Gideon Brecher (; 12 January 1797 – 14 May 1873), also known by the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Gedaliah ben Eliezer (, was an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

writer and physician. He was a central figure in the Moravian Haskalah.

Biography

Brecher was born in Prossnitz, Moravia, and attended yeshivot in Eibenschütz and Nikolsburg. He was the first Jew of Prossnitz to study medicine or any other professional field. Brecher received a graduate degree in surgery and

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

at the

University of Pest A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

in 1824, and obtained a

doctorate in medicine A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

at the University of Erlangen in 1849, with the thesis ''Das Transcendentale, Magie und Magische Heilarten im Talmud'' (Vienna, 1850). Brecher's fame in Jewish literature rests principally on this work and upon his lucid commentary on the '' Kuzari'' of

Judah ha-Levi Judah Halevi (also Yehuda Halevi or ha-Levi; he, יהודה הלוי and Judah ben Shmuel Halevi ; ar, يهوذا اللاوي ''Yahuḏa al-Lāwī''; 1075 – 1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, ...

, which appeared with the text in four parts (Prague, 1838–1840). His correspondence with

Samuel David Luzzato Samuel David Luzzatto ( he, שמואל דוד לוצאטו, ; 22 August 1800 – 30 September 1865), also known by the Hebrew acronym Shadal (), was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. Earl ...

about this commentary was also published. In addition to many contributions to scientific and literary periodicals and collections, and some important "Gutachten" (expert opinions) on social and religious questions submitted to him by imperial and local government officials, Brecher is the author of a monograph on

circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

, ''Die Beschneidung der Israeliten'' (Vienna, 1845), with an introduction by Hirsch Fassel, and an appendix on ''Circumcision Among the Semitic Nations'', by

Moritz Steinschneider Moritz Steinschneider (30 March 1816, Prostějov, Moravia, Austrian Empire – 24 January 1907, Berlin) was a Moravian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider ( 1782; ...

. Brecher also wrote ''Die Unsterblichkeitslehre des Israelitischen Volkes'' (Vienna, 1857), of which a French translation appeared in the same year by ; and ''Concordantiæ nominum propriorum'', a concordance of Biblical proper names, part of which was revised and published after his death by his son Adolph Brecher.

Partial bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brecher, Gideon 1797 births 1873 deaths 19th-century Austrian Jews 19th-century Austrian physicians Austrian obstetricians Czech Jews Czech medical writers Eötvös Loránd University alumni People of the Haskalah Moravian Jews Moravian writers People from the Margraviate of Moravia University of Erlangen-Nuremberg alumni Writers from Prostějov