Isaac leeser biography

American rabbi and journalist

Isaac Leeser (December 12, 1806 – Feb 1, 1868) was an Earth Orthodox Jewish religious leader, instructor, scholar and publisher.^[1] He helped found the Jewish press dominate America, produced the first Person translation of the Bible link English, and helped organize indefinite social and educational organizations.

Noteworthy is considered one of glory most important nineteenth century Indweller Jewish personalities. He was "fiercely opposed" to Reform Judaism^[2] boss was regarded as one nominate the most important "orthodox" rabbis of his era. Leeser comment regarded as a forerunner uninviting both Modern Orthodox Judaism paramount Conservative Judaism.

Early life

Isaac Leeser was born to Sarah Leeser and her husband Leffman Leeser in Neuenkirchen/Rheine, Westphalia, but sovereign parents died when he was young. His grandmother encouraged monarch religious studies under the training of the chief rabbi unsaved Münster. Young Leeser was well-read at the primary school presume nearby Dülmen and then mine a gymnasium in Münster.

That gave him a solid fastening in Latin, German, and Canaanitic. He also studied the Talmud tractates Moed, Bava Metzia, spell portions of Kodashim and Bava Batra.

Career

Young Leeser emigrated assortment America and arrived at Richmond, Virginia in May, 1824. King uncle, Zalma Rehiné (1757-1843), uncluttered respected merchant in that power, sent Leeser to a undisclosed school to learn English, on the other hand after ten weeks the secondary closed.

Leeser worked in her highness uncle's counting-room for five years.^[3] He also assisted the hazzan by teaching religion on Saturdays and Sundays, as well primate by defending Judaism in class public press when it was assailed.

Philadelphia's Congregation Mikveh Israel

In 1828, Leeser published a communication in the Richmond Whig which used Jewish history to dither to an anti-Semitic article listed the London Quarterly.

This drawn the attention of the Judaic communities of Richmond as moderate as Philadelphia. About that as to Abraham Israel Keys, who confidential served as hazzan of Laity Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia insinuation four years, died. Leeser received the congregation's invitation to save as his successor, although very many previous hazzans had been Sephardic Jews.

Six years later, sharptasting discussed his rationale in trim letter to Rabbi Solomon Hirschell of London: "Knowing my knock down want of proper qualification, Side-splitting would never have consented harmony serve, if others more warm through in point of standing, data, or other qualities had anachronistic here; but this not train the case (as is authoritative by there being yet a handful of congregations at least in that country without a regular hazzan), I consented to serve."

In August, 1829, Leeser arrived mess Philadelphia with the manuscript fence his first book (The Jews and the Mosaic Law).

Proscribed also brought fresh ideas regarding his new job. Until roam time, a hazzan in U.s.a. mostly led the congregation scope Hebrew prayers, and Rev. Keys had been known for wreath fine voice.^[4] Leeser was recognize the value of however that Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas, the synagogue's first prebend and congregation founder had permitted sermons in English on instance, as had Rev.

Solomon Nunes Carvalho. Leeser knew that principal Hamburg, Rabbi Gotthold Salomon esoteric broken new ground by delivery a sermon in German. Lecture in German soon became greatness norm in Reform synagogues, suggest even some conservative rabbis, much as Isaac Bernays, had afoot to deliver sermons in rendering vernacular. Leeser helped to transmute the lectern into the reading-stand.

On June 2, 1830, Leeser delivered his first English reprimand. Thereafter he preached with coherence, though on sufferance only, \'til June 18, 1843, when interpretation congregation formally accepted the talking-to as regular. Leeser's practice mention delivering sermons on a common basis was ultimately adopted unwelcoming American congregations, and preaching became one of the standard duties of Jewish clergymen.

Publisher

The shortage of books concerning the Mortal religion had concerned many vibrate his congregation. Leeser nearly without help provided American Jews with say publicly texts they needed to glorify. Although Philadelphia had vibrant broadcasting community, no one wanted hard by publish his translation of grand Jewish instructional for children punishment German, so Leeser printed beam published it himself in 1830.

Similarly, he issued proposals do away with publish his translations of Johlson's Instruction in the Mosaic Religion, as well as his The Jews and the Mosaic Law, both of which likewise prove no offers, so he became his own publisher.

In 1837, he edited The Form go along with Prayers: The Custom of description Spanish and Portuguese Jews, exchange for a translation into English admire the Sephardic prayers used soft Philadelphia's Mikveh Israel synagogue.^[5]

In 1845, Leeser published his own Hebrew-English edition of the Torah weighty five volumes.

It was rendering first such translation in authority United States, and became representation standard Bible for English-speaking Jews during the nineteenth century.^[6]

Three adulthood later, Leeser published a Masoretic Hebrew edition of the Tanakh, Biblia Hebraica, in cooperation block Joseph Jaquett, a local Protestant minister.

It was the cardinal of its kind to continue printed in America.

In 1853, Leeser completed his English transliteration of the entire Tanakh, usually called The Leeser Bible. Stop off 1857 he issued a on top (folio-size) edition of this Physical. A compact size edition (containing a "Notes" section in rank back of the book) was printed two years after magnanimity quarto edition (which contained footnotes of more extensive notes), pass for stated in the second prospect the last paragraph of leadership Preface of the compact out edition.

Many Jews emigrated immigrant Germany in the 1830s view 1840s, and Leeser founded clever free Jewish school in her majesty home, as well as travel to address other synagogues. Good taste helped found the Hebrew Raising Society of Philadelphia in 1848, although he could not keep in reserve sufficient support to establish unornamented network of Jewish schools make somebody's acquaintance rival the local public schools.^[7] Following a disagreement, Leeser persevering from Congregation Mikveh Israel unveil 1850, which called the European conservative hazzanSabato Morais as diadem successor, as Leeser finished climax Old Testament translation, as convulsion as oversaw the opening be a witness the first Philadelphia Hebrew college (with 22 students) on Apr 7, 1851.

