MEMORIAL SERVICES: RABBI ADOLPH MOSES [COVER TITLE: IN MEMORIAM RABBI ADOLPH MOSES]

Published by Louisville, KY: Temple Adas Israel, 1902

1st edition. Original paper wrappers with silver gilt lettering. 8vo, [3] pages. With photo of Rabbi Moses. This is the program for memorial service of this leading Reform Rabbi who had already fought in 2 different armies before landing in the American South. Adolph Moses (1840-1902), "attended both the University of Breslau and Zechariah Frankel 's Rabbinical Seminary. Idealistic and devoted to his studies, Moses was especially interested in history, philosophy, and philology and like many young Jews of the time was strongly influenced by Western civilization. In 1859, carrying only a walking stick, he hiked to Italy where he fought under Garibaldi, attaining the rank of corporal.In 1863, Moses joined the Polish insurrection. Captured by the Russians, he later wrote a novel, Luser Segermacher, about his prison experiences. After his release, Moses went to Frankfurt on Main to study under Abraham Geiger , a leading Reform scholar, and later spent two years at the University of Vienna, where he was close to Professor Adolph Jellinek. [in 1870] he accepted a call to a pulpit in Montgomery, Alabama, and soon moved on to another in Mobile, where he served 1871-1881. He devoted himself to learning to deliver sermons in good English, rather than the German language prevalent in the American synagogues at the time, and he developed a life-long fascination with Shakespeare, even giving lectures on the Bard. Moses leaned toward radical Reform, deprecating what he would term "physiological Judaism, " by which he meant its ritual and nationalistic aspects. He preferred instead to see Judaism as a world monotheistic doctrine of truth and morality. In 1885, he was the first to rise to advocate acceptance of the Platform at the famous meeting of Reform rabbis at Pittsburgh. He joined a group of rabbis in 1890 in rejecting the halakhic requirement of circumcision for male proselytes, although he criticized conversions for people who simply wanted to marry Jews. He opposed the budding Zionist movement, and like many Reform rabbis of that era moved his temple's main weekly service to Sundays, starting in 1892. He published many articles on Judaism, folklore, and anthropology and served as editor of Zeitgeist, a Jewish journal. A collection of his essays, along with a brief biography, was published in 1903 by Hyman G. Enelow. He graduated from the medical school of the University of Louisville in 1893 and was particularly interested in working with the blind. From 1881, he served as rabbi of Temple Adath Israel in Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained until his death (Schwartz in EJ, 2007) . No copies listed in OCLC. Outer black paper mourning frame wrappers, covering the inner white text and photograpic covers (with hole allowing photo to show through), are detached with edgewear but present. Otherwise Good Condition. Important and Exceedingly rare, perhaps a unique surviving copy. (AMR-57-2). Seller Inventory # 40773

Bibliographic Details

Title: MEMORIAL SERVICES: RABBI ADOLPH MOSES [COVER...
Publisher: Louisville, KY: Temple Adas Israel
Publication Date: 1902
Binding: Paperback
Edition: 1st Edition