Three American Jews' Dream of a Hebrew Universit
What—if any—s hare did
American Jews have in the
founding of . Israeli Jewry's
leading intellectual institution,
the Hebrew University in Jeru-
salem?
A body of correspondence re-
cently examined at the Ameri-
can Jewish Archives, the his-
torical research center on the
Cincinnati campus of the He-
brew Union College-Jewish In-
stitute of Religion, indicates
that American Jews took a
great, and even an essentia
part in this enterprise.
Documents at the Ar•es
lend substance to the v that,
without the uninterr ed ma-
terial support it re' 'ed from
American Jewry, e Hebrew
University migh
ever have
achieved its pr
t eminence.
Nearly 50 3
s ago, long
before the u • ersity had a
site, a "trium ate" of Amer-
ican Jews s Ted an active
interest in th dea of a He-
brew universe and was in
regular conta with Dr.
Chaim Weizmann,
university's leading protag-
onist.
This emerges from the-papers
of one of the triumvirate's mem-
bers—Dr. Harry Friedenwald, a
prominent Baltimore ophthal-
mologist. The other two mem-
hers were Dr. Israel Fried-
laender, professor of Biblical tioned that the matter would
exegesis and literature at the be discussed at a meeting of
Jewish Theological Seminary of the Actions Committee to be
America, and Rabbi Judah - Leon held in Berlin in November
Magnes, spiritual leader of 1913.
Temple Emanu-El in New York
Friedenwald answered:
City.
"There seemss
such
Friedenwald, president of the
Federation of American Zion- interest in this country ifs .
e but in 'o
ists from 1904 to 19
der to make it a
success,
delegate to the
Congress it will be necessa
have
which me
ienna in 1913, someone of force and o influ
whe
university project was ence come to this country .
up.
In the meantime, Weiz
n
On his- return to Baltimore. had
been
to Magn
nd
Friedenwald seized the initia-
nd the
rres-
tive by wr' ng to Weiz ann,
enc
irculat'
among
who had he projec
ers of the ri
. There
pri
different v
as
to the
was deeply
ur fields of inter
hich the uni-
eloquent
Con- versity sh
initially empha-
gress c
e establish- size.
enwald and Weiz-
a university. Having
advocated a medical
y years experience in a m- ool.
1 college in this coun
Magnes, however, felt the
I now some of the di
les
which face us an
ething need to resolve the conflict of
concerning t
xpenses of religious ideas. He, therefore,
maintain
an institution. wrote to Weizmann: "For me,
Bu
not going to write to the chief importance and at-
of the difficulties which traction of such a school, as of
you appreciate as well as I do. the university in general, would
What I do wish to write is that be, that the humanities would
I should like to aid the cause be taught by Jews, primarily
to the extent of my means and on the basis of Jewish docu-
ability, and especially in the ments and of Jewish life."
department - of Medicine." (Oct.
Friedlaender, who trained his
29, 1913.)
students for the Conservative
Weizmann, in his reply, men- rabbinate, countered:
"Palestine at present is still
very far from enjoying that
Holiday Greetings
great distinction. Judaism in
Palestine, while undoubtedly
tending in that direction, is as
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Happy New Year Salaarn Aliekum
Plans were being laid for
Weizmann to visit America
when the outbreak of the First
World War put the whole proj-
ect into abeyance.
In 1922, Friedlaender was
murdered in the Ukraine, while
on an errand of mercy for the
Joint Distribution Committee.
Magnes, however, became the
first president of the Univer-
sity in 1925, and Harry Frieden-
wald enriched it with his bene- I
factions.
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