The Jewish community of this city was swindled of 2,000 drachmas, and Chief Rabbi Dr. S. Koretz of another 1,000, by a man who claimed that he was “Rabbi Friedman” and that he had been authorized to collect funds for a new synagogue in Barcelona.
The supposed rabbi said he had received 1,000 Egyptian pounds in Egypt and proposed to visit a number of Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe.
On investigation it was found that all of “Friedman’s” claims were false, that he had forged certificates from the Barcelona community, as well as recommendations from several prominent Rabbis in Palestine.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
