author
Cyrus Adler
1863–1940
A leading voice in American Jewish life, he helped build major scholarly and communal institutions while also working as an educator, editor, and public intellectual. His career stretched from Semitic studies and museum work to decades of leadership in Jewish history and religious education.
1 Audiobook
Told in the Coffee House: Turkish Tales
by Cyrus Adler, Allan Ramsay
About the author
Born in Van Buren, Arkansas, on September 13, 1863, and raised largely in Philadelphia, Cyrus Adler became one of the most influential Jewish scholars and organizers in the United States. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Ph.D. in Semitics from Johns Hopkins University, then went on to teach, write, and edit widely.
Adler moved easily between scholarship and public service. He worked with the Smithsonian, helped found the American Jewish Historical Society, and played a major role in editing The Jewish Encyclopedia. He was also deeply involved with leading Jewish organizations in America, including the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Remembered as both a scholar and a builder of institutions, Adler had a lasting impact on Jewish education, historical research, and religious leadership in the United States. He died in Philadelphia on April 7, 1940, after a career that connected academic study with practical communal work.