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170 Asoher

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Ascoli .the-Muin, later at Jerusalem, at

he died about 1598.

which latter place the author of a useful Rashi's Pentateuch com-

He was

supercommentary upon mentary entitled " Debek Tob

"

(A Good Bond). This

work, often reprinted later, was published for the time by the author himself at Venice in 1588. Bibliography: Eossi, Dizionario Stiiricn, transl. by Bamfirst

berger, 2d ed., p. 47 ; Conforte, Kirre ha-Dorot, p. 446 ; Steinschneider, Cat. Boai. col. 2599 ; Frumkiu, Eben Shcmuel, pp. 65, 66, Wilna, 1874. l. g. I. Be.

ASCHER, ANTON:

German actor; born at 1820; died in Meran April 24, 1885. Trained for the stage by Ludwig Tieck, he made his debut in 1838 at Hainichen, Saxony, playing the same year also at Merssen, Bautzen, and Zittau. In 1839 he appeared at Wiesbaden, going to the Hoftheater, Dresden, a few months later. He remained there until 1844; went to Hamburg in 1845; Konigsberg and Cassel in 1846; and Polsdam in 1847. Prom 1848 to 1860 he played bon-vivant roles at the Friedricli-Wilhelm Theater, Berlin and toward the end of the engagement he had charge of the stage. Prom 1866 to 1872 he was director of the Carl Theater, Vienna. His best roles were Thorane in "Der Konigslieutenant," Bolz in "Die JournalDresden July

isten,"

Zimbwg, and Richard

Bibliography



from nervous debility incurred by his irregular life and by overexertion in his musical studies. Many of his shorter pieces evince a decidedly original turn. Among his best-known compositions are two mazurkas, "La Perle du Nord" and "Dosia," and an etude, " Les Gouttes d'Eau. "

Weiss.

Fluggen, Bllhnen-Lexikon,

p. 8.

E. Ms.

s.

ASCHER, BENJAMIN HENRT



Hebrew

scholar and author; born in 1812 at Peisern (grand duchy of Posen); died Feb. 24, 1893, in London. His fattier, a corn-merchant, gave his son a careful religious and secular education. In 1840 Ascher

went

to England, where he soon mastered the Englanguage, and, in 1843, was elected "kabranim rabbi" (funeral preacher) of the Great Synagogue. In 1847 he published a new edition of the wellknown " Sefer Hayyim " (The Book of Life), with an English translation. In 1859 he published Solomon ben Gabirol's "Mibhar ha-Peninim" (A Choice of Pearls), embracing a collection of ethical aphorlish

Besides these, he wrote

more than a hundred galops, nocturnes, mazurkas, transcriptions, and etudes, and a considerable number of drawing-room pieces. His song, "Alice, Where Art Thou? " is still a favorite at concerts. Bibliography: Jewish Record, June, Musicians,

15,



170

s.v.;

Grove, Diet, of

Musiklexikon,

1869: Brown, Diet, of Encyclopedia of Music, s.v.; 1. 97; Riemann,

Champlin,

Music and Musicians,

s.v.

G. L.

j.

ASCHER, SAUL

German author and



transla-

died there Dec. 8, 1822. He began his literary career as an advocate of Jewish emancipation; gradually extending his activities to general topics, chiefly historical, polittor



ical,

born at Berlin Feb.

and

religious.

liber die Btirgerliche

1767

8,



His works are: "Bemerkungen Verbesserung der Juden, Veran-

der Frage: Soil der Jude Soldat Werden?" Frankfort-on-the-Oder, 1788; "Scholien, oder Fragmente der Philosophie und Kunst," Berlin, 1790; the same under the title " Philosophische Betrachtungen ilber Empflndungs- und Erkenntnisskraft," "Leviathan, oder ilber Religion in Berlin, 1793; Riicksicht des Judenthums," Berlin, 1792; "Eisenmenger der Zweite nebst einem Vorangesetzten Sendscbreiben an Herrn Professor Fichte in Jena," Berlin, 1794; "Graf von Thein ein Wundarzt," in the Berlin "Monatsschrift," Berlin, 1794; "Napoleon, oder liber die Fortschritte der Regierung," 1808; "H. Gregoire: die Neger, ein Beitrag zur Menschen- und Staatskunde," translated from the French, 1809 " Biographisch-Historische Skizzen " lasst bei





isms, maxims, and reflections, accompanied by an English text and explanatory notes. He wrote two other works of minor importance, "Initiation of Youth " (1850), a small catechism, and the ritual for the " Dedication of the House. " In 1884 he resigned his office, which he had held for over forty years.

Unterhaltungen in den 1813); "Die Germanomanie," 1815; a translation from Mandeville's "Fables of the Bees," with a commentary, 1817; " Die Wartburgf eier, " 1818; " Idee einer Pressf reiheit und Censurordnung, " 1818 " Ansicht von der Zukunft des Christentums," second edition, 1819; " Der Geistesaristokratismus, " 1819 " Europa's Politischer und Ethischer Zustand seit dem Congress von Aachen," 1820. Bibliography J. S. Mensel, Das Gelehrte Teutschland oder

Ascher obtained from Sir George Grey several concessions for Jewish prisoners, to enable them to ob-

Lexicon der Jetztlehenden Teutschen Schriftsteller, i. 98 Griitz, Gesch. der Juden, 2d ed., xi. 136, 155, 229, 333; Rose, New General Biographical Dictimiarii, ii. 248; Fiirst,

serve their religion. Jew. Chron. March 3, 1893, p. 8 H. A. Lowy, Catalogue of Hehraica and Judaica in the Guildhall

Bibl. Jud.

Bibliography

Library

Abendstunden "

(2

vols.,







i.

57.

W. S.—M.

s.

B.





pp. 93, 147,

"Theodiskus,

vols.);

(2

London,

1891.

B. B.

j.

ASCHER, JOSEPH:

Composer and pianist; born at Groningen, Holland, June 4, 1829; died in London, June 20, 1869. He was a son of Simon Ascher, reader of the Great Synagogue, London, and studied music under Moscheles, whom he followed to the Conservatory at Leipsic, where he became a pupil of Mendelssohn. In 1849 he went to Paris and subsequently received an appointment as The emperor of pianist to the empress Eugenie. Austria also made him court pianist and he was decorated by ex-Queen Isabella of Spain. During the last two and a half years of his life he suffered

ASCHER, SIMON



Hazan



born in Holland,

1789; died at London December, 1872. He was reader and cantor of the Great Synagogue, London, for a period of thirty -seven years. With the aid of Mombach, the well-known composer, he may be said to have systematized English synagogue-music and memories of his fine voice are still a tradition among English Jews, who recall his clear tenor and florid style of recitative with frequent roulades. Bibliography Jewish Chronicle, Dec. 6 and 13, 1872. JG. L.

ASCHIAN. ASCOIil,

SeeAsHYA.

DAVID

D':

Italian

writer;

about the middle of the sixteenth century.

lived

He was