Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("33507")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Orthodox_Judaism">Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is a formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.Orthodox...
.
History
In accepting the call as rabbi of the Berlin Orthodox party in 1869 A. Hildesheimer stipulated that he should be allowed to continue his activities as rabbinical teacher just as he had done at his former rabbinical office in
EisenstadtEisenstadt is a city in Austria, the state capital of Burgenland. It has a population of about 12,000 .In the Habsburg monarchy, Kismarton was the seat of the Eszterházy Hungarian noble family...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
. After delivering lectures which attracted a great many pupils, he addressed ten prominent persons in different parts of
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
in 1872, and explained to them the necessity of organizing an Orthodox rabbinical seminary at Berlin. These men at once took up the subject, and a central committee was formed, which included Oberrath J. Altmann of
KarlsruheKarlsruhe is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border....
, Rabbi Dr. Auerbach of
HalberstadtHalberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Framework Road....
,
Chief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
Dr. Solomon Cohn of
SchwerinSchwerin is a city in northern Germany and the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . The population, as of end of 2007, was 95,855.-History:...
, A. H. Heymann (a banker) of Berlin, Gustav Hirsch of Berlin, Sally Lewisohn of
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
, and Emanuel Schwarzschild of Frankfurt-am-Main.
The seminary was dedicated on 22 October 1873. At the opening of the institution the faculty included the rector, Dr. Israel Hildesheimer, and two lecturers, Dr. David Hoffmann (for the
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
, ritual codices, and Pentateuch
exegesisExegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text.Biblical exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of the Bible. The goal of Biblical exegesis is to find the meaning of the text which then leads to discovering its significance or relevance.Traditionally the term exegesis...
) and Dr.
A. BerlinerAbraham Berliner was a German theologian and historian, born in Obersitzko, province of Posen, Prussia. He received his first education under his father, who was teacher in Obersitzko...
(for post-Talmudic history, history of literature, and auxiliary sciences). In 1874 Dr. Jacob Barth, subsequently son-in-law of Hildesheimer, was added to the faculty as lecturer in
HebrewHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
, exegesis of the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
with the exception of the Pentateuch, and religious philosophy. Dr. Hirsch Hildesheimer, son of the founder and a graduate of the seminary, was appointed in 1882 lecturer in Jewish history and the geography of
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
. When Dr. Solomon Cohn removed to Berlin from Schwerin in 1876 he took charge of the courses in theoretic and practical
homileticsHomiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....
, continuing them until he went to Breslau in 1894.
By this time the attendance had greatly increased, and owing to the large number of pupils at the institution it became necessary to employ a new teacher; accordingly in 1895 Dr. J. Wohlgemuth, a former pupil, was appointed. After the death of the founder, Dr. Hildesheimer, on 12 June 1899, Rabbi David Z. Hoffmann was elected rector of the institution. Hoffmann was succeeded by Rabbi
Avrohom Eliyahu KaplanAvrohom Eliyahu Kaplan was a prominent Orthodox rabbi. He was born around the year 1890 in Kėdainiai, a town in the Kaunas County in Lithuania. He was born an orphan, and named Avrohom Elya for his deceased father, who had died suddenly at the age of 33 several months before his son's birth...
, a graduate of the
Slabodka YeshivaSlabodka yeshiva, also known as Knesses Yisroel, and later as Hebron Yeshiva or Yeshivas Hevron, was known colloquially as the "mother of yeshivas" and was devoted to high level study of the Talmud. The yeshiva was located in the Lithuanian town of Slabodka, adjacent to Kovno , now Vilijampolė, a...
and a brilliant talmudist. Kaplan died young however after only four years as rector. He was succeeded by Rabbi Jechiel Jakob Weinberg, the last rector of the Seminary. The Seminary was closed by the Nazis in 1938.
Description
The seminary was divided into an upper and a lower division. Pupils in the lower division followed a two year course, being promoted to the upper division on passing an examination; but pupils who had qualified in the principal branches were immediately admitted to the upper division. The course in this division lasted four years. The conditions for admission to the seminary included the following: (1) the candidate had to prove by examination that he was able to understand a moderately difficult Talmudic text,
RashiShlomo Yitzhaki, better known by the acronym Rashi , , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh .Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a...
and the
TosafotThe Tosafot or Tosafos are mediæval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes. The authors of the Tosafot are known as Tosafists .-Meaning of Name:The word tosafot...
