Raphael Patai
Encyclopedia
Raphael Patai (November 22, 1910 − July 20, 1996), born Ervin György Patai, was a Hungarian-Jewish
ethnographer, historian
, Orientalist
and anthropologist.
. József was founder and editor of the Jewish political and cultural journal Mult és jövő, (Past and Future) from 1911 to 1944, a journal that was revived in 1988 by János Köbányai in Budapest. József Patai also wrote an early History of Hungarian Jews
, and founded a Zionist organization in Hungary that procured support for the settlement of Jews in the British Mandate of Palestine.
nical seminaries in and at the University of Budapest and the University of Breslau, from which he received a doctorate in Semitic languages
and Oriental
history. He moved to Palestine in 1933, where his parents joined him in 1939, after he received the first doctorate awarded by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in 1936. He returned briefly to Budapest where he completed his ordination at the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.
Technion. He founded the Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology
in 1944, serving as its director of research for four years.
In 1947 Patai went to New York
with a fellowship from the Viking Fund for Anthropological Research; he also studied the Jews of Mexico. Patai settled in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1952. He held visiting professorships at a number of the country's most prestigious colleges, including Columbia
, the University of Pennsylvania
, New York University
, Princeton
, and Ohio State
. He held full professorships of anthropology at Dropsie College from 1948 to 1957 and at Fairleigh Dickinson University
. In 1952 he was asked by the United Nations
to direct a research project on Syria
, Lebanon
and Jordan
for the Human Relations Area Files
.
Patai's work was wide-ranging but focused primarily on the cultural development of the ancient Hebrews
and Israelites, on Jewish history
and culture, and on the anthropology of the Middle East
generally. He was the author of hundreds of scholarly articles and several dozen books, including three autobiographical volumes.
) of the Bialik Prize
for Jewish thought.
(born 1943).
He died in 1996 at the age of 85.
History of the Jews in Hungary
Hungarian Jews have existed since at least the 11th century. After struggling against discrimination throughout the Middle Ages, by the early 20th century the community grew to be 5% of Hungary's population , and were prominent in science, the arts and business...
ethnographer, 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...
, Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
and anthropologist.
Family background
Patai was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1910 to Edith Ehrenfeld Patai and József Patai. Patai's mother was born in Nagyvárad to German-speaking, Jewish parents who expressed their commitment to Magyar nationalism by sending their daughter to Hungarian-language schools. Both parents spoke Hungarian and German fluently, and educated their children to be perfectly fluent in both Hungarian and German. His father was a prominent literary figure, author of numerous Zionist and other writings, including a biography of Theodor HerzlTheodor 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:...
. József was founder and editor of the Jewish political and cultural journal Mult és jövő, (Past and Future) from 1911 to 1944, a journal that was revived in 1988 by János Köbányai in Budapest. József Patai also wrote an early History of Hungarian Jews
History of the Jews in Hungary
Hungarian Jews have existed since at least the 11th century. After struggling against discrimination throughout the Middle Ages, by the early 20th century the community grew to be 5% of Hungary's population , and were prominent in science, the arts and business...
, and founded a Zionist organization in Hungary that procured support for the settlement of Jews in the British Mandate of Palestine.
Education
Raphael Patai studied at rabbiRabbi
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...
nical seminaries in and at the University of Budapest and the University of Breslau, from which he received a doctorate in Semitic languages
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
and Oriental
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
history. He moved to Palestine in 1933, where his parents joined him in 1939, after he received the first doctorate awarded by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in 1936. He returned briefly to Budapest where he completed his ordination at the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.
Career
During the late 1930s and early 1940s Patai taught at the Hebrew University and served as the secretary of the HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
Technion. He founded the Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology
Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology
The Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology was formed by Raphael Patai in Jerusalem in 1944. The Institute produced a journal series, Edoth , of which only three volumes were published...
in 1944, serving as its director of research for four years.
In 1947 Patai went to New York
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...
with a fellowship from the Viking Fund for Anthropological Research; he also studied the Jews of Mexico. Patai settled in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1952. He held visiting professorships at a number of the country's most prestigious colleges, including Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. He held full professorships of anthropology at Dropsie College from 1948 to 1957 and at Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
. In 1952 he was asked by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to direct a research project on Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
for the Human Relations Area Files
Human Relations Area Files
The Human Relations Area Files, Inc. , located in New Haven, Connecticut is a nonprofit international membership organization with over 300 member institutions in the U.S. and more than 20 other countries...
