Solomon Breuer
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Zalman Breuer (Pilisvörösvár
, Hungary
1850-Frankfurt
1926) was a Rabbi
, initially in Pápa
, Hungary
and from the early 1890s in Frankfurt
as a successor of his father-in-law Samson Raphael Hirsch
.
Born into a family of German-speaking merchants, he studied
with his maternal grandfather rabbi Simon Wiener. At the age of twelve at the yeshiva of Nitra
, but returned to study with his grandfather until he could enroll in the Pressburg Yeshiva
, then headed by Rabbi Samuel Benjamin Sofer
(the Ksav Sofer). He then proceeded to university studies and eventual doctorate in Mainz
, where he became acquainted with rabbi Marcus Lehmann
, one of the leaders of German Orthodoxy.
He married Sophie, youngest daughter of rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
of Frankfurt
, in 1876, and soon after accepted the rabbinate of Pápa
in Hungary. His father-in-law died in December 1888, and Breuer succeeded him as the rabbi of the Frankfurt Austrittsgemeinde (secessioned community) in 1890.
In Frankfurt he participated in the Freie Vereinigung, a national organisation of Orthodox communities, and created its rabbinical representative body, the Verband der orthodoxen Rabbiner Deutschlands (Union of Orthodox rabbis in Germany). He would later also be one of the founding members of Agudas Yisroel
, and was a strong opponent of political Zionism
; he viewed participation in the Zionist movement as an implicit approval of the idea that a Jewish state can replace Jewish religious identity.
As part of his duties in Frankfurt was Jewish education, and he opened a yeshiva
, the Torah Lehranstalt, in 1893, which he modeled after the yeshivot he had attended in Hungary.
Little of Breuer's work remains in writing. Collected sermons were published in English under the title Chochmo u'Mussar in three volumes between 1972 and 1977 by his grandson Jacob Breuer, and some of his responsa appeared in the Hebrew volume Divrei Yosef, which mainly contained the work of his son Joseph.
He had eight children. Simon died in childhood. Raphael Breuer was rabbi in Aschaffenburg, Joseph Breuer
taught at the Torah Lehranstalt and recreated the Frankfurt community in 1940's New York, Isaac Breuer
was an ideologue of Agudat Yisrael, Moses Breuer was a linguist, Samson Breuer a mathematician and actuary, and Joshua Breuer a pediatrician. His daughter Hannah Breuer married Edmund Meyer, a lawyer in Cologne.
Pilisvörösvár
Pilisvörösvár is a town in Pest county, Hungary. It is twinned with Schramberg, Germany.- 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...
1850-Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
1926) was a 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...
, initially in Pápa
Pápa
Pápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
, 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...
and from the early 1890s in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
as a successor of his father-in-law 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...
.
Born into a family of German-speaking merchants, he studied
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
with his maternal grandfather rabbi Simon Wiener. At the age of twelve at the yeshiva of Nitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
, but returned to study with his grandfather until he could enroll in the Pressburg Yeshiva
Pressburg Yeshiva (Austria-Hungary)
Pressburg Yeshiva, established in 1807 in the city of Pressburg, Austrian Empire by Rabbi Moses Sofer , was the largest and most influential yeshiva in Central Europe...
, then headed by Rabbi Samuel Benjamin Sofer
Samuel Benjamin Sofer
Avraham Shmuel Binyomin Sofer, , also known by his main work Ksav Sofer , , was one of the leading rabbis of Hungarian Jewry in the second half of the nineteenth century and rosh yeshiva of the famed Pressburg Yeshiva.-Early years:Shmuel Binyomin Sofer was born in Pressburg on March 13, 1815...
(the Ksav Sofer). He then proceeded to university studies and eventual doctorate in 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...
, where he became acquainted with rabbi Marcus Lehmann
Marcus Lehmann
Marcus or Meyer Lehmann was a rabbi in Germany who strove to preserve Orthodox Judaism against the growing influence of the Reform movement.-Rabbinical career:...
, one of the leaders of German Orthodoxy.
He married Sophie, youngest daughter of rabbi 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...
of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, in 1876, and soon after accepted the rabbinate of Pápa
Pápa
Pápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
in Hungary. His father-in-law died in December 1888, and Breuer succeeded him as the rabbi of the Frankfurt Austrittsgemeinde (secessioned community) in 1890.
In Frankfurt he participated in the Freie Vereinigung, a national organisation of Orthodox communities, and created its rabbinical representative body, the Verband der orthodoxen Rabbiner Deutschlands (Union of Orthodox rabbis in Germany). He would later also be one of the founding members of Agudas Yisroel
Agudas Yisroel
Agudas Yisroel may refer to:* World Agudath Israel, the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism* Agudat Israel, the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel...
, and was a strong opponent of political 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...
; he viewed participation in the Zionist movement as an implicit approval of the idea that a Jewish state can replace Jewish religious identity.
As part of his duties in Frankfurt was Jewish education, and he opened a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, the Torah Lehranstalt, in 1893, which he modeled after the yeshivot he had attended in Hungary.
Little of Breuer's work remains in writing. Collected sermons were published in English under the title Chochmo u'Mussar in three volumes between 1972 and 1977 by his grandson Jacob Breuer, and some of his responsa appeared in the Hebrew volume Divrei Yosef, which mainly contained the work of his son Joseph.
He had eight children. Simon died in childhood. Raphael Breuer was rabbi in Aschaffenburg, Joseph Breuer
Joseph Breuer
Joseph Breuer was a rabbi and community leader in Germany and the United States. He was a Rabbi of one of the large Jewish synagogues founded by German-Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi oppression that had settled in Washington Heights, New York....
taught at the Torah Lehranstalt and recreated the Frankfurt community in 1940's New York, Isaac Breuer
Isaac Breuer
Isaac Breuer was a rabbi in the German Neo-Orthodoxy movement of his maternal grandfather Samson Raphael Hirsch, and was the first president of Agudat Israel Workers.- Biography :...
was an ideologue of Agudat Yisrael, Moses Breuer was a linguist, Samson Breuer a mathematician and actuary, and Joshua Breuer a pediatrician. His daughter Hannah Breuer married Edmund Meyer, a lawyer in Cologne.