Mordecai Ehrenpreis
Encyclopedia
Mordecai Ehrenpreis was a Hebrew author
, publisher, Rabbi
and Zionist.
He was born in Lviv
and started already as a young man to write in Yiddish, studied later at German universities and at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums
in Berlin
. Since 1884 he worked for the Ha-Maggid and Ha-Meliz. From 1896 to 1900 he was a rabbi in Djakovar, Croatia
. Still before Herzl
, Ehrenpreis, Birnbaum
and others were engaged to define the concept of a new national Judaism
. Mordecai Ehrenpreis was an early adherent to zionism
and helped Herzl to establish the first Zionist Congress
. He was a member of the Democratic Faction of the World Zionist Organization and on the editorial board of the Jüdische Almanach.
From 1900 to 1914 he was in Sofia
as Chief rabbi
of Bulgaria
and also publisher of several Spaniolic
magazines. After 1908 his interest in zionism and in the Hebrew literature decreased noticeably which earned him some criticism; he devoted himself to other literary works and to his tasks as a Rabbi. From 1914 up to his death he was Chief rabbi of Stockholm
.
In 1928 he founded the Judisk Tidskrift, was engaged as a translator as well as scientific writer for different encyclopaedias, since 1935 he worked as a professor at the university of Stockholm
. During his time in Sweden he published some 20 books in Swedish.
Ehrenpreis, in his texts, emphazised the importance of seeking understanding for Jewish culture in the modern world and sought to create a synthesis between a general culture and the inherited culture of the Jewish minority.
In 1977 ultra-Orthodox (haredi) activist Moshe Schonfeld in "The Holocaust Victims Accuse" (published by Neturei Karta) claimed that the Swedish government wished to admit 10,000 German Jewish refugees during the Nazi era, and that Ehrenpreis asked the government to desist from this action.
In fact, there was never such an initiative coming from the Swedish government; the Swedish refugee policy until the last war years was to keep the numbers of the Jewish refugees down to a trickle. Ehrenpreis and other officials of the Stockholm Jewish community, however, managed to help a relatively small number of refugees to Sweden by making economic as well as moral guarantees to help them match the government's strict requirements for temporary residence permits. Ehrenpreis was also the chairman of another committee, Arbetsutskottet för hjälp åt Polens judar, devoted to sendig aid in the form of food, medicin, clothes and money, primarily to Poland but increasingly also to other parts of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Ehrenpreis was also the Chairman of the Swedish Section of World Jewish Congress from its institution in 1944 and was succeeded by historian and pioneering scholar of antisemitism, Hugo Valentin. Although it is unclear if Ehrenpreis acted as a representative of the Swedish Section of the World Jewish Congress, or the official Stockholm Jewish Community, Ehrenpreis was involved in planning the attempt by Raoul Wallenberg to rescue Hungarian Jews.
Marcus Ehrenpreis died in 1951 in Saltsjöbaden
(Sweden
).
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, publisher, 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 Zionist.
He was born in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and started already as a young man to write in Yiddish, studied later at German universities and at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums
Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums
The Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums, or Higher Institute for Jewish Studies, was a rabbinical seminary, established in Berlin in 1872 destroyed by the Nazi government of Germany in 1942...
in 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...
. Since 1884 he worked for the Ha-Maggid and Ha-Meliz. From 1896 to 1900 he was a rabbi in Djakovar, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Still before Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
, Ehrenpreis, Birnbaum
Nathan Birnbaum
----Nathan Birnbaum was an Austrian writer and journalist, Jewish thinker and nationalist. His life had three main phases, representing a progression in his thinking: Zionist phase ; Jewish cultural autonomy phase which included the promotion of the Yiddish language; and religious phase...
and others were engaged to define the concept of a new national Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Mordecai Ehrenpreis was an early adherent to zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and helped Herzl to establish the first Zionist Congress
World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization , or WZO, was founded as the Zionist Organization , or ZO, in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland...
. He was a member of the Democratic Faction of the World Zionist Organization and on the editorial board of the Jüdische Almanach.
From 1900 to 1914 he was in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
as 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 Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and also publisher of several Spaniolic
Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish , in Israel commonly referred to as Ladino, and known locally as Judezmo, Djudeo-Espanyol, Djudezmo, Djudeo-Kasteyano, Spaniolit and other names, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish...
magazines. After 1908 his interest in zionism and in the Hebrew literature decreased noticeably which earned him some criticism; he devoted himself to other literary works and to his tasks as a Rabbi. From 1914 up to his death he was Chief rabbi of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
In 1928 he founded the Judisk Tidskrift, was engaged as a translator as well as scientific writer for different encyclopaedias, since 1935 he worked as a professor at the university of Stockholm
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
. During his time in Sweden he published some 20 books in Swedish.
Ehrenpreis, in his texts, emphazised the importance of seeking understanding for Jewish culture in the modern world and sought to create a synthesis between a general culture and the inherited culture of the Jewish minority.
In 1977 ultra-Orthodox (haredi) activist Moshe Schonfeld in "The Holocaust Victims Accuse" (published by Neturei Karta) claimed that the Swedish government wished to admit 10,000 German Jewish refugees during the Nazi era, and that Ehrenpreis asked the government to desist from this action.
In fact, there was never such an initiative coming from the Swedish government; the Swedish refugee policy until the last war years was to keep the numbers of the Jewish refugees down to a trickle. Ehrenpreis and other officials of the Stockholm Jewish community, however, managed to help a relatively small number of refugees to Sweden by making economic as well as moral guarantees to help them match the government's strict requirements for temporary residence permits. Ehrenpreis was also the chairman of another committee, Arbetsutskottet för hjälp åt Polens judar, devoted to sendig aid in the form of food, medicin, clothes and money, primarily to Poland but increasingly also to other parts of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Ehrenpreis was also the Chairman of the Swedish Section of World Jewish Congress from its institution in 1944 and was succeeded by historian and pioneering scholar of antisemitism, Hugo Valentin. Although it is unclear if Ehrenpreis acted as a representative of the Swedish Section of the World Jewish Congress, or the official Stockholm Jewish Community, Ehrenpreis was involved in planning the attempt by Raoul Wallenberg to rescue Hungarian Jews.
Marcus Ehrenpreis died in 1951 in Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden is a locality situated in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 8,937 inhabitants in 2005. It is located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.- History :...
(Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
).