At first I had doubts whether this “modern” book should be in my vintage and antique Anglo-Judaica library – but then I realized that it was published 50 years ago, and is a very relevant book on problems of Jewish adoption of children.
Meir Steinberg was born in Poland on April 1st, 1906. He was the Rabbi of Czortkow (in the northern part of Galician Podolia, now the Ukraine) until 1939 and was in the Old City of Jerusalem from 1940 to 1942 and was then the Senior Jewish Chaplain to the Polish Forces in the Middle East, until 1946. His brother, Rabbi Baruch Steinberg was Chief Rabbi of the Polish army when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Baruch Steinberg was murdered by the Russians at Katyn.
Rabbi Steinberg came to London after the war and was rabbi of Notting Hill Synagogue from 1948 to 1952, and Brixton Synagogue from 1952 to 1966. He became a Dayan (Judge) of the London Beth Din (Ecclesiastical Court) in 1956. Fir a description of the work of the London Beth Din click here.
This is a key work on orthodox Jewish problems of adoption and the proselytization (conversion) of a child. It is presented as Volume I, but, sadly, Rabbi Steinberg passed away while it was still being printed.
(Dayan Steinberg was my tenth cousin, once removed. His genealogy is here.)
The book starts with a dedication in remembrance of Rabbi Steinberg’s parents.
Jewish Miscellanies 