Israel Meir Freimann

Israel Meir Freimann (Yiddish: ישראל מאיר פריַימאן‎, also Israel Meier Freimann; b. 27 September 1830 in Cracow, then the Free City, d. 21 August 1884 in Ostrowo, then Posen Province, Germany) was a Polish-born German rabbi, philosopher, and orientalist.

Biography

Born as the younger son of Eliakum Freimann and Esther Breiter,[1] Freimann received his education from his father and in various Talmudical schools (yeshivot) in Hungary.[2] After attending a Gymnasium (grammar school) in 1850 in Leipzig, Saxony, where he stayed with his elder brother Isak (Eisik), in 1852 he moved to Breslau, then Prussia.[2] There he attended the Catholic Royal Matthias-Gymnasium where he took his A-levels (Abitur).[1][2] Between 1856 and 1860 he studied philosophy and Oriental languages at the local Silesian Frederick William University (now Wrocław University).[3] In 1860 Landesrabbiner Gedalja Tiktin, the Silesian provincial chief rabbi, ordained Freimann as rabbi.[1]

In the same year Freimann took up the rabbinate of the Jewish congregation in Filehne, later changing to the same position in Ostrowo, both then in the Prussian province of Posen.[3] In 1865 he graduated (Ph. D.) at the Ducal Pan-Saxon University (Salana) (now Friedrich Schiller University) in Jena upon Saale, then Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.[3] He wrote his doctor thesis, Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Ophiten (A contribution to the history of the Ophites), supervised by Dean Johann Gustav Stickel.[4]

From 7 September 1871 on he worked as rabbi for the Israelitische Gemeinde Ostrowo,[2] thus ending a vacancy since the death of his predecessor Aron Stössel (d. 31. Mai 1861).[2] Freimann served his office in Ostrowo until his death.[3] In 1875, after Rector Zacharias Frankel's death Freimann declined to succeed him as rector of the Breslau-based Jewish Theological Seminary of Fraenckel's Foundation.[3] From 1874 to 1884 Freimann gave Jewish religion classes in the Royal Gymnasium of Ostrowo.[5] In 1900 his fellow townspeople named a street, the "Freimannstraße", in his honour.[3] Freimanns successor was Rabbi Dr. Elias Plessner, son of the Preacher Salomon Plessner from Berlin.[2]

Freimann's edition of the midrashic work והזהיר (We-Hizhir: 2 parts), to which he added the valuable commentary ענפי יהודה (ʿAnpēi Yehûdāh), is indisputable evidence of his learning.[3] The responsa (בנין ציון [Binyan Ẓiyyon]) of his father-in-law Jacob Ettlinger contain many of Freimann's essays.[3] With his wife Helene Ettlinger (1834–1902; mar. 1860) Freimann had eight children, Josef, Nanette (mar. Simonsohn), Isak, Esther (not mar.), Regina (not mar.), Judith (mar. Pinczower), Aron and Frida (mar. Czapski).

Works

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Biographisches Handbuch der Rabbiner: 2 pts., Michael Brocke and Julius Carlebach (eds.), Carsten Wilke (compil.), Part 1: 'Die Rabbiner der Emanzipationszeit in den deutschen, böhmischen und großpolnischen Ländern 1781-1871': 2 vols., Munich: Saur, 2004, vol. 1 'Aach - Juspa', p. 332. ISBN 3-598-24871-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Aron Freimann, Geschichte der Israelitischen Gemeinde Ostrowo, Ostrowo: no publ., 1896, p. 16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Isidore Singer, "Freimann, Israel Meïr", in: Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 7, retrieved on 1 October 2014.
  4. ↑ Biographisches Handbuch der Rabbiner: 2 parts, Michael Brocke and Julius Carlebach (eds.), Carsten Wilke (compil.), Part 1: 'Die Rabbiner der Emanzipationszeit in den deutschen, böhmischen und großpolnischen Ländern 1781-1871': 2 vols., Munich: Saur, 2004, vol. 1 'Aach - Juspa', p. 333. ISBN 3-598-24871-7.
  5. ↑ Aron Freimann, Geschichte der Israelitischen Gemeinde Ostrowo, Ostrowo: no publ., 1896, p. 13.
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