Israel Azriel Hildesheimer (May 20, 1820 – July 12, 1899) was a German rabbi and leader of Orthodox Judaism. He is regarded as a pioneering modernizer of Orthodox Judaism in Germany and as a founder of Modern Orthodox Judaism. Image File history File links Azriel_Hildesheimer. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as MO) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. ...

Biography

Hildesheimer was born in Hildesheim, a small town near Hanover, Germany (although some believe he was born in Halberstadt), the son of Rabbi Löb Glee Hildesheimer. â–¶ (help· info) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... Hanover (German: Hannover []), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... Liebfrauenkirche Halberstadt is a city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. ...

He attended the "Hasharat Zwi" school in Halberstadt, and, from age seventeen, the Yeshiva of Rabbi Jacob Ettlinger in Altona. The Chacham Isaac Bernays was one of his teachers and his model as a preacher. While studying rabbinic literature Hildesheimer also studied classical languages. In 1840 he returned to Halberstadt, took his diploma at the Dom gymnasium, and entered the University of Berlin; he became a disciple of the dominant Hegelian school. He studied Semitic languages and mathematics, and continued his study in Talmud. In 1842 he went to Halle and continued his studies under Gesenius and Roediger (Ph.D. 1844, his dissertation being "Ueber die Rechte Art der Bibelinterpretation"). Hildesheimer then returned to Halberstadt, where he married Henrietta Hirsch. Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ... Jacob Ettlinger (March 17, 1798-December 7, 1871) was a German rabbi and author, and one of the leaders of Orthodox Judaism. ... Altona may refer to various places: Altona, Victoria, a seaside suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Altona, Illinois, a village located in Knox County, Illinois Altona, Indiana, a town located in DeKalb County, Indiana Altona, Hamburg, the westmost district in the city of Hamburg, Germany Altona, Manitoba, a town located in... Hakham or Chacham (Hebrew חכם lit. ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... A classical language is a language with a literary tradition that can be judged as classical. According to George L. Hart: [To] qualify as a classical tradition, a language must fit several criteria: it should be ancient, it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly on its own not... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The matriculation ceremony at Oxford Matriculation refers to the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by acquiring the required prior qualifications. ... A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishops seat. ... A gymnasium (pronounced /gim-/ as opposed to /jim-/) is a type of school of secondary education in parts of Europe. ... There is no institution called the University of Berlin, but there are four universities in Berlin, Germany: Humboldt University of Berlin (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Technical University of Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin) Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin) Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin) This is... Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (August 27, 1770 - November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, Württemberg, in present-day southwest Germany. ... 14th century BC diplomatic letter in Akkadian, found in Tell Amarna. ... Euclid, a famous Greek mathematician known as the father of geometry, is shown here in detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Halle (also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish from Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia) is the largest town in the German Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. ... Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (February 3, 1786 - October 23, 1842), was a German orientalist and Biblical critic. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1851 he became Rabbi of Eisenstadt (Kis Marton), Hungary (now located in Austria). His first notable act there was to found a parochial school, in which correct German was used, and in which modern principles of pedagogy were adopted, in teaching Jewish as well as secular subjects. Hildesheimer initially introduced limited secular studies in the Jewish elementary school. The older students received a secular education as well, but with a focus on mathematics and other subjects that would enhance their understanding of gemara. 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... Eisenstadt (Hungarian Kismarton, Croatian Željezno) is a city in Austria, the state capital of Burgenland. ... A parochial school (or faith school) is a type of private school which engages in religious education in addition to conventional education. ... Euclid, a famous Greek mathematician known as the father of geometry, is shown here in detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... The Gemara (גמרא - from gamar: Hebrew [to] complete; Aramaic [to] study) is a component of the Talmud, comprising the rabbinical commentaries and analysis on the Mishnah, undertaken in the Academies of Palestine and Babylon over a 300 year period to about 500. ...

Next, Hildesheimer established a rabbinical school, which within a few years attracted a large number of pupils. (After beginning with six students in 1851, the yeshiva had 128 students in 1868, including one from the United States.) His son, Hirsch Hildesheimer, was a professor at the rabbinical seminary. Hildesheimer’s seminary was the only institution under Orthodox auspices in which students were required to have a significant secular education before they were admitted. It was expected that they would also continue their general education at the university level. Also unusual in the yeshiva was that time was set aside for studying Tanach and the Hebrew language. Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... RABBINER SEMINAR FÃœR DAS ORTHODOXE JUDENTHUM (HILDESHEIMER RABBINICAL SEMINARY) This institution was founded at Berlin by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Hildesheimer for the training of Orthodox rabbis. ... Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... 11th century Targum Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also spelt Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym for the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, based upon the initial Hebrew letters of each part: Torah [תורה] (The Law; also: Teaching or Instruction), Chumash [חומש] (The five, also Pentateuch or The five books of... Hebrew (עִבְרִית or עברית, ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ...

