Samuel Hirsch, was a major Reform Judaism religious philosopher and rabbi. Born in Thalfang, (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, he received his training at Metz. He attended the University of Bonn, the University of Berlin, and the University of Leipzig. He first became rabbi at Dessau in 1838 but was forced to resign in 1841 because he promoted a radically liberal form of Judaism, later to become known as classic German Reform Judaism.

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  • Samuel Hirsch, was a major Reform Judaism religious philosopher and rabbi. Born in Thalfang, (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, he received his training at Metz. He attended the University of Bonn, the University of Berlin, and the University of Leipzig. He first became rabbi at Dessau in 1838 but was forced to resign in 1841 because he promoted a radically liberal form of Judaism, later to become known as classic German Reform Judaism. In 1843 he published his "Die Messias-Lehre der Juden in Kanzelvorträgen" and "Religionsphilosophie der Juden. " In 1843 he was appointed chief rabbi of the grand duchy of Luxemburg by the King of Holland. During this period he published his "Die Humanität als Religion. " He took an active part in the annual rabbinical conferences held at Brunswick, Frankfort-on-the-Main, and Breslau . In 1844 he published his "Reform im Judenthum. " Having received a call from the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1866, he resigned his post in Europe and removed to the United States. There he succeeded Dr. David Einhorn. From his arrival onward he became closely identified with, and an open advocate of, radical Reform. In 1869 he was elected president of the rabbinical conference held in Philadelphia, at which the principles of Reform Judaism were formulated. In that year he engaged also in numerous ritual and doctrinal controversies. Hirsch remained officiating rabbi of the Philadelphia congregation for twenty-two years, resigning in 1888, after having spent fifty years of his life in the ministry. Removing to Chicago, he took up his abode there with his son, Emil G. Hirsch. During his rabbinate in Philadelphia Hirsch organized the Orphans' Guardian Society, and was the founder of the first branch in the United States of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. Hirsch is best known as the author of the "Religionsphilosophie," a work written from the Hegelian point of view, but for the purpose of vindicating the claim of Judaism to the rank denied it by Hegel, the rank of an "absolute religion. " In this book he proved himself to be an original thinker . His "Katechismus der Israelitischen Religion" was also constructed on original lines; he considered the Biblical legends to be psychological and typical allegories, and the ceremonies of Judaism to be symbols of underlying ideas. From this attitude his Reform principles are derived. He denied that Judaism is a law; it is "Lehre," but is expressed in symbolic ceremonies that may be changed in accordance with historic development. He was the first to propose holding Jewish services on Sunday instead of the traditional Jewish Sabbath Shabbat. He contributed to the early volumes of The Jewish Times . His principal works were first issued in Germany, among them What is Judaism?, sermons, and Religious Philosophy of the Jews . Hirsch died in Chicago, U.S.. His son was the philosopher and rabbi Prof. Emil Gustav Hirsch.
  • Samuel Hirsch war Rabbiner, Religionsphilosoph und radikaler jüdischer Reformer zunächst in Deutschland, dann in den USA. Er studierte an den Universitäten Bonn, Berlin und Leipzig, erhielt seine rabbinische Ausbildung in Metz und war seit 1838 Rabbiner in Dessau, bis er wegen der seinen Gegnern zu radikal erscheinenden reformerischen Ansätze 1841 aus dem Amt gedrängt wurde. Von 1843-1866 war er Großrabbiner des Großherzogtums Luxemburg (ernannt durch den holländischen König). Auf den deutschen Rabbinerversammlungen der Jahre 1844/45 vertrat er eine radikale Reform des Judentums, womit er in Deutschland allerdings nicht durchdringen konnte. Er wanderte nach Amerika aus und gründete dort die Orphan's Guardian Society und den ersten amerikanischen Zweig der Alliance Israélite Universelle, wurde als Nachfolger David Einhorns 1866 Rabbiner der Reformgemeinde in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, und Vorsitzender der ersten Konferenz der amerikanischen (de facto Reform-) Rabbiner (Philadelphia 1869). Als solcher hatte er großen Anteil an der Ausformulierung der Grundsätze des Reformjudentums. Er blieb 22 Jahre Rabbiner in Philadelphia, retirierte 1888 und zog mit seinem Sohn, Emil Gustav Hirsch (ebenfalls Philosoph und Rabbiner), nach Chicago, wo er bald darauf verstarb. Samuel Hirsch unternahm den Versuch, zwischen einem bleibenden ideellen Kern und einem der Tagesnotwendigkeit unterliegenden bloß äusserlichen Ritus des Judentums zu unterscheiden (vgl. seinen Katechismus der israelitischen Religion) und nahm auf Basis dieser Lossprechungsformel radikalste Änderungen vor, z. B. die eifrig verfochtene Einführung des Sonntagsgottesdienstes. In seinen philosophischen Schriften argumentierte er gegen Hegel, der das Judentum in seiner Hierarchie der Religionen noch unterhalb der heidnischen Naturreligionen angesiedelt hatte, dass das Judentum und das (Ur-) Christentum als Religionen der Freiheit jeglicher Naturreligion absolut überlegen seien (Die Religionsphilosophie der Juden, 1842, 2 Bände, Hirschs unvollendet gebliebenes Hauptwerk). Das Judentum selbst sei bis zur Überwindung der von Paulus herrührenden Verknüpfung von Judentum und Heidentum ein auf Absonderung angelegtes Vorbild der neuen Menschheit.
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  • Samuel Hirsch, was a major Reform Judaism religious philosopher and rabbi. Born in Thalfang, (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, he received his training at Metz. He attended the University of Bonn, the University of Berlin, and the University of Leipzig. He first became rabbi at Dessau in 1838 but was forced to resign in 1841 because he promoted a radically liberal form of Judaism, later to become known as classic German Reform Judaism.
  • Samuel Hirsch war Rabbiner, Religionsphilosoph und radikaler jüdischer Reformer zunächst in Deutschland, dann in den USA. Er studierte an den Universitäten Bonn, Berlin und Leipzig, erhielt seine rabbinische Ausbildung in Metz und war seit 1838 Rabbiner in Dessau, bis er wegen der seinen Gegnern zu radikal erscheinenden reformerischen Ansätze 1841 aus dem Amt gedrängt wurde. Von 1843-1866 war er Großrabbiner des Großherzogtums Luxemburg (ernannt durch den holländischen König).
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  • Samuel Hirsch
  • Samuel Hirsch
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