.
Patai's work was wide-ranging but focused primarily on the cultural development of the ancient Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
and Israelites, on Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
and culture, and on the anthropology of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
generally. He was the author of hundreds of scholarly articles and several dozen books, including three autobiographical volumes.
Awards
In 1936, Patai was the co-recipient (jointly with Moshe Zvi SegalMoshe Zvi Segal
Moshe Zvi Segal was an eminent Israeli rabbi, linguist and Talmudic scholar.- Early life :...
) of the Bialik Prize
Bialik Prize
The Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel for significant accomplishments in Hebrew literature. The prize is named in memory of Hayyim Nahman Bialik. There are two separate prizes, one specifically for "Literature", which is in the field of fiction,...
for Jewish thought.
Personal life
Patai married Naomi Tolkowsky, whose family had moved to Palestine in the early twentieth century; they had two daughters, Jennifer (born 1942) and DaphneDaphne Patai
Daphne Patai is a feminist scholar and author. She is a professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her PhD is in Brazilian literature, but her early work also focused on utopian and dystopian fiction...
(born 1943).
He died in 1996 at the age of 85.
Selected bibliography
- Patai, Raphael. (1998) ArabArabArab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
folktales from Palestine and IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. - Patai, Raphael; (1998) The children of NoahNoahNoah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
: Jewish seafaring in ancient times. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. - Patai, Raphael. (1997) Jadåid al-Islām: The Jewish "new Muslims" of Meshhed Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1996) The Jewish mind. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1996) The Jews of Hungary: History, culture, psychology. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, József; Patai, Raphael. (1995) Souls and secrets: Hasidic stories. Northvale, N.J.: J. Aronson.
- Patai, Raphael; Goldsmith, Emanuel S.. (1995) Events and movements in Modern Judaism. New York: Paragon House.
- Patai, Raphael. (1994) The Jewish Alchemists: A history and source book. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
- Patai, Raphael; Goldsmith, Emanuel S.. (1994) Thinkers and teachers of modern Judaism. New York, N.Y.: Paragon House.
- Brauer, Erich; Patai, Raphael. (1993) The Jews ofKurdish JewsKurdish Jews or Kurdistani Jews are the ancient Eastern Jewish communities, inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan in northern Mesopotamia, roughly covering parts of Iran, northern Iraq, Syria and eastern Turkey. Their clothing and culture is similar to neighbouring Kurdish Muslims and Christian...
Kurdistan. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. - Patai, Raphael. (1990) The Hebrew GoddessThe Hebrew GoddessThe Hebrew Goddess is a 1967 book by Jewish historian and anthropologist Raphael Patai. In this book, Patai argues that the Jewish religion historically had elements of polytheism, especially the worship of goddesses and a cult of the mother goddess...
. 3rd enl. / edition. Detroit, Mich.: Wayne State University Press. - Patai, Raphael; Patai, Jennifer. (1989) The myth of the Jewish race. Rev. edition. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1988) Gates to the Old City: A book of Jewish legends. Northvale, N.J.: J. Aronson.
- Patai, Raphael. (1988) Apprentice in Budapest: Memories of a world that is no more. Salt Lake City: University of Utah PressUniversity of Utah PressThe University of Utah Press is the independent publishing branch of the University of Utah and is a division of the J. Willard Marriott Library. Founded in 1949 by A. Ray Olpin, it is also the oldest university press in Utah...
.reprint - Goldziher, Ignác; Patai, Raphael. (1987) Ignaz Goldziher and his Oriental diary: A translation and psychological portrait. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1987) Nahum GoldmannNahum GoldmannNahum Goldmann was a leading Zionist and the founder and longtime president of the World Jewish Congress.-Biography:...
: His missions to the Gentiles. University, Ala.: University of Alabama PressUniversity of Alabama PressThe University of Alabama Press was founded in 1945 and is the scholarly publishing arm of the University of Alabama.An Editorial Board composed of representatives from all doctoral degree granting public universities within Alabama oversees the publishing program. Projects are selected that...
