Leo Baeck
Leo Baeck | |
---|---|
Personal | |
Born | |
Died | 2 November 1956 London, England | (aged 83)
Religion | Judaism |
Spouse | Natalie Hamburger |
Denomination | Reform Judaism |
Synagogue | Fasanenstrasse Synagogue |
Semikhah | Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums |
Leo Baeck (German pronunciation:
Early years
Baeck was born in Lissa (Leszno) (then in the German Province of Posen, now in Poland), the son of Rabbi Samuel Baeck and his wife Eva (née Placzek). He began his education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau in 1894. He also studied philosophy in Berlin with Wilhelm Dilthey. He served as a rabbi in Oppeln (now Opole), Düsseldorf, and Berlin. He also taught at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (Higher Institute for Jewish Studies).
In 1905 Baeck published The Essence of Judaism, in response to
Nazi persecution and deportation
In 1933, after the
Baeck became the "honorary head" of the Council of Elders (Judenrat) in Theresienstadt. As such, he was protected from transports and with his protection list, could also save his relatives from transports,[2] among others his grand-niece Ruth (b. 1925). Moreover, Baeck became "prominent", which meant that he had better accommodation, better food and could receive mail more often.[3]
He gave lectures, was active in the interfaith dialogue between traditional Jews and Christians of Jewish origin, worked in the youth care sector, which he directed from November 1944 on, and was friendly with many of the
Up until his deportation, numerous American institutions offered to help him escape the war and immigrate to the United States.[citation needed] Baeck refused to abandon his community and declined the offers.[citation needed] Nevertheless, he managed to survive the Holocaust, though three of his sisters perished in the ghetto.[8]
Post-war life and work
After the war, Baeck relocated to London, where he accepted the Presidency of the
He died on 2 November 1956, in London, England.
The International Leo Baeck Institute
In 1955, the Leo Baeck Institute for the study of the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry was established, and Baeck was the first international president of this institute. The Institute now includes branches around the world including the Leo Baeck Institute New York, and the Leo Baeck Institute London.
There are institutions named after Leo Baeck, on every inhabited continent, including the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism in Melbourne, Australia.[11]
The
See also
Bibliography
- Baker, Leonard (1982). Hirt der Verfolgten: Leo Baeck im Dritten Reich. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta. ISBN 3-12-930760-5(in German).
- ISBN 0-02-506340-5.
- Feller, Yaniv (2023). The Jewish Imperial Imagination: Leo Baeck and German-Jewish Thought. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-009-32189-1.
- Friedlander, Albert H. Teacher of Theresienstadt, Overlook Press; Reprint (July 1991), ISBN 978-0-87951-393-1.
- ISBN 3-633-54169-1.
- Homolka, Walter and Füllenbach, Elias H. (2008). Rabbiner Leo Baeck. Ein Lebensbild, Teetz / Berlin (= Jüdische Miniaturen, vol. 75). ISBN 978-3-938485-84-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8122-5256-9..
- Feller, Yaniv (2023). The Jewish Imperial Imagination: Leo Baeck and German-Jewish Thought. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-009-32189-1.
References
- ^ "Honors". Leo Baeck Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ISBN 978-3-89244-694-1., p. 287
- ^ "Theresienstadt Lexikon – Prominente" (in German). ghetto-theresienstadt.de. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ Arendt, Hannah (1963). Eichmann in Jerusalem. Viking Press. pp. 118–119.
- )
- ^
ISBN 978-3-89244-694-1.
- ^ "Not To Hate..." Archived 7 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Times-Standard, Eureka, California (23 June 2009). Retrieved 19 October 2011
- ^ Friederike Feldmann, Rosa Mandl and Elise Stern
- ^ "Dr. Leo Baeck Arrives in U.S.; Reform Rabbis Oppose Government Aid to Religious Bodies". JTA. 26 October 1949. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ISBN 9780521517409.
- ^ "Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism". Retrieved 17 December 2015.
External links
- Documents about Leo Baeck in the collection of the Jewish Museum Prague