PISA, DA:

By: Gotthard Deutsch, S. Mannheimer, Isidore Singer, Umberto Cassuto

Italian family, deriving its name from the city of Pisa. It can be traced back to the fifteenth century.

Abraham ben Isaac da Pisa:

Talmudist; son of Isaac ben Jehiel; lived in Bologna, where he died in 1554. He was often consulted about religious questions. One of his responsa is found in the collection of Menahem Azariah da Fano, in which, despite his veneration for Meïr ben Isaac Katzenel-Lenbogen of Padua, Abraham refutes the latter's arguments and expresses the wish that, for the sake of harmony, the rabbis would agree upon one authority in accordance with whose decisions religious questions might be decided. A court banker, Abraham suffered much from the exactions of the popes during the Turkish wars, and consequently was in straitened circumstances. Not being able to publish his responsa, he left them in manuscript, with other works of his.

In the list of names in the archives of the Jewish community of Rome for the years 1536 to 1542 is found the name of Solomon da Pisa (see Vogelstein and Rieger, "Gesch. der Juden in Rom," ii. 419), and among the prominent members of the community during the period 1542-1605 were Abraham ben Joseph and Moses ben Solomon da Pisa (ib. ii. 421). Two of the later descendants of this family were Giuseppe Pisa (b. 1827, Ferrara; d. Milan, Feb. 24, 1904) and his nephew Ugo Pisa. The former, a merchant and manufacturer, took an active part in the revolutionary movement of 1848.

Other distinguished members of the family were Jehiel (see Jew. Encyc. vii. 83) and Isaac ben Jehiel (for whose son Abraham see above).

Daniel ben Isaac da Pisa:

Wealthy and learned philanthropist of the sixteenth century. He was called to the rabbinate of Rome during the pontificate of Clement VII., and succeeded in bringing harmony into that community. He united into one congregation the different elements, consisting of Italian and foreign-born Jews, and instituted a council of sixty members to administer the affairs of the amalgamated congregation. The decisions of this council were declared legal by a papal decree of Dec. 12, 1524. While David Reubeni was at Rome, Daniel da Pisa provided for his wants and served as his interpreter before the pope. Through Daniel's influence Reubeni received from Clement VII. letters of recommendation to the King of Portugal and to other Christian monarchs.

D. S. Man.Ugo Pisa:

Italian writer and senator; born Aug., 1845. After taking part in the campaign of 1866 he studied law. In 1869 and 1870 he was attached to the Italian consulate at Constantinople, and was then secretary of legation in China, Japan, London, and Berlin successively. In 1873 he entered the Banca Pisa of Milan; he was elected common councilor, judge of the tribunal of commerce, counsel and president of the chamber of commerce, and finally senator (Nov. 17, 1898).

Pisa is the author of the following works: "Assicurazione Colletiva Contro gl' Infortunii sul Lavoro, ed Intervento del Patronato Milanese per Facilitarne l'Applicazione," Milan, 1885; "Liberi Protezionisti c Socialisti," ib. 1892; in collaboration with G. Fraschi, "Sulla Opportunità di Dare Maggiore Efficacia Practica all' Azione del Consiglio dell' Industria c del Commercio," ib. 1893; "Relation sur la Prévoyance pour les Accidents de Travail en Italic 1882-89" (in "Congrès International des Accidents du Travail et des Assurances Sociales à Milan"), ib. 1894; "Delle Norme per Regolare il Licenziamento degli Agenti di Commercio," etc., ib. 1894; "Relation sur la Prévoyance pour les Accidents du Travail en Italic" (in "Comité Italien des Sciences Sociales pour l'Exposition de Paris"), ib. 1899.

S. U. C.