Abraham Salomon Levisson

Abraham Salomon Levisson 

In 1935 he was appointed chief rabbi of Friesland. This appointment included responsibility for the district of Drenthe. In 1941 he was also appointed chief rabbi of Gelderland. An announcement in recognition of this appointment appeared on the front page of the Joodsche Weekblad in July 1941. Abraham Salomon Levisson founded the circle of Jewish academics in Friesland in an effort to retain Jewish intellectuals within the Jewish community. Chief Rabbi Levisson was one of the leaders in the Leeuwarden subcommittee of the committee for special Jewish interests. In the late 1930s Levisson became totally caught up with refugee relief. As chief rabbi of the Drenthe district, he often visited Camp Westerbork in 1939-1940, when the place was still a refugee camp.