; (2) as regards the secular sciences he had either to have a certificate of graduation from a classical
GymnasiumA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
or to be able to show that he was fitted for the graduating class of such a
Gymnasium. At the end of the course, pupils who left the institution as qualified rabbis had pass special examinations showing that aside from their attainments in the various branches of Jewish science they were sufficiently familiar with the ritual codices to decide correctly on ritual and religio-legal questions.
Rectors
- 1873-1899 - Dr. Azriel Hildesheimer
Dr. Esriel Hildesheimer was a German rabbi and leader of Orthodox Judaism. He is regarded as a pioneering modernizer of Orthodox Judaism in Germany and as a founder of Modern Orthodox Judaism....
(1820-1899)
- 1899-1920 - Dr. David Zvi Hoffmann (1843-1921)
- 1920-1934 - Rabbi Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan
Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan was a prominent Orthodox rabbi. He was born around the year 1890 in Kėdainiai, a town in the Kaunas County in Lithuania. He was born an orphan, and named Avrohom Elya for his deceased father, who had died suddenly at the age of 33 several months before his son's birth...
(1890-1934)
- 1934-1938 - Dr. Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg
Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg was a noted European Orthodox rabbi, posek and rosh yeshiva. He is best known as author of the work of responsa Seridei Eish.-Biography:...
(1878-1966)
Teachers
- Dr. Jacob Barth, lecturer for Hebrew language
- Dr. Abraham Berliner
Abraham Berliner was a German theologian and historian, born in Obersitzko, province of Posen, Prussia. He received his first education under his father, who was teacher in Obersitzko...
(1833-1915), lecturer for Jewish history and literature
- Dr. Solomon Cohn, lecturer for theoretic and practical homiletics
- Dr. Hirsch Hildesheimer, lecturer in Jewish history and geography of Palestine
- Dr. J. Wohlgemuth
Famous alumni
Among the Seminary's graduates were:
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Altmann
Alexander Altmann was an Orthodox Jewish scholar and rabbi born in Kassa, Austria-Hungary, today Košice, Slovakia. He emigrated to England in 1938 and later settled in the United States, working productively for a decade and a half as a professor within the Philosophy Department at Brandeis...
(1906-1987), Chief Rabbi of TrierTrier is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC. Trier is not the only city claiming to be Germany's oldest, but it is the only one that bases this assertion on having the longest history as a city, as opposed to a mere...
, founder of the Institute of Jewish Studies at University College LondonThe Institute of Jewish Studies at University College London, originally simply the Institute of Jewish Studies, is an academic institution founded by Alexander Altmann in 1954 in Manchester, England...
, and longtime professor at Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University is a private research university with a liberal arts focus, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate...
- Dr. Eduard Baneth (1855-1930), lecturer at the Lehranstalt für die Wissenschaft des Judentums ("Institute for the Study of Judaism") in Berlin
- Dr. Eliezer Berkovits
Eliezer Berkovits , was a rabbi, theologian, and educator in the tradition of Orthodox Judaism.- Life:...
(1908-1992), rabbi, theologian and author
- Pinchas Biberfeld
Pinchas Paul Biberfeld was a Rabbi in Germany and Israel.-Childhood:Rabbi Pinchas Paul Biberfeld was born on October 31, 1915 in Berlin. His father, Dr...
, (1915-1999), Chief Rabbi of MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
and Rosh Kollel of Zlatipol-ChortkovChortkov is a Hasidic dynasty that originated in Chortkov, present-day Ukraine. It had a large following before the Second World War, but most of its adherents perished in the Holocaust....
- Dr. Yosef Burg
Dr Yosef Shlomo Burg was a long-serving Israeli politician and Rabbi.-Biography:Born in Dresden, Germany, he attended the Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin and the University of Berlin from 1928 to 1931. He received a Doctorate in philosophy from the University of Leipzig in 1933...
, Rabbi, Israeli politician, among others Israeli Minister of Health, Minister of Postal Services, Minister of Welfare, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister without Portfolio and Minister of Religious Affairs.
