My name is Chilko Jakob Weinberg and I was born in Pilwishki in 1884, the son of the merchant Moses Weinberg and his wife Scheine Rivke.

As a child, I attended the Jewish Elementary School, and later the Jewish Talmudic College (Yeshiva) in Kovno. I obtained my rabbinical licence at the age of 17. When I was 20, I was appointed rabbi in Pilwishki and later I also became the crown rabbi, having passed the state examination (equivalent to the German matriculation) in Lomza.

Since then, I have published historical, talmudic, and pedagogic papers in various scientific journals.

In 1914 I moved to Germany, taking up the post of rabbi in Berlin.

With the permission of the Prussian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, I attended lectures at the Berlin philosophical faculty during the winter term of 1920. There I heard Professors Erdmann, Riehl, Stumpf, and Strack.

Having obtained the university entrance certificate in Kovno after passing the requisite examinations, I enrolled in the University of Giessen. Here I attended the lectures of Professors Kahle, Messer, Hölscher, Kinkel, Aster, Hans Schmidt, and others.

For the past 2½ years I have been employed as a lecturer in Judaica at the University of Giessen.

I would express my sincerest thanks to all my highly esteemed teachers for the part they played in my academic education, especially to Herr Professor Kahle, my esteemed teacher, who did so much to advance my academic studies and also enriched this present work with valuable suggestions.