Kaufmann Kohler

Born in 1843 in Germany, Kaufmann Kohler became a major Jewish scholar and Reform rabbi after building his career in the United States. He was known for his wide-ranging work in biblical studies, theology, and Jewish history, and for writing in a way that connected serious scholarship with the religious questions of his time.

Kohler served as president of Hebrew Union College, one of the central institutions of Reform Judaism in America. He also contributed many articles to The Jewish Encyclopedia, which helped make his scholarship influential far beyond the pulpit and classroom.

Remembered as both a religious leader and a prolific scholar, he played an important part in shaping how modern Judaism was studied and discussed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.