Kaufmann Kohler
Encyclopedia
Kaufmann Kohler was a German-born U.S. reform rabbi
and theologian.
near Würzburg
, Mainz
, Altona
, and at Frankfurt am Main (under Samson Raphael Hirsch
), and his university training at Munich
, Berlin
, Leipsic
, and Erlangen
(Ph.D. 1868; his thesis, "Der Segen Jacob's", was one of the earliest Jewish essays in the field of the higher Biblical criticism
, and its radical character had the effect of closing to him the Jewish pulpit in Germany). Abraham Geiger
, to whose Zeitschrift Kohler became a contributor at an early age, strongly influenced his career and directed his steps to America. In 1869 he accepted a call to the pulpit of the Beth-El
congregation in Detroit; in 1871 he became rabbi of Chicago Sinai Congregation. In 1879 he succeeded his father-in-law, David Einhorn, as rabbi of Temple Beth-El
, New York City
; his brother-in-law, Emil Hirsch
, becoming his successor in Chicago. Feb. 26, 1903, he was elected to the presidency of Hebrew Union College
, Cincinnati.
From the time of his arrival in America, Kohler actively espoused the cause of Reform Judaism
; he was one of the youngest members of the Philadelphia Jewish Rabbinical Conference of 1869, and in 1885 he convened the Pittsburgh Rabbinical Conference, which adopted the so-called "Pittsburgh Platform
", on which Reform Judaism in America stands. While in Chicago he introduced Sunday lectures as supplementary to the regular Sabbath service. Kohler served for many years as president of the New York Board of Ministers, and was honorary president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He was editor-in-chief of the Sabbath Visito, a Jewish weekly for youth, from 1881 to 1882 and, with I. S. Moses, and Emil G. Hirsch, "The Jewish Reformer," a weekly, devoted to the interests of Reform Judaism, in 1886. He has for a number of years been deeply interested in the "Jewish Chautauqua" movement. Shortly before his departure from New York in 1903 he delivered a series of six lectures at the Jewish Theological Seminary on "Apocryphal Literature".
Kohler was always an active and prolific contributor to the Jewish and Semitic scientific press, European and American; among the periodicals to which he most frequently contributed scientific articles were Geiger's Zeitschrift, the journal of the German Oriental Society, Hebraica, the Jewish Quarterly Review, the Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums, the Jewish Times, the American Hebrew, Menorah Monthly, Zeitgeist, and Unity.
Among his published scientific studies and lectures are:
He also edited the German collected writings of David Einhorn (1880).
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 theologian.
Life and work
Kaufmann Kohler was born into a family of rabbis. He received his rabbinical training at Hassfurt, HöchbergHöchberg
Höchberg is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany....
near Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
, and at Frankfurt am Main (under 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...
), and his university training at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Leipsic
Leipsic
Leipsic is the old English spelling for the German city of Leipzig.Leipsic may refer to:-Places:In Germany:* LeipzigIn the United States:* Leipsic, Delaware* Leipsic, Indiana* Leipsic, Ohio* West Leipsic, Ohio...
, and Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
(Ph.D. 1868; his thesis, "Der Segen Jacob's", was one of the earliest Jewish essays in the field of the higher Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
, and its radical character had the effect of closing to him the Jewish pulpit in Germany). Abraham Geiger
Abraham Geiger
Abraham Geiger was a German rabbi and scholar who led the founding of Reform Judaism...
, to whose Zeitschrift Kohler became a contributor at an early age, strongly influenced his career and directed his steps to America. In 1869 he accepted a call to the pulpit of the Beth-El
Temple Beth El (Detroit, Michigan)
Temple Beth El, also known as Temple Beth-El, is a Reform synagogue currently located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Beth El was founded in 1850 in the city of Detroit, and is the oldest Jewish congregation in Michigan....
congregation in Detroit; in 1871 he became rabbi of Chicago Sinai Congregation. In 1879 he succeeded his father-in-law, David Einhorn, as rabbi of Temple Beth-El
Temple Beth-El
Temple Beth-El, or Temple Beth El, is a name given to many Jewish synagogues, Beth-El meaning "House of God" in Hebrew. It may refer to:-United States :* Temple Beth-El * Temple Beth-El...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; his brother-in-law, Emil Hirsch
Emil Hirsch
Emil Gustav Hirsch was a major Reform movement rabbi in the United States.-Biography:Hirsch was born in Luxembourg, a son of the rabbi and philosopher Samuel Hirsch on May 22, 1851. He later married the daughter of Rabbi David Einhorn. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1872...
, becoming his successor in Chicago. Feb. 26, 1903, he was elected to the presidency of Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
, Cincinnati.
From the time of his arrival in America, Kohler actively espoused the cause of 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...
; he was one of the youngest members of the Philadelphia Jewish Rabbinical Conference of 1869, and in 1885 he convened the Pittsburgh Rabbinical Conference, which adopted the so-called "Pittsburgh Platform
Pittsburgh Platform
The Pittsburgh Platform is a pivotal 19th century document in the history of the American Reform Movement in Judaism that called for Jews to adopt a modern approach to the practice of their faith...
", on which Reform Judaism in America stands. While in Chicago he introduced Sunday lectures as supplementary to the regular Sabbath service. Kohler served for many years as president of the New York Board of Ministers, and was honorary president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He was editor-in-chief of the Sabbath Visito, a Jewish weekly for youth, from 1881 to 1882 and, with I. S. Moses, and Emil G. Hirsch, "The Jewish Reformer," a weekly, devoted to the interests of Reform Judaism, in 1886. He has for a number of years been deeply interested in the "Jewish Chautauqua" movement. Shortly before his departure from New York in 1903 he delivered a series of six lectures at the Jewish Theological Seminary on "Apocryphal Literature".
Kohler was always an active and prolific contributor to the Jewish and Semitic scientific press, European and American; among the periodicals to which he most frequently contributed scientific articles were Geiger's Zeitschrift, the journal of the German Oriental Society, Hebraica, the Jewish Quarterly Review, the Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums, the Jewish Times, the American Hebrew, Menorah Monthly, Zeitgeist, and Unity.
Among his published scientific studies and lectures are:
- "On Capital Punishment" (1869);
- "The Song of Songs" (1877);
- "Backwards or Forwards," a series of lectures on Reform Judaism (1885);
- "Ethical Basis of Judaism" (1887);
- "Church and Synagogue in Their Mutual Relations" (1889);
- "A Guide to Instruction in Judaism" (1899)
He also edited the German collected writings of David Einhorn (1880).