DOCSLIB.ORG

Sabbateans - Wikipedia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sabbateans - Wikipedia Sabbateans - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateans Sabbateans The Sabbateans (or Sabbatians) were a variety of Jewish followers, disciples, and believers in Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676), [1][2][3] a Sephardic Jewish rabbi and Kabbalist who was proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah in 1666 by Nathan of Gaza.[1][2] Vast numbers of Jews in the Jewish diaspora accepted his claims, even after he outwardly became an apostate due to his forced conversion to Islam in the same year.[1][2][3] Sabbatai Zevi's followers, both during his proclaimed messiahship and after his forced conversion to Islam, are known as Sabbateans.[1][3] Part of the Sabbateans lived on until well into 21st-century Turkey as descendants of the Dönmeh.[1] Contents Sabbatai Zevi Conversion to Islam Sabbatean-related controversies in Jewish history The Emden-Eybeschutz controversy Sabbateans and early Hasidism Sabbateans and modern secularism Rabbis who opposed the Sabbateans See also References Further reading Sabbatai Zevi Sabbatai Zevi was a Sephardic ordained rabbi from Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey).[4][5] A kabbalist of Romaniote origin,[6] Zevi, who was active throughout the Ottoman Empire, claimed to be the long- awaited Jewish Messiah. He was the founder of the Sabbatean movement, whose followers subsequently were to be known as Dönmeh "converts" or crypto-Jews.[7] Conversion to Islam In February 1666, upon arriving in Constantinople, Sabbatai was imprisoned on the order of the grand vizier Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha; in September of that same year, after being moved from different prisons around the capital to Adrianople (the imperial court's seat) for judgment on accusations of fomenting sedition, Sabbatai was given by the Grand Vizier, in the name of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV, the choice of either facing death by some type of ordeal, or of converting to Islam. Sabbatai seems to have chosen the latter by donning from then on a turban. He was then also rewarded by the heads of the Ottoman state with a generous pension for his compliance 1 of 9 6/25/21, 04:04 Sabbateans - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateans with their political and religious plans.[8] Sabbatai's conversion to Islam was extremely disheartening for the world's Jewish communities. Among the masses of the people the greatest confusion reigned. In addition to the misery and disappointment from within, Muslims and Christians jeered at and scorned the credulous and duped Jews.[9] In spite of Sabbatai's apostasy, many of his adherents still tenaciously clung to him, claiming that his conversion was a part of the Messianic scheme.[9] This belief was further upheld and strengthened by the likes of Nathan of Gaza and Samuel Primo, who were interested in maintaining the movement.[10] Many within Zevi's inner circle followed him into Islam, including his wife Sarah and most of his closest relatives and friends. Illustration of Sabbatai Tzvi from Nathan of Gaza, the scholar closest to Zevi, who had caused Zevi 1906 (Joods Historisch Museum) to reveal his Messiahship and in turn became his prophet, never followed his master into Islam but remained a Jew, albeit excommunicated by his Jewish brethren. After Sabbatai Zevi's apostasy, many Jews, although horrified, clung to the belief that Zevi could still be regarded as the true Jewish Messiah.[1][2][3][11] They constituted the largest number of Sabbateans during the 17th and 18th centuries. By the 19th century, Jewish Sabbateans had been reduced to small groups of hidden followers who feared being discovered for their beliefs, that were deemed to be entirely heretical and antithetical to Rabbinic Judaism. These very Jews fell under the category of "sectarian" Sabbateans, which originated when many Sabbateans refused to accept that Zevi's feigned apostasy might have been indicative of the fact that their faith was genuinely an illusion.[11] Former followers of Sabbatai do penance for their support of him. Another large group of Sabbateans after Zevi's apostasy began to view Islam in an extremely negative light.[12] Polemics against Islam erupted directly after Zevi's forced conversion. Some of these attacks were considered part of a largely anti-Sabbatean agenda.[12] Accusations coming from anti-Sabbatean Jews revolved around the idea that Sabbatai Zevi's feigned conversion to Islam was rightfully an indicator of a false claim of Messianship.