# Mayer Messing > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mayer_Messing > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mayer_Messing.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayer_Messing > Source revision: 1347411929 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|German-American rabbi}} '''Mayer Messing''' (December 10, 1843 – January 30, 1930) was a German-American rabbi who ministered in Indianapolis, Indiana for forty years. == Life == Messing was born on December 10, 1843, in [Gniewkowo](/source/Gniewkowo), [Prussia](/source/Kingdom_of_Prussia), the son of Rabbi Joseph Messing.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lKFKAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Messing,%20Mayer%22 |title=The American Jewish Year Book, 5664 |publisher=[The Jewish Publication Society of America](/source/The_Jewish_Publication_Society_of_America) |year=1903 |editor-last=Adler |editor-first=Cyrus |editor-link=Cyrus Adler |location=Philadelphia, P.A. |pages=82 |language=en |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}} His brothers [Aaron J. Messing](/source/Aaron_J._Messing) and [Henry J. Messing](/source/Henry_J._Messing) were also rabbis.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9pwYAAAAIAAJ&q=Messing |title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc. |year=1942 |editor-last=Landman |editor-first=Isaac |editor-link=Isaac Landman |volume=7 |location=New York, N.Y. |pages=506 |language=en |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}} Messing was educated in [Graetz](/source/Grodzisk_Wielkopolski). He was ordained a rabbi by Rabbi E. Gutmacher, Dr. Poper of Charnikow, and Dr. Cohen of [Schwerin](/source/Schwerin). He then served as rabbi of [Neubukow](/source/Neubukow), [Mecklenburg-Schwerin](/source/Grand_Duchy_of_Mecklenburg-Schwerin), and [Aken-on-the-Elbe](/source/Aken_(Elbe)). He served in the German army during the [Austro-Prussian War](/source/Austro-Prussian_War) and left the army after the war.{{Cite book |last=Dunn |first=Jacob Piatt |author-link=Jacob Piatt Dunn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qY_SdmmQZ74C&q=Messing |title=Greater Indianapolis: The History, the Industries, the Institutions, and the People of a City of Homes |publisher=The Lewis Publishing Company |year=1910 |volume=I |location=Chicago, I.L. |pages=629 |language=en |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}} One day during his military service, he was reading an issue of the [Cincinnati](/source/Cincinnati) paper ''[Die Deborah](/source/Die_Deborah)'' a friend sent him when he saw that the [Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation](/source/Indianapolis_Hebrew_Congregation) in [Indianapolis, Indiana](/source/Indianapolis) wanted a rabbi. Anxious to leave his military service, he answered the ad, sent the congregation his picture, and was named rabbi over 93 other applicants.{{Cite book |last=Esarey |first=Logan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIIVmrKtgOQC&q=Messing |title=History of Indiana From Its Exploration To 1922 |publisher=Dayton Historical Publishing Co. |year=1924 |volume=4 |location=Dayton, O.H. |pages=834–835 |language=en |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}} Messing immigrated to America and began serving as rabbi of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation in 1867. The Congregation was initially [Orthodox](/source/Orthodox_Judaism), but under him it became [Reform](/source/Reform_Judaism). Active in charity, he served as secretary of the Hebrew Ladies' Relief Society for at least twenty years. By 1888, one source described him as the principal and best known rabbi in Indiana.{{Cite book |last=Markens |first=Isaac |author-link=Isaac Markens |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ufGdk-kbK-sC&q=Messing |title=The Hebrews in America |publisher=Isaac Markens |year=1888 |location=New York, N.Y. |pages=300 |language=en |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}} By 1904, he served as rabbi for 37 years, the longest a rabbi served a single American congregation at the time.{{Cite web |last1=Adler |first1=Cyrus |author-link1=Cyrus Adler |last2=Singer |first2=Isidore |author-link2=Isidore Singer |title=MESSING |url=https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10734-messing |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=[The Jewish Encyclopedia](/source/The_Jewish_Encyclopedia)}} Shortly after arriving in Indianapolis he instituted Friday evening services, a daily Hebrew class, and a Sabbath school for children after Saturday morning services. He was also first president of the local Humane Society and a board member of the Industrial Home for the Blind, the Fresh Air Mission, and the Indiana Red Cross. He retired as rabbi in 1907. Messing was a prominent [Freemason](/source/Freemasonry) and [B'nai B'rith](/source/B'nai_B'rith) member. He officiated at [Mackinac Island](/source/Mackinac_Island%2C_Michigan) and [Petoskey](/source/Petoskey%2C_Michigan) while vacationing there for decades, and following his retirement he officiated at [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach%2C_California). In 1868, he married Ricka Naphtali. Their children were [Dora](/source/Dora_Messing_Meyberg) (wife of M. S. Meyberg), Esther (wife of Isaac Rice), [Emma](/source/Emma_Messing) (secretary of the [United States Embassy in Berlin](/source/Embassy_of_the_United_States%2C_Berlin), the first woman appointed to such a position), Abraham Lincoln, Samuel, Sara (wife of Leon Stern), and Josephine (wife of Jack Harding). Messing died at his daughter Josephine Harding's home on January 30, 1930. He was buried in the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation Cemetery following a funeral service at the Congregation.{{Cite news |date=31 January 1930 |title=FUNERAL WILL BE HELD FOR RABBI MESSING |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015313/1930-01-31/ed-1/?sp=22&r=0.193,0.007,0.511,0.265,0 |work=[The Indianapolis Times](/source/The_Indianapolis_Times) |location=Indianapolis, I.N. |page=22 |via=[Chronicling America](/source/Chronicling_America) |volume=41 |issue=227}} == References == {{Reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Messing, Mayer}} Category:1843 births Category:1930 deaths Category:Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War Category:19th-century German rabbis Category:American people of German-Jewish descent Category:Emigrants from the Kingdom of Prussia to the United States Category:19th-century American rabbis Category:20th-century American rabbis Category:American Reform rabbis Category:Jews from Indiana Category:People from Indianapolis --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mayer Messing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayer_Messing) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayer_Messing?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.