Samson Raphael Hirsch (June 20, 1808 - December 31, 1888) was a German rabbi active in Germany and Moravia. His philosophy--along with the ideas of Azriel Hildesheimer—which was sometimes referred to as Neo-Orthodoxy, had a considerable influence on the development of Orthodox Judaism. He is considered one of the spiritual fathers of Modern Orthodoxy. His concept of “Torah im Derech Eretz” is still regarded to be one of the cornerstones of contemporary Modern Orthodox Judaism. Hirsch was born in 1808 in Hamburg. His father was a petty salesman, but was heavily devoted to the study of the Torah. Samson’s grandfather, Mendel Frankfurter, founded the Talmud Tora in Hamburg and was an unpaid helper of a rabbi in the neighboring congregation in Altona. Hirsch’s great-great-grandfather, Löb Frankfurter, wrote several Hebrew works, including a commentary on the Torah called “Ha-rechasim le-bik'ah“. Samson attended public German schools and was very familiar with European culture and philosophy. He had also received traditional Jewish education. He was convinced that Jewish traditions and the Jewish way of life were compatible with Western European culture and sciences. The propagation of this idea has become his life-long mission and passion. Thus, he decided to pursuit a rabbinical career. Between 1923 and 1929 he studied at a traditional Talmud seminary in Manheim then continued at the University of Bonn. Interestingly enough, one of his fellow students was Abraham Geiger, future head of the early reform Judaism–which Hirsch strongly opposed. Hirsch served as a rabbi in the German Jewish communities of Oldenburg (between 1830 and 1836) and Emden (1836 to 1841). Subsequently, he was appointed the chief rabbi of Moravia and Austrian Silesia. Ten years later – from 1851 until his death – he led a breakaway Orthodox community of Frankfurt am Main, the so-called “Frankfurter Austritt Gemeinde”. Hirsch wrote a number of influential works. For several years, he published the monthly magazine called “Jeschurun”, in which he tried to outline his philosophy and understanding of Judaism. He vehemently opposed Reform Judaism and all other early forms of conservative Judaism too. He believed that living according to the principles of the micvot did not contradict being a loyal German modern citizen. In 1836 he published - under the pseudonym Ben Usiel - a book called "Nineteen Letters on Judaism" or the "Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum". It was a breakthrough work in the Jewish world – a rigid defense of traditional Judaism and its principles written in a modern language so it could reach out to contemporary scholars. The publication of the Nineteen Letters is generally considered to be the the birth of Neo-Orthodoxy or Modern Orthodox Judaism as it is called today. In addition to working for the congregation, he intensively devoted himself to publishing activities. For years he acted as the chief editor of the Jeschurun magazine published in Frankfurt and attained popularity far beyond the city. Hirsch also compiled a good number of books, in which he argued that German way of life is in no conflict with basic principles of the Jewish tradition. Among other things, he published the German translation and interpretation of the Torah and Psalms and a translation of the Siddur into German – with an explanation. He was engaged also in the field of education. He died on the last day of 1888 in Frankfurt.
All his life was commitied to trying to reconcile Jewish tradition with modern education. He enforced the approach called tora im derech erec. This term refers to the tractate of Pirkei Avot (2:2), which encourages to combine the wisdom of the Torah with daily employment. For Hirsch, his “Derech Eretz“ ideas were not merely scholarly studies, but rather an entire philosophical approach on how Jews should engage in emerging modern European societies while still preserving the Jewish values and way of life taught by the Torah. His thoughts are still a major source of inspiration for modern orthodoxy. He is buried at the Jewish Cemetery of Frankfurt, in the Austritt Gemeinde section. His kever is a popular pilgrimage site for many Jews implying the principles of “Torah im Derech Eretz“ in their daily life. If you agree with his principles and are traveling to Germany for a kosher river cruise or a tour, do consider making quick visit to his grave to pay some respects.
