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<font size=3>Recently I became aware of three articles that deal with the
topic of "The Secession From the Frankfurt Jewish Community Under
Samson Raphael Hirsch". They appeared in the publication Historia
Judaica, 10, 2, October 1948. (These articles may be read at
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/npn5yd6" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/npn5yd6</a>)<br><br>
The name Israelitische Gemeinde zu Frankfurt a.M., (Gemeinde for
short) refers to the historical Jewish communal organization in
Frankfurt. During the first part of the 19th century reformers took
control of this organization and eventually hired a reform rabbi .
Throughout all of this there remained a core of observant Jews in
Frankfurt. "Further fresh activities of the reformers now
spurred the orthodox on to resistance; they closed their ranks and
after long and protracted preliminaries, they formed in 1851 the
"Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft," and selected as their
spiritual leader Samson Raphael Hirsch."<br><br>
All Jews who resided in Frankfurt were required by secular law to be
members of the Gemeinde and pay taxes to support it, since it was
the officially recognized Jewish communal organization in the city.
RSRH was opposed to this, because it meant that Orthodox Jews were
supporting reform activities. He wanted all Orthodox Jews to
renounce their membership in the Gemeinde, but this was not
legal. In 1876, largely due to the efforts of RSRH, a law was
passed that allowed Jews to secede from the Gemeinde. Rav Hirsch then
called upon all Orthodox Jews in Frankfurt to secede. This caused a
huge split in the Orthodox community, and most of the observant Jews in
Frankfurt did not secede, much to Rav Hirsch's disappointment.<br><br>
The first article about the secession issue in Frankfurt that I posted is
by Saemy Japhet. He was opposed to secession as was the father of
the author of the second article posted. Japhet's article contains
a description of RSRH which is given below. Keep in mind that
he was opposed to RSRH's call for all observant Jews to secede. <br><br>
As much of what interests us centers round this great<br>
figure, it will not be out of place to say something about the<br>
personality and character of Samson Raphael Hirsch. Born<br>
in Hamburg, the son of cultured parents, he was brought up<br>
as a child of the early Mendelssohn era. Haham Bernays, who<br>
was one of the first Jewish preachers to deliver his sermons<br>
in an advanced German, was his teacher. Samson Raphael<br>
Hirsch received his university training at Bonn, where incidentally<br>
Abraham Geiger was his fellow student. Hirsch<br>
was already in his younger years a man of the world. He<br>
made it a point to appear always in faultless apparel, almost<br>
stylish, according to the fashion of the period. Nothing in<br>
his manner or figure was to be strange to the crowd. This<br>
remained so during his whole life and I can still see him as an<br>
octogenarian, immaculately dressed in the finest black suit<br>
and top hat, like a born aristocrat. A striking feature was<br>
his head, so well shaped and adorned with the most beautiful<br>
and brilliant eyes, which kept their fiery lustre up to the last<br>
moments of his life. I think nobody could ever forget his<br>
countenance, animated by the magnetic glance. And whilst<br>
his outward manner was prepossessing and attractive, his<br>
character showed a strength and earnestness u11common for<br>
any man, almost too earnest. He did not freely make friends<br>
and even his friends he kept at a distance; nor was he easily<br>
approached, his serenity and dignity warded off intimacy.<br>
Bold and fearless he upheld his convictions. Only once did<br>
he yield to outside pressure, when-in Oldenburg-he allowed<br>
Kol N id re to be abolished. In later years he made no<br>
concessions, no adjustment of views was possible and, in<br>
questions of principle, he never accepted any compromise,<br>
nor did he permit any of his communities to interfere with<br>
his opinions and beliefs.<br><br>
All this led to frequent clashes and we saw him sever his<br>
relations with Geiger, his fellow student, and with Graetz, his<br>
pupil, and of course with Frankel he waged a bitter feud.<br>
History and literature were taught in our school-the<br>
"Realschule der Israelitischen Religionsgesellschaft,"
(according<br>
to English standards a secondary school), commonly<br>
called "The Hirsch-Schule"; I passed through the school<br>
(1863-1872); later I became a student of the Frankfurt<br>
Handelsschule - according to Hirsch's views. The names of<br>
Maimonides, Spinoza, Mendelssohn and Graetz were never<br>
even mentioned. But in his writings Hirsch branded Graetz's<br>
History of the Jews as "a product of detestable wantonness<br>
and frivolous superficiality"; he spoke with contempt of the<br>
Rabbiner-Seminar in Breslau, pitying in advance the communities<br>
which should select pupils of Breslau as their leaders.<br>
There was never a Beth Din in the Religionsgesellschaft. To<br>
use a commercial term, it was to all intents and purposes a<br>
one-man business. Rabbi Hirsch laid down the law according<br>
to his conviction. He was opposed to any form of Jewish<br>
nationalism as well as to Zionism and one of his versions of<br>
the translation of "ki mi-Zion" was "from where the
Tauroh<br>
emanates, there is my Zion." He sternly rejected the order<br>
B'nai B'rith.<br><br>
As a scholar he lived his own life. His intercourse with<br>
other scholars was scanty. He did not need them. Feared as<br>
an antagonist, he was a born fighter and he hit hard. Mendelssohnian<br>
tolerance was unthinkable for him. He lived in his<br>
study amidst his books and papers, where the air was thick<br>
with smoke clouds, issuing from his long much-loved pipe.<br><br>
Needless to say, the Religionsgesellschaft was very proud<br>
of their rabbi. His reputation as one of the greatest living<br>
scholars was a source of the deepest satisfaction, but it was<br>
in the first place his eloquence that thrilled their minds. He<br>
spoke always ~ontaneously, without any notes; all his addresses<br>
were presented extemporaneously. He was a marvelous<br>
orator; his noble language, the rapid flow of his speech,<br>
the originality of his thoughts, the force of his arguments,<br>
together with his whole personal appearance, made his sermons<br>
irresistible and secured him a magic influence.<br><br>
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