In Berlin at that time the Orthodox minority, constituting about 200 families, were dissatisfied with the appointment of Abraham Geiger, a liberal Reform Jew, as Rabbi, and were thus in search of an Orthodox rabbi of standing who would represent them. Their choice fell upon Hildesheimer. He went to Berlin in 1869 as rabbi and director of the Beth midrash. He soon established a religious school and a yeshiva (rabbinical seminary), which thirty former pupils of his at once entered; Hildesheimer thus became the real intellectual founder and leader of the community Adath Yisrael. Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany. ... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Abraham Geiger (1810-1874 CE) was a German rabbi who led the foundation for Reform Judaism, where he sought to remove all nationalistic elements (particularly the Chosen People doctrine) from Judaism, stressing Judaism as an evolving and changing religion. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Beth midrash (or Beit Midrash or Bais Medrash or Bais Medrish) (plural battei midrash) literally means a House of Interpretation or Lecturing or Learning in Hebrew. ... Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ...

Aided by Mayer Lehmann, the editor of Israelit in Mainz, Hildesheimer "exerted his whole energy" in the fight against Reform Judaism. In 1861 he took his stand against Abraham Geiger by criticizing Geiger's, "Notwendigkeit und Mass ciner Reform des Jüdischen Gottesdienstes" (Mayence, 1861). (In fact, as early as 1847 - as the representative of the communities in the Magdeburg district - he had energetically opposed the Reform attempts of Ludwig Philippson.) It is evident, however, that Hildesheimer, who would listen to no compromise, in fact widened the gap between the Reform and the Orthodox Jews of Germany. Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... Abraham Geiger (1810-1874 CE) was a German rabbi who led the foundation for Reform Judaism, where he sought to remove all nationalistic elements (particularly the Chosen People doctrine) from Judaism, stressing Judaism as an evolving and changing religion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Hildesheimer was "simple in his habits and fearless"; he had an unusual capacity for work; and his great Talmudic learning was joined to practical administrative ability. He was financially independent, and never accepted remuneration for his rabbinical activity. He was frequently engaged in philanthropic activities connected with his own congregation, but additionally, "no labor was too great and no journey too long for him" in the service of the poor and needy in Germany, Austria, Russia, and even in Abyssinia and Persia, so that he came to be known as the "international schnorrer". Hildesheimer also took a special interest in the welfare of the Jews of Palestine. In 1860, when the missionary society of Palestine provided seventy free dwellings for homeless Jews, Hildesheimer himself built houses in Jerusalem for the free use of pilgrims and of the poor. Motto: none Anthem: Wodefit Gesgeshi, Widd Innat Ityoppya (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia) Capital Addis Ababa Largest city Addis Ababa Official language(s) Amharic Government Federal republic1  - President Girma Wolde-Giorgis  - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Independence    - Liberation Day N.A.  Area    - Total 1,104,300 km² (26th)   426,371... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau and beyond. ... Schnorrer (also spelled shnorrer) is a Yiddish term meaning beggar or sponger. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds; official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-Al-Quds) is Israels capital, most populous, [1] and largest city, with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006 [2]) contained in 123 km². An ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed...

Hildesheimer died in Berlin on July 12, 1899. Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Modernisation within Orthodoxy

Along with Samson Raphael Hirsch, Hildesheimer is regarded as a pioneering "Moderniser" of Orthodox Judaism in Germany. Hildesheimer 's firm conviction that traditional Judaism need have no fear of the light of European culture determined his attitude and his activity in Hungary and Germany from the start, and gave him a definite aim. In an address delivered at his rabbinical seminary and defining his position he said: Rabbi S.R. Hirsch Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. ... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. ...

"Unconditional agreement with the culture of the present day; harmony between Judaism and science; but also unconditional steadfastness in the faith and traditions of Judaism: these constitute the program of the New Community, the standard round which gather the Israelites of Berlin who are faithful to the Law."

Hildesheimer thus undertook a variety of actions which render him a "modern" activist and institution-builder. The most important of these, as discussed above, are:

1. Jewish education for males and females which included both religious and secular studies.
2. The seminary which incorporated not only secular studies but academic scholarship.
3. Maintaining traditional Jewish attachments to the Land of Israel and working with the non-Orthodox on its behalf.
4. Working with communal leaders, even non-Orthodox ones, on issues that affected the community, such as anti-Semitism and ritual slaughtering.

Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ... Satellite image of the Land of Israel in January 2003, including portions of the State of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. ...

Comparison with Samson Raphael Hirsch

There are those who would claim both Hirsch and Hildesheimer as indirect philosophical founders of Modern Orthodox Judaism; in fact, of the two, Hildesheimer is more likely classifiable as such. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as MO) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. ...