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Frankfurt am Main is a city in the southern part of the German state of Hesse. It is the largest city in the state and the fifth largest city inGermany. It lies on the Main River. Frankfurt was a city state--the Free City of Frankfurt--for nearly five centuries, and was one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire. It lost its sovereignty in 1866 with the disbandment of the Holy Roman Empire. Frankfurt is a multicultural city with a touch of America. Its character is often compared to New York, so the Germans often nickname it “The Big Ebble". Another nickname of Frankfurt is "Bankfurt," since it is the financial heart of Europe and home to world-class banking institutions. This area of Frankfurt is located on one side of the Main River and is referred to as "Mainhattan". Frankfurt am Main is an important trade city and a major transport and Internet hub of Europe. With about seven hundred thousand inhabitants, Frankfurt am Main is the fifth largest city in Germany, right after Berlin (3.5 million), Hamburg (1.8 million), Munich (1.5 million), and Cologne (980,000 inhabitants). 2.3 million people live in its urban area. The city is at the centre of the larger Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region, which has a population of 5.5 million and is Germany's second largest metropolitan region after Rhine-Ruhr. People from at least 180 nations live in Frankfurt. Foreigners are estimated to make up a quarter of the total population. Frankfurt is also known as the city with the largest share of singles - more than half of households have only one member. A Brief History Frankfurt am Main was first mentioned in 794 in a letter from Charlemagne to the Regensburg Monastery. In this document, it was written in Latin: "... Actum super fluvium Moine in loco nuncupante Franconofurd" - "built on the river Main, at a place called Frankfurt." The earliest settlements in the area is date back to the Stone Age. On a place of a former Roman military camp, a Frankish royal court later emerged in Merovian times (6th Century). In 843, Frankfurt temporarily became the most important of the Frankish cities. Elections of the Holy Roman Emperors were held here – and also the seat of the Imperial Diet. In 1220, Frankfurt became a Free Imperial City. The Golden Bull from 1356 named Frankfurt as the permanent electoral city of the Roman Empero. Since the 12th Century, the vast majority of the elections were held in the city. From 1562, the new Holy Roman Emperors were also crowned in Frankfurt. The last one was Franz II in 1792. In 1585, Frankfurt traders established a system of exchange rates for the various currencies that were circulating to prevent cheating and extortion. Therein lay the early roots for the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Frankfurt managed to remain neutral during the Thirty Years' War, but suffered from the bubonic plague that refugees brought to the city. After the war, Frankfurt regained its wealth. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt came under the rule of several insignificant local rulers. There was even the short-lived (1810-1813) Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. With the collapse of the Napoleonic system, Frankfurt was under the temporary administration of the victorious allies of Carl von Günderrod. At the Congress of Vienna, the Bavarian Kingdom planned to annex Frankfurt. But the outcome was to restore the status of Frankfurt as a free city within the German League. In addition to Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck, this was one of the four free cities that retained their traditional urban freedom until modern times. The Federal Assembly of Germany was established here. In 1848 there was a revolution in German states. The summoned National Assembly met in the St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt. In the Austro-Prussian War, Frankfurt remained faithful to the German League. However, public opinion was more on the side of Austria and its emperor. However, voices were heard from Frankfurt, which, for economic and foreign policy reasons, defended a voluntary connection with Prussia instead. On July 18th, the city was occupied by the Prussian army and was burdened with a great deal of money for war reparations, only to be annexed by Prussia on October 2, after which it finally lost its status to the city state. Frankfurt was assigned to the Wiesbaden district of Hessen-Nassau. The annexation had its advantages—it led to Frankfurt’s economic development into an industrial city with rapid population growth. Frankfurt absorbed a number of nearby towns and cities in the coming decades, roughly doubling its area by 1900. It even became the largest city in Germany in the early 20th century. During the Second World War, targeted air attacks almost completely destroyed the Old Town (Altstadt) and the Inner Town (Innenstadt). Up to 1944, the almost purely medieval character of the city was irreversibly lost. Where once aisles stretched between adjacent half-timbered houses, nowadays large parts of the former historic core are formed by concrete structures from the 1950‘s. After the end of the war, the US Army established its HQ in in the city. Frankfurt very tightly lost against nearby Bonn to become the new capital of Western Germany after WWII. At that time the Parliament building in Frankfurt became the seat of the Hessen State Radio. In the post-war era, the city became the economic capital again, and in 1999, the seat of the European Central Bank. The Jews Of Frankfurt Frankfurt had one of the most important Jewish communities in Germany that