Meir Simcha of Dvinsk branches were established in Toronto and Montreal in Canada, and in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Worldwide, branches, all bearing the name "Ohr Somayach", are Ohr Somayach, South Africa, London in the United Kingdom, Kiev in the Ukraine, and Sydney in Australia. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) was a rabbi and prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century. He was a kohen, and is therefore often referred to as "Meir Simcha ha-Kohen" ("Meir Simcha the Kohen"). He is known for his writings on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, which he titled "Ohr
Is Theosophy a Religion? and charlatanism and issued a verdict: "The denial of a personal God nullifies its claim to be a spiritualistic philosophy." Kalnitsky stated: "The movement that Madame Blavatsky began may be classified as an important foundational legitimator of later NRMs, directly or indirectly influencing other schools, groups, individuals, and thus, spreading elements of its ideational structure into society at large." In support of his words Kalnitsky refers to the British scholar of religious studies George Chryssides and professor John Melton. Is Theosophy a Religion? "Is Theosophy a Religion?" is an editorial published in November 1888 in the theosophical magazine "Lucifer"; it