Jacob Schiff emigrated to the U.S. in the late 19th Century and led an investment banking firm, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., which rivaled the house of J.P. Morgan. But his mastery of Wall Street was not his greatest accomplishment.  One of the city’s most generous philanthropists, Schiff poured much of his personal fortune into establishing charities to support the Russian Jews who came to escape the pogroms, including the 92nd Street Y and the Henry Street Settlement to help poor Jews. His philanthropic legacy extended to non-Jewish institutions as a founder of the New York Zoological Society and an early board member of the NAACP, and he encouraged his family members to follow his example of sharing their wealth. A German Jew, Schiff was an ardent supporter of Russian Jewry; he lobbied Congress and President Grover Cleveland to prevent the passage of legislation which would have prevented the massive wave of Russian Jewish immigrants from whom most current New York Jews descend. His son Mortimer Schiff, also an investment banker, was an early leader of the Boy Scouts of America, and his granddaughter Dorothy Schiff spent 40 years as publisher of “The New York Post.”

8 Responses to “The Descendants of Jacob Schiff”

1. evelyn hirsch says:

   February 18, 2008 at 11:19 am

   My uncle was David Schiff, from Germany. He and his brother brought over my mother, Mary, and her two brothers, George and Hymie and their mother, Eva Schiff Slabodsky from Minsk in Russia. Her first marriage was to a Jacob Schiff in Berlin., When she was young, she married a Schiff, then divorced him and went to Russia , and married the second husband, an artist. How do i get a family tree about my ancestors the Schiffs.
2. Gladys Cansino Lehman says:

   February 25, 2008 at 12:44 pm

   My answer to you on how to get a family tree is simply write to the Cincinnaty Archives for information. Give them as many dates,names, country where they were born,any family information must have a document. Look for the Jewish encyclopidia in your library for sir-names. How did they come to America? Did they come by ship from Russia? Did they come to Ellis Island during the WW2? This is a tedious project but very well worth it. My Dad left us a great legacy when he decided to look into his ancestary and we did alot of surging and we go back as far as 1440 during the Spanish inquisition. My Dad owned 2 Columbus Circle triangle Building in N.Y. E-mail me back if you get this answer.
3. Nitin Salian says:

   March 19, 2008 at 2:46 pm

   Hi,

   I am not a Jew. I usually browse the internet and was in particular reading about successful families in America.The legacy of Mr.Jacob Schiff is great and gives us the young generation; the inspiration and right attitude.

   I always feel i learn from people, so i thought i will comment here.

   Thanks,

   Nitin
4. Lauren Aquino says:

   May 6, 2008 at 2:42 pm

   Hi,
   Jacob Schiff is my great-great cousin. My grandmother barely knew him, because he only visited after WW2. He lived at my grandmother’s house for a few months and then moved on to N.Y. where he began his legacy. It feels kind of weird how a person like him is related to me.
5. Matt says:

   January 5, 2009 at 9:07 pm

   A significant contribution to humanity is lacking from the biography above. Jacob Schiff was largely responsible for denying WWI financing to Tsarist Russia, and financing the Bolshevik Revolution to overthrow the Anti-Semitic Tsarist regime. This was a crowning achievement; a monument to his support of world jewry.
6. sue says:

   January 19, 2009 at 4:22 pm

   ILLUMINATI CROOK!!!!
   If that’s achievement, and inspiration than there is no JUSTICE
   or HOPE.
7. TARIQ says:

   February 17, 2009 at 11:11 am

   Nitin ! Your opening statment was a dead give away.jacob schiff helped financed the belshvik genocid against gentile europeans.be proud of that.
8. vinnie says:

   April 24, 2009 at 1:33 am

   Can the rest of the story be told starting from Rothchild and Jacobs mission for coming to the U.S.What other famous person was born in the Rothchild house? It is to much hidden history in this country.