Markus Horovitz
Encyclopedia
Markus Horovitz was a Hungarian
rabbi
and historian.
He was born at Ladány (Tiszaladány
), Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
, Hungary
. The descendant of an ancient family of scholars, he pursued his rabbinical studies at the yeshivot of Ujhely
, Verbé, and Eisenstadt
(the last-named then in charge of Israel Hildesheimer). He studied (1868–71) philosophy and Orientalia at the universities of Vienna
, Budapest
, and Berlin, taking his PhD. degree at Tübingen. In December 1871, he was called as rabbi to Lauenburg
in Pomerania; in 1874, to Gnesen
, Prussian Posen; and in September 1878, to Frankfurt
. At Frankfurt he organized two model religious schools. Horovitz was a director of the Deutsche Rabbinerverband and president of the German Jewish orphanage
at Jerusalem.
and Reform
factions were reaching their peak. Horovitz was appointed to chair a committee on ritual to placate the Orthodox followers of Samson Raphael Hirsch
, who were threatening to found of a separate community, the Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft ("Religious Society of Israelites"). He was given authority over the entire community's religious institution, and promoted the construction of a new Orthodox synagogue on the Börneplatz, which was dedicated on September 10, 1882. Horovitz promoted the coexistence between the different factions; maintaining that it was possible for a unified community to exist while both sides exercised autonomy over their own institutions.
Horovitz died in Frankfurt in 1910. He was buried in the cemetery in RatBeil Straße.
and essays on the origin of the Hungarian Jews (in Izraelita Közlöny, 1869) Horovitz published the following works:
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. 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...
and historian.
He was born at Ladány (Tiszaladány
Tiszaladány
Tiszaladány is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary.-References:...
), Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The descendant of an ancient family of scholars, he pursued his rabbinical studies at the yeshivot of Ujhely
Sátoraljaújhely
Sátoraljaújhely or אוהעלי ) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary near the Slovak border. It is east from the county capital Miskolc.- History :...
, Verbé, and Eisenstadt
Eisenstadt
- Politics :The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Andrea Fraunschiel ÖVP.The district council is composed as follows :* ÖVP: 17 seats* SPÖ: 8 seats* Austrian Green Party: 2 seats* FPÖ: 2 seats- Castles and palaces :...
(the last-named then in charge of Israel Hildesheimer). He studied (1868–71) philosophy and Orientalia at the universities of 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...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, and Berlin, taking his PhD. degree at Tübingen. In December 1871, he was called as rabbi to Lauenburg
Lebork
Lębork is a town on the Łeba and Okalica rivers in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland with some 37,000 inhabitants.Lębork is also the capital of Lębork County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, formerly in Słupsk Voivodeship ....
in Pomerania; in 1874, to Gnesen
Gniezno
Gniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
, Prussian Posen; and in September 1878, to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. At Frankfurt he organized two model religious schools. Horovitz was a director of the Deutsche Rabbinerverband and president of the German Jewish orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
at Jerusalem.
Conflict and career
Horovitz was rabbi in Frankfurt at a time when the disagreements between the OrthodoxOrthodox 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...
and 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...
factions were reaching their peak. Horovitz was appointed to chair a committee on ritual to placate the Orthodox followers of Samson Raphael Hirsch
Samson Raphael Hirsch
Samson Raphael Hirsch was a German rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism...
, who were threatening to found of a separate community, the Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft ("Religious Society of Israelites"). He was given authority over the entire community's religious institution, and promoted the construction of a new Orthodox synagogue on the Börneplatz, which was dedicated on September 10, 1882. Horovitz promoted the coexistence between the different factions; maintaining that it was possible for a unified community to exist while both sides exercised autonomy over their own institutions.
Horovitz died in Frankfurt in 1910. He was buried in the cemetery in RatBeil Straße.
Writings
Besides numerous sermons:- Matteh Lewi, ("Levi's Guide") a work in HebrewHebrew languageHebrew 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...
on letters of divorceGet (divorce document)A is a divorce document, which according to Jewish Law, must be presented by a husband to his wife to effect their divorce. The essential text of the is quite short: "You are hereby permitted to all men," i.e., the wife is no longer a married woman, and the laws of adultery no longer apply...
(Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1891)
and essays on the origin of the Hungarian Jews (in Izraelita Közlöny, 1869) Horovitz published the following works:
- Zur Gesch. der Jüdischen Gemeinde in Eisenstadt, 1869
- "Jose ben Jose," in Jüdische Presse, 1873
- Frankfurter Rabbinen, ("Frankfurt Rabbis") 4 parts, Frankfort-am-Main, 1882–85
- Jüdische Aerzte in Frankfurt-a.-M. ("Jewish Doctors in Frankfurt am Main"), 1886
- Die Wohlthätigkeitspflege bei den Juden im Alten Frankfurt, 1896
- "Zur Statistik der Jüdischen Bevölkerung im Alten Frankfurt," 1896
- Die Frankfurter Rabbinerversammlung vom Jahre 1603, 1897
- Die Inschriften des Alten Friedhofes der Israelitischen Gemeinde zu Frankfurt-a.-M. ("Inscriptions at the Old Cemetery of the Jewish community"), 1901.
The last work depicts gravestones and inscriptions at the old Battonstraße cemetery, and has, since the destruction of the cemetery by the Nazis, become a vital historical document.
Resources
- Singer, Isidore and A. Friemann. "Horovitz, Markus." Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe 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...
. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901-1906. - Infobank Judengasse article on Horovitz.