17 Facts About Louis Ginzberg

Louis Ginzberg was a Russian-born American rabbi and Talmudic scholar of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, contributing editor to numerous articles of The Jewish Encyclopedia, and leading figure in the Conservative movement of Judaism during the early 20th century.

Louis Ginzberg was born in Kaunas, Vilna Governorate and died in New York City.

Louis Ginzberg wrote in his memoirs that he felt saddened that he had grieved his father, as he recognized that his pious father was disappointed that his son had chosen a more liberal path with regards to Jewish law in contrast to those of his forefathers.

Louis Ginzberg first arrived in America in 1899, unsure where he belonged or what he should pursue.

Louis Ginzberg's knowledge made him the expert to defend Judaism both in national and international affairs.

In 1913, Louis Marshall requested that Ginzberg refute the Beilis blood libel charge in Kyiv.

Louis Ginzberg began teaching the Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from its reorganization in 1902 until his death in 1953.

For some, Louis Ginzberg serves as a role model even today.

Louis Ginzberg was the author of a number of scholarly Jewish works, including a commentary on Talmud Yerushalmi and his six-volume The Legends of the Jews, which combined hundreds of legends and parables from a lifetime of midrash research.

Louis Ginzberg had an encyclopedic knowledge of all rabbinic literature, and his masterwork included a massive array of aggadot.

Professor Louis Ginzberg wrote 406 articles and several monograph-length entries for the Jewish Encyclopedia, some later collected in his Legend and Lore.

Louis Ginzberg was an important halakhic authority of the Conservative movement in North America; for a period of ten years, he was virtually the halakhic authority of this movement.

Louis Ginzberg was founder and president of the American Academy of Jewish Research.

Louis Ginzberg had a long term platonic relationship with Henrietta Szold, who was his editor at JPS.

Louis Ginzberg was in love with him, but was 13 years older than him.

Louis Ginzberg visited Berlin in 1908 and became engaged to Adele Katzenstein while he was there.

Son Eli Louis Ginzberg was a professor of economics at Columbia University.