Samuel Hirsch: Religionsphilosoph, Emanzipationsverfechter und radikaler Reformer der jüdischen Moderne: Philosopher of Religion, Advocate of Emancipation and Radical Reformer

Rabbi Samuel Hirsch (Thalfang 1815 – Chicago 1889) was instrumental in the development of Reform Judaism in Europe and the USA. This volume is the first lengthy publication devoted to this striking personality whose significance was no less than that of his contemporaries Abraham Geiger and David Einhorn. En route from Thalfang via Dessau and Luxembourg to Philadelphia, Hirsch left his mark on societal, religious, and philosophical developments in manifold ways. By the time he was appointed Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Luxembourg in 1843, he had already written many of his most important works on the philosophy of religion. In them he engaged in debate with the Young Hegelians on the importance of Judaism, the religion that, more than any other, enabled the human actualization of freedom so central to Hegel's philosophy. Over time Hirsch took an increasingly radical stance on issues such as Jewish rituals and mixed marriage. The goal of his reforms was not assimilation. He strove to strengthen Judaism to meet the demands of modernity and enable its survival in the modern era. Hirsch's story is key to understanding the transnational history of Reform Judaism and the struggle of Jews to secure a place in history and society. Table of Contents 5 Introduction and Acknowledgements 9 Part I: From Thalfang to Philadelphia: An Introduction to Samuel Hirsch’s Life and Times 17 “An Intimate Friendship with Modernity”. Samuel Hirsch’s Reform Philosophy in the Context of the Ideological Controversies of the Times 17 Part II: Hegelian and Defender of the Faith: The Fundamentals of Samuel Hirsch’s Philosophy 73 Samuel Hirsch in Dessau (June 1838 – June 1843). Freedom, Emancipation and the Christian State 73 Back to Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy. Hirsch’s Criticism of Modern Times 93 Judaism Transformed and the Divine on Earth. Samuel Hirsch’s Appropriation of the Hegelian Ideal State 107 Part III: Edifying the Congregation: Jewish Answers to Pressing Societal Questions 133 The Challenges of Alterity: Notes on Samuel Hirsch’s Contemporaneity 133 Religious Borders of Reason and Sentiment: Samuel Hirsch and Abraham Geiger on Jewish Education 153 “Humankind is Advancing”. Samuel Hirsch’s Rediscovery of Messianism and its Consequences for Modern Jewish Religious Philosophy 169 Part IV: Samuel Hirsch’s Luxembourg: Industrialization, Emancipation and Community 189 Mid-19th Century Luxembourg. Nation Building and the Late Industrialization 189 Between Recognition and Exclusion. The Effects of the Décret Infâme on Jewish Emancipation in Luxembourg 215 Between Acceptance and Aversion. Jews and Christians in Luxembourg in the 19th and Early 20th centuries 235 Part V: From Luxembourg to Philadelphia. Samuel Hirsch’s Transnational Reform Judaism 263 “One Always Panders to the Basest Jew-Hatred”. Samuel Hirsch, Der Volksfreund and Luxemburger Wort’s Campaign against Secularization and Jewish Emancipation 1848–50 263 A Sense of Loneliness. Samuel Hirsch’s American Years 289 Bibliography 309 Contributors 335 Index of Names 339 Index of Places 345 Index of Topics 347 Biblical and Rabbinic Sources 363 "Rabbi Samuel Hirsch is one of the most important Jewish Reform theologians and philosophers of religion of the first half of the 19th century. To this day, he remains one of the key figures for understanding the debates of the time on questions of Jewish emancipation, the shape of Jewish identity, the compatibility of religion with state and society, the relationship between particularism and universalism as well as the critique of antisemitism. His writings are among the most authoritative of Reform Judaism; his influence on liberal Judaism in Europe and the USA is rivalled only by that of Abraham Geiger. Surprisingly, no detailed monograph or lengthy publication has yet attempted an overall presentation of the multi-layered significance of Samuel Hirsch. It is the aim of the present volume to fill this lacuna."-- Back cover After World War Ii, Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich (1921-2007) Published Works In English And German By Eminent Israeli Scholars, In This Way Introducing Them To A Wider Audience In Europe And North America. The Series He Founded For That Purpose, Studia Judaica, Continues To Offer A Platform For Scholarly Studies And Editions That Cover All Eras In The History Of The Jewish Religion. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg hat Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich (1921-2007) herausragende israelische Gelehrte in englisch- und deutschsprachigen Veroeffentlichungen in Europa und Nordamerika bekannt gemacht. Die zu diesem Zweck von ihm begrundete Reihe Studia Judaica bietet heute ein Forum fur wissenschaftliche Studien und Editionen aus allen Epochen der judischen Religionsgeschichte. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg hat Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich (1921–2007) herausragende israelische Gelehrte in englisch- und deutschsprachigen Veröffentlichungen in Europa und Nordamerika bekannt gemacht. Die zu diesem Zweck von ihm begründete Reihe Studia Judaica bietet heute ein Forum für wissenschaftliche Studien und Editionen aus allen Epochen der jüdischen Religionsgeschichte.