Josef Samuel Bloch
Encyclopedia
Joseph Samuel Bloch, Josef Samuel Bloch (November 20, 1850, Dukla
, Galicia - 1923) was an Austrian rabbi
and deputy
.
. He frequented the yeshivot, especially that of Rabbi Josef Saul Nathanson at Lemberg, who, in his responsa, mentions Bloch, when he was only fifteen years old, as one of his most intelligent pupils. After having finished his studies at the colleges (gymnasia) of Magdeburg
and Liegnitz, he went to the University of Munich. Thence he went to the University of Zurich
, where he obtained his degree of doctor of philosophy
.
He was appointed rabbi in Rendsburg, Holstein,, afterward in Kobylin, Posen, and Brüx, Bohemia; and finally he ended his rabbinical career in Floridsdorf
, near Vienna.
Antisemitism was endemic in Austria during the late nineteenth century and was taking political center-stage from the 1870s on. Taking advantage of this, August Rohling
, a Professor of Theology at one of the German universities, published a book, Der Talmudjude (1871), which became a bestseller and was read by hundreds of thousands (one Catholic organization distributed 38,000 copies free of charge). It rehashed the worst medieval libels concerning alleged hateful and debased Talmudic teachings and Jewish religious practices. Rohling became famous, continued even more intensified attacks against the Jews, and was eventually rewarded with an appointment to the Catholic theological faculty of Prague University. During the Tisza-Eszlár trial in 1883, Rohling made a written offer to substantiate under oath the blood ritual
of the Jews, namely that their religion obliged them to eat Christian flesh in their rituals. The leading rabbis of Austria issued only a brief denial of any truth to the claim and tried otherwise to ignore these outrageous falsehoods, hoping that the controversy would fade away. But Rabbi Dr. Bloch, until then an obscure rabbi of a small and poor suburban congregation believed that a thorough and effective rebuttal had to be made, no matter what the ugliness of the conflict. He took on the challenge with a series of articles in which he openly accused Rohling of committing wilful perjury
; Bloch also denounced Rohling, moreover, as a person utterly ignorant in Talmudic learning, not even able to translate a single page of Talmud. His articles caused a sensation; three editions of 100,000 copies sold out in a single day. As a Professor of Theology, Rohling had to respond to this very public challenge or lose all credibility and even his university position. After several successful attempts to delay the proceedings, when the trial could no longer be postponed Rohling preferred to withdraw completely, thus tacitly acknowledging defeat. He lost his professorship and became a byword amongst liberals for antisemitic falsifications, even if antisemites still honored him.
In 1884, now a hero of the Jewish community and a political figure to reckon with, Bloch founded a periodical, Oesterreichische Wochenschrift, with the aim of defending the political rights of the Jews, to refute unjust attacks, and to inspire its readers with courage and faith. Bloch also attended several meetings held by workingmen, and lectured with some success on the Talmudic principles of labor and on the laboring classes in the Old Testament.
After the death in Cracow in 1884, of the chief rabbi Simon Schreiber
, who had been deputy for Kolomea in parliament, Bloch was elected as his successor; in 1885 he was re-elected, and after a hard struggle with Dr. Byk, in 1891 he was elected for the third time. As a member of the Chamber of Deputies he withdrew from his rabbinical post in order to devote himself entirely to his public functions and journalism.
In 1893, instigated by Josef Deckert
, a pastor in Vienna, a baptized Jew named Paulus Meyer declared in the Vaterland of May 11 that a number of Russian rabbis from Lentschna had performed a ritual murder in his presence. In the name of the children of these rabbis, Bloch at once instituted criminal proceedings against Deckert, Meyer, and the publisher of the paper, and on trial, September 15, a conspiracy was unmasked and the three defendants were sentenced to heavy punishment.
had gained a strong footing in parliament, and the government had commenced to recognize the Socialist party, Bloch was sacrificed and everything imaginable was done to prevent his re-election. Through the combined efforts of the government, the Christian-Socialist party, and the Polish club (party of Polish deputies), all of whom supported the election of the Jewish burgomaster of Kolomea, Bloch failed of re-election.
He then devoted himself to journalism. Bloch published the following works:
Dukla
Dukla ; , Duklya] is a town and an eponymous municipality in southeastern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodship. The town is populated by 2,127 people . while the total population of the commune containing the town and the villages surrounding it is 16,640...
, Galicia - 1923) was an Austrian 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 deputy
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
.
Biography
Bloch's parents, who were poor, destined him for the rabbinical career, and he devoted himself to the exclusive study of the TalmudTalmud
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....
. He frequented the yeshivot, especially that of Rabbi Josef Saul Nathanson at Lemberg, who, in his responsa, mentions Bloch, when he was only fifteen years old, as one of his most intelligent pupils. After having finished his studies at the colleges (gymnasia) of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
and Liegnitz, he went to the University of Munich. Thence he went to the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
, where he obtained his degree of doctor of philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
.
He was appointed rabbi in Rendsburg, Holstein,, afterward in Kobylin, Posen, and Brüx, Bohemia; and finally he ended his rabbinical career in Floridsdorf
Floridsdorf
Floridsdorf is the 21st district of Vienna, Austria .Floridsdorf is located in the northern part of Vienna.The District Office and the centre of Floridsdorf are located round Am Spitz, at the junction of Prager Straße and Brünner Straße .Since 2004, Floridsdorf has had its own tower: the...
, near Vienna.
Antisemitism was endemic in Austria during the late nineteenth century and was taking political center-stage from the 1870s on. Taking advantage of this, August Rohling
August Rohling
August Rohling was a German Catholic theologian, student of anti-Semitic texts, and polemical author....
