Difference between revisions of "Abraham Geiger" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
Line 18: Line 18:
 
===Religious reformer===
 
===Religious reformer===
  
By this time Geiger had already begun his program of religious reforms, chiefly in the synagogue [[liturgy]]. For example, he abolished the prayers of mourning for the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem, believing that, as German citizens, such prayers would appear to be disloyal and could spark [[antisemitism]]. Geiger was also the driving force in convening several [[synod]]s of reform-minded [[rabbi]]s with the intention of formulating a program of progressive [[Judaism]]. However, unlike such fellow reformers as [[Samuel Holdheim]], he did not want to create a separate community of "modern" Jews. Rather, his goal was to change traditional Judaism from within.
+
By this time Geiger had already begun his program of religious reforms, chiefly in the synagogue [[liturgy]]. For example, he abolished the prayers of mourning for the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem, believing that, as German citizens, such prayers would appear to be disloyal and could spark [[antisemitism]]. While still at Wiesbaden he succeeded in bringing together a number of rabbis in 1837 for the purpose of discussing measures of vital concern to Judaism. However, he found Wiesbaden too limited a sphere. In July 1838 he resigned his office and published a program of his further intentions in his essay ''The Author and the Rabbi''.
  
In the Germany of the nineteenth century, Geiger and Holdheim, along with [[Israel Jacobson]] and [[Leopold Zunz]], stood out as the founding fathers of [[Reform Judaism]]. Geiger was a more the moderate and scholarly reformer, seeking to found this new branch of Judaism on the scientific study of history. His most radical proposition was to refrain from assuming that any Jewish text was literally divinely written, whereas traditional Judaism affirmed the hand of God not only in the [[Torah]] and [[Tanakh]], but also in the[[ Mishnah]] and the [[Talmud]].
+
As one of the positions in the rabbinate of [[Breslau]] (Wrocław, [[Poland]]) had become vacant, Geiger visited this important center of Jewish activity and was asked to preach on Sabbath, July 21, 1838. The sermon became controversial even before it was given and traditionalist opponents attempted to mobilize the state authorities to prevent its delivery. When finally given it led to his election, pending his naturalization as a Prussian citizen. A heated controversy ensued, lasting 18 months, during which Geiger stayed for the most part in [[Berlin]] (September 1838-December 1839). In January 1840, he was finally installed at Breslau.
 +
 
 +
Oppenents led by S. A. Tiktin resorted various schemes to induce the government to depose Geiger leading to the publication of formal defenses by other reform-minded rabbis. After the death of Tiktin in 1843, Geiger became the city's chief rabbi. However, the conditions in the congregation continued remain highly contentious until 1849, when two separate congregations were constituted. Geiger's congregation supported his efforts to reconstruct the Jewish ritual on a modern basis. In 1854 his reformed prayer-book was formally adopted.
  
 
==Legacy==
 
==Legacy==

Revision as of 22:51, 19 January 2009

Abraham Geiger, 1810-1874

Abraham Geiger (1810–1874) was a German rabbi and scholar who led in the foundation of Reform Judaism, seeking to remove all nationalistic elements (particularly the "Chosen People" doctrine) from Judaism, stressing it as an evolving and changing religion.

Biography

Early years

Born in 1810 in Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, Abraham Geiger was the son of Rabbi Michael Lazarus Geiger (d. 1823) and Roeschen Wallau (d. 1856). As a mere infant of three years, he already showed great intellectual promise, mastering both the Hebrew and German alphabets. He made rapid progress in the Hebrew Bible and took up the study of the Mishnah, the seminal Jewish legal text, at four. At six his father began to teach him the Talmud. Bored with the approach to studies at the local Talmud school his father home-schooled him until his thirteenth year, during which time young Abraham also acquired a basic knowledge of history, Latin, and Greek. His father died soon after his bar mitzvah, on which occasion Abraham delivered, in addition tot he traditional Hebrew readings, an address in German, much to the discomfort of some of his pious relatives.

With the support of his older brothers and others he continued both his Talmudic and secular studies. Even as a child, Geiger doubted the traditional understanding of Judaism when his studies in classical history seemed to contradict the biblical claims of divine authority. At the age of 17 he began writing his first work, an analysis of the legal style of the Mishnah as compared to earlier biblical law and later Talmudic tradition. He also worked on a dictionary of mishnaic Hebrew.

University and early career

Despite the wishes of his family, who had intended him to study theology, he decided in favor of Oriental philology. In the summer of 1829 he entered the University of Heidelberg, where he remained one semester, devoting his time to courses in the classics, while privately mastering Syriac. He also continued working on his grammar and glossary of the Mishnah. The next winter he move to Bonn to study Arabic. There he met befriended such men as Samuel Raphael Hirsch, his subsequent colleague and later opponent. His new circle of friends founded an influential society for the practice of preaching, where Geiger preached his first sermon on January 2, 1830.

With no professorships open to Jews in Germany, in June 1832, Geiger preached at the synagogue of the town Hanau east of Frankfurt as a candidate for its vacant pulpit, but was not elected. Meanwhile, he had prepared a prize-winning essay on the Jewish elements in the Qur'an, which was later published in German. Geiger sought to demonstrate Judaism's central influence on both Christianity and Islam, arguing both religions served to transmit the Jewish monotheistic belief to the pagan world. In November 1832, he was called as rabbi to Wiesbaden, about 24 miles west of Frankfurt. Soon afterward he became engaged to Emilie Oppenheim, but their wedding did not take place until seven years later.