[12] Inside the Ottoman Empire, those followers of Zevi who had converted to Islam but who secretly continued Jewish observances and Brit Mila became known as the Dönme (Turkish: dönme "convert"). There were some internal sub-divisions within the sect, according to the geographical locations of the group, and according to who the leaders of these groups were after the death of Sabbatai Zevi.[13] Sabbatean-related controversies in Jewish history 2 of 9 6/25/21, 04:04 Sabbateans - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateans The Emden-Eybeschutz controversy The Emden-Eybeschutz controversy was a serious rabbinical disputation with wider political ramifications in Europe that followed the accusations by Rabbi Jacob Emden (1697–1776), a fierce opponent of the Sabbateans, against Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz (1690–1764) whom he accused of being a secret Sabbatean. The Emden-Eybeschutz controversy arose concerning the amulets which Emden suspected Eybeschutz of issuing. It was alleged that these amulets recognized the messianic claims of Sabbatai Zevi. Emden then accused Eybeschutz of heresy. Emden was known for his attacks directed against the adherents, or those he supposed to be adherents, of Sabbatai Zevi. In Emden's eyes, Eybeschutz was a convicted Sabbatean. The controversy lasted several years, continuing even after Eybeschutz's death. Emden's assertion of heresy was chiefly based on the interpretation of some amulets prepared by Eybeschutz, in which Emden professed to see Sabbatean allusions. Hostilities began before Eybeschutz left Prague; when Eybeschutz was named chief Sabbatai Zevi "enthroned" as the rabbi of the three communities of Altona, Hamburg, and Jewish Messiah, from Tikkun, Wandsbek in 1751, the controversy reached the stage of intense Amsterdam, 1666 and bitter antagonism. Emden maintained that he was at first prevented by threats from publishing anything against Eybeschutz. He solemnly declared in his synagogue the writer of the amulets to be a Sabbatean heretic and deserving of ḥerem (excommunication). The majority of the rabbis in Poland, Moravia, and Bohemia, as well as the leaders of the Three Communities, supported Eybeschutz: the accusation was "utterly incredible". In July 1725, the Ashkenazic beit din of Amsterdam had issued a ban of excommunication on the entire Sabbatian sect (kat ha-ma’aminim). Writings of Sabbatian nature found by the beit Din at that time were attributed to Eybeschutz.[14] In early September, similar proclamations were issued by the batei din of Frankfurt and the triple community of Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbeck. The three bans were printed and circulated in other Jewish communities throughout Europe.[15] Rabbi Ezekiel Katzenellenbogen, the chief rabbi of the Triple Community and Rabbi Moses Hagiz [16] were unwilling to attack Eybeschütz publicly, mentioning that "greater than him have fallen and crumbled" and that "there is nothing we can do to him".[17] However, Rabbi Katzenelenbogen stated that one of the texts found by the Amsterdam beit din "Va-Avo ha-Yom el ha-Ayyin" was authored by Jonathan Eybeschütz and declared that the all copies of the work that were in circulation should be immediately burned.[18] Emden later suggested that the rabbis decided against attacking Eybeschutz out of a reluctance to offend his powerful family and a fear of rich supporters of his living in their communities.[19] As a result of Eyberschutz and other rabbis in Prague formulating a new (and different) ban against Sabbatianism in September of that year his reputation was restored and Eybeschutz was regarded as having been totally vindicated.[20] The issue was to arise again, albeit tangentially, in the 1751 dispute between Emden and Eyberschutz. The controversy was a momentous incident in Jewish history of the period, involving both Yechezkel 3 of 9 6/25/21, 04:04 Sabbateans - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateans Landau and the Vilna Gaon, and may be credited with having crushed the lingering belief in Sabbatai current even in some Orthodox circles. In 1760 the quarrel broke out once more when some Sabbatean elements were discovered among the students of Eybeschutz' yeshiva. At the same time his younger son, Wolf, presented himself as a Sabbatean prophet, with the result that the yeshiva was closed. Sabbateans and early Hasidism Some scholars see seeds of the Hasidic movement within the Sabbatean movement.