Joseph Zvi Geiger

The scholar, rabbi, scribe, author, and illustrator Joseph Zvi Geiger came from a family that had lived for four generations in Safed (today Tzfat, Israel). Geiger earned a living from writing contracts, correspondence and letters for those with relatives abroad, and other documents. He was actively involved in attempts to revive the Hebrew language. According to the testimony of his grandson, Geiger rarely left his hometown, only once leaving Safed to travel to Jerusalem for his grandson’s circumcision ceremony. However, he was a well-respected communal figure, and many sought his advice. He gained a reputation as a skilled artist, and community leaders often asked him to produce frontispieces for books or drawings to mark special occasions. He designed ketubot (wedding contracts), which he decorated richly, as well as pictures that adorned the walls of many homes in Safed. However, he did not sign his works.