Isidore Singer (10 November 1859 – 20 February 1939) was an American encyclopedist and editor of The Jewish Encyclopedia and founder of the American League for the Rights of Man.
After editing the Allgemeine oesterreichische Literaturzeitung (Austrian literary newspaper) from 1885 to 1886, he became literary secretary to the French ambassador in Vienna.[2] From 1887, he worked in Paris in the press bureau of the French foreign office and was active in the campaign on behalf of Alfred Dreyfus. In 1893 he founded a short-lived biweekly called La Vraie Parole as a foil to the anti-Jewish La Libre Parole.[3]
New Yorkedit
Singer moved to New York City in 1895 where he learned English and taught French, raising the money for the Jewish Encyclopedia he had envisioned.[4]
Over the course of his career, Singer also proposed many projects which never won backing, including a multi-million-dollar loan to aid the Jews of Eastern Europe, a Jewish university open to students of any background, various encyclopedias about secular topics, and a 25-volume publication series of Hebrew classics. By 1911, the date of this latter proposal, "neither the [Jewish] Publication Society nor any body of respectable scholars would work with him," according to encyclopedist Cyrus Adler.[5]
Religious viewsedit
Singer held extremely liberal views which at times proved unpopular. He endorsed Jesus and the Christian New Testament and proposed a Hebrew translation. He founded the Amos Society to promote understanding among followers of monotheistic religions.[5]
His 1897 prospectus for the encyclopedia project called for harmony between religions; called the Sabbath and holidays "heavy burdens, or, at best, mere ceremonies" for most Jews; and made the radical suggestion that Jewish parents, if honest with their children, would tell them:
Our religion ... does not accord with your ideas. We have neither the power nor the desire to impose it on you. Make your peace with your God and your conscience as best you can," and, that said, let us cease to erect new synagogues, let us close our seminaries of theology, and let us disintegrate, little by little, our ancient communal institutions.
— Schwartz 1991, p. 29.
Due to the controversy of Singer's outlooks, his publisher, Funk & Wagnalls, agreed to the encyclopedia project only after divesting Singer of editorial control and appointing a board of prestigious Jewish scholars, including rabbis.
He died in 1939 in New York City.
Publicationsedit
Russia at the Bar of the American People: A Memoir of Kinship. Funk & Wagnalls, 1904.
The German Classics (1913–1914), with Kuno Francke: twenty volumes.
A Religion of Truth, Justice, and Peace: A Challenge to Church and Synagogue to Lead in the Realization of the Social and Peace Gospel of the Hebrew Prophets. Amos Society: 1924.
^Temkin, Sefton (2007). "Isidore Singer". Encyclopaedia Judaica. 2nd ed. Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved via Biography in Context database, 1 November 2016.
^Schwartz 1991, p. 20.: "It folded in less than a year, however, partly because of the mood and priorities of the French Jewish community at that time, a majority of whom did not support a direct, vocal response to antisemitism. Yet, part of the failure can be attributed to Singer himself: the historian Michael Marrus has called him a 'latter-day Amos'; he castigated the wealthy Jews of France for their lack of support for Jewish causes in general and his journal in particular. Such personal attacks coupled with Singer's general assaults on the French social system, coming as they did from a foreigner, served to alienate him from the very Jews he wished to represent. It is not surprising that he left for New York the following year."
Schwartz, S. R.The Emergence of Jewish Scholarship in America: The Publication of the Jewish Encyclopedia. Monographs of the Hebrew Union College, Number 13. Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1991. ISBN0878204121.
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Not to be confused with Isadore Singer Isidore Singer 10 November 1859 20 February 1939 was an American encyclopedist and editor of The Jewish Encyclopedia and founder of the American League for the Rights of Man Isidore Singer Contents 1 Biography 1 1 France 1 2 New York 2 Religious views 3 Publications 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 SourcesBiography editSinger was born in 1859 in Weisskirchen Moravia in the Austrian Empire He studied at the University of Vienna and the Humboldt University of Berlin receiving his Ph D in 1884 1 France edit After editing the Allgemeine oesterreichische Literaturzeitung Austrian literary newspaper from 1885 to 1886 he became literary secretary to the French ambassador in Vienna 2 From 1887 he worked in Paris in the press bureau of the French foreign office and was active in the campaign on behalf of Alfred Dreyfus In 1893 he founded a short lived biweekly called La Vraie Parole as a foil to the anti Jewish La Libre Parole 3 New York edit Singer moved to New York City in 1895 where he learned English and taught French raising the money for the Jewish Encyclopedia he had envisioned 4 Over the course of his career Singer also proposed many projects which never won backing including a multi million dollar loan to aid the Jews of Eastern Europe a Jewish university open to students of any background various encyclopedias about secular topics and a 25 volume publication series of Hebrew classics By 1911 the date of this latter proposal neither the Jewish Publication Society nor any body of respectable scholars would work with him according to encyclopedist Cyrus Adler 5 Religious views editSinger held extremely liberal views which at times proved unpopular He endorsed Jesus and the Christian New Testament and proposed a Hebrew translation He founded the Amos Society to promote understanding among followers of monotheistic religions 5 His 1897 prospectus for the encyclopedia project called for harmony between religions called the Sabbath and holidays heavy burdens or at best mere ceremonies for most Jews and made the radical suggestion that Jewish parents if honest with their children would tell them Our religion does not accord with your ideas We have neither the power nor the desire to impose it on you Make your peace with your God and your conscience as best you can and that said let us cease to erect new synagogues let us close our seminaries of theology and let us disintegrate little by little our ancient communal institutions Schwartz 1991 p 29 Due to the controversy of Singer s outlooks his publisher Funk amp Wagnalls agreed to the encyclopedia project only after divesting Singer of editorial control and appointing a board of prestigious Jewish scholars including rabbis He died in 1939 in New York City Publications editRussia at the Bar of the American People A Memoir of Kinship Funk amp Wagnalls 1904 The German Classics 1913 1914 with Kuno Francke twenty volumes A Religion of Truth Justice and Peace A Challenge to Church and Synagogue to Lead in the Realization of the Social and Peace Gospel of the Hebrew Prophets Amos Society 1924 References editCitations edit Biographical Sketch Archived 2012 08 06 at the Wayback Machine Finding Aid to the Isidore Singer Papers American Jewish Archives Retrieved 2016 11 01 Temkin Sefton 2007 Isidore Singer Encyclopaedia Judaica 2nd ed Macmillan Reference USA Retrieved via Biography in Context database 1 November 2016 Schwartz 1991 p 20 It folded in less than a year however partly because of the mood and priorities of the French Jewish community at that time a majority of whom did not support a direct vocal response to antisemitism Yet part of the failure can be attributed to Singer himself the historian Michael Marrus has called him a latter day Amos he castigated the wealthy Jews of France for their lack of support for Jewish causes in general and his journal in particular Such personal attacks coupled with Singer s general assaults on the French social system coming as they did from a foreigner served to alienate him from the very Jews he wished to represent It is not surprising that he left for New York the following year Schwartz 1991 p 20 a b Schwartz 1991 pp 21 22 Sources edit Schwartz S R The Emergence of Jewish Scholarship in America The Publication of the Jewish Encyclopedia Monographs of the Hebrew Union College Number 13 Cincinnati Hebrew Union College Press 1991 ISBN 0878204121 nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Singer Isidore et al eds 1901 1906 Online version The Jewish Encyclopedia New York Funk amp Wagnalls Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Isidore Singer amp oldid 1187838910, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
