Samuel Abraham Poznański

Samuel Abraham Poznański

Samuel Abraham Poznański or Shemuel Avraham Poznanski ( Hebrew: שמואל אברהם פוזננסקי‎, Lubraniec, 3 September 1864–1921) was a Polish Reform rabbi and scholar, known for his studies of Karaism and the Hebrew calendar. Arabist, Hebrew bibliographer, and authority on modern Karaism; rabbi and preacher at the Great Synagogue in Warsaw.

He graduated from the gymnasium of Warsaw and studied at Warsaw University and the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums in Berlin.^[1] At that time he formed an intimate friendship with his teacher Moritz Steinschneider, for whose eightieth birthday in 1896 he edited the Festschrift.

He was appointed a member of the Warsaw council of rabbis by a committee of the Great Synagogue on Tłomackie Street, Warsaw just before his death where he preached. Orthodox Jews opposed his appointment and even resorted to street demonstrations.^[2][3] He was succeeded at the Great Synagogue by Moses Schorr in 1923.

He was an ardent Zionist, and a delegate to the First Zionist Congress.

Writings

Poznanski is the author of the following works:

• "Eine Hebräische Grammatik des Dreizehnten Jahr-hunderts" (Berlin, 1894);
• "Mose b. Samuel ha-Kohen ibn Chiquitilla Nebst den Fragmenten Seiner Schriften" (Leipsic, 1895); *"Isak b. Elasar ha-Levis Einleitung zu Seinem Sephath Jether" (Breslau, 1895);
• "Aboul Faradj Haroun ben al-Faradj le Grammairien de Jürusalem et Son Mouschtamil" (Paris, 1896); * "Die Girgisani-Handschriften im British Museum" (Berlin, 1896);
• "Karaite Miscellanies" (London, 1896);
• "Mesroi al Okbari, Chef d'une Secte Juive du Neuvième Siècle" (Paris, 1896);
• "The Anti-Karaite Writings of Saadjah Gaon" (London, 1897);
• "Jacob ben Ephraim, ein Anti-Karäischer Polemiker des Zehnten Jahrhunderts" (Breslau, 1900, in "Kaufmann Gedenkbuch");
• "Perush R. Sa'adya Gaon le-Dani'el" (Berdychev, 1900);
• "Tanhoum Yeruschalmi et Son Commentaire sur le Livre de Jonas" (Paris, 1900); "Miscellen über Saadja III.: Die Beschreibung des Erlösungs-Jahres in Emunoth we-Deoth ch. 8" (Breslau, 1901);
• "Tehillah le-Dawid" (Kaufmann) in Hebrew (Warsaw, 1902);
• "Le Commentaire sur le Livre d'Osée par Eliezer (ou Eléazar) de Beaugency" (Berdychev, 1902);
• "Anan et Ses Ecrits" (Paris, 1902);
• "Der Arabische Kommentar zum Buche Josua von Abû Zakarjâ Jahjâ Ibn Bal'am" (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1903);
• "Ephrajim ben Schemarja de Fostât et l'Académie Palestinienne" (Paris, 1904);
• "Schechters Saadyana" (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1904);
• "Fragments de l'Exegèse Biblique de Menahem bar Chelbo" (Warsaw, 1904);
• "Ibn Hazm über Jüdische Sekten" (London, 1904).

He has contributed also numerous articles to the "Monatsschrift," Stade's "Zeitschrift," "Ha-Goren" (Berdychev), "Ha-Ẓefirah" (Warsaw), "Revue des Etudes Juives," and the "Jewish Quarterly Review".

References

1. Samuel Poznanski (Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906)
2. Édité par le comité de la Grande Synagogue à Varsovie. Livre d'Hommage à la mémoire du Dr Samuel Poznanski (1864-1921) offert par les amis et les compagnons du travail scientifique (Book of Tribute to the Memory of Dr. Samuel Poznanski (1864-1921) offered by his friends and companions in scientific work). Warsaw 1927, rep. Jerusalem 1969.
3. R. Zebrowski, "Modernization or an attempt to divide the community? Battle for the appointment of a progressive rabbi in Warsaw" (abstract)

External links

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herman Rosenthal and Alexander Kisch (1901–1906). "Poznanski, Samuel". Jewish Encyclopedia.
• Important Persons in Karaim History
• Solomon Schechter. Letters to Samuel Poznanski (in Hebrew, 1943).

Bibliography

• G. Kressel (Getzel Kressel), Cyclopaedia of modern Hebrew Literature (Leksīqōn has-sifrūt hā'ibrīt be-dōrōt ha-aharōnīm), vol. II, 1965, (Hebrew).
• Encyclopaedia Judaica, vol.13, 929 - 930.