Marshall Meyer
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer (March 25, 1930 – December 29, 1993) was an American-born Conservative
rabbi
and a recognized international human rights
activist. Marshall Theodore Meyer was born in New York City
and raised in Norwich, Conn. He attended Dartmouth College
, graduating in 1952. Upon meeting Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
, he enrolled in the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary
. Heschel became his mentor and spiritual guide, whose influence and example profoundly affected Meyer's career as a religious leader. After receiving ordination in 1958, Meyer decided to take a position as Assistant Rabbi at the Congregación Israelita de la República Argentina in Buenos Aires
, Argentina.
. He founded the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, a rabbinical school that soon became the center of Conservative Judaism
in Latin America. In it were ordained dozens of Spanish-speaking rabbis that would serve communities in Argentina, Latin America and the rest of the world.
Rabbi Meyer also founded and led Comunidad Bet El, a congregation that became a model of many other Conservative synagogues both in Argentina and Latin America. The congregation established its own day-school. During the years of the military regime of 1976-1982, Rabbi Meyer became a strong critic of the military government and its violations of human rights. He worked to save the lives of hundreds of people that were being persecuted by the regime and he visited prisoners in jails, among them the renowned journalist, Jacobo Timerman
, who dedicated his book, Prisoner Without A Name, Cell Without A Number, to the rabbi, who "brought solace to Jewish, Christian and atheist prisoners".
In 1983, when democracy returned to Argentina, the newly elected president, Raúl Alfonsín
, recognized the work of Rabbi Meyer by bestowing upon him the highest Argentine decoration, the Medal of San Martín. Rabbi Meyer returned the United States in 1984.
(now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles, Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer accepted the position of rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jeshurun in New York City
, the oldest Ashkenazic synagogue in the city, with the mission of reviving the congregation.
Between 1984 and 1993, B'nai Jeshurun became a thriving liberal community that attracted thousands of Jewish people. The challenging theology espoused by Rabbi Meyer, the spiritually uplifting religious services, an agenda that emphasized social action as a central part of the synagogue's principles, ecumenical work with Christian and Muslim clergy and a leading role in the peace movement in regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict, led to the rapid growth of the congregation, which became a model for many other synagogues in the United States.
Rabbi Meyer was married to Naomi Meyer, and had three children: Anita, Dodi and Gabriel. He died in 1993 of cancer, and was buried in the cemetery of the synagogue of his home town in Norwich, Connecticut
.
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/rbmscl/meyermarshall/inv/ - inventory of his writings. should be in the sources section.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and a recognized international human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist. Marshall Theodore Meyer was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and raised in Norwich, Conn. He attended Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, graduating in 1952. Upon meeting Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century.-Biography:...
, he enrolled in the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
. Heschel became his mentor and spiritual guide, whose influence and example profoundly affected Meyer's career as a religious leader. After receiving ordination in 1958, Meyer decided to take a position as Assistant Rabbi at the Congregación Israelita de la República Argentina in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina.
In Argentina
Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer's charisma turned him immediately into an important figure in the Argentine Jewish communityHistory of the Jews in Argentina
The history of the Jews of Argentina goes back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition, when Jews fleeing persecution settled in what is now Argentina. Many of the Portuguese traders in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata were Jewish, but an organized Jewish community...
. He founded the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, a rabbinical school that soon became the center of Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
in Latin America. In it were ordained dozens of Spanish-speaking rabbis that would serve communities in Argentina, Latin America and the rest of the world.
Rabbi Meyer also founded and led Comunidad Bet El, a congregation that became a model of many other Conservative synagogues both in Argentina and Latin America. The congregation established its own day-school. During the years of the military regime of 1976-1982, Rabbi Meyer became a strong critic of the military government and its violations of human rights. He worked to save the lives of hundreds of people that were being persecuted by the regime and he visited prisoners in jails, among them the renowned journalist, Jacobo Timerman
Jacobo Timerman
Jacobo Timerman was an Argentine publisher, journalist, and author who was persecuted and honored for confronting the atrocities of the Argentine military regime's Dirty War...
, who dedicated his book, Prisoner Without A Name, Cell Without A Number, to the rabbi, who "brought solace to Jewish, Christian and atheist prisoners".
In 1983, when democracy returned to Argentina, the newly elected president, Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
, recognized the work of Rabbi Meyer by bestowing upon him the highest Argentine decoration, the Medal of San Martín. Rabbi Meyer returned the United States in 1984.
Later Period
After a short stay at the University of JudaismUniversity of Judaism
The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish, non-denominational educational institution in Los Angeles, California....
(now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles, Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer accepted the position of rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jeshurun in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the oldest Ashkenazic synagogue in the city, with the mission of reviving the congregation.
Between 1984 and 1993, B'nai Jeshurun became a thriving liberal community that attracted thousands of Jewish people. The challenging theology espoused by Rabbi Meyer, the spiritually uplifting religious services, an agenda that emphasized social action as a central part of the synagogue's principles, ecumenical work with Christian and Muslim clergy and a leading role in the peace movement in regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict, led to the rapid growth of the congregation, which became a model for many other synagogues in the United States.
Rabbi Meyer was married to Naomi Meyer, and had three children: Anita, Dodi and Gabriel. He died in 1993 of cancer, and was buried in the cemetery of the synagogue of his home town in Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
.
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/rbmscl/meyermarshall/inv/ - inventory of his writings. should be in the sources section.