Moses Mendelssohn ― A Biographical Study

Altmann (1906-1987, founder of the Institute for Jewish Studies) presents Mendelssohn in strictly biographical terms. He does not attempt to assess his significance or trace his image in subsequent generations, but rather, he seeks to observe Mendelssohn's life from the period within which it was set. The result is a narrative of the entire European intellectual scene, Jewish and non-Jewish. Drawing from archival material, Altmann portrays a wide array of people scholars, artists, politicians, scientists, philosophers, and theologians with whom Mendelssohn was in contact, and sometimes in conflict. Altmann gives special attention to the relationships between Judaism and the Enlightenment, between reason and tolerance, and between assimilation and the Jewish identity. Distributed by ISBS. First published by Alabama University Press in 1973. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)