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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

becember 24, 041

PROFESSOR LOUIS GINZBERG

The key, perhaps, to such mag-
to the Frankfurter Zeitung dur- some insight into the cultural life
in the years 1890-1894, and of the Jew by acquainting him nificent achievements is not only
In these times of great mili- in his scholarship and upon which symbolism in French art holds as with the ideas and ideals of Tal- a brillaint mind which has a
tary heroes and political leaders, his renown is based, is the manner little mystery for him as the Ha- mudic scholars who were the comprehensive and absolute grasp
the content of this ancient
one is apt to overlook the role in which he brings to bear upon lakah of the Talmud. In spite of bearers of this culture. It repre- of
s
a fervent plea for better period, but a spiritual sympathy
of the scholar in the defense and his own profound insights into the fact that most of his years sents
as well which enables the author
perpetuation of our way of life. the Talmud and Hebrew lore the have been spent in intense re- appreciation of Talmudic Juda- to identify himself with the mood
search
on
the
Palestinian
and
ism
and
a
closer
connection
be-
vast
knowledge
of
Western
science
While our soldiers are busy de-
of those times. But this still does
fending our democratic ideals with and culture, gleaned from his Babylonian Talmuds as well as tween the past and present.
not give a complete picture of
Among
his
more
technical
their lives, our scholars and teach- many years of study at law uni- other equally recondite subjects of
Louis Ginzberg, for—humorous,
the past, he has never allowed and scholarly works are " An friendly, considerate and unas-
ers are quietly going about their versities.
himself
to
become
one-sided
or
to
Unknown
Jewish
Sect,"
the
two
As
a
young
boy
in
Kovno,
Rus-
unsensational business of explain-
of the "Goenica," and the suming—the man has left as deep
parts
t,,
ing these ideals and perpetuating sia, where he was born, and in develop into the proverbial "ab- Yerushuhni Fragments." The lat- an imprint upon the hearts of
them at home. Towering above all Telsh where he received his early sent-minded professor." Doctor t
men as the scholar has upon
consists of some 2,000 pages
such scholars is a small, whimsical Talmudical training, he first as- Ginzberg is witty, worldly-wise, ter
and represents the fruit of 20 their minds.
bearded man who is one of the tounded his elders with his bril- and very well aware of events years of critical study. Known as
greatest Rabbinical scholars in the liance, exceptional memory and in- going on about him. He is very a Hebrew commentary, it achieves
Western World today — Doctor satiable curiosity. It was the last much interested in the continued much more than its name implies
Louis Ginzberg, professor of Tal- that urged him on to more ex- cultural life of the Jews, and Pal- for Doctor Ginzberg's own eluci-
mud in the Jewish Theological tensive fields such as the gymna- estine being established as a ref- dations of the cloudy text con-
A Joyous Chanukah to All!
Seminary of America. One may sium at Frankfort-On-The-Main, uge for them — whether it be thin novel interpretations and
say, without exaggeration, that he and the universities of Berlin, known as a homeland of a com- reconstructions—possible only for
is also among the most beloved Strasbourg and Heidelberg. At monwealth. He is doing as much a man with superb logical train-
Jewish teachers in Americ (, for these cosmopolitan centers of fo• that cultural life as in possi- ing and a creative imagination.
in Doctor Ginzberg, great wisdom learning, the young Louis Ginz- ble for any one man to do—both Doctor Ginzberg considers the
is only exceeded by great charac- berg studied history, philosophy in his role of Professor of Tal- task in which he is immersed at
ter. Now, in celebration of his and oriental languages including mud and Rabbinics at the Jew- present as his life work—a "Corn-
70th birthday, we take due time Syriac, Arabic and Armenian. It ish Theological Seminary of Amer- mentary on the Palestinian Tal-
to consider and laud his many is interesting to note that a spe ica, and as author of many books mud" of which three volumes
accomplishments and contributions cial course in Syriac was institut- on Hebrew law and folklore. have already been published. This
Before he received his appoint- work is a gravely needed one,
ed at his request, and at which he
to Jewish learning and culture.
the seminary
1902, for, whereas much has been done
Professor Ginzberg's knowledge was the only student present. He ment
Doctor at Ginzberg
was a in
member
12871 EATON AVE.
has been described by many as learned to write in German, of the staff in the Jewish En- to clarify the Babylonian Talmud
French
and
English
with
as
great
encyclopedic. This is literally true
HOGARTH 1340
tt is have been
cyclopedia, a post he received upon very ew a em
and owes itself to a remarkable facility as in Hebrew.
In
1898,
at
the
age
of
25,
he
his
arrival
in
America
in
1900.
It
made
to
unveil
the
obscurities
of
memory--one that is really pho-
tographic. But Doctor Ginzberg's received his Ph.D. degree from the was as editor of the rabbinical the Talmud of Jerusalem.
good memory is merely a tool for University of Heidelberg. This was department that he contributed
his even keener intelligence and but the first milestone in the be- more than 400 articles in addition
creative genius. What is unique ginning of a brilliant career—a
A JOYOUS CHANUKAH TO ALL!
career which had its official cul- to editing many others.
His most prolific literary pe-
mination in honors bestowed by
Harvard University during its riod has been during the past 41
Tercentennial celebration. Doctor years he has been associated with
A Joyous Chanukah to All!
Louis Ginzberg was one of 66
world eminent men to be so dis- the Jewish Theological Seminary.
tinguished by one of our foremost Among his more popular works
educational institutions. At this is the first attempt to gather the
occasion, the honorary degree of myriad Jewish legends, which re-
Operator of
Doctor of Divinity was conferred fer to Biblical personages and
upon him. He also received hon- events, from their original sour-
orary degrees from the Hebrew ces. It not only sheds light on
East Jefferson at Lenox
Union College and the Jewish the biblical personalities dis-
Excellent Facilities for
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Parties, Banquets, Weddings
his fame has not been confined ish scholars and rabbis who in-
to religious spheres for the very corporated these stories in their
LOUIS SULTAN
Dancing and Entertainment
reason that his own interests have own writings—and from which
Nightly in Our Famous
been varied nad universal. Many they had to be extracted.
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criticisms were contributed by him also in English, is a sparkling
PARTS
PARTS
account of the development of
the schools and schoolmen. It is
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