 Rabinowitz was succeeded as rabbi of Beth Jacob Anshe Sholom in December 1912 by Wolf Gold . Born in Szczecin , Poland ( then Stettin , Germany ) in 1889 , he was the descendant of at least eight generations of rabbis , and received his own rabbinic ordination in 1906 , at age 17 . He emigrated to the United States the following year , and served as rabbi of congregations in Chicago , Illinois and Scranton , Pennsylvania before coming to Williamsburg . 
