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On the education of Jewish children by R. Hayyim Hirschenson. The full title is Torah Ha-Hinukh ha-Yisraeli le-Yaldei Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael. It promulgates a Torah based education. According to the text of the title page, it is for every father for his children, every teacher of children, and everyone occupied with educational matters. All of these are obligated to consider it from beginning to end, in order to be understand and be conversant with its conclusions. The title page states that it was printed in the new and modern press of Jacob Wader, and “Printed in Romania,” this last in English. There is a dedication on the verso of the title page by R. Hirschenson to his grandchildren. Next is a table of contents and then the text. Ha-Hinukh ha-Yisraeli is divided into Ma’amorim and subdivided into chapters. There are sections on the obligation to teach one’s child, on learning Mishnah and Talmud, a section comprised of questions and answers, and another on ethical subjects, such as giving charity.
R. Hayyim ben Jacob Mordecai Hirschenson (1857–1935) was born in Safed, and in 1864 went with his father to Jerusalem. In addition to studying Torah, he applied himself to secular studies, and as a result he too was persecuted by opponents of such studies. He also worked for Zionism and was one of the founders of the Safah Berurah (Plain Language) society in Jerusalem. From 1885 to 1889 he edited and published a monthly for Jewish scholarship entitled Ha-Misderonah. In 1892/93 he published in Jerusalem—together with his wife Eve and his brother Isaac—a Yiddish paper, Beit Ya’akov, as a supplement to the Ha-Zevi of Ben-Yehuda. In 1904 he went to the U.S., where he was appointed rabbi of the four communities of Hoboken, New Jersey, and died there. Hayyim wrote many books on Jewish subjects,in addition to Ha-Hinukh ha-Yisraeli, including: Ateret Hakhamim (1874), on the relationship between the views of scientists and those of the talmudic aggadists; Yamim mi-Kedem (1908), on biblical chronology; Malki ba-Kodesh (6 parts, 1919–28), on the laws which should govern a Jewish state according to the Torah. He was the father of Tamar, wife of R. David de Sola Pool, and Tehilla Lichtenstein head of the Jewish Science movement. |
