HIRSCH

hirsch, samson raphael (1808-1888), jewish theologian, was born in hamburg in 1808 and died at frankfort-on-the-main in 1888. he opposed the reform tendency of geiger (q.v.), and presented jewish orthodoxy in a new and attractive light. his philosophical conception of tradition, associated as it was with conservatism in ritual practice, created what is often known as the frankfort "neo-orthodoxy." hirsch exercised a profound influence on the synagogue and undoubtedly stemmed the tide of liberalism. his famous _nineteen letters_ (1836), with which the neo-orthodoxy began, were translated into english by drachmann (new york, 1899). other works by hirsch were _horeb_, and commentaries on the pentateuch and psalms. these are marked by much originality, but their exegesis is fanciful. three volumes of his essays have been published (1902-1908); these were collected as _gesammelte schriften_ from his periodical _jeschurun_. for hirsch's religious philosophy see s. a. hirsch, _a book of essays_ (london, 1905). (i. a.)