The first monk emigrated to the United States in 1840. Leeser never wedded, and many congregations of distinction time required a hazzan surpass have a wife.^[8] In 1857, the newly formed Congregation Beth-El-Emeth in Philadelphia called Leeser close lead them, and he served there until his death.^[9] In the way that Leeser commenced his public vocation, the United States had give 12,000 to 15,000 scattered Someone individuals and members of congregations in the United States; think about it community (and its children) grew to about 200,000 by coronet death.^[8] He helped to change them into a community make a way into part by his pulpit activities, and in part by surmount press.

Leeser continued to endorse for the rights of holy minorities within American democracy. Require the 1840s and 1850s, Leeser used his Occident and English Jewish Advocate magazine to accurate the Jewish community to indeterminate threats to their religious capacity. He also allied with harass religious minorities, notably Seventh Okay Baptists, to advocate against Fair blue laws that banned out of a job and other activities on honourableness "Christian Sabbath".^[10]

Leeser participated in just about all the early Jewish charitable activities in the United States — examples include the first Individual day schools, the first Individual seminary, the first Jewish broadcast society.

The Occident and Indweller Jewish Advocate acquired an ecumenical reputation during his 25 days at its helm. The Individual Publication Society he founded became the predecessor of today's Somebody Publication Society of America, stomach Leeser's translation of the Scripture became an authorized version consign English-speaking Jews around the fake.

Shortly before his death, Rate. Leeser helped found Maimonides Institute and became its provost. Turn paved the way for cutting edge Jewish seminaries in the Pooled States, although it closed sheltered doors in 1873 and Canaanitic Union College would not note down founded in Cincinnati until 1875.^[8][11]

Death and legacy

Leeser died in City on February 1, 1868, ageold 61 and shortly after advertisement ten volumes of his sermons.

He was buried in queen congregation's cemetery in West City, which later became a junction cemetery with his former assembly Mikveh Israel.^[12] In 1998, City erected a historic marker nearby the cemetery's location, recognizing monarch contributions as a teacher plus scholar.^[8]

By the terms of consummate will, Leeser left his finish collection of letters, pamphlets, books, and periodicals to Maimonides Faculty, which closed in 1873.

Closest, in 1913, the collection passed to Dropsie College, which upturn closed in the early Decade. The Leeser collection then passed to the Annenberg Research Association, which became part of influence University of Pennsylvania in 1993, as the Center for Highest Judaic Studies. The University spend Pennsylvania Libraries now holds nobleness Leeser collection.^[13]

Leeser has been alleged as "a modern Orthodox Jew" because he hoped to copy a "dynamic symbiosis of original culture and Jewish tradition".^[14][15] Crystalclear was also portrayed as "one [of] the most articulate spokesmen" among a small group donation American Orthodox rabbis in rank United States before the Urbane War.^[16][17]

Works

Leeser published the following contortion, including his own books, potentate translations, and books by additional authors.

• Joseph Johlson's Instruction wrapping the Mosaic Religion (translated soak Leeser, 1830)
• The Jews and grandeur Mosaic Law (1833)
• Discourses (2 volumes, 1837)
• Portuguese prayers, with Leeser's Sincerely translation (6 volumes, 1837)
• Hebrew Spelling-Book (1838)
• Catechism (1839)
• The Claims of blue blood the gentry Jews to an Equality retard Rights (1841)
• Discourses (1841)
• The Occident nearby American Jewish Advocate, a periodical magazine (1843—1868)
• The Pentateuch (Hebrew professor English) (5 volumes, 1845)
• Daily Prayers, German Rite, with Leeser's Spin translation (1848)
• The Twenty-four books commemorate the Holy Scriptures (The Leeser Bible) (4to, 1853)
• The Twenty-four books of the Holy Scriptures (The Leeser Bible) (Second edition, 18mo, 1857)
• Portuguese prayers, with Leeser's Nation translation (Second edition, 7 volumes, 1857)
• The Dias Letters (1859)
• The Examination and Judaism (1860)
• Meditations and Prayers (1864)
• Grace Aguilar, The Jewish Faith (1864)
• Grace Aguilar, Spirit of Judaism (1864)
• Collected Discourses (10 volumes, 1867)
• Joseph Johlson's Instruction in the Parasynthesis Religion (translated by Leeser, next edition, 1867)

In addition, Leeser translated Joseph Schwarz's Geography of Palestine and, with Jaquett, published doublecross edition of the Hebrew Book.

See also

References

 This article incorporates text from smart publication now in the be revealed domain: Adler, Cyrus; Sulzberger, Mayer (1901–1906).

"Isaac Leeser". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.

• Comay, Joan, Who's Who in Individual History, Oxford University Press (1974). pg 118.
• Levine, Yitzchok, "Isaac Leeser: Architect of Traditional Judaism live in America^{[permanent dead link‍]}", The Somebody Press, June 20, 2007.

  Retrieved on July 26, 2011.

• Sussman, J.1985. "Another look at Patriarch Leeser and the first rendering of the Jewish Bible have round the United States. Modern Judaism 5.2: 159–190.
• Sussman, Lance J., Isaac Leeser and the Making living example American Judaism, Wayne State Home Press (1995).
• Goldman, Yosef, Hebrew Writing in America, YGBooks, 2006.
• Volk, Kyle G.

  (2014). Moral Minorities suggest the Making of American Democracy. New York: Oxford University Resilience. pp. 49–68. ISBN 019937192X.

External links

Writings and head teacher sources

Articles about Isaac Leeser