Maurice H. (Maurice Henry) Harris

author

Maurice H. (Maurice Henry) Harris

1859–1930

A London-born rabbi who spent nearly fifty years leading Temple Israel of Harlem, he wrote clear, wide-ranging books on Jewish history, literature, and Bible study for general readers and students. His work helped bring Jewish learning to a broad American audience at the turn of the twentieth century.

1 Audiobook

A Thousand Years of Jewish History

A Thousand Years of Jewish History

by Maurice H. (Maurice Henry) Harris

About the author

Maurice Henry Harris (1859–1930) was a British-born American rabbi, teacher, and author. Born in London on November 9, 1859, he later came to the United States, studied at Columbia, and trained at the Emanu-El Theological Seminary in New York.

In 1882 or 1883, while still a student, he became the first permanent rabbi of Temple Israel of Harlem, a post he held for about forty-eight years. Temple Israel later described him as a major voice in progressive Judaism, and his long ministry helped shape the congregation into an important cultural and religious institution in New York.

Harris also wrote many books intended to make Jewish history and tradition accessible, including The People of the Book, History of the Mediaeval Jews, Modern Jewish History from the Renaissance to the Close of the World War, and A Thousand Years of Jewish History. His books reflect a lifelong interest in explaining Jewish history, literature, and religious life in a way that ordinary readers could follow.