Wissenschaft des Judentums in Eastern Europe: The Origins of Hevrat Mekitze Nirdamim

The history of the Mekize Nirdamim (“rousers of those who slumber”) society is quite peculiar. When looking at its activities, one can speak of three distinct periods: a first period in Eastern Prussia under the leadership of Eliezer Lippman Zilberman, owner of the Ha-Maggid newspaper, a period that extended for ten years and whose success was largely located in Eastern Europe; a second period in Berlin under the domineering leadership of Abraham Berliner, a period, centered in Western Europe, that extended for over twenty years; and a third period in the Land of Israel, led initially by David Yellin, Simcha Assaf, and S.Y. Agnon. I will introduce each and focus on several points relating to the relationship between East and West, and Mekize Nirdamim’s ties to several other projects that threatened to swallow it alive. In doing so, I will draw attention to the society’s roots in Eastern Europe.