Gotthard Deutsch
Encyclopedia
Gotthard Deutsch also spelled Gottard Deutsch, was a scholar of Jewish history
.
, Moravia
, Austria
, as Eliezer Deutsch, the son of Bernhard L. Deutsch, a merchant, and Elise Wiener. He always called himself Gotthard, an attempted translation into German
of his Jewish given name. Deutsch entered Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau
in October 1876. While attending seminary classes, he also enrolled in afternoon classes at the University of Breslau. At the seminary, he was influenced by the noted Jewish historian Heinrich Graetz
. Matriculating in 1879 at the University of Vienna
, two years later he received his Ph.D. in history. While attending the university, he enrolled in a Talmud
ic course taught by Isaac Hirsch Weiss
at Beth Hammidrash. During his studies in Vienna
, Deutsch drew inspiration and guidance from both Weiss and Adolf Jellinek
, an authority in Midrash
ic research. Shortly after his graduation, Deutsch received Semichah (ordination) from Weiss.
, Moravia
. The following year he was appointed to teach religion at the city's German
high school. After teaching for six years (1881–1887) at Brno, he entered the rabbi
nate. His first and only charge came in 1887, in the town of Most
, Bohemia
. Deutsch was far from content at his new vocation. Soon, he yearned for an academic milieu and the opportunity of satisfying his craving for knowledge. While at Most he married in May 1888 Hermine Bacher; the couple had three sons and two daughters.
In 1891, at the invitation of Isaac Mayer Wise
, Deutsch moved to the United States
to accept the chair of Jewish history and philosophy at Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati. After eleven years of teaching there, he was appointed dean. In February 1903, after the death of Moses Mielziner
, he was designated acting president of the college, a position he held until October of the same year.
In 1912 Deutsch delivered lectures on Jewish history at the University of Chicago
. While speaking at schools throughout the United States, Deutsch was also a guiding force at the local level. This included his association with the Cincinnati German Club and in 1909 his election to the Cincinnati Board of Education, a position he held for four years. Much of Deutsch's time was also spent as an editor and chief contributor to the Jewish Encyclopedia
, as corresponding secretary for the Central Conference of American Rabbis
, and as chairman of the conference's Committee on Contemporaneous History.
. His lifelong love for Germany
had led Deutsch to support Woodrow Wilson
's neutrality while aligning himself with the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace
. In the tide of anti-German hysteria Deutsch found himself alone and ostracized. He spoke out singularly, sometimes bitterly, against his adopted country's wartime role. On 5 October 1917 federal agents and local detectives raided the council's headquarters. Shortly thereafter, at a friend's naturalization
hearing, Deutsch refused to answer the question, "Who do you want to win in this war?" These activities and subsequent newspaper headlines led many colleagues and the public to demand his immediate removal from the college's faculty. Only the staunch support of his students, friends, and leading Reform
rabbis enabled Deutsch to continue teaching.
, Yiddish
, German
, French
, and English
. Above all, however, Deutsch's gentlemanly traits separated and lifted him above the mundane.
A prolific writer, Deutsch produced hundreds of newspaper and journal articles with commentary; these appeared mainly in the Jewish Chronicle, American Hebrew, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Yearbook, Hebrew Union College Journal, American Israelite, and American Journal of Theology. Besides contributing to Die Deborah, he succeeded Isaac Wise
in 1901 as its editor. His list of scholarly works is equally impressive:
Deutsch died at his home in Cincinnati. He was mourned by Jew and non-Jew, progressive and conservative; thousands filled the Cincinnati Crematory to pay their last respects.
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
.
Education
Deutsch was born in Dolní KouniceDolní Kounice
Dolní Kounice is a small town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 2,400 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
, as Eliezer Deutsch, the son of Bernhard L. Deutsch, a merchant, and Elise Wiener. He always called himself Gotthard, an attempted translation into 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....
of his Jewish given name. Deutsch entered Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau
Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau
Das Jüdisch-Theologische Seminar , The Jewish Theological Seminary of BreslauInstitution in Breslau for the training of rabbis, founded under the will of Jonas Fränckel, and opened in 1854...
in October 1876. While attending seminary classes, he also enrolled in afternoon classes at the University of Breslau. At the seminary, he was influenced by the noted Jewish historian Heinrich Graetz
Heinrich Graetz
Heinrich Graetz was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective....
. Matriculating in 1879 at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, two years later he received his Ph.D. in history. While attending the university, he enrolled in a Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic course taught by Isaac Hirsch Weiss
Isaac Hirsch Weiss
Isaac Hirsch Weiss, also Eisik Hirsch Weiss was an Austrian Talmudist and historian of literature born at Velké Meziříčí, Moravia....
at Beth Hammidrash. During his studies in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Deutsch drew inspiration and guidance from both Weiss and Adolf Jellinek
Adolf Jellinek
----Adolf Jellinek |Drslavice]], nearby Uherské Hradiště, Moravia - December 28, 1893, Vienna) was an Austrian rabbi and scholar...
, an authority in Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
ic research. Shortly after his graduation, Deutsch received Semichah (ordination) from Weiss.
Rabbinical and academic career
In 1881 Deutsch accepted a probational position as shabbath schoolteacher for a Jewish congregation in BrnoBrno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. The following year he was appointed to teach religion at the city's 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....
high school. After teaching for six years (1881–1887) at Brno, he entered 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...
nate. His first and only charge came in 1887, in the town of Most
Most
Most is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. Deutsch was far from content at his new vocation. Soon, he yearned for an academic milieu and the opportunity of satisfying his craving for knowledge. While at Most he married in May 1888 Hermine Bacher; the couple had three sons and two daughters.
