Notes of Lectures on Jewish Philanthropy.
[Judaica]. Schechter, S[olomon]. Notes of Lectures on Jewish Philanthropy. Prepared for publication by Jacob Bosniak, Rabbi First Congregation of Kensington, Brooklyn, N.Y. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1925.
8vo.; faint offsetting to endpapers and pastedowns; a tear across the top of the first text leaf, not affecting the text; blue cloth, two small stains to front panel.
First edition, apparently made up from extra sheets printed for Studies in Judaism, Third Series; the specially printed title page claims this is a reprint, and clearly no new type was set: it is paginated from [238]-305. A presentation copy, inscribed “To Dr. Moishe Davis with the compliments of Dr. Jacob Bosniak Oct 22 1948.” This compilation brings together the thoughts of renowned scholar Solomon Schechter (1874-1915) on a topic rarely covered by him. As a reader at Cambridge University and the president of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Schechter was known for initiating a resurgence of scholarship in early Jewish history, promoting the inner unity of Judaism, and clarifying many items of Jewish dogma to the outside world. His work earned him a personal following and international professional respect as a leader in religious scholarship and Jewish literature.
An introductory passage explains the content of this book:
The following pages contain notes of lectures on Jewish philanthropy delivered by Professor Schechter before the students of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America during 1914 and 1915—the last two years of his life. He delivered the first lecture on November 13, 1913, and continued rather irregularly, owing to ill health, during the following years, until November 19, 1915, when he gave his least lecture, only five hours before his death.
…he expressed the hope that one of his pupils might some day write a book on the subject of Jewish Philanthropy. He was, however, so much impressed with the need and importance of such a work, that he began to collect material for the purpose of writing such a book himself. Accordingly, he spent much of his time during his last two years in collecting data on this subject from the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, and later literature. In addition to fragmentary collections of citations from these sources, he left a note-book of sixty-four pages, mostly in Hebrew, containing two hundred and fifty-six quotations and about one hundred and thirty-five references to passages relating to charity. Interspersed among these citations occasionally occur illuminating isolated phrases as well as a number of consecutive paragraphs written in English—containing his interpretations and conclusions.
Bosniak was the student who fulfilled Schechter’s hope, collating his professor’s notes with his own and his classmates, translating and rearranging as necessary for this publication.
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