Israelitisch-Theologische Lehranstalt

Rabbinical and teachers' seminary in Vienna, founded 1893 at the suggestion of Wilhelm and David von Guttmann and with the assistance of Albert von Rothschild and Freiherr von Königswarter, and opened Oct. 15 of that year. It is subventioned by the Austrian government, by the "Cultusgemeinden" of Vienna, Prague, and Lemberg, and by the "Landesjudenschaft" of Bohemia, and is governed by fifteen curators. The first president was Baron von Königswarter, who, at his death, was succeeded by Moritz Karpeles; the latter was followed by Moritz Edler von Kuffner.

Since 1893 the faculty has consisted of Dr. Adolf Schwarz, professor of Talmud, halakic literature, and homiletics, rector, and the following professors; M. Friedmann (lector in the Vienna bet ha-midrash), in the Midrash; Dr. D. H. Müller, in Bible exegesis, grammar, and religious philosophy; Dr. A. Büchler, in history; Dr. Jerusalem, in pedagogics and German; Dr. Monat, in Polish; and Dr. E. Fuhrmann, in Bohemian. The institution publishes every year an annual report together with an important scientific treatise. In 1902 the number of students preparing for the rabbinate was 26, and the number preparing to be teachers of religion, 11.

Bibliography:

  * Bloch, Oesterreichische Wochenschrift, 1893, pp. 818 et seq.;
  * American Jewish Year Book, 1900, p. 514.



J. S.