David Philipson
Encyclopedia
David Philipson was an American Reform
rabbi
, orator, and author
. The son of German-Jewish immigrants, he was a member of the first graduating class of the Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati. As an adult, he was one of the leaders of American Reform Judaism
and a philanthropic
leader in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati. In addition to English
, he spoke Hebrew, German
, Arabic, Aramaic, and Amharic.
, Indiana
to Reform Jewish parents from Germany
. His family shortly moved to Columbus
, Ohio
. He went to grammar school there, was confirmed, and became a Bar Mitzvah. At the invitation of Rabbi Isaac M. Wise, who was friends with David's father (Joseph Philipson), David moved to Cincinnati to become a member of the first class of Hebrew Union College
(HUC), a Reform Jewish Seminary
Rev. Wise was beginning.
Philipson lodged with a prominent Jewish family during his time taking classes both at HUC and Hughes High School
. He graduated from both Hughes High School and the preparatory section of HUC in 1879, and was valedictorian
at the former. He immediately matriculated into college courses at HUC while also studying at the University of Cincinnati
. He graduated from The University of Cincinnati in 1883 with a Bachelor of Arts
in Classics
. He was also one of four men ordained as Reform Rabbis in that year, and was one of those feted at the Trefa Banquet that HUC hosted for its first ordination class.
to aid in the growth of Reform Judaism there. However, he was offered the opportunity to minister at Har Sinai Congregation
, a prestigious congregation in Baltimore. Philipson initially refused the offer, but he agreed to go on the insistence of his teacher, Rev. Wise. He did not only preach to and care for his congregation there, but also continued his education at Johns Hopkins University
. There, he was classmates with Cyrus Adler
, and he continued his language acquisition, learning Aramaic and Amharic. He received a Doctorate of Divinity from Johns Hopkins in 1886. Also in that year, he married Ella Hollander, a young woman who attended his Bible studies.
Philipson gained attention within Baltimore society by serving on the board of the Baltimore Charity Organization Society, on which he was the only Jew. Additionally, he gave a eulogy for Henry Ward Beecher
to his congregation as a sermon, an action considered noteworthy at the time because it was a speech on a non-Jew for a Jewish audience. Within Jewish circles, Philipson drew acclaim for acting as secretary at the famous Pittsburgh Platform
meetings in 1885. These meetings established "Classical Reform Judaism" and rejected Jewish laws that had a ritual, rather than moral basis. His work in Pittsburgh, as well as his background at HUC launched him into acclaim among Reform Jews.
and the idea of a "Jewish Race." Philipson was also active in politics, not only opposing antisemitism but also fighting against the rampant corruption
in Cincinnati politics.
in person and in print, filling the editorial pages of The Cincinnati Enquirer
with anti-imperialist columns. His politically-oriented sermon
s were famous and often controversial; they often found him at odds with other rabbis and important congregational figures.
During World War I
, Philipson worked to ensure local politicians that the Jewish community were not sympathizers to the German cause. In 1921, his friend Rufus Smith chose him to arbitrate a strike
by the Cincinnati Builders Union. In 1927, the Queen of Romania
went on a tour of the United States. She stopped in Cincinnati and offered all of the local religious and political heads an invitation to dine with her. Philipson attained national attention when he refused her invitation due to the pogroms that were going on throughout Romania
at that time.
In his later years, Philipson largely retired from public life. However, he aided in organizing an anti-Nazi protest march (1933) and wrote that the United States should join the war
against Nazi Germany
(1940).
and United American Hebrew Council throughout his life.
In the early 20th Century, Philipson was most famous for his anti-Zionist beliefs. Believing that "...no man can be a member of two Nationalities
," Philipson used his power to counter what he saw as the exclusionary and zealous acts of Zionists. He used HUC's journal of Reform Judaism, The American Israelite
, to further his view that Judaism was a religion exclusively, and thus stateless. Shortly after the First Zionist Congress
in Basel
, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations held its first convention. With Philipson at their head, they issued a statement in 1897 stating that "America is our Zion."
Rev. Philipson was the premier rabbi of Cincinnati, even consecrating Orthodox
synagogues, particularly Ohave Shalom in 1905. He traveled throughout the United States speaking at graduations, consecrations, funerals, and innumerable other events. These speeches, when coupled with his prodigious authorship, had a tremendous affect in establishing Cincinnati as the center of Reform Jewish intellectualism.
Philipson retired from his position as Rabbi of Bene Israel in 1938. He did very little in public life after his retirement, but stayed active in various Jewish organizations and charities. He died while attending a convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in Bretton Woods
, New Hampshire
, in 1949. He is buried at the United Jewish Cemetery in Cincinnati.
, the central prayer book for Reform Judaism, and presided over the first few of its re-publishings.
