Judah Leo Landau

Judah Leo Landau was a Galician-born South African rabbi and writer. A noted scholar, poet, and playwright, he served as the inaugural Chief Rabbi of South Africa from 1915 until his death in 1942.

Early life

Landau was born in Zaliztsi, near Brody, Galicia. He was a descendant of the Chacham Tzvi and the Noda Biyehudah. After attending the fourth Zionist Congress in London in 1900, Landau remained in England for three years. He was rabbi of the North Manchester Congregation.

In 1903, he was appointed to lead the Johannesburg Hebrew Congregation. Following the formation of the United Hebrew Congregation of Johannesburg in 1915, Landau was declared its Chief Rabbi. In the same year, he established the Johannesburg Beth Din.