Shelma Feingold

Shelma Feingold (sometimes written Shlomo; 1865 – August 16, 1935) was an entrepreneur, publisher, and journalist active in the Land of Israel at the end of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. Born Jewish and a student at the Volozhin Yeshiva, Feingold drew close to the British Israelites sect. As a result, he became widely known as an apostate, though it is uncertain whether he officially changed his religion. Due to his religious beliefs and his unconventional lifestyle and customs, Feingold faced negative attitudes from his Jewish contemporaries. He was even immortalized in S. Y. Agnon's novel Temol Shilshom (Only Yesterday) under the nickname "the apostate". Despite this, Feingold was a resourceful entrepreneur who left behind remarkable buildings in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias, and Afula.