Nathan Porges

Nathan Porges ( born December 21, 1848 in Proßnitz, Moravia; † August 27, 1924 in Würzburg ) was an Austro- German rabbi.

Nathan Porges was born the son of Bernhard Porges and Caroline Hirsch in Proßnitz ( Olomouc) in Moravia. He grew up in his native town and attended high school in Olomouc. Porges studied in Breslau and in 1869 received his doctorate at the University of Wroclaw in Wroclaw, and ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary as a rabbi. Porges was as a rabbi in Nakel ( Nakło nad Notecią ), Mannheim, Plzen, Karlovy Vary and Leipzig. In Leipzig Porges was the successor of AM Goldschmidt 1888-1917 rabbi of the Reform congregation. He was succeeded by Felix Goldmann. Porges 1913 was appointed professor at the University of Leipzig. Porges was president of the Leipzig- lodge of B'nai B'rith and Director of the Liberal Religious School.

Porges was considered an excellent knowledge of the Hebrew language. He has published numerous articles in journals such as the Revue des Etudes Juives, the monthly magazine of History and Jewish Studies, the Journal of Hebrew bibliography and Central journal for librarianship.

Porges is the author of several books, among others,

• About the verbal stem formation in the Semitic languages ​​, Vienna, 1875
• Bible studies and Babel finds, Leipzig, 1903
• Kant and Judaism (jointly with Julius Guttmann ), 1908
• Joseph Bechor Schor (jointly with Julius Guttmann ), 1908

Porges was with Rosalie Friedman, daughter of Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Friedmann and Auguste Kastan, married. The couple had nine children. The eldest son Joseph emigrated to Australia where he married a non-Jewish woman, which is why Nathan Porges broke off contact with him. Four of his sons died in the First World War.

Nathan Porges moved to his retirement to Würzburg, where he died in 1924. Nathan Porges and Rosalie are buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Berlin street in Leipzig.