1865 — Half-leather. 8vo. VIII, 307, [1] pages. 23 cm. First edition. In German. Half-leather over boards, gilt lettering on spine. Title translates as: Samuel Holdheim: his Life and his Works: a Contribution to the Recent Reform Efforts in Judaism. Contains notes on the Hebrew texts of the Old Testament, together with a translation of the Book of Job, and a grammatical appendix. Rabbi Samuel Holdheim was a leader of the Reform movement in German Judaism early in the 19th century, considered a pioneer in modern Jewish homiletics. The author, Immanuel Heinrich Ritter, was a German rabbi; born March 13, 1825, in Ratibor, Prussian Silesia; died July 9, 1890, in Johannisbad, Bohemia. While studying at the gymnasium of his native town he received his Talmudic instruction under Rabbi Loewe. At the University of Breslau classical philology and history formed his special studies (Ph. D. 1849) . During an audience with the Cultusminister von Raumer in 1851, the latter gave the young candidate to understand that only baptism could entitle him to an appointment as professor at a college. Ritter thereupon accepted a position as teacher of religion and reader at the Berlin Reform congregation, becoming later assistant to the senior preacher of the temple, Samuel Holdheim. His first ten sermons were published as "Kanzelvorträge aus dem Gotteshause der Jüdischen Reformgemeinde" (Berlin, 1856) , which placed him at once among the foremost Jewish preachers of his time. In 1859 his "Beleuchtung der Wagner'schen Schrift, " published against "Das Judenthum und der Staat" by Wagner, member of the Prussian Diet, created a stir. Ritter's principal work was his "Geschichte der Jüdischen Reform, " in four parts (Berlin, 1858-1902) : I. "Mendelssohn und Lessing. " II. "David Friedländer. " III. "Samuel Holdheim. " IV. "Die Jüdische Reformgemeinde in Berlin" (edited by S. Samuel, rabbi in Ussen) . In the first part Ritter demonstrates that Moses Mendelssohn's lack of understanding of historical criticism concerning Judaism was one of the main reasons why his own children and many of his friends became apostates from the religion of their fathers. He further shows that Lessing had a better conception of Judaism than Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn's false view of revelation, a view which identifies Judaism with legalism, makes him a representative of conservatism and even of retrogression. (from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia) . Subjects: Reform Judaism - Germany - History -- 19th century. Holdheim, Samuel, 1806-1860. OCLC lists 13 copies worldwide. Front cover hinge starting. Covers lightly soiled. Pages lightly foxed through. Very good condition. (GER-36-21)