[21] When Hasidism began to spread its influence, a serious schism evolved between the Hasidic and non- Hasidic Jews. Those who rejected the Hasidic movement dubbed themselves as misnagdim ("opponents"). Critics of Hasidic Judaism expressed concern that Hasidism might become a messianic sect as had occurred among the followers of both Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank. However the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, came at a time when the Jewish masses of Eastern Europe were reeling in bewilderment and disappointment engendered by the two Jewish false messiahs Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676) and Jacob Frank (1726–1791) in particular. Sabbateans and modern secularism Some scholars have noted that the Sabbatean movement in general fostered and connected well with the principles of modern secularism.[22] Related to this is the drive of the Donmeh in Turkey for secularizing their society just as European Jews promoted the values of Age of Enlightenment and its Jewish equivalent the haskalah. Rabbis who opposed the Sabbateans Joseph Escapa (1572–1662) was especially known for having been the teacher of Zevi and for having afterward excommunicated him.[23] Aaron Lapapa (1590–1674) was the rabbi at Smyrna in 1665, when Zevi's movement was at its height there.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • History of the Jews Vol. V
    History of the Jews Vol. V By Heinrich Graetz HISTORY OF THE JEWS CHAPTER I CHMIELNICKI AND THE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS OF POLAND BY THE COSSACKS Condition of the Jews in Poland before the Outbreak of Persecution— Influence of the Jesuits—Characteristics of Poles and Jews—The Home of the Cossacks—Repression of the Cossacks by the Government—Jews appointed as Tax Farmers—Jurisdiction of the Synods—The Study of the Talmud in Poland—Hebrew Literature in that Country becomes entirely Rabbinical—Character of Polish Judaism—Jews and Cossacks— Chmielnicki—Sufferings of the Jews in consequence of his Successes—The Tartar Haidamaks—Fearful Massacres in Nemirov, Tulczyn, and Homel— Prince Vishnioviecki—Massacres at Polonnoie, Lemberg, Narol, and in other Towns—John Casimir—Lipmann Heller and Sabbataï Cohen—Renewal of the War between Cossacks and Poles—Russians join Cossacks in attacking the Jews—Charles X of Sweden—The Polish Fugitives—"Polonization" of Judaism. 1648–1656 C. E. Poland ceased to be a haven for the sons of Judah, when its short-sighted kings summoned the Jesuits to supervise the training of the young nobles and the clergy and crush the spirit of the Polish dissidents. These originators of disunion, to whom the frequent partition of Poland must be attributed, sought to undermine the unobtrusive power which the Jews, through their money and prudence, exercised over the nobles, and they combined with their other foes, German workmen and trades-people, members of the guilds, to restrict and oppress them. After that time there were repeated persecutions of Jews in Poland; sometimes the German guild members, sometimes the disciples of the Jesuits, raised a hue and cry against them.
    [Show full text]
  • SHABBETAI TZVI the Biggest Hoax in Jewish History Nathan the Prophet and Tzvi the Messiah
    1 SHABBETAI TZVI The Biggest Hoax in Jewish History While faith in the coming of the messiah is a linchpin of Judaism, Jews have traditionally taken a patient, quiet approach to their messianic beliefs. Since the devastation wreaked by false messiah Bar Kochba and his rebellion against the Romans, and the centuries of persecution caused by another messianic movement — Christianity — Jews have been understandably suspicious about anyone’s claim to be God’s anointed. The rabbis of the Talmud went so far as to introduce specific prohibitions against messianic agitation, instituting the “three oaths” which prohibited any attempt to “force the end” by bringing the messiah before his allotted time (Babylonian Talmud. Yet in the mid-17th century, belief in the false messiah Shabbetai Tzvi spread like wildfire throughout the Jewish world, sweeping up entire communities and creating a crisis of faith unprecedented in Jewish history. Shabbetai Tzvi was said to be born on the 9th of Av in 1626, to a wealthy family of merchants in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). He received a thorough Talmudic education and, still in his teens, was ordained as a hakham — a member of the rabbinic elite. However, Shabbetai Tzvi was interested less in Talmud than in Jewish mysticism. Starting in his late teens he studied kabbalah, attracting a group of followers whom he initiated into the secrets of the mystical tradition. Shabbetai Tzvi battled with what might now be diagnosed as severe bipolar disorder. He understood his condition in religious terms, experiencing his manic phases as moments of “illumination” and his times of depression as periods of “fall,” when God’s face was hidden from him.
    [Show full text]
  • A Timeline of Jewish Censorship
    Censorship Uncensored: A Timeline of Jewish Censorship 18forty.org/articles/censorship-uncensored-a-timeline-of-jewish-censorship By: Yehuda Fogel Picture a frustrated writer sitting at a desk. In the wastebasket next to the simple writing desk, there are scraps and scarps (now a word) of paper, remnants of failed drafts and first attempts littered throughout the room. But the writer still works, covering yet another piece of paper with fine script, thin letters etching their way across the fresh parchment. Or perhaps she writes in pencil on the cloudy surface of a much-erased paper, the earlier attempts showing in the smudges. Yet something is different now – this time is right. This draft will work. This draft works. The book is finished, published, to much acclaim (and 1/6 occasional controversy). And the writer – at times equally praised, feted, critiqued, loved – we can’t say what the writer feels about the finished product. Perhaps pride mixed with the doubts that any artist likely has about their work. What do we make of the earlier drafts? What becomes of them? Upon first reflection, they are in and of the past, relegated to what could have been, forgotten with the rest of the unfinished degrees and incomplete relationships of our lives. We realize upon further reflection that the earlier drafts are a necessary step to the finished product, setting the path towards the eventual goal. Still in the past, forgotten, but we realize their importance as a stepping stone to the present, like a child’s teeth that fall out to make room for the adult teeth to grow in.
    [Show full text]
  • Shabbos Shorts May 22 - 23, 2020 - 29 Iyar 5780 - Parshas Bamidbar/Mevorchim Hachodesh Light Candles by 8:02 - Havdalah 9:09
    Young Israel Shomrai Emunah - Shabbos Shorts May 22 - 23, 2020 - 29 Iyar 5780 - Parshas Bamidbar/Mevorchim Hachodesh Light Candles by 8:02 - Havdalah 9:09 Mazal Tov Weekday Shiurim • Howard & Rosanne Benn on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Tzvi Options for remote learning are listed below. For the latest list, go Hirsch Lipman, of Beitar Illit, Israel. Mazal Tov to parents Miriam to https://wp.yise.org/remote-learning-schedule/ (Michelle Benn) & Rabbi Dovid Lipman and grandparents Karen & • Rabbi Rosenbaum - Daily - one chapter of Tehillim followed Bernie Lipman of Woodside. by a 15-minute Shiur on the Parsha. Sunday 9:00 AM/Monday • Shulie & Ronnie Bergman on the birth of a grandson, Shmuel, born to through Friday 8:30 AM - Zoom A. their children, Nechama & Noach Bergman. Mazal Tov to big brother • Rabbi Rosenbaum - Daily - one chapter of Tehillim, Moshe and big sister Miriam. followed by a 15-minute Halacha Shiur. Sunday through Thursday, 7:30 PM - Zoom A. • Manasseh Katz for taking 2nd place in the Table Topics Impromptu • Rabbi Rosenbaum’s Mussar Study Group for Women Speech Contest for Toastmasters International District 36, comprised of (spiritual self-improvement), Sundays at 9:30 AM, Zoom A. over 200 clubs and 5,000 members in Maryland, DC and Virginia. • Rabbi Rosenbaum’s Gemara Shiur for Men, Tuesdays and • Becca & Brett Kugler on the virtual Bar Mitzvah of their son, Akiva. Fridays, 6:00 AM, Zoom A. Mazal Tov to the entire family. • Rabbi Rosenbaum’s Nach Shiur, Wednesdays at 11:00 AM, • Marion & Fred Miller on the graduation of their daughter, Adena, from Zoom A.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernity, Marginality, and Redemption: German and Jewish Identity at the Fin-De-Siècle
    MODERNITY, MARGINALITY, AND REDEMPTION: GERMAN AND JEWISH IDENTITY AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE Richard V. Benson A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. Chapel Hill 2009 Approved by: Dr. Jonathan Hess (Advisor) Dr. Jonathan Boyarin Dr. William Collins Donahue Dr. Eric Downing Dr. Clayton Koelb © 2009 Richard V. Benson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Richard Benson Modernity, Marginality, and Redemption: German and Jewish Identity at the Fin-de-Siècle (Under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Hess) Modernity, Marginality, and Redemption: German and Jewish Identity at the Fin-de-Siècle explores the literary, cultural, and historical process of negotiating German-Jewish identity following the radical restructuring of German-Jewish society during the nineteenth century. Modernity, Marginality, and Redemption considers the dynamic cultural roles that writers such as Karl Emil Franzos, Martin Buber, Jakob Wassermann, Theodor Herzl, and others assigned to the image of East European Jewry and of ghetto life, to Chassidic mysticism, and to messianic historical figures. I show that the works of these authors enact a self-conscious reinvention of Jewish tradition, which weds Enlightenment ideals with aspects of Jewish tradition that the Enlightenment had marginalized, while also engaging in dialogue with the most pressing discourses of fin-de-siècle European culture, in order to proffer Jewish identities that are neither strictly national nor simply religious. As I demonstrate, these texts establish Jewish identity as a central coordinate in debates about nationalism, the limits of language, phenomenology, social progress, and cultural degeneration.
    [Show full text]
  • Akedah, Art, and Illustrations in Hebrew Books
    Akedah, Art, and Illustrations in Hebrew Books The Akedah (binding of Isaac) is a very popular theme in the arts. It appears in music, most recently (from a decidedly Christian perspective), the critically acclaimed indie musician Sufjan Steven’s who has the songAbraham (on his Seven Swans CD). In the visual arts, numerous representations of the Akedah can be found, from Rembrandt to Chagall. Some of the earliest Jewish art also contains the Akedah. In both the Dura_Europos Synagogue and the Beth-Alpha Synagogue there are depictions of the Akedah. This trend was continued in Hebrew manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. In Hebrew books, however, there is a dearth of illustrations generally. At most in Haggadot or on title pages, at times, there are minor illustrations. But, there is a notable exception. In 1685, the work Pachad Yitzhak was published in Amsterdam. This book, written by Rabbi Dr. Isaac Vita (or Hayyim) Cantarini (see note 1), is about the attack on the Jewish ghetto of Padua in 1684. Preceding the title page there is an elaborate illustration of the Akedah. The simple reason for the inclusion of this is due to Cantarini’s first name Isaac and thus an allusion to his name. But, as we will see, there is more to this illustration. In his later work Et Kets, also published in Amsterdam in 1710 he includes another depiction of the Akedah. This work is devoted to figuring out when the Messiah will come, (he thinks in 1740), a much more upbeat topic than his prior work. As you can see both illustrations, it bears discussing them in some detail.
    [Show full text]
  • OPRP 9 Flawed Messiah by Michael Eldridge Published: August 2010
    FLAWED MESSIAH THE STORY OF SABBATAI SEVI AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TODAY By Michael Eldridge 2 For inside Front Cover – Note on Transliteration Several different systems are used for transliterating Hebrew letters. In some cases, as with Gershom Scholem’s books, different systems have been used in the same author’s works according to the preference of the particular publisher involved. In this publication the following system, which assumes Sephardic pronunciation, is used: Aleph ’ Beth b v in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) Gimel g in both hard and soft forms Daleth d in both hard and soft forms He h Waw w Zayin z Heth ch Teth t Yod y Kaph k in both hard and soft forms Lamed l Mem m Nun n Samech s Ayin ‘ Pe p ph in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) Sade ts Qoph q Resh r Sin s Shin sh Taw t th in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) However, exception is made for words where another transliteration has become more or less standard; thus the form ‘Kabbalah’ is used, not ‘Qabbalah’; ‘Hasidim’ not ‘Chasidim’. Using the above system, the name of the main subject of this paper should strictly be ‘Shabbathai Tsevi’, but he is more commonly known as ‘Sabbatai Sevi’ or some close variant; so this form of his name is used throughout. 3 The Jewish Messiah who made world news In February 1669 the English diarist, John Evelyn, presented King Charles the Second with a copy of his The History of Three Late Famous Impostors, and when the King learned of the contents, ‘he told me of other like cheates.’1 The larger portion of this short publication tells the story of Sabbatai Sevi, whose messiahship was announced to the world in May 1665.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabbatai Zevi Moved Upon the Waters Modes of Authority and the Development of the Donme Sects
    And the Spirit of Sabbatai Zevi Moved Upon the Waters Modes of Authority and the Development of the Donme Sects Paul Benjamin 4/15/2012 Benjamin 2 Abstract The conversion of the purported Jewish messiah Sabbatai Zevi to Islam in 1666 created a crisis among his followers. Many returned to mainstream Judaism; others remained secret Sabbateans. However, a small group in Salonika followed their master into apostasy, converting to Islam in imitation of Sabbatai Zevi. This group, known as the Donme, was very homogenous at the beginning; its members were few in number, knew each other well, and tended to be related to one another. However, shortly after the death of Sabbatai Zevi they split into three factions (a fourth, the Frankists, arose later in Europe), who differed greatly from each other in organization, ritual, and theology. This thesis examines two main distinctions between the groups that led to their divergent outcomes. First, I examine the differences in modes of authority between the groups. In order to do this, I conceptualize two models of authority, the mundane and the charismatic (loosely based on Bruce Lincoln and Max Weber’s theories of authority). The four groups are compared and contrasted based on the degree to which they rely on each of the modes of authority. I also examine the ways in which each group linked itself to Sabbatai Zevi and legitimated itself as the rightful successors to his legacy. In this case this thesis distinguishes among legitimacies conveyed by the body of the messiah, the soul of the messiah, and the ideas and teachings of the messiah.
    [Show full text]
  • The Galitzianer a Publication of Gesher Galicia
    The Galitzianer A Publication of Gesher Galicia Vol. 8, No. 4 August 2001 In This Issue Two articles in this issue are of special import to the future of The Galitzianer and of Gesher Galicia. The first, Shelley Pollero’s column on page 2, explains the reasons that the Steering Committee has felt it necessary to raise Gesher Galicia’s dues … mainly the increased costs of publishing The Galitzianer and the Gesher Galicia Family Finder. The second, on page 3, describes a proposed electronic option for distributing The Galitzianer via email to those who want to receive it that way. It also asks a couple of questions about this proposal on which the Steering Committee needs your advice.. GG Matters 8 JRI-PL 1929 Business Directory Project 2 Coordinator’s Column Stanley Diamond & Howard Fink Shelley Kellerman Pollero 6 Krakow marriage and Banns Registers 3 An Electronic Version of the Galitzianer? Stanley Diamond & Judy Wolkovitch Edward Goldstein A project at the Jewish Historical Institute in A proposal on which we need your input Warsaw 23 Gesher Galicia Family Finder Updates Feature Articles Two pages you can insert into your GGFF 7 Austrian Military Recruitment in Galicia Town Updates Find out which regiments of the Austro- 3 Kolomyya Hungarian army recruited in your town in Alan Weiser which years 4 Lwow 10 Matching Patronymics to Surnames in Krakow Josef Herz Dan Hirschberg & Julian Schamroth Breaking through a barrier in Jewish genea- 4 Sokal logical research Josef Herz 12 My Journey to Bukaczowze 4 Przemysl Linda Cantor Barbara Yeager
    [Show full text]
  • The Lithuanian Jewish Community of Telšiai
    The Lithuanian Jewish Community of Telšiai By Philip S. Shapiro1 Introduction This work had its genesis in an initiative of the “Alka” Samogitian Museum, which has undertaken projects to recover for Lithuanians the true history of the Jews who lived side-by-side with their ancestors. Several years ago, the Museum received a copy of the 500-plus-page “yizkor” (memorial) book for the Jewish community of Telšiai,2 which was printed in 1984.3 The yizkor book is a collection of facts and personal memories of those who had lived in Telšiai before or at the beginning of the Second World War. Most of the articles are written in Hebrew or Yiddish, but the Museum was determined to unlock the information that the book contained. Without any external prompting, the Museum embarked upon an ambitious project to create a Lithuanian version of The Telshe Book. As part of that project, the Museum organized this conference to discuss The Telshe Book and the Jewish community of Telšiai. This project is of great importance to Lithuania. Since Jews constituted about half of the population of most towns in provincial Lithuania in the 19th Century, a Lithuanian translation of the book will not only give Lithuanian readers a view of Jewish life in Telšiai but also a better knowledge of the town’s history, which is our common heritage. The first part of this article discusses my grandfather, Dov Ber Shapiro, who was born in 1883 in Kamajai, in the Rokiškis region, and attended the Telshe Yeshiva before emigrating in 1903 to the United States, where he was known as “Benjamin” Shapiro.
    [Show full text]
  • Menorah Review VCU University Archives
    Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Menorah Review VCU University Archives 2014 Menorah Review (No. 80, Winter.Spring, 2014) Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons © The Author(s) Recommended Citation https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah/78 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the VCU University Archives at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Menorah Review by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VCU Menorah Review For the Enrichment of Jewish Thought Winter/Spring 2014 no. 80 Author’s Reflections on Politics in the Bible By Matthew B. Schwartz and Kalman J. Kaplan. Lanham MD: Jason Aronson, 2013 Books in Brief: New and Notable Masada A poem by Isaac Lamdan Nazism and Politics A Review essay by Rochelle Millen night trains Menorah Review A poem by r.e. sherwin Salvation Through Transgression A Review essay by Peter J. Haas Shoah: The “First” Day A Review essay by Paul R. Bartrop The “Jewish” World of Herbert Hoover A Review essay by Steven Windmueller 2 | VCU Menorah Review Editor: Jack D. Spiro Editorial Consultant: Cliff Edwards Production: VCU University Relations Contributing Editors: Paul R. Bartrop Frank E. Eakin Jr. Cliff Edwards Esther Fuchs Daniel Grossberg Peter J. Haas Herbert Hirsch Brian Horowitz Frederic Krome Radael Medoff Robert Michael Rochelle L. Millen Matthew B. Schwartz Richard E. Sherwin Jonathan T. Silverman Kristin Swenson Melvin I.
    [Show full text]
  • Hasidic Judaism - Wikipedia, the Freevisited Encyclopedi Ona 1/6/2015 Page 1 of 19
    Hasidic Judaism - Wikipedia, the freevisited encyclopedi ona 1/6/2015 Page 1 of 19 Hasidic Judaism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sephardic pronunciation: [ħasiˈdut]; Ashkenazic , תודיסח :Hasidic Judaism (from the Hebrew pronunciation: [χaˈsidus]), meaning "piety" (or "loving-kindness"), is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality through the popularization and internalization of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith. It was founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov as a reaction against overly legalistic Judaism. His example began the characteristic veneration of leadership in Hasidism as embodiments and intercessors of Divinity for the followers. [1] Contrary to this, Hasidic teachings cherished the sincerity and concealed holiness of the unlettered common folk, and their equality with the scholarly elite. The emphasis on the Immanent Divine presence in everything gave new value to prayer and deeds of kindness, alongside rabbinical supremacy of study, and replaced historical mystical (kabbalistic) and ethical (musar) asceticism and admonishment with Simcha, encouragement, and daily fervor.[2] Hasidism comprises part of contemporary Haredi Judaism, alongside the previous Talmudic Lithuanian-Yeshiva approach and the Sephardi and Mizrahi traditions. Its charismatic mysticism has inspired non-Orthodox Neo-Hasidic thinkers and influenced wider modern Jewish denominations, while its scholarly thought has interested contemporary academic study. Each Hasidic Jews praying in the Hasidic dynasty follows its own principles; thus, Hasidic Judaism is not one movement but a synagogue on Yom Kippur, by collection of separate groups with some commonality. There are approximately 30 larger Hasidic Maurycy Gottlieb groups, and several hundred smaller groups. Though there is no one version of Hasidism, individual Hasidic groups often share with each other underlying philosophy, worship practices, dress (borrowed from local cultures), and songs (borrowed from local cultures).
    [Show full text]