dates back to the 12th century. At that time, a small group of Jewish merchants from Worms settled in the town, quickly prospered and grew wealthy. Jews had been in Frankfurt prior to this period as well, but never as official residents. Frankfurt had long been a market town, and Jews visited to trade there as early as the tenth century. Jewish community had flourished here together with the town, but it was not without tragedies. The dates 1241, 1349, 1616, 1624, 1711 all mark bloody pogroms, expulsions or terrible fires in the Jewish Ghetto (Judengasse). The emancipation came only in the second half of the 19th Century. By the 1900s, Jews in Frankfurt were extremely prosperous and influential. They became active both in business and politics. Many of the Jews fought for Germany in World War I. But during the holocaust, 9,000 Jews of the city were deported to concentration and extermination camps from Frankfurt. Only a handful of those came back at the end of the war. However, the Jewish Community was renewed once again in July 1945, and it exists until this day – it belongs to one of the most active Jewish communities in all of Germany. One very special cultural highlight of Jewish life in Frankfurt is the Westend Synagogue on Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße. The temple was erected between 1908 and 1910. The massive dome is particularly striking, being visible from afar. The gable at the entrance side of the building features a medallion with a lion holding with its paw and a shield adorned with the Star of David. The synagogue's interior is richly decorated with ornaments featuring the colours of blue and yellow gold. The main area is able to accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers. Other rooms and chambers include various administrative rooms, several flats, a prayer room and a second prayer chamber that may also be used as a lecture hall. Westend Synagogue is one of the few Jewish places of worship that survived the Second World War, although it was greatly damaged by fire. It was reconstructed in 1950 and once more in 1994. Today, it serves not only as a religious centre, but a memorial. Like many parts of Germany, Frankfurt has a rich history with the Jews, albeit one that is stained heavily with blood. For any Jewish traveler making their way here, it is recommended that they take a kosher tour to fully appreciate the Jewish heritage in the city. Kutná Hora is one of the most interesting and unique historic sites of the Czech Republic. It is known as Kuttenberg in German and literally means “The Diggers‘ Hill“ in both languages . It lies approxaimtely 60 miles, to the south east of Prague, the heart of the Czech Republic. With an altitude of 833 feet above sea level, it is found in the valley of the river Vrhlice. Local legend states that Kutná Hora was once a deep forest. A young monk named Antoň from a nearby monastery in Sedlec came out in 1237 for a walk in the forest. Tired from the long walk, he fell asleep in the mossy thorn. When he woke up, he saw three silver rods in front of him. Antoň knelt to thank God for finding such a rare gift from nature. The monk left his hooded cloak (kutna) to mar the precious place and ran to the monastery to report to the abbot. The discovery of the silver deposit began to spread and people came to the site and began building huts. The settlement was named after Antoň’s cloak—kutna—Kutná Hora. Kutná Hora was founded in the 13th Century during the European silver rush by the Přemyslids Czech royal dynasty, hungry for silver. As the name of the city suggests, its history is related to the extraction and melting of silver ores in the area. In the High Middle Ages, around one third of silver production in all of continental Europe was provided by this town. Kutná Hora became so rich that its wealth could be compared to that of Prague, Rome, Venice, Paris or Constantinople. It was dubbed the “Athens of Bohemia.” Silver was probably present also on the surface in the formof nuggets. In the 10th century, silver dinars were minted on the nearby Slavonic hill of Malino. Silver mining may have been linked to the founding of the Cistercian monastery in neighboring Sedlec, the first one in Bohemia. The Sedlec Monastery was founded in 1142 by Miroslav of Cimburk, a prominent courtier of Prince Vladislav II. Monks from Waldsassen in the Upper Palatinate became the first residents there, an order of monks dedicated to mining. This could explain why it was—against common order practice –based in a region already populated and cultivated. The monastery originally owned the lands on which the town, as well as a number of nearby villages, later grew. When the town’s wealth was at its peak, a number of Gothic monuments were built. Some buildings were the royal mint, a town hall, the Italian court, a number of burgher houses, the St. Bartholomew church, and the Cathedral of St. Barbara, foundation of which was laid by the Holy Roman Emperor and Czech King Wenceslaus IV in 1388. This dominating structure of the town is on the highest peak of the hilltop, and its poignant gothic spires and flying buttresses are visible from afar. This symbolized the town’s competition with the kingdom’s capital, Prague. Thanks to all these monuments, Kutná Hora became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Aside from these landmarks, travelers can also visit the preserved medieval mining shafts and many other monuments – including a survived and restored synagogue from 1902 ( a great spot for kosher tours to visit) – as well as its close proximity from Prague make it an ideal day trip destination. |
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