Creator Bio

Zalkind Hourwitz

1751–1812

Born near Lublin, Poland, Zalkind Hourwitz left his village for Berlin, ultimately settling in Paris in 1774. He initially knew no French and barely avoided starvation, yet he studied Ovid, Molière, Voltaire, and Rousseau in his free time. He won praise and renown for his essay “Apologie des juifs” (1789), which helped frame the debate about Jewish emancipation in France. Hourwitz served as interpreter of oriental languages at the Bibliothèque royale, and enthusiastically supported the French Revolution. As a political activist, journalist, and author, he fought tirelessly for the rights of French Jews.

Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator

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Vindication of the Jews

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The means of making the Jews happy and useful? Here it is: stop making them unhappy and unuseful. Accord them, or rather return to them the right of citizens, which you have denied them, against all…
Handwritten letter in English with small stamp at top and signature on bottom.
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Related Guide

Political Life and Thought, 1750–1880

Jews debated all sides of the major political issues of their day. Some welcomed the idea of equality, whereas others feared the loss of their religious-institutional distinctiveness.