Rabbi Meir Meisel

R. Meir was born in 1827, probably in the shtetl Ilya of Vileika uyezd of Minsk (later-Vilna) gubernia in the family of Yakov Meisel, a son of 3rd Grade merchant Yosef ben Shlomo. In 1846 or earlier he left to Chislavichi. Probably in 1860-s, he made aliyah to Eretz Israel, just like his brother-in-law R. Moshe Nechemia Kahanov. He settled in the Old city of Jerusalem, known here as Chaslavitzer Rav. In 1872 he founded there the synagogue "Kahilat Yeshurun" with financial aid of another brother-in-law, R. Saadiah Shor of Mohilev, a son of R. Yekhezkel Shor, who donated to establish the yeshiva in Chislavichi. R. Saadiah also helped to maintain the synagogue of which R. Meir was the chief gabbai. R. Meir also was one of the heads of the "Torat Chaim" yeshivah and a member of the founding committee of the district of Even Yisrael, founded in 1875. He is also to be found as a co-signatory to many rabbinic proclamations, including ones about Shemita and secular education. The historian Henrich Graetz with the support of a number of German Orthodox rabbis, including Rabbi Hildesheimer, proposed opening a school in Jerusalem in which secular subjects would be included in the curriculum. The Ashkenasi opposed this innovation and both R.Meir Meisel and R. Moshe Nechemia Kahanov signed an anti proclamation.

R. Meir passed away on 27th day of Shvat, 5663 (24.02.1903) and was buried in Jerusalem.