Herz Cerfbeer of Medelsheim
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Herz Cerfbeer of Medelsheim ' onMouseout='HidePop("10146")' href="/topics/Medelsheim">Medelsheim
, or Bischheim
, Alsace
- December 7, 1793, Strasbourg
) was a French
Jewish philanthropist
. He was a contractor to the army, and employed his wealth and his influence with the French government in promoting the material and spiritual welfare of his coreligionists. The government permitted him to settle at Strasburg, in opposition to the wishes of the authorities of that city, who zealously enforced the law excluding Jews.
Cerfbeer protected all Jews who were willing to earn a livelihood by manual labor. As soon as he had received (in 1775) from Louis XVI
the patent granting him the rights of citizenship "for services rendered by him to the government and to the land during the famine of 1770 and 1771," Cerfbeer established factories, where he employed Jews, in order to withdraw them from petty trading, and also to deprive their accusers of all excuse for prejudice.
The Strasburg Germans, who made every effort to prevent the Jews from settling in that city, compelled Cerfbeer to endeavor to obtain from the government the repeal of exceptional laws. A petition to the king was drawn up by Cerfbeer and sent to Moses Mendelssohn
for revision. The latter consulted Christian Wilhelm von Dohm
, who offered to write an apology for the Jews. This apology, Über die Bürgerliche Verbesserung der Juden, which Cerfbeer energetically spread in France, combined with his personal efforts, brought about the convocation by Malesherbes
of a commission to make suggestions for the amelioration of the condition of the Jews in France. Cerfbeer was the leading member of this commission; and the first result of its efforts was the abrogation of the degrading poll-tax.
At the outbreak of the Reign of Terror
in France, Cerfbeer was thrown into prison on suspicion of favoring the royal cause, but was set free after a year of confinement.
Being acquainted with the Talmud
, Cerfbeer took a great interest in Jewish literature. He supported a yeshiva
at Bischheim and published at his own expense rare Hebrew books, among which was the Lechem Setarim of Solomon Nissim Algazi
. Wessely wrote a poem in honor of Cerfbeer (in Ha-Meassef, 1786, p. 49), and Abraham Auerbach
dedicated to him his poem "Dibre ha-Mekes we-Bittulo."
Medelsheim
- People :* Jewish Cerf Beer family...
, or Bischheim
Bischheim, Bas-Rhin
Bischheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Geography:The town is bordered by Hoenheim, Strasbourg, Schiltigheim, and Niederhausbergen. It lies on the Ill and the canal between the Rhine and the Rhône....
, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
- December 7, 1793, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
) was a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
Jewish philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He was a contractor to the army, and employed his wealth and his influence with the French government in promoting the material and spiritual welfare of his coreligionists. The government permitted him to settle at Strasburg, in opposition to the wishes of the authorities of that city, who zealously enforced the law excluding Jews.
Cerfbeer protected all Jews who were willing to earn a livelihood by manual labor. As soon as he had received (in 1775) from Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
the patent granting him the rights of citizenship "for services rendered by him to the government and to the land during the famine of 1770 and 1771," Cerfbeer established factories, where he employed Jews, in order to withdraw them from petty trading, and also to deprive their accusers of all excuse for prejudice.
The Strasburg Germans, who made every effort to prevent the Jews from settling in that city, compelled Cerfbeer to endeavor to obtain from the government the repeal of exceptional laws. A petition to the king was drawn up by Cerfbeer and sent to Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
for revision. The latter consulted Christian Wilhelm von Dohm
Christian Wilhelm von Dohm
Christian Wilhelm von Dohm was a German historian and political writer....
, who offered to write an apology for the Jews. This apology, Über die Bürgerliche Verbesserung der Juden, which Cerfbeer energetically spread in France, combined with his personal efforts, brought about the convocation by Malesherbes
Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes
Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes , often referred to as Malesherbes or Lamoignon-Malesherbes, was a French statesman, minister, and afterwards counsel for the defence of Louis XVI.-Biography:...
of a commission to make suggestions for the amelioration of the condition of the Jews in France. Cerfbeer was the leading member of this commission; and the first result of its efforts was the abrogation of the degrading poll-tax.
At the outbreak of the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
in France, Cerfbeer was thrown into prison on suspicion of favoring the royal cause, but was set free after a year of confinement.
Being acquainted with the 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....
, Cerfbeer took a great interest in Jewish literature. He supported a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
at Bischheim and published at his own expense rare Hebrew books, among which was the Lechem Setarim of Solomon Nissim Algazi
Solomon Nissim Algazi
Solomon Nissim Algazi was rabbi in Smyrna and in Jerusalem in the 17th century. Solomon Algazi was a prolific writer on all topics of rabbinical literature, and has won distinction by his treatment of Talmudic hermeneutics and methodology....
. Wessely wrote a poem in honor of Cerfbeer (in Ha-Meassef, 1786, p. 49), and Abraham Auerbach
Abraham Auerbach
Abraham Auerbach was a German rabbi.A descendant of an old rabbinical family, he was destined from his childhood for the rabbinate, and was educated first by his grandfather at Worms, and later by his uncle, Joseph David Sinzheim, subsequently president of the central consistory at Paris...
dedicated to him his poem "Dibre ha-Mekes we-Bittulo."
Jewish Encyclopedia Bibliography
- Löwenstein, Leopold, in Blätter für Jüdische Geschichte und Literatur, 1848, Nos. 1 and 2
- Annuaire de la Société des Etudes Juives, ii. 154 et seq.
- Glaser, Alfred, Geschichte der Juden in Strasburg, pp. 38 et seq.
- Grätz, Heinrich, Geschichte der Juden, xi. 171 et seq.