Portrait of Rabbi Yitsḥak Yehudah Schmelkes (1828–1906), source: jtsa.edu

Portrait of Rabbi Yitsḥak Yehudah Schmelkes (1828–1906), source: jtsa.edu

Wilhelm Reich’s parents Leon Reich (1868-1914) and Cecylia Roniger (recte Blum) (1875-1910) were married by Rabbi Yitsḥak Yehudah Schmelkes (1828–1906) in Lemberg (Lviv, Ukraine).

According to H.D. Modlinger in the Encyclopedia Judaica (2007), Rabbi Schmelkes was widely respected religious figure of Jewish live in Galicia: He was an renowned talmudic scholar. As son of Ḥayyim Samuel Schmelkes he claimed descendance from Eleazar b. Samuel Schmelke Rokeaḥ.

According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust (2001) Schmelkes was the head of the rabbinical court in Lviv (1869-1893). His main work was the 6-volume Beit Yiẓḥak (1875–1908). It referred to the four parts of the Shulḥan Arukh. In general Schmelkes was an important reference for many halakhic questions.


source: agad.gov.pl

source: agad.gov.pl

On the left you can see the Marriage certificate of Leon and Cecylia Reich from 1895. Two years later Wilhelm Reich was born.