ADLER

ADLER, family originally from frankfurt . There are different theories as to the origin of the family name. According to one, the early members of the family lived in a house bearing the sign of an eagle (Ger. Adler). The main branch, whose members were kohanim, i.e., of priestly stock, traced its descent to Simeon Kayyara (see halakhot gedolot ), the presumed author of the Yalkut Shimoni. The first outstanding member of the family was the kabbalist nathan b. simeon adler (1741–1800), whose pedigree may be traced back to an earlier Nathan Adler of the beginning of the 18th century. MARCUS (MORDECHAI; d. 1843), served as dayyan in Frankfurt and subsequently for 25 years as rabbi of Hanover. He had six children, most noted of whom was nathan marcus adler (1803–1890) who became the chief rabbi of the Ashkenazi congregations of Great Britain in 1848. He was succeeded by his second son, hermann naphtali adler (1839–1911). Nathan Marcus' eldest son, MARCUS NATHAN ADLER (1837–1911), mathematician and educator, was active in England in Jewish communal life and published a critical edition and translation of the Travels of Benjamin of Tudela (1907, reprinted 1964); a half-brother elkan nathan adler (1861–1946), Nathan's youngest son, was an outstanding Hebrew bibliophile. Marcus Nathan's son HERBERT MARCUS (b. 1876), a lawyer, was director of Jewish education in London. Hermann's daughter NETTIE (1869–1950), a social worker and educator, wrote articles on child welfare. A second Adler family, unconnected with the Frankfurt family (above), originated in Worms. The first known, ISAAC ADLER (d. 1823), served as rabbi in Worms from 1810. One of his sons, samuel adler (1809–1891), was rabbi in New York. Samuel's son, felix adler (1851–1933), was founder of the ethical culture movement. (Cecil Roth)