Vilna Rabbinical School and Teachers' Seminary

The Vilna Rabbinical School and Teachers' Seminary was a controversial Russian state-sponsored institution to train Jewish teachers and rabbis, located in Vilna, Russian Empire. The school opened in 1847 with two divisions: a rabbinical school and a teachers' seminary.[1] The Rabbinical School was closed in 1873 and the Teachers' Seminary closed in 1914.[1] The school taught secular studies, unlike the traditional cheders and yeshivas. This new curriculum, as well as the government control, made the school "unpopular."[1]

Pylimo Street No. 22 D - The building of the former rabbinical seminary in Vilnius

Curriculum

The school taught German language, Hebrew language, Hebrew Bible, Talmud,[2] algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physics, astronomy, world history, Russian history, Russian language, geography, and handwriting and drawing.[3]

History

Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, a major figure of the Mussar movement who then lived in Vilna, was pressured to lead the seminary. Rather than accept the position, Salanter fled[4] to Kovno, even though Rabbi Yitzhak of Volozhin encouraged him to take the position.[5]

In 1872, a secret Narodnik[6] study group was formed[7] by Aaron Zundelevich. Vladimir Jochelson was a member of this group.[8]

Faculty and students

Many prominent[2] maskilim studied or taught in the school.[9]

Notable faculty included:

Notable students included:

Vilna Rabbinical School and Teachers' Seminary 1847-1873 The Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections Original documents (Russian) on vilnacollections.yivo.org

References
  1. Mohrer, Fruma; Marek Web (October 1997). Guide to the YIVO Archives. YIVO Archives. M.E. Sharpe. p. 226. ISBN 0-7656-0130-3. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  2. Murav, Harriet (May 14, 2003). Identity Theft: the Jew in imperial Russia and the case of Avraam Uri Kovner (1 ed.). Stanford University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0-8047-3290-6. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  3. "Pages from a certificate issued by the rabbinical seminary to 20-year-old from Antokol, Vilna". Center for Jewish History. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  4. Levenson, Alan T.; Roger C. Klein (February 28, 2006). An introduction to modern Jewish thinkers: from Spinoza to Soloveitchik (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 168. ISBN 0-7425-4607-1.
  5. Kantor, Máttis (February 2007). Codex Judaica: chronological index of Jewish history, covering 5,764 years (3 ed.). Zichron Press. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-9670378-3-7. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  6. Beĭzer, Mikhail; Martin Gilbert (May 1989). The Jews of St. Petersburg: excursions through a noble past (1 ed.). Jewish Publication Society of America. p. 129. ISBN 0-8276-0321-5. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  7. Zipperstein, Steven J. (November 1, 1991). The Jews of Odessa: A Cultural History, 1794–1881. Stanford University Press. p. 118. ISBN 0-8047-1962-4. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  8. Jacobs, Jack (August 1, 1993). On Socialists and "the Jewish Question" after Marx. New York: NYU Press. p. 179. ISBN 0-8147-4213-0. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  9. Abramowicz, Hirsz (March 1999). Jeffrey Shandler (ed.). Profiles of a lost world: memoirs of East European Jewish life before World. Wayne State University Press. p. 14. ISBN 0-8143-2784-2.
  10. Kagan, Berl (1991). Jewish Cities, Towns, and Rural Settlements in Lithuania. New York.
  11. Fishman, David E. (November 28, 2005). The rise of modern Yiddish culture (1 ed.). University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 116. ISBN 0-8229-4272-0.
  12. "Jewish Community of Vilna". The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  13. Singer, Isidore; M. Seligsohn. "SALKIND, SOLOMON BEN BARUCH". JewishEncyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
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