{{Short description|Jewish English-American rabbi and professor}} thumb|right|Joseph Mayor Asher '''Joseph Mayor Asher''' (September 23, 1872 – November 9, 1909) was a Jewish English-American rabbi and professor.
== Life == Asher was born on September 23, 1872, in Manchester, England, the son of Rabbi Aaron Asher and Betsey Jacobs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h4PwlDpRLoQC|title=The American Jewish Year Book, 5664|publisher=The Jewish Publication Society of America|year=1903|editor-last=Adler|editor-first=Cyrus|editor-link=Cyrus Adler|location=Philadelphia, P.A.|pages=42|language=en|via=Google Books}}</ref>
Asher attended Owens College, graduating from there with a B.A. in 1898 and an M.A. in 1901. While attending Owens, he received the University Scholarship in Philosophy in 1898 and had the Langton Fellowship in Philosophy from 1898 to 1900. He was also an Advanced Student of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1898 to 1900. He was ordained a rabbi in 1893.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-q0ZAAAAYAAJ|title=The Victoria University of Manchester Register of Graduates up to July 1st, 1908|publisher=Manchester University Press|year=1908|edition=Third|location=Manchester, England|pages=16|language=en|via=Google Books}}</ref> The descendant of Russian rabbis, he went to study in the Yeshiva of Kovno in 1889. While studying in Cambridge after returning to England, he fell under the influence of Solomon Schechter and again left England to study at the University of Bonn. He returned to Manchester after he was ordained a rabbi, acting as dayan (judicial assessor) in cases involving Jews in Manchester courts and helping organize the Manchester Talmud Torah School system.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7dtAAAAMAAJ|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc.|year=1939|editor-last=Landman|editor-first=Isaac|editor-link=Isaac Landman|volume=I|location=New York, N.Y.|pages=540|language=en|via=Google Books}}</ref> His rabbinical diploma was granted by Rabbi David Tevel Katzenellenbogen of Suwałki.<ref name=":0" />
In 1901, Asher immigrated to America and became the rabbi of B'nai Jeshurun in New York City. He served as the rabbi there until 1907, when he became rabbi of Orach Chaim in New York City.<ref name=":1" /> He served as rabbi there for the rest of his life. In 1902, he became professor of homiletics of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and was put in charge of the Seminary's department of philosophy and ethics. He also contributed an article on Jewish food and health laws to the ''Encyclopedia Americana'' and wrote reviews for the ''International Journal of Ethics'' and the ''Critical Review''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer01ilamer/page/388/mode/1up?view=theater|title=Dictionary of American Biography|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=1928|editor-last=Johnson|editor-first=Allen|editor-link=Allen Johnson (historian)|volume=1|location=New York, N.Y.|pages=388–389|language=en|via=Internet Archives}}</ref>
Asher died at home from a weakened heart on November 9, 1909. His funeral took place in his synagogue, with Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes officiating the ceremony.<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 November 1909|title=Rev. Joseph M. Asher Dead|volume=LIX|pages=9|work=The New York Times|issue=18918|location=New York, N.Y.|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/11/10/101905003.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0}}</ref> He was buried in Beth Olam Cemetery in the Shearith Israel section.<ref>{{Cite web|last=lizensk12|date=2008-12-30|title=Rabbi Yosef Meir Asher|url=https://kevarim.com/rav-yosef-mayor-asher/|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Kevarim|language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} Category:1872 births Category:1909 deaths Category:Rabbis from Manchester Category:19th-century English rabbis Category:Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:English people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:20th-century American rabbis Category:Rabbis from New York City Category:Jewish Theological Seminary of America faculty {{DEFAULTSORT:Asher, Joseph Mayor}} Category:20th-century American academics Category:Jewish American academics Category:Burials at Beth Olom Cemetery