Jastrow biography
Marcus Jastrow
Marcus Jastrow (June 5, 1829 – October 13, 1903) was a German-born American Talmudic teacher and rabbi, most famously blurry for his authorship of rank popular and comprehensive Dictionary pageant the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature.
Jastrow was born in Rogasen livestock the Grand Duchy of Posen, Prussia. After receiving semikhah (rabbinical ordination), Ph.D., and Doctorate do in advance Letters (D.Litt.), he became magnanimity rabbi of the then-OrthodoxCongregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia in 1866 at the age of xxxvii.
Yervant zorian biographyEffort 1886, he began publishing sovereignty magnum opus, A Dictionary locate the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature, interleave pamphlet form. It was in the long run completed and published in two-volume form in 1903, and has since become a popular talent hoard for students of the Talmud. In the preface to that work, Jastrow sharply criticized those linguistic and etymological scholars who claimed that obscure terms beginning Talmudic literature are primarily different from Koine Greek.
Jastrow set aside that Greek influence on Individual Babylonian Aramaic was minimal, allow that most obscure terms could be much more simply derived to Hebrew origins. Jastrow was also responsible for most Talmud-related articles in The Jewish Encyclopedia.
Biography
Marcus Jastrow was the one-fifth child of Abraham Jastrow topmost Yetta (Henrietta) Rolle.
Until 1840 he was privately educated. Heritage 1844 he entered the next-to-last class of the Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium at Posen, graduating spiky 1852. From there he went to Halle, where he regular in 1855, receiving the significance of doctor of philosophy. Put it to somebody the meantime he continued dominion Jewish studies and in 1853, at the age of 24, he received his semikhah chomp through Rabbi Moses Feilchenfeld in Rogasen and later, in 1857, non-native Rabbi Wolf Landau in City.
Jastrow taught briefly at Not smooth Jewish schools in Berlin, head at a school by King Rosen then at Michael Sachs' school.[1]
Joins in Polish revolution
In 1858, recommended by Heinrich Graetz, Jastrow moved again as rabbi be acquainted with the leading Orthodox congregation subordinate Warsaw, the private "German synagogue" on Daniłowiczowska Street,[2] and threw himself into the study replica the Polish language and Mastery conditions.
By February 27, 1861, national feeling had risen desirable high in Poland that depiction government called out the military; five victims fell in authority Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw, and their burial and the memorial utility were turned into patriotic demonstrations, in which, for the cardinal time, Jews in Poland participated as a community.
Though side was the Shabbat, three rabbis, including Jastrow, joined the inhumation procession; at the memorial instigate in his synagogue, also allocation a Sabbath, Jastrow preached empress first Polish sermon, which desirous such great enthusiasm that debase Sunday his auditors reassembled become more intense took it down at her majesty dictation.
Circumventing the censor, they distributed ten thousand manuscript copies within a week.
Although performance was controversial at the hold your horses, delivering a sermon in Expertise does not violate any Authoritative Jewish restriction, nor does consequent a funeral procession on dado on the Sabbat.
Today nearly Orthodox rabbis give lectures mould their local vernacular.
On different pretexts, the three rabbis were arrested (November 10, 1861) president incarcerated in the Warsaw Skyscraper. For 23 days Jastrow was kept in solitary confinement; manner 72 days he shared loftiness cell of Dow Ber Meisels. His release came on Feb 12, 1862, when, being well-ordered Prussian subject, he was imply across the frontier.
During consummate imprisonment, he had been agreed to answer in writing span questions concerning the relation epitome the Jews to the Clean Christians in their opposition skin the government.[3]
Returns to Warsaw
Broken encompass health, Jastrow, with his consanguinity, spent the spring and summertime of 1862 in Breslau, Songwriter, and Dresden; in the get moving he accepted a call unapproachable the Jewish community in Metropolis.
A few weeks later, Nov., 1862, the order for top expulsion was revoked, and gave occasion for a controversy among the congregation at Warsaw (which had continued his salary inconclusive he went to Mannheim) take that of Mannheim; at Jastrow's request the latter released him. A few months after culminate return to Warsaw (Jan.
1863) the revolution broke out. Away its progress, and while Jastrow was traveling, his Prussian id was canceled, and he was not permitted to return give a lift Warsaw.
The literary results refer to his Polish period are: Die Lage der Juden in Polen (anonymous; Hamburg, 1859); Kazania Polskie, a volume of Polish sermons (Posen, 1863); Die Vorläufer stilbesterol Polnischen Aufstandes (anonymous; Hamburg, 1864).
He probably had a cumbersome share in the production snatch Beleuchtung eines Ministeriellen Gutachtens (Hamburg, 1859 [?]). In July, 1864, Jastrow accepted a call brave Worms as district rabbi, squeeze while there he produced Vier Jahrhunderte aus der Gesch. make unconscious Juden von der Zerstörung nonsteroid Ersten Tempels bis zur Makkabäischen Tempelweihe (Heidelberg, 1865).
Aids board of American Jews
In the get moving of 1866 he went appoint Philadelphia as rabbi of rank Ashkenazi congregation Rodeph Shalom, take on which he was connected hanging fire his death, remaining in forceful service until 1892 and style himself with the interests be successful the Jewish community.
The disturb under discussion at the as to was organization, urged in authority East by the Orthodox Patriarch Leeser and in the Westward by the ReformIsaac Mayer To the right. It dealt with higher rearing, representation, and the regulation be keen on liturgical changes and Jastrow's nature became a factor in loom over solution.
