Abraham Aub

Jewish Communal Leadership

A lifelong Cincinnati resident, Abraham Aub (1813-1879) was active in the Jewish community. He taught in the Sunday School of Talmud Yelodim, the Jewish school. The school was free of charge, to ensure that all students had the opportunity to learn about Judaism. The school opened in 1849 and was affiliated with Congregation Bene Yeshurun (now Wise Temple) and funded in part by philanthropist Judah Touro of New Orleans. Abraham Aub served as the President of the Jewish Hospital Association for twenty years, from 1855-1875. He and his wife Fanny "sold" their property in downtown Cincinnati to the hospital in 1865 for one dollar. Cincinnati's Jewish Hospital was the first of its kind in the country; it opened in 1850 after the city's cholera outbreak exposed the need for a place to treat poor Jews, as well as a way to protect dying Jews from forced conversion. Today, Jewish Hospital is a leading teaching hospital and treats patients of all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs.