Download Senior Jewish History Identifications

Senior JH Identifies – by Ari Gilder
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Abdullah, King of Transjordan – convinced British High Commissioner
McMahon to issue a “Declaration of Independence” for Arabs in return for the
Arabs rebelling against the Ottomans.
Achad Ha’am – Asher Ginzburg believed that Israel should serve as a spiritual
center for Jews, because all Jews certainly would not come to Israel – it should be
a hub and the outer Jewish community would be the spokes of the wheel of
Judaism.
Alexander I – established the “Constitution of the Jews” – congregations couldn’t
collect taxes for themselves, excommunication is forbidden, Jews cannot own
inns, or buy land, but they could attend school for free. He had a mixed view of
the Jews.
Alexander II – eased Nicholas I’s restrictions on Jews, made them serve 6 years in
the army instead of 31 – but then he changed his mind and established a secret
police which led to Jewish tattletales.
Alexander III – advocated Russification and Slavophilism (belief in “Mother
Russia”), passed “Police Constitution” which allowed governors to arrest people
arbitrarily. Also passed the May Laws.
Alliance Israelite Universelle – Schools set up to educate Jews who emigrated
from countries.
Am Olam – a book written by Smolenskin that said that we are a spiritual nation,
and we need to take part in agriculture.
Auschwitz – principal extermination center for Western Jewry, located in
southern Poland.
Baal Shem Tov – original Rebbe of the Hassidic movement – he was a relgious
healer who used amulets with special prayers in them.
Baer, Dov (the Maggid of Mezritsch) – the first Hassidic rabbi who established
the Hassidic dynasties and formed the movement.
Balfour Declaration – Chaim Weizman convinced British Foreign Secretary
Balfour to declare the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people.”
Beilis, Mendel – accused of a blood libel in Russia, but found innocent.
Ben-Gurion – established a provisional government in Palestine and eventually
established Israel – first prime minister.
Ben-Yehudah – strove to revive the Hebrew language as the national language of
the Jews.
Bialik – wrote a poem about the Kishinev pogrom, criticized how the men hid and
cowered while their women were being raped and slaughtered.
Biltmore Program – said that the Jewish Agency should control immigration to
Israel and that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth.
Bismarck – “Iron Chancellor” of Prussia – unified Germany with anti-Semitism
and Conservative Nationalism – the state is more important than the individual.
B’nai Brith – fraternal order to make Americanization of Judaism more attractive
– used national symbols and ceremonies, provided mutual aid to American Jews.
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Brafman, Jacob – wrote Sefer Hakahal that said that Jews want to control the
world – in response to Alexander II’s secret police (Brafman was Jewish)
Brandeis, Louis – a lawyer who helped work out agreements between Jewish
unions and employers.
Brody – a city in Galicia that intersected the exit route of emigrants from Russia
to Western Europe
Bund – socialist organization of Jewish workers that believed in Jewish
nationalism to fight anti-Semitism.
Cahan, Abraham – editor of The Forward, a Yiddish socialist newspaper in
America.
Catherine II – established the Pale of Settlement.
Cerf Berr – head of all the Ashkenazic Jews in pre-emancipation France.
Chaim of Volozhin – reinvented the idea of Eastern European yeshivot –
cancelled the essen teg (students ate by houses in the community) and made the
yeshiva independent from the community, only accepted the “elite,” and trained
students to be talmidei chachamim (Torah lishmah).
Colombus Platform – restored more ritual and ceremonies to Reform Judaism
after the Pittsburgh Platform, said Palestine is a cultural center for Jews.
Congress of Berlin (1878) – Romania had to guarantee Jews emancipation before
its independence could be recognized.
Congress of Vienna (1815) – rescinded emancipation granted to Jews by
Napoleon in the German states – they had to maintain rights given “by the
German states” and not “in the German states.”
Conservative Judaism – based on historical-positivist Judaism, said change in
Judaism is allowed gradually and by communal agreement.
Consistoire – Napoleon divided France into districts and assigned Jews to specific
ones – detach Jews from society.
Cremieux, Adolph – president of Alliance Israelite Universelle, demanded that the
Jewish prisoners in Damascus be released.
Damascus Blood Libel – many Jews were severely tortured and murdered.
Declaration of the Rights of Man – equality of man, regardless of position or
birth.
Dhimmi – “protected people” – the Jews in the Ottoman Empire had religious
freedom, but also discrimination.
Dinur, Ben-Zion – says modern JH started with R’ Yehuda haChasid’s aliya to
Israel.
Disraeli, Benjamin – British noble who wrote about the Jews as an honored and
powerful people.
Doctor’s Plot – anti-Semitic scheme in Russia that claimed Jewish doctors caused
high Russian officials to die.
Dohm, Christian Wilhelm – the Jews are disliked because no one gives them a
chance, Europe needs to give Jews equality.
Dreyfus Affair – falsely accused a French Jewish soldier of spying, very antiSemitic trial – found guilty.
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Dubnow, Shimon – first person to write about Hassidut seriously. Believed in
Autonomism – the Jews are a nation and must get rights as a nation wherever they
are – emancipation + social and cultural autonomy.
Eichmann, Adolph – in charge of the overall implementation of the Final
Solution.
Einsatzgruppen – mobile killing squads that massacred Jews in Russia.
Erter, Isaac – a maskil in Galicia, wrote about Jews in an exaggerated fashion –
was anti-Hassidic.
Frankel, Zechariah – established Historical-Positivist Judaism / Conservative
Judaism and Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS).
Frankfurter, Felix – Zionist Jewish lawyer who was very involved in American
governmental affairs.
Frankfurt Rabbinic Conference (1845) – said that in Reform Judaism, prayer is in
German, no ideas of Moshiach, and the Theory of Mission (Holdheim’s theory +
“Light to the gentiles” + “ethical monotheism”)
Frederick II of Prussia – didn’t like Jews, but recognized their value, and gave
privileges to certain Exception Jews.
Freud, Sigmund – father of modern psychology, was very happy that he was a
Jew.
Friedlander, David – Mendelssohn’s student – opened the Freischule – first free
school for kids where they taught Jewish and secular subjects.
Gaon of Vilna – viciously opposed to Hassidut, head of the Mitnagdim.
Geiger, Abraham – Reform rabbi, scientific approach to Jewish history and
theology.
Gobineau – French anti-Semite, believed the Aryan myth.
Goebbels – Nazi propaganda minister that incited Germans against Jews.
Goering – fined the German Jews to cover cost of damage done by Nazi pogroms.
Goethe – said it’s good for a Jew to give up business in order to learn German.
Gompers, Samuel – head of AFL-CIO, involved with Jewish labor movement in
America.
Gordon, Y.L. – hopes Jews feel at home in Russia – you should be a Jew at home,
but a regular man outside.
Graetz, Heinrich – historian of WDJ, but wasn’t so objective.
Gregoire, Henri – Jews can be active citizens in Europe (pro-French
emancipation).
Grotius, Hugo – Dutch lawyer who thought whether or not to accept Jews into
Holland – decided yes in the end.
Hamburg Temple – the first Reform synagogue in Hamburg – “Berlin is our
Jerusalem and Germany is our Zion.”
Haganah – main branch of Jewish militia before 1948.
Ha-shahar – Ben-Yehudah’s Hebrew literary monthly paper – included parts of
Hebrew novels.
Heine, Heinrich – viewed conversion to Christianity as a “ticket of admission to
European culture.”
Herder – needs of the German state take precedence over individual.
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Herz, Henrietta – Jewish woman who was so exposed to French culture that she
accepted baptism.
Herzl – founder of Zionist movement – believed that a Jewish state would solve
anti-Semitism – the Jews wouldn’t be in the way of the gentiles.
Heydrich – chief of the Gestapo – opened an office to develop a plan for
exterminating the Jews.
Himmler – chief of the SS – responsible for devising the Final Solution.
Hirsch, Baron Moritz de – Jewish philanthropist who suggested moving Russian
Jews to Argentina.
Hirsch, Samson – founder of neo-Orthodoxy – you can only make changes on the
outside of Judaism – you need to change the Jews, but not Judaism. Encouraged
youth to get involved – wrote Chorev, an explanation of the Torah with emphasis
on the mitzvot as symbols. Also seceded from the community because he didn’t
want Orthodox taxes going to support the Reform (Austritt) – established Kahal
Adat Yeshurun in Frankfurt.
Histadrut – Federation of Jewish Labor in Palestine – responsible for agriculture,
construction, manufacturing, banking, etc.
Hitler – democratically elected as Chancellor.
Holbach, Baron Paul de – Jews are full of greed and self-interest.
Holdheim, Samuel – Reform rabbi – the Talmud is ancient and irrelevant.
Hovevei Zion – collected money for people in Israel and organized an
immigration to Israel as part of the first Aliya.
Ignatiev – see May Laws.
Infamous Decree – Napoleon restricted Jews on money lending and where to live.
Irgun Zvai Leumi – protested the White Paper with terrorist resistance.
Isaac, Levi (Reb) of Berdichev – Hassidic rabbi who was known as the “defender
of Israel.”
Jacobsohn, Israel – established the Reform movement and the Hamburg Temple.
Jewish Agency – dealt with a lot of the pre-1948 immigration to Israel.
Kahal – autonomous group of Jews in Eastern Europe that collected taxes and
represented the Jews to the government.
Kant, Immanuel – see Herder.
Kaplan, Mordechai – founder of Reconstructionist Judaism – “Judaism as a
civilization” – ethics & culture.
Keren Hayesod – a Jewish fund that purchased tools, housing and equipment for
settlers.
Khappers – kidnappers that stole Russian Jewish children and brought them into
the army.
Kibbutzim – socialist colony in which everyone lives together and owns all farm
equipment communally – popular with Zionist Socialists.
Kishinev Pogrom (1903) – see Bialik.
Krochmal, Nachman – part of WDJ-like group in the Russian Haskala – wrote
Moreh Nevuchei Hazman – a guide to the perplexed of today’s time.
Landau, Yechezkel – criticizes Naphtali Herz Wessley and says that Joseph II’s
Edict of Tolerance is really a decree to destroy the Jews.
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Landsmannschaft – a group of people who came from the same hometown in
Europe who helped each other.
Lavater – challenged Mendelssohn saying that either you need to prove Judaism is
a rational religion, or you must convert. Mendelssohn responded by saying that if
you attack Judaism, you attack Christianity.
Lazare, Bernard – important Jew in Western Europe (was either in the
government or a university).
Leeser, Isaac – strong leader of American Jewry, translated the Bible to English
and tried to establish a Jewish Publication Society.
Lessing – wrote plays (Nathan the Wise) representing Jews in a positive light –
modelled after Mendelssohn, the ideal Jew.
Levin, Rachel – a salon Jewess who despised being Jewish – eventually got
baptized.
Levinsohn, Isaac Baer – the Russian equivalent of Mendelssohn in terms of
Haskala.
Lillienblum, Moses – supported reform in religion (even though most East
European maskilim didn’t, as opposed to Western Europe)
Lilienthal, Max – wrote Magid Yeshua, a book that encouraged Russian Jews to
go to the crown schools set up by Uvarov and the Kiselev Commission – he soon
realized that Nicholas I is trying to Russify the Jews through the education
system.
Lueger, Karl – mayor of Vienna who imposed restrictions on the Jews because he
was anti-Semitic.
Luzzatto, Moses Chaim (Ramchal) – Italian Jew who was a poet, philosopher and
playwright in the 1600s – wrote about secular issues too.
Luzzatto, Samuel David – famous Italian Jewish linguist that critcized the Science
of Judaism movement.
Mcmahon Letter – see Abdullah, King of Transjordan.
Maidanek – death camp in Poland.
Mapai Party – labor party in Israel (Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael) – the dominant
party in Israel during the British Mandate and after the establishment of the state
(Ben-Gurion’s party) – worked a lot with the Histadrut.
Mapu, Abraham – wrote Hebrew literature in Russia during the Haskala.
Marr, Wilhelm – German who coined the term “anti-Semitism.”
Marx, Karl – Jew who proposed the theory of Communism.
Maskilim – members of the Eastern European Haskala.
May Laws – created by Ignatiev, passed by Alexander III: Jews could not
establish new villages within the Pale of Settlement, Jews were kicked out of
Moscow, and the Numeros Clausus – ejected many Jews from universities.
Meassefim – contributors to the Hebrew journal Hameassef in Western Europe –
they were members of the Haskala, and considered themselves immersed in
German civilization.
Mendele Mocher Sforim – famous Yiddish writer in the Eastern European
Haskala – said that Yiddish is the key to touching the heart of the nation.
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Mendelssohn, Dorothea – Moshe Mendelssohn’s daughter who married a Jew but
then later eloped with a Christian and was baptized.
Mendelssohn, Moshe – the founder of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala). He
wrote a philosophy book Phaedon and they called him the “Jewish Socrates.”
Believed in immersing oneself within German culture – but he was still a
religious Jew. Lavater’s challenge led him to write his magnum opus, Jerusalem,
which stated: “I believe that Judaism knows no revealed religion in the sense in
which Christians understand this term. The Israelites possess a Divine
Legislation” – the problem with that is that he didn’t actually explain every single
mitzvah as it relates to the Divine Legislation. Mendelssohn also wrote the Biur in
an attempt to get all Jews to be “Exception Jews.” The Biur was a translation of
the Torah into German, but the German was written in Hebrew/Yiddish alphabetic
characters. He did this in an attempt to get Jews to learn German and Hebrew –
and succeeded in such. However, Mendelssohn did oppose the rabbinic power of
excommunication, and he valued what science has to say over what Judaism says.
See also Lavater.
Metternich – see Congress of Vienna.
Meyer, Michael – says that there is no specific date when modern JH started, but
the signs of modernity began to appear in the 1700s.
Mirabeau – strong supporter of the emancipation of the Jews in France.
Molé, Count Louis – supported Napoleon’s proposal to “correct” Jewish behavior
by delaying payment back to Jewish monyelenders, and even suggested
rescinding Jewish emancipation.
Montefiore, Sir Moses – a Jewish investment banker who was a shtadlan but who
also helped the Jews of Syria during the Damascus Blood Libel.
Montesquieu – French philosopher who recognized the benefits of giving the
Jews emancipation.
Morais, Sabato – founded the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) based on
historical-positivist Judaism.
Moshav – a pre-1948 Jewish settlement in Israel.
Napoleon – got rid of ghettos in France, gave Jews emancipation. He also
established the Paris Sanhedrin, who proclaimed that Judaism is a religion, not a
nation. See also Infamous Decree and Consistoire.
Nasser – leader of Egypt who was severely opposed to Israel’s existence and
encouraged Egyptian military action against Israel.
Nathan der Weise – see Lessing.
Neo-Orthodoxy – see Hirsch, Samson.
Nicholas I – czar that advocated Russification – passed the Enlistment Decree
where a certain quota of Jews from each village had to serve 31 years in the army
– this led to the Cantonists (kids who joined the army) and khappers. Also
expelled Jews from Kiev and restricted Jewish marriages. Established Kiselev
Commission to establish schools for Jews. See Lilienthal, Max.
Nicholas II – czar who succeeded Alexander III – continued his father’s war
against the Jews in Russia.
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Nietzsche – said that Christianity is a religion of slaves, and also “might makes
right” – which supported Bismarck’s theory of “Blood and Iron” used to unite
Germany.
Nordau, Max – said that history always happened to the Jews and the Jews were
never adequately able to defend themselves – now we need to establish a
“Judaism of Muscles” (form of Zionism) via gymnastic clubs which will
strengthen us.
Oppenheimer, House of – family of Jewish investment bankers who had
influential money power in Germany (they were hofjuden – court Jews).
Pale of Settlement – a limited location within which the Jews could live in Russia
– established by Catherine the Great.
Pan-Germanism – a movement that sought to educate Germans with patriotic
values and nationalism but disliked Jews. See also Bismarck, Nietzsche and
Treitschke.
Passfield White Paper – prohibited Jewish purchase of agricultural land and
limited Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Perl, Joseph – anti-Hassidic member of the Haskala in Eastern Europe.
Pinsker, Leo – wrote Autoemancipation – history happened to the Jews while they
were passive, but now the Jews must take an active role in establishing a
homeland (against Herzl, who said the gentiles will help us).
Pittsburgh Platform – position of American Reform Judaism – no mitzvot, only
ethics, Theory of Mission, and led to Hebrew Union College, a training seminary
for Reform rabbis.
Plehve, Werner von – Nicholas II’s Ministry of the Interior – believed that the
government’s anti-Semitic position was wrong – but even so, he helped organize
pogroms.
Pobedesnotszev – came up with a plan to deal with Russian Jews for Alexander
III – ⅓ will be killed, ⅓ will be exiled and ⅓ will be assimilated.
Pogrom – organized mass Jewish killings – first pogrom in Russia happened in
1881, also the Kishinev pogrom of 1903 (see Bialik).
Rapaport, Solomon Yehudah – was part of the WDJ-equivalent (which had
religious Jews in it, as opposed to Western Europe) in the Eastern European
Haskala – opposed to the Reform movement – analyzed Judaism scientifically.
Revolution of 1848 – revolt against conservatives in Germany and Italy, where
Jews lost their emancipation, which spurred nationalism.
Riesser, Gabriel – part of the Jewish emancipation debate in Germany – the Jews
are no longer a nation and they are loyal citizens and fight on the same battlefield
with gentiles – the Jews have earned their claim to nationality.
Rothschild, House of – family of Jewish bankers and philanthropists who
controlled massive amounts of operations in Germany.
Salomon, Hayim – Jewish banker during the American Revolution who helped
the colonies financially.
Science of Judaism – a.k.a. WDJ (=Wissenschaft des Judentums) – attempted to
study Judaism and history academically and objectively. In Western Europe –
people like Geiger, Zunz, Graetz and Steinschneider – all believed in reform. In
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Eastern Europe – the people were more religious – such as Rapaport and
Krochmal.
Sholom Aleichem – wrote in Yiddish during the Eastern European Haskala – see
Mendele Mocher Sforim.
Shtadlan – an intercessor / negotiator between the Jews and the national
government, like Moses Montefiore.
Six-Day War – Israel was attacked in June, 1967 by Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq
– but it managed to capture the Sinai Peninsula, and most importantly, reclaim
Jerusalem and the Kotel.
Smolenskin, Peretz – see Am Olam.
Sombart, Werner – said that Jews created capitalism, and their essence is
capitalism.
Spinoza, Baruch – Spanish Jewish philosopher of the 1600s.
Stalin – minorities in Russia counteract Communism because they display
nationalism. Stalin gave the Jews their own nation, Birobidzhan – near Mongolia
– in an attempt to separate them from Russia. See also Yevsektsia.
Stern Gang – youth group even more extreme than the Irgun that believed in the
political assassination of British officials.
Stocker, Adolph – Christian Socialist who made anti-Semitism a national issue in
Germany.
Stuyvesant, Peter – mayor of New York City who wanted to expel the Jews, so he
wrote to the Dutch West Indies Company and asked permission, but since Jews
helped the company they denied it.
Sykes-Picot Agreement – Russia, England and France would split up the Middle
East – Russia would get Constantinople, France would get Iraq, and England
would get Transjordan.
Tanzimat – reform of the Middle Eastern Jewish community – abolished the jizya
(poll tax), established equality of citizens and instituted the chief rabbi, the
“Chacham Bashi.”
Treitschke – anti-Semitic German philosopher who believed in Bismarck’s
conservative nationalism – believed that the nation is like a god.
Trotsky – worked with Lenin, established the Red Army – didn’t see a problem
with the Jews because Communism would eliminate anti-Semitism.
Uganda Project – Joseph Chamberlain offered Uganda to Herzl if the Jews would
be loyal to Britain, who brought up the issue in the 6th Zionist Congress – Eastern
European representatives were so disgusted that they left the congress. Zangwill
supported the Uganda Project.
Uvarov – see Lilienthal, Max.
Vaad Arba ha-Aratzot – a form of government that tried to unify each “kahal” in
Poland, collect taxes and represent the Jews before the government.
Varnhagen, Rachel – see Levin, Rachel.
Voltaire – French philosopher who instituted racial anti-Semitism – the Jews
contributed nothing to society, they all take bribes.
Wagner, Richard – German composer who expressed his anti-Semitism in his
music and operas.
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Weizmann, Chaim – scientist who convinced Lord Balfour to issue the Balfour
Declaration.
Wessely, Naphtali Herz – student of Mendelssohn who praised Joseph II’s Edict
of Tolerance (allowed Jews more economic freedom and toleration, but desired
that they learn German) in his book Divrei Shalom v’Emet.
Wise, Isaac Mayer – leading rabbi of American Reform Judaism in the 19th
century.
Wise, Stephen – leader of Reform Judaism in the 20th century, during WWII.
Yevsektsia – Stalin tried to use Yiddish to destroy Jewish nationalism (changed
the spelling rules to disassociate it from Hebrew) – Yevsektsia was a group of
Jewish Communists who aided in this.
Zaddik – the Rebbe of Hassidim who is considered the most holy person in the
community who can bring blessings to the community when he prays – even so,
he must be with the rest of the Jews and feel their suffering, and speak to the
laypersons (yeridat hazaddik). The first zaddik – the Baal Shem Tov.
Zunz, Leopold – part of WDJ, proved that reform is allowed within Judaism, also
Judaism is a rich religion that influenced the world.
GOOD LUCK!
-Ari Gilder