Jacob Katz
Encyclopedia
Jacob Katz (born 15 November 1904 in Magyargencs
, Hungary
, died 20 May 1998 in Israel) was a Jewish historian
and educator. He established the history curriculum used in Israel's High School
s.
Katz described "traditional society" and deployed sociological methods in his study of Jewish communities, with special attention to changes in halakhah (Jewish law) and Orthodoxy
. He pioneered the modern study of Orthodoxy and its formation in reaction to Reform Judaism
.
and worked as a lecturer in a College of Education, had already been credited with a few articles in the fields of education, psychology and pedagogy, and their publication had given him a good reputation in the field. However, this reputation alone did not make him happy—he even suspected that it might distance him from the thing that he craved most of all, to get back to engagement in history research. It was Ben-Zion Dinur
who encouraged Katz not to give up on his research even in the absence of an academic post. Indeed, despite the difficulty of setting aside time for research, Katz succeeded in completing the article mentioned. Its publication in the pages of Zion gave rise to favourable responses, and even won for Katz an invitation to participate in the first International Congress of Jewish studies which took place in Jerusalem in 1947. With hindsight it is possible to claim, that the article on “Marriage and Sexual Relations” in Zion
paved the way for the integration of Katz into the Hebrew University. At the approach of the academic year 1949-1950, the University invited Katz to serve as an external teacher, offering him 25% of a full time post.
He became a specialist in Jewish-gentile relations, the Jewish enlightenment, or Haskalah
, anti-Semitism
, and the Holocaust. His works in Hebrew provide much of the basis for scholarly analyses of anti-Semitism.
Magyargencs
Magyargencs is a village in Veszprém county, Hungary.- External links :*...
, 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...
, died 20 May 1998 in Israel) was a Jewish historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and educator. He established the history curriculum used in Israel's High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s.
Katz described "traditional society" and deployed sociological methods in his study of Jewish communities, with special attention to changes in halakhah (Jewish law) and Orthodoxy
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...
. He pioneered the modern study of Orthodoxy and its formation in reaction to Reform Judaism
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...
.
Years 1945-1950
In the year 1945 Jacob Katz presented to a conference of historians his article “Marriage and Sexual Relations at the close of the Middle Ages” which was published that year in the periodical "Zion." Katz, who lived at that time in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and worked as a lecturer in a College of Education, had already been credited with a few articles in the fields of education, psychology and pedagogy, and their publication had given him a good reputation in the field. However, this reputation alone did not make him happy—he even suspected that it might distance him from the thing that he craved most of all, to get back to engagement in history research. It was Ben-Zion Dinur
Ben-Zion Dinur
-Biography:Dinaburg was born in 1884 in Khorol in the Russian Empire . He received his education in Lithuanian yeshivot. He studied under Shimon Shkop in the Telz Yeshiva, and became interested in the Haskalah through Rosh Yeshiva Eliezer Gordon's polemics. In 1898 he moved to the Slabodka yeshiva...
who encouraged Katz not to give up on his research even in the absence of an academic post. Indeed, despite the difficulty of setting aside time for research, Katz succeeded in completing the article mentioned. Its publication in the pages of Zion gave rise to favourable responses, and even won for Katz an invitation to participate in the first International Congress of Jewish studies which took place in Jerusalem in 1947. With hindsight it is possible to claim, that the article on “Marriage and Sexual Relations” in Zion
Zion
Zion is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE...
paved the way for the integration of Katz into the Hebrew University. At the approach of the academic year 1949-1950, the University invited Katz to serve as an external teacher, offering him 25% of a full time post.
He became a specialist in Jewish-gentile relations, the Jewish enlightenment, or Haskalah
Haskalah
Haskalah , the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the 18th–19th centuries that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew language, and Jewish history...
, anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, and the Holocaust. His works in Hebrew provide much of the basis for scholarly analyses of anti-Semitism.
Published works
- Tradition and Crisis: Jewish Society at the End of the Middle Ages
- From Prejudice to Destruction: Anti-Semitism, 1700-1933
- Exclusiveness and Tolerance: Studies in Jewish-Gentile Relations in Medieval and Modern Times
- The Darker Side of Genius
- Out of the Ghetto: The Social Background of Jewish Emancipation, 1770-1870
- The "Shabbes Goy"
- A House Divided: Orthodoxy and Schism in Nineteenth-Century Central European Jewry
External links
- Brief biography at Jacobkatz.co.il and a bibliography of more than 300 works http://www.jacobkatz.co.il/hebrew/bib1.html