While at Wiesbaden, Geiger continued his academic publications primarily through the scholarly journals he founded and edited. His journals became an important vehicle in its day for publishing Jewish scholarship, chiefly historical and theological studies, as well as a discussion of contemporary events.

Religious reformer

By this time Geiger had already begun his program of religious reforms, chiefly in the synagogue liturgy. For example, he abolished the prayers of mourning for the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem, believing that, as German citizens, such prayers would appear to be disloyal and could spark antisemitism. While still at Wiesbaden he succeeded in bringing together a number of rabbis in 1837 for the purpose of discussing measures of vital concern to Judaism. However, he found Wiesbaden too limited a sphere. In July 1838 he resigned his office and published a program of his further intentions in his essay The Author and the Rabbi.

As one of the positions in the rabbinate of Breslau (Wrocław, Poland) had become vacant, Geiger visited this important center of Jewish activity and was asked to preach on Sabbath, July 21, 1838. The sermon became controversial even before it was given and traditionalist opponents attempted to mobilize the state authorities to prevent its delivery. When finally given it led to his election, pending his naturalization as a Prussian citizen. A heated controversy ensued, lasting 18 months, during which Geiger stayed for the most part in Berlin (September 1838-December 1839). In January 1840, he was finally installed at Breslau.

Oppenents led by S. A. Tiktin resorted various schemes to induce the government to depose Geiger leading to the publication of formal defenses by other reform-minded rabbis. After the death of Tiktin in 1843, Geiger became the city's chief rabbi. However, the conditions in the congregation continued remain highly contentious until 1849, when two separate congregations were constituted. Geiger's congregation supported his efforts to reconstruct the Jewish ritual on a modern basis. In 1854 his reformed prayer-book was formally adopted.

Legacy

In addition to his intellectual contributions, Geiger also rabbi responsible for much of the reform doctrine of the mid 19th century, contributing much of the character to the reform movement that remains today. Reform historian Michael A. Meyer has stated that, if any one person can be called the founder of Reform Judaism, it must be Geiger.

Much of Geiger's writing has been translated into English from the original German. There have been many biographical and research texts about him, such as the work Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus by Susannah Heschel (1998), which chronicles Geiger's radical contention that the New Testament illustrates Jesus was a Pharisee teaching Judaism.

Some of Geiger's studies are included in The Origins of The Koran: Classic Essays on Islam’s Holy Book edited by Ibn Warraq. Other works are Judaism and Islam (1833) and An Appeal to My Community (1842).

Criticism

Although originally a colleague of Geiger, Galician Rabbi Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport penned a sharp criticism of Geiger's program of reform (posthumously printed as Nachalat Yehuda). Samson Raphael Hirsch devoted a good many issues of his journal Jeschurun to criticizing Geiger's reform stance (published in English as Hirsch, Collected Writings).

Geiger's opposition to a Jewish national identity was also sharply criticised, most notably an accusation made that he refused to intervene on the behalf of the Jews of Damsacus accused of ritual murder (a blood libel) in 1840. However, Jewish historian Steven Bayme has concluded that Geiger had actually vigorously protested on humanitarian grounds.[1]

Books

Geiger's works

  • Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judentume aufgenommen? Bonn, 1833.
(translated as Judaism and Islam, F. M. Young, 1896.Online Edition
  • Das Judenthum und seine Geschichte von der Zerstörung des zweiten Tempels bis zum Ende des zwölften Jahrhunderts. In zwölf Vorlesungen. Nebst einem Anhange: Offenes Sendschreiben an Herrn Professor Dr. Holtzmann. Breslau: Schletter, 1865-71.
(translated as Judaism and its history: in 2 parts, Lanham [u.a.]: Univ. Press of America, 1985. ISBN 0-8191-4491-6.
  • Abraham Geiger and liberal Judaism : The challenge of the 19th century. Compiled with a biographical introduction by Max Wiener. Translated from the German by Ernst J. Schlochauer. Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society of America 5722.
  • Nachgelassene Schriften. Reprint of the 1875–1878 ed., published in Berlin by L. Gerschel. Bd 1-5. New York: Arno Press, 1980. ISBN 0-405-12255-1

See also

  • Origin and development of the Qur'an

Notes

  1. Bayme, Steven (1997) Understanding Jewish History: Texts and Commentaries. Jersey City, NJ: KTAV. p. 282. ISBN 0881255548

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Heschel, Susannah. Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus. Chicago; London: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN 0226329593
  • Geiger, Ludwig. Abraham Geiger. Leben und Werk für ein Judentum in der Moderne. Berlin: JVB, 2001. ISBN 3934658202
  • Bomhoff, Hartmut. Abraham Geiger - durch Wissen zum Glauben - Through reason to faith: reform and the science of Judaism. (Text dt. und engl.). Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin, Centrum Judaicum. Jüdische Miniaturen ; Bd. 45. Berlin: Hentrich und Hentrich 2006. ISBN 3938485272
  • Paul, Jobst. "Das ‚Konvergenz’-Projekt – Humanitätsreligion und Judentum im 19. Jahrhundert." In: Margarete Jäger, Jürgen Link (Hg.): Macht – Religion – Politik. Zur Renaissance religiöser Praktiken und Mentalitäten. Münster 2006. ISBN 3897717409
  • Encyclopedia Judaica, 2007, "Abraham Geiger."

External links

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.