rebbe of Boston Rabbi
Mayer Twersky , Rosh Yeshiva at
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi
Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi
Ahron Soloveichik Rabbi Dr.
Haym Soloveitchik Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk (Chicago); Rav of Kehilas Beth Sholom Ahavas Achim
Peshka Feinstein Soloveichik Dr.
Samuel Soloveichik Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshiva at
Lander College 's Beis Medrash L'Talmud Rabbi
Meir Yaakov Soloveichik
Shulamit Soloveitchik Meiselman Rabbi
Moshe Meiselman , Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshiva Toras Moshe Rabbi Yosef Soloveichik Sarah Orenshein
Anne Soloveitchik Gerber Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik, Maggid Shiur at Yeshivat Reishit; Morah D’Asrah of Kehillat Ohr Shalom, Ramat
Beit Shemesh Moshe Soloveichik
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Soloveichik
Rabbi Yitzchok Soloveichik Rabbi Yisroel Soloveichik
Rabbi Yisroel Gershon Soloveichik Rabbi
Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Boruch Soloveichik
Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Soloveichik
Daughter Soloveichik
Notes:
Articles
"The Last Fight for Phlogiston and the Death of Priestley," J. Chem. Educ. 39 (1962), pp. 644–646
"Hidden Danger In the Lab", Chem. Eng. News, 41(37), (1963), p. 178
"Toxicity: Killer of great chemists?," J. Chem. Educ., 41 (5),(1964), p. 282
and Henry Krakauer "Oxidation stages of organic aliphatic compounds: A classification scheme" J. Chem. Educ. 43 (10) 1966, p. 532
and Henry Krakauer, "Alfred Werner," in Werner Centennial: A Symposium, ed. George B. Kauffman (Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society), pp. 3–7
Patents
'Method for Preparing Formic Esters', (US Patent 2617821, November 11, 1952)
'Process for the Production of Nitrous Esters' (Serial No. 438,325, August 2, 1955)
References