Isaac Baer Levinsohn

Isaac Baer Levinsohn (also: Isaac Ber Levinson and other spellings, abbreviated acronym RIBAL; born October 13, 1788 in Kremenez, Western Ukraine, † February 12, 1860 in Kremenez ) was a Hebrew writer in his time, a pioneer of the Enlightenment ( Haskalah ) among the Jews of Russia, called the " Russian Mendelssohn ".

He was a very talented and inquisitive students. Already at the age of ten he was the Hebrew Bible by heart. He dealt, then very atypical, also with the Russian language and wrote a Russian grammar in Hebrew.

He wrote in his life besides basic philosophical work to justify the Jewish tendency writings within the meaning of the Haskalah and apologies (including Efes dammim, against the blood accusation, completed in 1834, first published in 1837, several editions and translations, one in particular during the Damascus Affair played role ).

He turned as one of the first Jewish reconnaissance, from Hebrew coming ( which he had now achieved literary fame), Yiddish in order to achieve the broad popular ( dramatic satire Di hefker world, " The rampant world ", in 1828, the the grievances in the Shtetl themed, a sharp reckoning with Hasidim as well as with community leaders, could be printed until 1888 ).