David Einhorn (rabbi)

David Einhorn ( born November 10, 1809 in Diespeck; † November 2, 1879 in New York) was a native of Germany American rabbi and an important member of the Jewish reform movement.

Einhorn was a follower of Abraham Geiger and sat down already in Germany for the introduction of prayers in the local language and reforms in the synagogue service one. He was a student of Rabbi Rabbi Joshua Wolf Hamburger and Moses Sokolov in Fürth and studied philosophy in Munich and Würzburg.

His appointment as rabbi of the community in Wellhausen in Uffenheim 1838 agreed the Bavarian government because of his liberal views not to. In 1842 he became rabbi of Hoppstädten and rabbi in the Principality of Birkenfeld, in 1847 he was appointed as the successor of Samuel Holdheim rabbi of Mecklenburg -Schwerin. Here there was a conflict with the Rostock Theology Professor Franz Delitzsch, who reproached him for a blessing, uncircumcised infant heresy. One appeal to Budapest in 1852 refused the Austria - Hungarian government consent.

Unicorn emigrated to the United States. As a rabbi of the radical reformist Har Sinai club in Baltimore in 1855, he was here quickly a leading figure of the American Reform Judaism. In 1858 he published his prayer book Olat Tamid ( according to Numbers 28.3: "sustainable whole burnt offering "). It contained the majority of prayers in German, waived controversial passages such as the Kol Nidre and created new prayers. For generations, it was style icon for Reform congregations.

Because Unicorn 1861, in a sermon openly occurred in Baltimore, which was one located in Maryland to the southern states against slavery, he was threatened by the listening crowd and had to go to Philadelphia; here and from 1866 in New York City, he was able to continue his work.

Works (selection)

• The offered from Judaism behavior of the Israelites over his stepmom paternal treatment on the part of the fatherland. Sermon, held in the synagogue at Schwerin on November 13, 1847 Schwerin: furrier 1847 ( digitized (PDF, 99 kB) at the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute)
• Olat Tamid. Prayer Book for Israelite Reform congregations. Baltimore: CW cutting Reith in 1858, New York: Thal Messinger & Cahn 1858 ( Several editions and translations into English).

• Kaufman Kohler (eds.): Dr. David Einhorn 's selected sermons and speeches. New York: E. Steiger & Co. 1880