Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/337

299 299 known was Benjamin

Hirsch Auerbach, rabbi at Darmstadt and Halberstadt, who died in the latter city Sept. 30, 1872.

Bibliography Fuenn, Keneset Tisrael, p. 2" Zeltung des Judenthums, 1839, No. 98, p. 593.

I..

Auerbach

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

G.



Allgemeine I.

AUERBACH, BARTJCH

Br.

Educator and philanthropist born in Inoworazlaw, in the province of Posen, Prussia, Aug. 14, 1793; died at Berlin, Jan. 22, 1864. He was the founder and life-long director of the Jewish Orphan Asylum, Berlin. Being the son of a poor rabbi, the days of his boyhood were



Auerbach, Benjamin

burgerstrasse, Berlin. The institution has since been moved to the Schonh&userallee, Berlin. Nearly 300 children were cared for during his lifetime; and on the day of his death there were 70 orphans in the asylum, while the total amount of funds collected by Auerbach's indefatigable efforts reached the sum of 600,000 thalers (about §450,000), in addition to the beautiful and valuable grounds of the asylum. Nothing gives a clearer insight into both the spirit of the institution and the character of its founder than his own oft-repeated words: " Orphans are not merely poor children, but children without parents; to raise and bring them up, an orphan asylum should give those children not merely bread and a shelter, but parental love also, and practical training."

H. Ba.

s.

AUERBACH, BENJAMIN HIRSCH:

One

most prominent leaders of modern German orthodoxy born at Neuwied in 1808 died at Halof the





His father, Abraham Auerbach a descendant of an old rabbinical family which traced its origin back to Menahem Auerbach, one of the exiles of Vienna was on the maternal side a nephew of Joseph David Sinzheim, the first president of the French Sanhedrin, and after having berstadt

Sept.

30,

1872.

—

—

held various rabbinical positions became rabbi of the consistory of Bonn. Benjamin received his first instruction

from

his father, subsequently studying at

the yeshibot of Kref eld and Worms. Well equipped with Talmudic learning he entered the University of Marburg, where he studied from 1831 to 1834. Immediately afterward he was called to the rabbinate of Hanau, but declined, preferring the call to Darmstadt, as chief rabbi (Landesrabbiner) of the grandduchy of Hesse, for which office no less a personage than Zunz was his competitor. His position was, however, very difficult, as he was strictly Orthodox, while the majority of the congregation were Liberal. He remained for twenty-three years, but was forced He went to Frankfort-on-theto resign in 1857. Main, where he busied himself with literary work until, in 1863, he was called as rabbi to Halberstadt, in which post he served until his death. As a scholar and author, Auerbach ranks among the first in his party. He was among the first Or-

thodox rabbis that preached Barucli Auerbach Orphan Asylum, Berlin. (After a photograph.)

spent in the study of the Talmud and other Jewish literature. In 1817 he went to Berlin, following his elder brother, Dr. I. L. Auerbach, who at that time enjoyed some reputation in the Jewish community After pursuing his as a minister and preacher. studies at the university, where he paid special attention to the classical languages, he became, in 1829, principal of a school for Jewish boys in Berlin. In 1833 he took under his care, into his own house, four orphan children, for whom no special provision had been made and from this small beginning grew the noble institution now connected with his name. In 1843, when 15 boys were under Auerbach's care, he took also some Jewish girls left without parents into his house, and ten years later the institution had grown so much that 50 boys and 26 girls were housed in a special building in the Oranien;

his text-book for religious

in

pure German



and

instruction enjoys de-

served popularity. In the controversy aroused by the publication of Zacharias Frank el's "Darke haMishnah," he naturally sided with Frankel's opponents, defending the view of the divine origin of the rabbinical law. Besides numerous sermons, he published: (1) "Lehrbuch der Israelitischen Religion,"

by his son Selig Auerbach, Giessen, Abraham, oder die Beschneidungsfeier und die Dabei Stattfindenden Gebete und GeIn's Deutsche Uebersetzt und mit einer Aussiinge. 1839,

3d

1893;

(2)

ed., "

Berit

fUhrlichen Literarhistorischen Einleitung Versehen," Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1869, 2d ed., 1880; (3) "HaZofeh 'al Darke ha-Mishnah." a criticism of Frankel's "Introduction to the Mishnah," Frankfort-onthe-Main, 1861; (4) "Mishnat R. Nathan," notes

on the Mishnah, written by Nathan Adler of Frankfort, who had been Abraham Auerbach's teacher, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1862; (5) "Seferha-Eshkol,"