Miroslav Šalom Freiberger
| Rabbi Miroslav Šalom Freiberger | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Position | Rabbi |
| Synagogue | Zagreb Synagogue |
| Began | 1937 |
| Ended | 1943 |
| Predecessor | Rabbi Mojsije Margel |
| Successor | Rabbi Kotel Da-Don |
| Other | Chief rabbi (from 1941 to 1943) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
9 January 1903 Zagreb, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, (now Croatia) |
| Died | c. May 8, 1943 (aged 40) Auschwitz concentration camp |
| Nationality |
 Croatia
|
| Denomination | Orthodox Judaism |
| Residence | Zagreb |
| Spouse | Irena (née Steiner) Freiberger |
| Children | Reuven Yaron |
Miroslav Šalom Freiberger (Hebrew: שלום פרייברגר; January 9, 1903 Zagreb, Croatia – c. May 8, 1943 Auschwitz) was chief rabbi of Zagreb, catechist, translator, writer and spiritual leader. He was educated as a lawyer and doctor of theology.
Freiberger was born in Zagreb on January 9, 1903. He was married to Irena (née Steiner) Freiberger with whom he had a son Ruben. Freiberger's first employment in the Jewish community was as a rabbi in Osijek, Slavonia. He served as rabbi of the Jewish community Zagreb from 1937 to 1941. Freiberger became popular among the young Jews, thanks to his communicativeness. In 1941, after the death of rabbi Gavro Schwarz, he became the chief rabbi of Zagreb. In the years prior to World War II, he was a strong advocate of Zionism and the return of Jews to what was then the British Mandate for Palestine. However, he decided to stay in Zagreb while there was still even one Jew left there.
With the foundation of the Independent State of Croatia and the first application of racial laws, Freiberger made efforts to rescue Jews. He had many connections with Jewish organizations in Italy, Hungary and Switzerland, and extremely good relations with the Catholic Church in Croatia, especially with Alojzije Stepinac, Archbishop of Zagreb. Archbishop Stepinac urged Freiberger and his family to take refuge at his court until the end of the war. However, Freiberger declined the offer since he wanted to share the destiny of his people. At the end of 1942 he escorted the last group of rescued Jews to Budapest and Istanbul, from where they were transferred to the British Mandate for Palestine. Among them, with ten underage girls and boys, was his sixteen-year-old son Ruben. The group had received travel documents only after Stepinac and Vatican officials had intervened with the Croatian authories.
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