In 1891, at the invitation of Isaac Mayer Wise
Isaac Mayer Wise
Isaac Mayer Wise , was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author.-Early life:...
, Deutsch moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to accept the chair of Jewish history and philosophy at 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. After eleven years of teaching there, he was appointed dean. In February 1903, after the death of Moses Mielziner
Moses Mielziner
Moses Mielziner was an American Reform rabbi and author.-Life:...
, he was designated acting president of the college, a position he held until October of the same year.
In 1912 Deutsch delivered lectures on Jewish history at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. While speaking at schools throughout the United States, Deutsch was also a guiding force at the local level. This included his association with the Cincinnati German Club and in 1909 his election to the Cincinnati Board of Education, a position he held for four years. Much of Deutsch's time was also spent as an editor and chief contributor to the Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
, as corresponding secretary for the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Central 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 as chairman of the conference's Committee on Contemporaneous History.
World War I position
One of the turning points in Deutsch's life came with the United States's entry into World War IWorld 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...
. His lifelong love for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
had led Deutsch to support Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
's neutrality while aligning himself with the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace
People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace
The People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, commonly known as the "People's Council," was an American pacifist political organization established in New York City in May 1917...
. In the tide of anti-German hysteria Deutsch found himself alone and ostracized. He spoke out singularly, sometimes bitterly, against his adopted country's wartime role. On 5 October 1917 federal agents and local detectives raided the council's headquarters. Shortly thereafter, at a friend's naturalization
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
hearing, Deutsch refused to answer the question, "Who do you want to win in this war?" These activities and subsequent newspaper headlines led many colleagues and the public to demand his immediate removal from the college's faculty. Only the staunch support of his students, friends, and leading Reform
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...
rabbis enabled Deutsch to continue teaching.
Legacy
Although a biblical scholar, Deutsch is also known for his two novels and works on history and language. One of the world's greatest Jewish scholars, Deutsch possessed a knack for memorizing facts, biblical scriptures, secular literature, and world history. He also wrote in several languages, including HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
, 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....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and 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...
. Above all, however, Deutsch's gentlemanly traits separated and lifted him above the mundane.
A prolific writer, Deutsch produced hundreds of newspaper and journal articles with commentary; these appeared mainly in the Jewish Chronicle, American Hebrew, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Central 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....
Yearbook, Hebrew Union College Journal, American Israelite, and American Journal of Theology. Besides contributing to Die Deborah, he succeeded Isaac Wise
Isaac Mayer Wise
Isaac Mayer Wise , was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author.-Early life:...
in 1901 as its editor. His list of scholarly works is equally impressive:
- Paradigmen-Tafeln zur hebräischen Grammatik (1886)
- Die Symbolik in Cultus und Dichtung bei den Hebräern (1886)
- Philosophy of Jewish History (1897)
- Andere Zeiten, eine Erzählung aus dem jüdischen Leben der jüngsten Vergangenheit (1898)
- Unlösbare Fesseln, eine Erzählung aus dem jüdischen Leben der Gegenwart (1903)
- Memorable Dates of Jewish History (1904)
- Four Epochs of Jewish History (1905)
- Israel Bruna, an Historical Tragedy in Five Acts (1908)
- The History of the Jews (1910)
- Der Glaube an Hobelspäne (1914)
- Scrolls (2 vols., 1917; 3rd vol., 1919), and other pamphlets and reprints. His works are considered by many to be the authoritative word on questions relating to the Jewish faithJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Deutsch died at his home in Cincinnati. He was mourned by Jew and non-Jew, progressive and conservative; thousands filled the Cincinnati Crematory to pay their last respects.
Sources
- The Bernhard Felsenthal Papers, in the Hebrew Jewish Archives, contain an extensive record of correspondences between Deutsch and Felsenthal.
- Adolph S. Oko, Selected List of the Writings of Gotthard Deutsch (1916), presents an extensive bibliography of Deutsch's major publications.
- Biographical sketches of Deutsch are in Max Raisin, Great Jews I Have Known (1952), pp. 143–52, and an excellent unpublished sketch by Raisin in the Hebrew Jewish Archives.
- Celebrating Deutsch's semi-jubilee, the Hebrew Union College Monthly (2, no. 8 [May 1916]) published a series of tributes and editorials by E. L. Heinsheimer, Henry Englander, Abraham Jehiel Feldman, S. Felix Mendelsohn, H. B. Cantor, and Jacob I. Meyer, among others. These papers treat Deutsch's religious concerns, contribution to literature, and his role in Jewish history.
- A useful history of Hebrew Union College is Samuel E. Karff, ed., Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at One Hundred Years (1976).
- A comprehensive memorial by Henry Englander is in "Memorial Addresses and Resolutions: Gotthard Deutsch", Central Conference of American Rabbis 32 (1922): 145-49. Obituaries are in the New York Times, 15 Oct. 1921; American Hebrew, 21 Oct. 1921; B'nai B'rith News, Oct. 1921; Hebrew Union College Monthly 8, no. 5 (Mar. 1922); and Jewish Advocate, 20 Oct. 1921.
- Carl Edwin Lindgren, "Gottard Deutsch" American National Biography Online Feb. 2000 (Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
)