author
Kaufmann Kohler
1843–1926
A leading voice in early American Reform Judaism, this German-born rabbi and scholar helped shape modern Jewish thought through preaching, teaching, and major reference works. He is especially remembered for guiding Hebrew Union College and for his wide-ranging contributions to the Jewish Encyclopedia.
1 Audiobook
Jewish Theology, Systematically and Historically Considered
by Kaufmann Kohler
About the author
Born in Fürth, Bavaria, in 1843, Kaufmann Kohler trained in both traditional rabbinic study and German universities before building his career in the United States. He became an important Reform rabbi, serving Congregation Beth-El in Detroit and later Temple Beth-El in New York.
Kohler was known as a prolific scholar as well as a religious leader. He wrote on biblical criticism and Jewish theology, contributed hundreds of articles to the Jewish Encyclopedia, and published influential works including Jewish Theology Systematically and Historically Considered.
In 1903 he became president of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, where he remained a central figure until his retirement in 1921. His work connected scholarship, preaching, and Jewish education, and helped define the intellectual character of Reform Judaism in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.