, a Professor of Theology at one of the German universities, published a book, Der Talmudjude (1871), which became a bestseller and was read by hundreds of thousands (one Catholic organization distributed 38,000 copies free of charge). It rehashed the worst medieval libels concerning alleged hateful and debased Talmudic teachings and Jewish religious practices. Rohling became famous, continued even more intensified attacks against the Jews, and was eventually rewarded with an appointment to the Catholic theological faculty of Prague University. During the Tisza-Eszlár trial in 1883, Rohling made a written offer to substantiate under oath the blood ritual
Blood ritual
A blood ritual is any ritual that involves the intentional release of blood.A common blood ritual is the blood brother ritual, which started in ancient Europe and Asia. Two or more people, typically male, intermingle their blood in some way. This symbolically brings the participants together into...
of the Jews, namely that their religion obliged them to eat Christian flesh in their rituals. The leading rabbis of Austria issued only a brief denial of any truth to the claim and tried otherwise to ignore these outrageous falsehoods, hoping that the controversy would fade away. But Rabbi Dr. Bloch, until then an obscure rabbi of a small and poor suburban congregation believed that a thorough and effective rebuttal had to be made, no matter what the ugliness of the conflict. He took on the challenge with a series of articles in which he openly accused Rohling of committing wilful perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
; Bloch also denounced Rohling, moreover, as a person utterly ignorant in Talmudic learning, not even able to translate a single page of Talmud. His articles caused a sensation; three editions of 100,000 copies sold out in a single day. As a Professor of Theology, Rohling had to respond to this very public challenge or lose all credibility and even his university position. After several successful attempts to delay the proceedings, when the trial could no longer be postponed Rohling preferred to withdraw completely, thus tacitly acknowledging defeat. He lost his professorship and became a byword amongst liberals for antisemitic falsifications, even if antisemites still honored him.
In 1884, now a hero of the Jewish community and a political figure to reckon with, Bloch founded a periodical, Oesterreichische Wochenschrift, with the aim of defending the political rights of the Jews, to refute unjust attacks, and to inspire its readers with courage and faith. Bloch also attended several meetings held by workingmen, and lectured with some success on the Talmudic principles of labor and on the laboring classes in the Old Testament.
After the death in Cracow in 1884, of the chief rabbi Simon Schreiber
Simon Schreiber
Simon Schreiber was an Austrian rabbi, son of Moses Schreiber.In 1842 he became rabbi of Mattersdorf; in 1857 he declined a call from the congregation of Papa; and in 1860 he accepted a similar invitation to the city of Cracow...
, who had been deputy for Kolomea in parliament, Bloch was elected as his successor; in 1885 he was re-elected, and after a hard struggle with Dr. Byk, in 1891 he was elected for the third time. As a member of the Chamber of Deputies he withdrew from his rabbinical post in order to devote himself entirely to his public functions and journalism.
In 1893, instigated by Josef Deckert
Josef Deckert
Josef Deckert , also known as Francis, was an Austrian Catholic priest and anti-Semitic agitator. Deckert was a propagandist of the blood libel against the Jews....
, a pastor in Vienna, a baptized Jew named Paulus Meyer declared in the Vaterland of May 11 that a number of Russian rabbis from Lentschna had performed a ritual murder in his presence. In the name of the children of these rabbis, Bloch at once instituted criminal proceedings against Deckert, Meyer, and the publisher of the paper, and on trial, September 15, a conspiracy was unmasked and the three defendants were sentenced to heavy punishment.
Works
When in 1896 Christian socialismChristian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
had gained a strong footing in parliament, and the government had commenced to recognize the Socialist party, Bloch was sacrificed and everything imaginable was done to prevent his re-election. Through the combined efforts of the government, the Christian-Socialist party, and the Polish club (party of Polish deputies), all of whom supported the election of the Jewish burgomaster of Kolomea, Bloch failed of re-election.
He then devoted himself to journalism. Bloch published the following works:
- "Ursprung und Entstehung des Buches Kohelet," Bamberg, 1872
- "Studien zur Geschichte der Sammlung der Alt-Testamentlichen Litteratur," Leipsic, 1875
- "Die Juden in Spanien," Leipsic, 1876
- "Hellenistische Bestandtheile im Biblischen Kanon," 2d ed., Vienna, 1880
- "Quellen und Parallelen zu Lessing's Nathan," 2d ed., Vienna, 1881
- "Jean Bodin, ein Vorläufer Lessing's," Vienna, 1882
- "Drei Streitschriften Gegen Prof. Rohling," Vienna, 1882–83
- "Die Arbeiter bei Griechen, Römern, und Palestinensern," Vienna, 1882
- "Elementarschule, oder Erziehungswesen bei den Alten Völkern," Vienna, 1883
- "Armenpflege und Heimatsrecht, eine Social-Talmud. Studie," Vienna, 1884
- "Einblicke in die Geschichte der Entstehung der Talmudischen Literatur," Vienna, 1884
- "Aus der Vergangenheit für die Gegenwart," Vienna, 1886
- "Acten und Gutachten im Processe Rohling-Bloch," Vienna, 1892
- "Open Letter to My Esteemed Colleagues of the Italian Parliament," London, 1895 (published also in Italian and German)
- "Talmud und Judenthum in der Oesterreichischen Volksvertrebung," Vienna, 1900 (parliamentary speeches).
External links
- Bloch, Josef Samuel at JewishEncyclopedia.com http://www.christenundjuden.org/de/?item=117