Abraham Abraham

Abraham Abraham (March 9, 1843 – June 28, 1911) was a Jewish American businessman and the founder of the Brooklyn department store Abraham & Straus, founded 1865. The chain, which became part of Federated Department Stores, is now part of Macy's.

Early life

Abraham's father was Judah Abraham, a native of Bavaria who left in 1837 and married Sarah Sussman en route to the United States. Soon after arrival, Judah Abraham opened a store on Murray Street in New York. In 1843 Abraham Abraham was born. He had delicate health, and wanted to be a violinist. During the Civil War, he ran away to Chicago to enlist, but was brought back by his father. At 14, he worked at Hart & Dettlebach of Newark, along with Simon Bloomingdale and Benjamin Altman for $1 a week.

Career

Abraham opened Wechsler & Abraham in Brooklyn in 1865 at 297 Fulton Street . The company later became Abraham & Straus.

He became a Brooklyn philanthropist, establishing the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, among many other causes. In 1890, he commissioned a house, now demolished, at 800 St. Mark's Avenue in Brooklyn.

Saint Abraham (Ethiopian)

Abraham is a saint of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His feast day is celebrated May 5.

References

Sapor of Bet-Nicator

Sapor of Bet-Nicator (also known as Shapur of Bet-Nicator) was the Christian bishop of Bet-Nicator.

He was reported with 4 companions to King Shapur II, on the basis of their having preached against the Zoroastrian religion. After being subjected to prolonged torture, Bishop Sapor died in prison on November 20, 339.

His companions in martyrdom included Abraham.

There is no record of a feast day for these individuals.

References

Abraham in the Catholic liturgy

Abraham figures prominently in Catholic liturgy. Of all the names of the Old Testament used in the liturgies of the Roman Rite, a special prominence accrues to those of Abel, Melchisedech, and Abraham through their association with the idea of sacrifice and their employment in this connection in the most solemn part of the Canon of the Mass. Abraham's name occurs so often and in such a variety of connections as to give him, among Old Testament figures, a position of eminence in the liturgy, perhaps surpassed by David alone.

Roman Martyrology (Martyrologium Romanum)