His first published work was The Jew in English Fiction. While in England
giving talks about this book, he was given the correspondence of Rebecca Gratz
, who is widely believed to be the model for Sir Walter Scott's Rebecca in his masterpiece Ivanhoe
. He also is noted for writing Old European Jewries, considered to be a foundational work on the study of ghetto
life. His memoir
, written in 1940, is My Life as an American Jew.
He was also a member of the translation committee for the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 Bible translation into English.
His most famous and notable work is titled The Reform Movement in Judaism. In it, he writes on the history and ideology of the movement both in Europe and the United States. It was widely lauded at the time of its publication, and is still seen as a master work on its subject.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, orator, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. The son of German-Jewish immigrants, he was a member of the first graduating class of the Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
in Cincinnati. As an adult, he was one of the leaders of American Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism (North America)
Reform Judaism is the largest denomination of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.5 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.- Reform Jewish theology :Rabbi W...
and a philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
leader in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati. In addition to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, he spoke Hebrew, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Arabic, Aramaic, and Amharic.
Early life
Philipson was born in WabashWabash, Indiana
Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, United States. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Wabash County....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
to Reform Jewish parents from Germany
German Reform movement (Judaism)
The German Reform movement in Judaism identifies a period of disputes and innovation during the first two thirds of the 19th century. The ideas, practices, and debates of this period lead to the current denominational structure of Judaism....
. His family shortly moved to Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He went to grammar school there, was confirmed, and became a Bar Mitzvah. At the invitation of Rabbi Isaac M. Wise, who was friends with David's father (Joseph Philipson), David moved to Cincinnati to become a member of the first class of Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
(HUC), a Reform Jewish Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
Rev. Wise was beginning.
Philipson lodged with a prominent Jewish family during his time taking classes both at HUC and Hughes High School
Hughes Center High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Hughes Center High School is a public high school located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Cincinnati Public Schools.The school is a team-based magnet school dedicated to the Paideia philosophy...
. He graduated from both Hughes High School and the preparatory section of HUC in 1879, and was valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at the former. He immediately matriculated into college courses at HUC while also studying at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. He graduated from The University of Cincinnati in 1883 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. He was also one of four men ordained as Reform Rabbis in that year, and was one of those feted at the Trefa Banquet that HUC hosted for its first ordination class.
Beginnings in Ministry (1883-1888)
Philipson did not intend to go directly into the ministry, but instead chose to spend time in DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
to aid in the growth of Reform Judaism there. However, he was offered the opportunity to minister at Har Sinai Congregation
Har Sinai Congregation
Har Sinai Congregation is a Reform Jewish synagogue located in Owings Mills, Maryland. Originally established in 1842 in Baltimore, it is the oldest congregation in the United States that has been affiliated with the Reform movement since its inception....
, a prestigious congregation in Baltimore. Philipson initially refused the offer, but he agreed to go on the insistence of his teacher, Rev. Wise. He did not only preach to and care for his congregation there, but also continued his education at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. There, he was classmates with Cyrus Adler
Cyrus Adler
Cyrus Adler was a U.S. educator, Jewish religious leader and scholar.-Biography:Adler was born in Van Buren, Arkansas, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania in 1883 and gained a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1887, where he taught Semitic languages from 1884 to 1893...
, and he continued his language acquisition, learning Aramaic and Amharic. He received a Doctorate of Divinity from Johns Hopkins in 1886. Also in that year, he married Ella Hollander, a young woman who attended his Bible studies.
Philipson gained attention within Baltimore society by serving on the board of the Baltimore Charity Organization Society, on which he was the only Jew. Additionally, he gave a eulogy for Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
to his congregation as a sermon, an action considered noteworthy at the time because it was a speech on a non-Jew for a Jewish audience. Within Jewish circles, Philipson drew acclaim for acting as secretary at the famous Pittsburgh Platform
Pittsburgh Platform
The Pittsburgh Platform is a pivotal 19th century document in the history of the American Reform Movement in Judaism that called for Jews to adopt a modern approach to the practice of their faith...
meetings in 1885. These meetings established "Classical Reform Judaism" and rejected Jewish laws that had a ritual, rather than moral basis. His work in Pittsburgh, as well as his background at HUC launched him into acclaim among Reform Jews.
Life in Cincinnati (1888-1949)
David Philipson returned to Cincinnati in 1888, bringing his Baltimore-raised wife, Ella Hollander, with him. He took over ministry at Bene Israel from Rev. Wise, and also taught at the Bene Israel religious school and at HUC. He not only opened symposiums on controversies in Jewish life, such as intermarriageInterfaith marriage in Judaism
Interfaith marriage in Judaism was historically looked upon with very strong disfavour by Jewish leaders, and it remains a controversial issue amongst Jewish leaders today. In the Talmud, interfaith marriage is completely prohibited, although the definition of interfaith is not so simply expressed...
and the idea of a "Jewish Race." Philipson was also active in politics, not only opposing antisemitism but also fighting against the rampant corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in Cincinnati politics.
