The towering figure of the Jewish Enlightenment was a short, humpbacked son of a Torah scribe from the rural German hamlet of Dessau, who rose to become an internationally renowned Enlightenment philosopher while remaining an observant Jew who defended Judaism and advocated for Jewish civil rights. Explore his life and work through images and links to digitized books.
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As both a leading Enlightenment philosopher and a learned, observant Jew, Mendelssohn has come to symbolize many of the tensions within both modern Judaism and the Enlightenment itself. This exhibit explores the theme of conversation in Mendelssohn’s legacy, including his relationships, his writings, his concept of Judaism, and the Enlightenment.
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