It is true that Hirsch's Torah im Derech Eretz - a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism which formalises a relationship between traditionally observant Judaism and the modern world -bears a superficial resemblance to today's Modern Orthodox Judaism. However, a deeper investigation shows Hirsch's philosophy (Judaism as the sole source of truth by which to judge modernity), at odds with the Modern Orthodox philosophy (two co-existing ideas - Judaism and modernity). Hirsch also separated himself and his community from the Conservative and Reform Jewish community and was, at best, unsympathetic to Zionist efforts. By contrast, Hildesheimer set the pattern for Modern Orthodox activism and institutions, and was noted for not being a sectarian, as was Hirsch. Torah im Derech Eretz (Hebrew תורה עם דרך ארץ - Torah with the way of the land) is a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism articulated by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), which formalizes a relationship between traditionally observant Judaism and the modern world. ... Conservative may refer to: Conservatism, political philosophy A member of a Conservative Party Conservative extension, premise of deductive logic Conservativity theorem, mathematical proof of conservative extension Conservative Judaism britney spears Category: ... Reform can refer to: Reform (think tank) Reform, Alabama Reform Judaism Reform movement Reform of an individual, from conditions stemming from crime, drugs, or physical maladies. ... Poster promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s: Toward a New Life (in Romanian),The Promised Land (in Hungarian), the small caption (bottom) reads First Palestinian film with sound Zionism is a national liberation movement,[1] a nationalist[2] and political movement that supports a homeland for the...

Although Hildesheimer was noted as having these similarities to Modern Orthodox Judaism, it is noteworthy that his philosophy concerning education was even less similar than was Hirsch's. Hildesheimer advocated secular studies only as an aside to, but clearly not synthesized with, Torah, and to some extent as a concession to the needs of the day. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as MO) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. ...

Orthodox Opposition

The introduction into the Eisenstadt School of modern methods of education and of secular learning was resented by the Orthodox. (Hildesheimer's "liberal tendencies and sympathy with modern culture" soon changed this resentment "to positive antipathy".) Eventually his Yeshiva was denounced before the representatives of the government at Oedenburg, the result being that the government ordered the school closed within twenty-four hours and the pupils removed from the city. Soon afterward, however (1858), Hildesheimer succeeded in obtaining state recognition for the Yeshiva. Interestingly, the Yeshiva also had opponents on the left: Reform saw it as a threat because its graduates would be equipped to defend Orthodoxy against Reform's inroads. About 1860, Akiva Joseph, a Hasidic leader, placed Hildesheimer under a ban as "not truly a sincere Jew" ("emessdiger Jüd"). Hildesheimer, however, seems to have cared little for the ban. Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Sopron is the name of a town in Hungary. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Hasidic Judaism (from the Hebrew: Chasidut חסידות, meaning piety, from the Hebrew root word chesed חסד meaning loving kindness) is a Haredi Jewish religious movement. ... Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ...

At the Hungarian Jewish Congress of December 14, 1868, Hildesheimer at first endeavored to associate himself with the existing Orthodox party. When the impossibility of this union became evident, he formed a separate group, with thirty-five followers, which has been described as "Cultured Orthodox". In the Hungarian Jewish Congress held at Budapest in 1869 he defined this party as representing a "faithful adherence to traditional teachings combined with an effective effort to keep in touch with the spirit of progress". December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Writings

In 1876 Hildesheimer celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ministry; on the celebration of his seventieth birthday, in 1890, his friends and pupils published a literary "Jubelschrift" (Berlin, 1890). He contributed articles to other Journals and Newspapers: the "Jüdische Presse," to "Ha-Lebanon", to "He-Chalutz", to "Archives Israélites". His son, Hirsch was editor of the "Jüdische Presse".

Hildesheimer's other writings include:

• "Materialien zur Beurtheilung der Septuaginta," in "Orient, Lit." 1848, Nos. 30 et seq.;
• "Die Epitaphien der Grabsteine auf dem Hiesigen [of Halberstadt] Jüdischen Friedhofe," 1846;
• "Verwaltung der Jüdischen Gemeinde Halberstadt," 1849;
• "Offener Brief an den Redakteur des Ben Chananja," Vienna, 1858;
• "Minchah Tehorah," Presburg, 1860;
• "Halakhot Gedoloth nach der Handschrift der Vaticana," Berlin, 1888.
• "Hukkat HaPesach"

See also

• Modern Orthodox Judaism
• Samson Raphael Hirsch
• Torah im Derech Eretz
• Torah Umadda

Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as MO) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. ... Rabbi S.R. Hirsch Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. ... Torah im Derech Eretz (Hebrew תורה עם דרך ארץ - Torah with the way of the land) is a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism articulated by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), which formalizes a relationship between traditionally observant Judaism and the modern world. ... Torah Umadda (Hebrew: תורה ומדע, Torah and secular knowledge) is a philosophy of Modern Orthodox Judaism, concerning the interrelationship between the secular world and Judaism, and in particular between secular knowledge and Jewish knowledge. ...

External links and references

• Hildesheimer, Israel (Azriel), jewishencyclopedia.com
• Rabbi Dr. Esriel Hildesheimer z"l: part 1; part 2, hamaayan
• Azriel Hildesheimer, jewishhistory.org.il
• Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer's Program of Torah u-Madda, Marc B. Shapiro
• Dilemmas of modern orthodoxy: sociological and philosophical, Prof. Chaim I. Waxman