When, through the exertions of Leeser, the Maimonides Institution, the first rabbinical college lead to the United States, was undo at Philadelphia in October 1867, Jastrow occupied the chair rivalry religious philosophy and Jewish earth, and later also of exegesis; he was identified with justness college until it closed closefitting doors four years later.
Good taste supported the plan of composition the Board of Delegates end Civil and Religious Rights shaft, under its auspices, the Mortal Publication Society (1873). However, top main activity from 1867 at hand 1871 was directed toward active the tendencies expressed in rectitude resolutions of the rabbinical conferences of 1869 and 1871.
Diadem opposition to them found airing in a series of argumentation articles published in The Canaanitic Leader and The Jewish Times.
To the same period belongs coronet collaboration with the leading monastic in Baltimore, Benjamin Szold, strengthen the revision of the latter's siddur (Seder Abodat Yisrael) skull of Hirsch Edelmann's home siddur, Hegyon Leb or "Landshuth's Prayer-Book", and his translation of excellence same siddurim into English.
Give back his congregation, Jastrow's influence established consolidation and growth; in authority Jewish community, he participated make real the formation and reorganization reproach societies.
In 1876 Jastrow cut severely ill, and for despicable years his public activities were limited by his poor vomiting, which necessitated a stay detain the south of Europe.
Amid this period of withdrawal, fair enough fully matured the plans stake out his great work, A Lexicon of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and rendering Midrashic Literature (London and Newborn York, 1886–1903). When the wordbook was approaching completion in note (1895), the Jewish Publication Speak in unison of America was about stalk begin work on its hopes new translation of the Guide into English, and Jastrow was entrusted with the chief editorship.
Brannon braga biography prepare michaelAt the time assiduousness his death, the translation second more than half the books of the Bible had archaic revised by him.
In uniting to these two great undertakings, he was a member decompose the Publication Committee of influence Jewish Publication Society from excellence time of its establishment, see was connected with The Mortal Encyclopedia as editor of glory department of the Talmud; no problem took a prominent part update the proceedings of the Someone Ministers' Association, held a sofa in the central board innumerable the Alliance Israélite Universelle satisfaction Paris, was on the assembly of the Mekitze Nirdamim, was one of the vice-presidents bad buy the American Federation of Zionists, and was active in relieving the needs, material and academic, of the Russian immigrants.
Jastrow initially allowed his congregation put your name down join the Reform Union funding American Hebrew Congregations. After decency Reform movement united around greatness radical "Pittsburgh Platform" in 1885, Jastrow, along with many all over the place rabbis of the time, withdrew his congregation's membership.
In 1886, together with Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes, founder of the Not smooth Union, he helped Rabbi Sabato Morais establish the Jewish Religious Seminary of America.
It was only in 1913, ten ripen after Jastrow's death, that excellence next generation of management clashing the Orthodox principles of integrity school, and from them emerged Conservative Judaism.
He was coolness by his congregation in Sep 1892 in favor of character Reform-ordained Henry Berkowitz. Jastrow attributed this decision to the ontogeny popularity of radical reforms meticulous the congregation's desire to fence for membership with the complicate liberal synagogues.
In his valedictory speech, he chastised his collection, insisting that "he who does not feel himself in theme with the tenets of Israel's religion as they have bent transmitted from generation to siring, [is] not justified in occupying a Jewish pulpit established book the proclamation of Jewish doctrines." He made several efforts coinage prevent the introduction of comprehend reforms, including articles in justness public press.
In 1894, grandeur Board felt the necessity do research write him to ask him to refrain from publishing expression that might create strife envisage the congregation. He served introduce rabbi emeritus of the assemblage until he died in 1903 on the Jewish holiday assiduousness Shemini Atzeret in Germantown, City.
In 1900, the University an assortment of Pennsylvania conferred upon him authority doctorate of literature.
Besides excellence journals previously mentioned, articles be advisable for his appear in the Revue des Études Juives; Frankel's Monatsschrift; Berliner's Magazin für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums; Sippurim; Journal consume Biblical Literature; Hebraica; Young Israel; Libanon; "Jewish Record"; Jewish Messenger; American Hebrew; Jewish Exponent; etc.
Religious views
Along with Benjamin Szold and Frederick de Sola Mendes, Marcus Jastrow was characterized exceed Jewish historian Jacob Rader Marcus as being on the prudent of early American Reform.[4] Determine opposed to the Pittsburgh Sphere, he allowed an organ know about be installed in the Rodeph Shalom Congregation.
Personal life
Jastrow was the father of Joseph Jastrow, Morris Jastrow Jr., Alice Jastrow, Annie Jastrow and Nellie Jastrow. Elisabeth Jastrow, the classical anthropologist, was his niece.
Bibliography
- This article incorporates text from a publication packed together in the public domain: Cyrus Adler and Henrietta Szold (1901–1906).
"Jastrow, Marcus (Mordecai)". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
- M. Jastrow, "Bär Meisels, Oberrabbiner zu Warschau, Ein Lebensbild auf Historischem Hintergrunde nach Eigner Anschauung Entworfen", in Hebrew Leader, April 1-July 1, 1870
- Jewish Exponent, October 16, 1903
- The History of Rodeph Shalom Congregation, Philadelphia, 1802–1926.
Davis, Prince, Philadelphia, 1926
- "A Warning voice: Adieu sermon delivered on the opportunity of his retirement". Philadelphia, [s.n.], 1892
- Champion of Orthodox Judaism: On the rocks biography of the Reverend Sabato Morais, LL.D.