Lazar Horowitz

Lazar Horowitz, or Eleazar HaLevi Ish Horowitz, Eleasar ben David Josua Hoeschel Horowitz, aka El'azar Hurwitz [1] (1803/1804, Floß, Upper Palatinate - June 11, 1868, Vöslau) was an Orthodox Rabbi who led the Jewish community of Vienna during the Vormärz period and became the first Chief Rabbi of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Vienna in 1852, while retaining his title and position as Chief Rabbi of Vienna.

Born in Bavaria, Horowitz was a student of Moses Sofer of Pressburg before moving to Vienna in 1828 to serve as the community's supervisor of Kosher meat.

His responsum regarding metzitzah b'peh was strongly influenced by the Hatam Sofer's rulings, according to Meir Hershkovitz in his 1972 article on Horwitz.

Isaac Hirsch Weiss published a pamphlet entitled Neẓaḥ Yisrael in support of the testimony.

On the other hand, rabbis such Azriel Hildesheimer, criticized Horowitz for defending Graetz.