Meyer Landsberg (; May 1, 1810 – May 20, 1870) was a German rabbi.

Biography

Landsberg's teacher, Aaron Wolfsohn, rabbi of

Wöllstein Wöllstein is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality lies in Rhenish ...

, was elected to the rabbinate of

Hildesheim Hildesheim (; nds, Hilmessen, Hilmssen; la, Hildesia) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the Lei ...

in 1826, and Landsberg accompanied him and lived under his roof until Wolfsohn's death in 1830. Landsberg then went to Brunswick, where he continued his rabbinical studies while preparing for the university at the Brunswick gymnasium. He studied at the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

from 1834 to 1838. At Berlin he became closely connected with

Leopold Zunz Leopold Zunz ( he, יום טוב צונץ—''Yom Tov Tzuntz'', yi, ליפמן צונץ—''Lipmann Zunz''; 10 August 1794 – 17 March 1886) was the founder of academic Judaic Studies (''Wissenschaft des Judentums''), the critical investigation ...

; with him he organized the Seminary for Jewish Teachers in 1840, in which institution he was an instructor until 1845. A lifelong friendship with Zunz was established, with whom he corresponded until his death. In 1837 he passed his state's examination as ', and his certificate contained the then-dusual clause, that, being a Jew, he had no claim to a position at a higher school. In 1835 Landsberg was engaged as teacher at the Nauensche Institute for the education of boys, and from 1839 to 1846 he was its director, in which position

David Cassel David Cassel (7 March 1818 – 22 January 1893) was a German historian and Jewish theologian. Life Cassel was born in Gross-Glogau, a city in Prussian Silesia with a large Jewish community. He graduated from its gymnasium. His brother was S ...

was his successor. From 1838 to 1846 he preached regularly at the ''

bet ha-midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

'' and at the synagogue of Commerzienrath Lieberman. In 1846 he was appointed '' Landesrabbiner'' of Hildesheim, which position he filled until his death. Although himself very strict in the observance of the ceremonial law, he was of a progressive spirit. In the synagogue built during his administration (1849) an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

was introduced, a mixed choir established, some German prayers introduced, and the ''

piyyuṭim A ''piyyut'' or ''piyut'' (plural piyyutim or piyutim, he, פִּיּוּטִים / פיוטים, פִּיּוּט / פיוט ; from Greek ποιητής ''poiētḗs'' "poet") is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, ch ...

'' nearly all abolished. Confirmations of boys and girls were held every year.

Personal life

Landsberg's eldest son was Dr. Max Landsberg, rabbi at

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. His second son was architectural scholar of the Technische Hochschule at Darmstadt.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landsberg, Meyer 1810 births 1870 deaths 19th-century German rabbis Humboldt University of Berlin alumni People from Hildesheim People from Międzyrzecz