Rabbi Akiva Kornitzer zt"l, Rav of Krakow, grandson of the Chasam Sofer zy"a
Rabbi Akiva Kornitzer zt"l
רבי עקיבא קארניצער זצ״ל
Upcoming yahrzeit: 21 December 2026 (5787)
Send a kvittel to this keverBiography
Rabbi Akiva Kornitzer zt"l was rav of Krakow. He was born in Mattersdorf in 5599 (1838 or 1839), a son of Reb Eliyahu Kornitzer and of Gittel, a daughter of the Chasam Sofer zy"a. So he was a grandson of the Chasam Sofer. He married Reizel, a daughter of his uncle, Rabbi Shimon Sofer zy"a, the Michtav Sofer, rav of Krakow — and so he was also Rabbi Shimon’s son-in-law. The matzeivah itself says both of these: “neched” of the Chasam Sofer, and “choson” of Rabbi Shimon Sofer, av beis din of the city.
For many years he served as a dayan in Krakow, and after Rabbi Shimon Sofer’s histalkus in 1883 he was rav for those who held by him. (There was a machlokes in the kehillah over the rabbonus in those years; we bring that only as the sources record it.) He was niftar on 11 Teves 5652 (11 January 1892), still a relatively young man, around fifty-three years old. His son, Rabbi Yosef Nechemia Kornitzer zt"l, later became rav of Krakow.
He rests in the nayer Beis Hachaim on ul. Miodowa, right next to his shver, Rabbi Shimon Sofer zy"a. The earlier stone was destroyed in the churban; the granite matzeivah in the photograph is a later one. Your kvittel will be placed on his kever there.
Historical background
After the histalkus of Rabbi Shimon Sofer zy"a, the Sofer–Kornitzer family remained bound to the Krakow rabbonus. Rabbi Akiva was both a grandson of the Chasam Sofer and a son-in-law of the Michtav Sofer, and he served in the city until 1892. He rests beside his shver in the nayer Beis Hachaim. Decades later his son, Rabbi Yosef Nechemia, was called back to be rav of Krakow.
Before & after
Who came before
- The Chasam Sofer zy"a — His mother’s father
- Rabbi Shimon Sofer zy"a, the Michtav Sofer — His shver, and also his mother’s brother; earlier rav of Krakow; they rest side by side
Who came after
- Rabbi Yosef Nechemia Kornitzer zt"l — His son; later rav of Krakow, buried in the same Beis Hachaim
In his dor
- —
Sources
The facts on this page come from the earlier site and from the sources listed here. Where the sources are not one shittah, it is written in the text.
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Send a kvittel to Rabbi Akiva Kornitzer zt"l
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