. - Patai, Raphael. (1987) The seed of AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
: Jews and Arabs in contact and conflict. 1st paperback edition. New York: Scribner. - Patai, Raphael. (1986) The seed of Abraham: Jews and Arabs in contact and conflict. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1984) The Kingdom of Jordan. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
- Graves, Robert; Patai, Raphael. (1983) Hebrew myths: The book of Genesis. New York: Greenwich House.
- Patai, Raphael. (197; 1983; 2002) The Arab MindThe Arab MindThe Arab Mind is a non-fiction cultural psychology book by cultural anthropologist Raphael Patai, who also wrote The Jewish Mind. The book advocates a tribal-group-survival explanation for the driving factors behind Arab culture....
. Rev. edition. New York: Scribner. Reprint with introduction by Norvell de Atkine, Hatherleigh Press. - Patai, Raphael. (1983) On Jewish folklore. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Sanua, Victor D.; (ed.). (1983) Fields of offerings: Studies in honor of Raphael Patai. Rutherford N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1981) Gates to the Old City: A book of Jewish legends. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael; Rosow, Eugene; Kleiman, Vivian. (1981) The vanished worlds of Jewry. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
- Patai, Raphael. (1980) The vanished worlds of Jewry. 1st American edition. New York: Macmillan.
- Patai, Raphael. (1980) Gates to the Old City: A book of Jewish legends. New York, N.Y.: Avon.
- Patai, Raphael. (1979) The Messiah texts. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1979) The Messiah texts. New York: Avon.
- Patai, Raphael. (1977) "The Jewish MindThe Jewish MindThe Jewish Mind is a non-fiction cultural psychology book by cultural anthropologist Raphael Patai. first published in 1977.-Contents:The part I, "Preliminaries", lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. The part II, "Six Great Historic Encounters", reviews the formative and lasting...
". New York: ScribnerCharles Scribner's SonsCharles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
. - Patai, Raphael. (1976) The Arab MindThe Arab MindThe Arab Mind is a non-fiction cultural psychology book by cultural anthropologist Raphael Patai, who also wrote The Jewish Mind. The book advocates a tribal-group-survival explanation for the driving factors behind Arab culture....
. New York: Scribner. - Patai, Raphael; Patai, Jennifer. (1975) The myth of the Jewish race. New York: Scribner.
- Patai, Raphael. (1973) The Arab MindThe Arab MindThe Arab Mind is a non-fiction cultural psychology book by cultural anthropologist Raphael Patai, who also wrote The Jewish Mind. The book advocates a tribal-group-survival explanation for the driving factors behind Arab culture....
. New York: Scribner. - Patai, Raphael. (1973) Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria: An annotated bibliography. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
- Patai, Raphael; Utley, Francis Lee; Noy, Dov. (1973) Studies in Biblical and Jewish folklore. New York: Haskell House Publishers.
- Patai, Raphael. (1971) Tents of Jacob: The DiasporaDiasporaA diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
, yesterday and today. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice HallPrentice HallPrentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
. - Patai, Raphael. (1971) Encyclopedia of Zionism and Israel. New York: Herzl Press.
- Patai, Raphael (ed.) (1971) Essays in Zionist history and thought. New York: Herzl Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1968) The Hebrew goddess. New York: Ktav Publishing House. reprint with an introduction by Merlin Stone
- Patai, Raphael. (1967) Golden River to Golden Road: Society, culture, and change in the Middle East 2nd edition. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1967) Women in the modern world. New York: Free Press.
- Graves, Robert; Patai, Raphael. (1964) Hebrew myths: The book of Genesis. 1st edition. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday.
- Patai, Raphael. (1959) Sex and the Family in the Bible and the Middle East. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday.
- Patai, Raphael. (1958) The Kingdom of Jordan. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Patai, Raphael. (1947) Man and Temple in Ancient Jewish Myth and Ritual. New York: Nelson.
External links
- The Patai Papers at the New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
- Raphael Patai Prize
- Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology (Wayne State University PressWayne State University PressWayne State University Press , founded in 1941, is a university press that is part of Wayne State University. It publishes under its own name and also the imprints Painted Turtle and Great Lakes Books....
)
See also
- List of Bialik Prize recipientsBialik PrizeThe Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel for significant accomplishments in Hebrew literature. The prize is named in memory of Hayyim Nahman Bialik. There are two separate prizes, one specifically for "Literature", which is in the field of fiction,...