Michael Heilprin facts for kids

Michael Heilprin (born in 1823, died in 1888) was a smart Polish-American Jewish scholar, writer, and critic. He was born in Piotrków, which was part of Russian Poland at the time. His family was known for being very knowledgeable about Hebrew writings for a long time. Michael Heilprin himself was a brilliant scholar who knew more than twelve languages!

Early Life and Moving to America

Michael Heilprin was born in 1823. His father, Phineas Mendel Heilprin, moved from Poland to Hungary in 1842. When the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 started in 1848, Michael strongly supported the movement led by Lajos Kossuth. However, the revolution failed. Because of this, he left Europe in 1856 and moved to the United States. He lived there for the rest of his life.

Michael Heilprin's Career

Heilprin worked with the American Cyclopædia starting in 1858. He was also one of the editors for a new version of that publication from 1873 to 1876. From 1865, he regularly wrote for a New York newspaper called The Nation.

Between 1879 and 1880, he published two books. These were called The Historical Poetry of the Ancient Hebrews, Translated and Critically Examined. This work involved a lot of deep and original research. Sadly, he passed away before he could finish the entire project.

Heilprin also helped set up several successful farming communities in the United States. These communities were for Jewish immigrants who came from Russia.

His Views on Slavery

During the American Civil War (a war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865), important Jewish religious leaders had public discussions about slavery. Generally, rabbis from the Southern states supported slavery, while those from the Northern states were against it.

Michael Heilprin was a strong opponent of slavery. He once bravely spoke out against people who supported slavery at a public meeting. He was even attacked by an angry crowd for standing up for what he believed was right. He was seen as a hero for fighting for truth and justice.

One very important discussion about slavery happened between two rabbis. Rabbi Morris Jacob Raphall supported slavery, while Rabbi David Einhorn was against it.

In 1861, Rabbi Raphall wrote a paper called "The Bible View of Slavery." In it, he said he was not a fan of slavery in general. However, he claimed that the Bible supported it. Heilprin was worried that people would think Raphall's view was what all American Jews believed. So, Heilprin strongly argued against Raphall's ideas. He said that slavery, especially how it was practiced in the Southern states, was wrong and not supported by Jewish teachings.

Later Life and Family

Michael Heilprin had two sons, Louis and Angelo Heilprin. He passed away in 1888.

See also

• Heilprin