Morris L. Kramer (1864-1925) was born in Kurenitz, in the Provence of Wilma. Kurenitz was known as the home of Rav Zalman Kurenitzer one of the great Talmudic scholars of the time. Morris grew up studying under his son Reb Ziske. Morris would often say of his youth with Reb Ziske "If some little of the glow and the warmth of the Jewish heart has remained with me, it is Reb Ziske I have to thank for it." This was the time and place where the concepts of piousness and charity were instilled into Morris, the same concepts
he would later take with him to America to found M.L. Kramer & Sons. When the Russian government evicted Morris, his wife and six young children from his home, he was forced to haul wood in his wagon to make ends meet. At this point, Morris' father agreed that he should leave for America in the Summer of 1895 with empty pockets to build a new life. He was met at the steamship by a distant relative named Mendel who put him to work at his knee pants shop. Mendel treated Morris very poorly and after enough abuse Morris burst out and exclaimed "Listen Mendel! I remember you from our old home; and I know that out there you were not at all as smart as you pretend to be. Of course, they say America makes one clever; well then, remember that I also am in America now, and this American cleverness tells me to leave you right now." Within a year Morris succeeded in forming a partnership of his own where he invented a new and better way for cutting trousers and with this new
method was able to compete with the larger manufacturers of the time. His partner would manage all the outside duties of taking orders and making deliveries and Morris would labor away in the shop working as many as eighteen hours a day and sleeping the other six in the shop. After three years of working himself to the bone he was able to afford to send for his family and bring them to America to join him. From there M.L Kramer & Sons would only grow. In 1902 Morris was able to open his own factory at 21 Bowery in New York City. The company remained there till 1906 when it again moved to 50 Lispenard Street, the manufacturing center of that day. In 1911 the company moved again to a full three floors on Walker Street. It was at this point that Morris' sons Hyman & Abraham joined the business and it became officially knows as M.L. Kramer & Sons ever since. in 1915 M.L. Kramer & Sons moved its manufacturing outside of New York City, but kept a main office at 628
Broadway and later 689 Broadway. With M.L. Kramer & Sons' success & his family safe and secure in America, Morris was able to focus on his charitable endeavors. He used M.L. Kramer & Sons as a vessel to give charity to many different organizations and was able to immerse himself in Torah learning. He became the first Jew in American history to hold a "Siyum Hashas". He wrote a book he published at his own expense "Chachma Israel Ba'al Shem Tov" that was edited by Reb David Shifrin. After WWI ended, Morris was able to return to Kurentiz in 1920 where he brought all the money he could and helped save hundreds of families from starvation. Morris goal was always to use the profits of
M.L Kramer & Sons for charitable purposes. He used those funds to establish Chabad of America and served as the first ever president of Chabad Lubavitch of North America and Canada and for many years the offices of M.L. Kramer & Sons served as the central address for Chabad. Morris was also the President of Zemach Aedek Nusach Hoari Synagogue on Henry Street. After Morris' passing in 1925 his children followed in their father's footsteps with Hyman taking over as President of Chabad Lubavitch of North America & Canada, Abe became Treasurer, and Sam became Legal Counsel. When WWII broke out on September 1st, 1939 Rabbi Joseph Issac Schneersohn was trapped in Nazi occupied Poland. With sons Hyman, Abe and Sam leading the charge; and the help of the US State department, they were able to arrange for a $75,000 bribe to the Gestapo to allow the Rebbe and his family to arrive safely in New York on March 19th, 1940. It was then the Kramer family purchased and furnished 770 Eastern Parkway and gifted it to the Rebbe, which has served as the Lubavitch headquarters from that day forward. In the longstanding
From Left to Right: Mr. A Rabinowitz, Mr. A. Fogelman, Mr. Hyman "Chazak" Kramer, Lubavicher Rebbe Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, Rabbi S. Gourary. Photo taken on the White House Lawn 1930.
770 Eastern Parkway Lubavich Headquarters, Brooklyn, NY
tradition of M.L. Kramer & Sons, please find the link the
Lubavitch of America to learn more about the organization that meant so much to our founder and patriarch.