Inter-religious and secular work in Cincinnati
Philipson was the first Jewish leader in Cincinnati to actively participate in public society. He worked mostly with other religious figures, but also participated in many secular charity efforts. He was the first Jew to speak at an Episcopalian chancel, at the invitation of a Cincinnatian priest. He also spoke out against American Imperialism, and in 1902 he allied with Hon. Rufus Smith and future president William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
in person and in print, filling the editorial pages of The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
with anti-imperialist columns. His politically-oriented sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s were famous and often controversial; they often found him at odds with other rabbis and important congregational figures.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Philipson worked to ensure local politicians that the Jewish community were not sympathizers to the German cause. In 1921, his friend Rufus Smith chose him to arbitrate a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
by the Cincinnati Builders Union. In 1927, the Queen of Romania
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
went on a tour of the United States. She stopped in Cincinnati and offered all of the local religious and political heads an invitation to dine with her. Philipson attained national attention when he refused her invitation due to the pogroms that were going on throughout Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
at that time.
In his later years, Philipson largely retired from public life. However, he aided in organizing an anti-Nazi protest march (1933) and wrote that the United States should join the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
against Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
(1940).
Work within the Jewish community
As rabbi at the largest Reform congregation in the center of Reform Jewish life, Philipson had tremendous influence both within Cincinnati and in the whole country. He was very active in the Central Conference of American RabbisCentral Conference of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis , founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada, the CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world....
and United American Hebrew Council throughout his life.
In the early 20th Century, Philipson was most famous for his anti-Zionist beliefs. Believing that "...no man can be a member of two Nationalities
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
," Philipson used his power to counter what he saw as the exclusionary and zealous acts of Zionists. He used HUC's journal of Reform Judaism, The American Israelite
The American Israelite
The American Israelite is a Jewish weekly newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1854 as The Israelite and assuming its present name in 1874, it is the longest-running English-language Jewish newspaper still published in the United States.The paper's founder, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise,...
, to further his view that Judaism was a religion exclusively, and thus stateless. Shortly after the First Zionist Congress
First Zionist Congress
The First Zionist Congress was the inaugural congress of the Zionist Organization held in Basel , Switzerland, from August 29 to August 31, 1897. It was convened and chaired by Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionism movement...
in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations held its first convention. With Philipson at their head, they issued a statement in 1897 stating that "America is our Zion."
Rev. Philipson was the premier rabbi of Cincinnati, even consecrating Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogues, particularly Ohave Shalom in 1905. He traveled throughout the United States speaking at graduations, consecrations, funerals, and innumerable other events. These speeches, when coupled with his prodigious authorship, had a tremendous affect in establishing Cincinnati as the center of Reform Jewish intellectualism.
Philipson retired from his position as Rabbi of Bene Israel in 1938. He did very little in public life after his retirement, but stayed active in various Jewish organizations and charities. He died while attending a convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in Bretton Woods
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Bretton Woods is an area within the town of Carroll, New Hampshire, USA, whose principal points of interest are three leisure and recreation facilities...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, in 1949. He is buried at the United Jewish Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Published works
Philipson wrote extensively in his adult life. He co-wrote the Union Prayer BookUnion Prayer Book
The Union Prayer Book was a siddur published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis to serve the needs of the Reform Judaism movement in the United States.-History:...
, the central prayer book for Reform Judaism, and presided over the first few of its re-publishings.
His first published work was The Jew in English Fiction. While in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
giving talks about this book, he was given the correspondence of Rebecca Gratz
Rebecca Gratz
Rebecca Gratz was a preeminent Jewish American educator and philanthropist.Gratz was the seventh of twelve children born to Miriam Simon and Michael Gratz...
, who is widely believed to be the model for Sir Walter Scott's Rebecca in his masterpiece Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
. He also is noted for writing Old European Jewries, considered to be a foundational work on the study of ghetto
Jewish ghettos in Europe
Jewish ghettos in Europe existed because Jews were viewed as foreigners due to their non-Christian beliefs in a Renaissance Christian environment. As a result, Jews were placed under strict regulations throughout many European cities. The character of ghettos varied through times. In some cases,...
life. His memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, written in 1940, is My Life as an American Jew.
He was also a member of the translation committee for the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 Bible translation into English.
His most famous and notable work is titled The Reform Movement in Judaism. In it, he writes on the history and ideology of the movement both in Europe and the United States. It was widely lauded at the time of its publication, and is still seen as a master work on its subject.
Sources
- Philipson, David. My Life as an American Jew. Cincinnati: Kidd Publishing, 1941.
- David Philipson Papers, American Jewish Archives, May 3, 2008.