Creator Bio
Ludwig Philippson
1811–1898
A writer and rabbi from a family of rabbis and writers, Ludwig Philippson published biblical translations, philosophical commentaries, poetry, and fiction. In 1837, he founded the Allgemeine Zeitung des Judentums (Journal of Judaism) billed as a “nonpartisan organ for all Jewish interests.” In response to the political turmoil of 1848, Philippson advocated for moderate liberalism and became a leader of Saxony’s Social Reform Party. Later in life he published a German translation of the Hebrew Bible with controversial illustrations by the French artist Gustave Doré.
Content by Ludwig Philippson
Primary Source
The Three Brothers
“Back at home, I pulled myself together and reflected on what had happened. Given how the people had behaved when they heard the wrongheaded and hateful rabbi’s curse of excommunication, I realized…