- Dr. Joseph Zvi Carlebach
Dr. Joseph Hirsch Carlebach Dr. Joseph Hirsch (Tzvi) Carlebach (Karlebach) Dr. Joseph Hirsch (Tzvi) Carlebach (Karlebach) (January 30, 1883, Lübeck - March 26, 1942, was an Orthodox rabbi and Jewish-German scholar and natural scientist (Naturwissenschaftler).- Early life and family :...
(1883-1942), Chief Rabbi of Luebeck, AltonaAltona may refer to:* Altona, Hamburg, Germany** Altona-Nord, Hamburg, Germany*Altona, Illinois, United States*Altona, Indiana, United States*Altona, Manitoba, Canada*Altona, New York, United States*Altona, Ontario, Canada...
and HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
- Josef Hirsch Dunner
Rabbi Josef Hirsch Dunner , aka Harav Yosef Tzvi Haleivi Dunner, was a distinguished hareidi rabbi from Germany, who spent most of his life in London, England. He served as Chief Rabbi of East Prussia before World War II, and as Rabbi of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations in London from...
(1913-2007), Chief Rabbi of East PrussiaEast Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia...
, head of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew CongregationsThe Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations of England was founded in 1926 to protect traditional Judaism. It acts as an umbrella organisation for the chareidi Jewish community in London and comprises over a hundred synagogues and educational institutions. It is responsible for all areas of chareidi...
, European President of Agudath IsraelAgudath Israel can refer to any of several related organizations, including:*World Agudath Israel, an international movement*Agudath Israel of America, an American organization*Agudat Israel, an Israeli political party...
- Prof. Dr. Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander , was a rabbi, educator and biblical scholar. He was born in Kovel, Poland. He attended Berlin University and the University of Strasbourg where in 1901 he received his PhD...
, professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism.The Jewish Theological Seminary operates five schools: Albert A...
in New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- Dr. David Herzog, lecturer at the University of Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1347, it was the first university in the Holy Roman Empire and in Central Europe in general...
- Dr. Hirsch Hildesheimer, lecturer in Jewish history of the Seminary
- Prof. Dr. Hartwig Hirschfeld (1854-1934), lecturer for Judaeo-Arabic studies at the Jews' College, London, translator of the Kuzari
The Kuzari is one of most famous works of the medieval Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet Rabbi Yehuda Halevi. Divided into five essays , it takes the form of a dialogue between the pagan king of the Khazars and a Jew who was invited to instruct him in the tenets of the Jewish religion...
into English
- Dr. David Zvi Hoffmann (1843-1921) Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; they indicate an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Seminary (successor of Hildesheimer)
- Dr. Jacob Horowitz, lecturer at the University of Berlin
- Dr. Leo Jung
Rabbi Leo Jung was one of the major architects of American Orthodox Judaism.-Background and Education:...
(1892-1987), rabbi and influential figure of American Orthodox Judaism
- Prof. Jacob Zallel Lauterbach
Jacob Zallel Lauterbach was an American Judaica scholar and author who served on the faculty of Hebrew Union College and composed responsa for the Reform movement in America. He specialized in Midrashic and Talmudical literature, and is best known for his landmark critical edition and English...
Talmudic scholar and Reform rabbi.
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Marx
Alexander Marx was an American historian, bibliographer and librarian.-Biography:Born in Elberfeld, Germany, the son of George Marx, a banker, and Gertrud Simon-Marx, a published poet. Alexander Marx grew up in Königsberg . He spent a year in a Prussian artillery regiment where he excelled in...
(1878-1953), professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism.The Jewish Theological Seminary operates five schools: Albert A...
in New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- Shlomo Wolbe
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe was a Haredi rabbi born in Berlin and died in Jerusalem. He is best known as the author of Alei Shur , a mussar book discussing personal growth as it pertains to students of the Talmud.-Life and teaching positions:August Wilhelm Wolbe was raised in an irreligious Jewish home and...
(1914-2005), rabbi and MashgiachIn Judaism, a Mashgiach is a person who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment.A mashgiah may supervise any type of food service establishment, including slaughterhouses, food manufacturers, hotels, caterers, nursing homes, restaurants, butchers, groceries, or cooperatives...
of Yeshivas Be'er and Lakewood Yeshiva in Israel