Nathan Marcus Adler
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler (13 January 1803 – 21 January 1890) was the Orthodox
Chief Rabbi
of the British Empire
from 1845 until his death, probably the most prominent 19th century rabbi
in the English
-speaking world.
, Germany
, he was apparently named after the kabbalist Nathan Adler
(according to the biography of the latter in the Jewish Encyclopedia
). His distant relative Jacob Adler
, who made his acquaintance in the winter of 1883–1884, described him as the "highest religious authority not only of London Jews but of all Orthodox Jews throughout the United Kingdom and the Empire
." He subscribed to what was known as the Frankfurter Orthodoxy.
Whilst Rabbi in Hanover, he became acquainted with Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
, regent
of the province, who is thought to have recommended him for the post of Chief Rabbi in Britain..
Out of 13 candidates, mostly from Germany
, he made the short list of four for the post of Chief Rabbi
of the British Empire. The three others were: Samson Raphael Hirsch
, Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach
, Hirsch Hirschfeld. With 135 communities voting having one vote each, on 1 December 1844, Adler received 121 votes, Hirschfeld 12, and Hirsch 2..
The first university-educated British Chief Rabbi, and the first to undertake regular pastoral tours within the United Kingdom
, he was also a founder of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty and Better Protection of Children
. His period as Chief Rabbi saw the completion of the emancipation of Jews within the United Kingdom; the election (1847) and seating (1858) of Lionel de Rothschild
as the first Jewish member of parliament
; Nathan Mayer Rothschild's ascent as the first Jewish member of the House of Lords
(1885); and Sir David Salomons
's term as the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London
(1855).
Adler was instrumental in bringing together the United Synagogue
, established by Act of Parliament in 1870. , this remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community, and takes its religious authority from the Chief Rabbi.
Adler was also involved in scholarly activities such as writing, editing, and translating. For instance, in 1907 his critical text, translation, and commentary of Benjamin of Tudela
's important medieval manuscript, The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, was published. His monumental work was Netinah LaGer on the Targum Onkelos
on the Torah
..
Adler is buried at the Jewish cemetery in Willesden
.
, was named after him; the Jewish Institute (a reading-room) and two synagogues formerly stood there, until the area was destroyed in The Blitz
. Adler's son Hermann Adler
was also a distinguished rabbi: head of a congregation in Bayswater
during his father's lifetime, Adler's assistant from the time Adler's health began to deteriorate in 1879, and his successor as Chief Rabbi.
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...
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief 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...
of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
from 1845 until his death, probably the most prominent 19th century 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...
in the 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...
-speaking world.
Life
Born in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, 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...
, he was apparently named after the kabbalist Nathan Adler
Nathan Adler
Nathan HaKohen Adler was a German kabbalist born in Frankfurt, December 16, 1741. As a precocious child he won the admiration of Chaim Joseph David Azulai , who, in 1752, came to Frankfurt to solicit contributions for the poor of Palestine...
(according to the biography of the latter in 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...
). His distant relative Jacob Adler
Jacob Pavlovich Adler
Jacob Pavlovich Adler , born Yankev P. Adler, was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London and New York City....
, who made his acquaintance in the winter of 1883–1884, described him as the "highest religious authority not only of London Jews but of all Orthodox Jews throughout the United Kingdom and the Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
." He subscribed to what was known as the Frankfurter Orthodoxy.
Whilst Rabbi in Hanover, he became acquainted with Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
, regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the province, who is thought to have recommended him for the post of Chief Rabbi in Britain..
Out of 13 candidates, mostly from 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...
, he made the short list of four for the post of Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief 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...
of the British Empire. The three others were: 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...
, Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach
Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach
Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach was a German rabbi and one of the most prominent leaders of modern Orthodox Judaism....
, Hirsch Hirschfeld. With 135 communities voting having one vote each, on 1 December 1844, Adler received 121 votes, Hirschfeld 12, and Hirsch 2..
The first university-educated British Chief Rabbi, and the first to undertake regular pastoral tours within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he was also a founder of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty and Better Protection of Children
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
. His period as Chief Rabbi saw the completion of the emancipation of Jews within the United Kingdom; the election (1847) and seating (1858) of Lionel de Rothschild
Lionel de Rothschild
Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was a British banker and politician.-Biography:The son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Hanna Barent Cohen, he was a member of the prominent Rothschild family....
as the first Jewish member of parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
; Nathan Mayer Rothschild's ascent as the first Jewish member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
(1885); and Sir David Salomons
David Salomons
Sir David Salomons, 1st Baronet was a leading figure in the 19th century struggle for Jewish emancipation in the United Kingdom...
's term as the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
(1855).
Adler was instrumental in bringing together the United Synagogue
United Synagogue
United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an Act of Parliament, in 1870. , it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community and indeed in Europe, covering 62 Orthodox Jewish communities...
, established by Act of Parliament in 1870. , this remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community, and takes its religious authority from the Chief Rabbi.
Adler was also involved in scholarly activities such as writing, editing, and translating. For instance, in 1907 his critical text, translation, and commentary of Benjamin of Tudela
Benjamin of Tudela
Benjamin of Tudela was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 12th century. His vivid descriptions of western Asia preceded those of Marco Polo by a hundred years...
's important medieval manuscript, The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, was published. His monumental work was Netinah LaGer on the Targum Onkelos
Targum Onkelos
right|thumb|Interlinear text of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 6.3–10 with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] Targum Onkelos from the [[British Library]]....
on the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
..
Adler is buried at the Jewish cemetery in Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
.
Legacy
Adler Street, in London E1London E1
The E postcode area, also known as the London E postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering part of east London, England and also Sewardstone in Essex.-Postal administration:...
, was named after him; the Jewish Institute (a reading-room) and two synagogues formerly stood there, until the area was destroyed in The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. Adler's son Hermann Adler
Hermann Adler
Rabbi Hermann Adler CVO was the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire from 1891 to 1911. The son of Nathan Marcus Adler, the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica writes that he "raised the position [of Chief Rabbi] to one of much dignity and importance."Born in Hanover, like his father, he had both a...
was also a distinguished rabbi: head of a congregation in Bayswater
Bayswater
Bayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the west . It is a built-up district located 3 miles west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens and having a population density of...
during his father's lifetime, Adler's assistant from the time Adler's health began to deteriorate in 1879, and his successor as Chief Rabbi.
Sources
- Adler, Jacob, A Life on the Stage: A Memoir, translated and with commentary by Lulla Rosenfeld, Knopf, New York, 1999, ISBN 0-679-41351-0. [Adler, 1999, 233-234]
- Deutsch, Gotthard, Adler, Nathan, 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...
(1901–1906); on the kabbalist Adler, says that Nathan Marcus Adler was named after him. - Kirk, John Foster (1891) "Adler, Nathan Marcus (1803-1890)" Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature: A Supplement. British and American authors J. B. Lippincott CompanyJ. B. Lippincott CompanyJ. B. Lippincott & Co. was an American publishing house founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1836 by Joshua Ballinger Lippincott.Formed by descendants of the Religious Society of Friends, Joshua Lippincott's company began selling a line of Bibles, prayer books and other religious works before...
, Philadelphia; - Goodman Lipkind, Adler, Nathan Marcus, Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906)
- Sanders, Lloyd C. (1887) "Adler, Nathan Marcus (1803-)" Celebrities of the Century: Being a dictionary of men and women of the nineteenth century Cassell & Co., London;
- Schmidt, Helmut Dan (1962) Chief Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler (1803–1890) : Jewish educator from Germany Leo Baeck Institute, London;
- "Nathan Marcus Adler" on the official site of the Chief Rabbi of Britain.