David de Sola Pool

Rev. Dr. David de Sola Pool דוד די סולה פול‎
de Sola Pool (unknown date).
Position	Rabbi
Synagogue	Congregation Shearith Israel New York City, New York, United States
Began	1907
Personal details
Born	1885-05-16 London, England, United Kingdom
Died	1970-12-01 New York City, United States
Spouse	Tamar (née Hirschensohn) de Sola Pool
Children	Ithiel de Sola Pool (1917–1984) Dr. Naomi de Sola Pool
Occupation	• Rabbi
Alma mater	Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary Berlin, GermanyHeidelberg University

David de Sola Pool (Hebrew: דוד די סולה פול‎; 1885–1970) was the leading 20th-century Sephardic rabbi in the United States. A scholar, author, and civic leader, he was a world leader of Judaism.

Born in London, England, de Sola Pool was descended from an old and renowned family of rabbis and scholars, de Sola, which traces its origins to medieval Spain. His great grandparents were Rabbi (R.) David Aaron de Sola and Rebecca Meldola, his great-great grandfather was Haham Raphael Meldola, a prominent English Rabbi. He was also related to R. Abraham de Sola, R. Abraham Pereira Mendes and Dr. Frederick de Sola Mendes.

He studied at the University of London, and later received his rabbinic ordination from the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary, located in Berlin, Germany. He held a doctorate in ancient languages, summa cum laude, from the University of Heidelberg.

In 1907, de Sola Pool was invited to become the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel — often called the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue — located in New York City, New York, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. He served as its rabbi for sixty-three years.

de Sola Pool translated and edited the Sephardic prayer book for the Union of Sephardic Congregations in 1954, and the Ashkenazic prayer book for the Rabbinical Council of America. These prayerbooks are still in use in congregations around the world.