Richard James Horatio Gottheil
Encyclopedia
Richard James Horatio Gottheil (1862—1936) was an American
Semitic scholar, Zionist, and founding father of Zeta Beta Tau
Fraternity. He was born in Manchester
, England
, but moved to the United States
at age 11 when his father, Gustav Gottheil
, accepted a position as the assistant Rabbi of the largest Reform Temple in New York, Temple Emanu-El. He graduated from Columbia College
in 1881, and studied also in Europe
, earning his doctorate at Leipzig
in 1886.
From 1898 to 1904 he was president of the American Federation of Zionists
, and worked with both Stephen S. Wise and Jacob De Haas
as organizational secretaries. Though he was ever desirous of returning to the quiet life of academia, Gottheil attended the second Zionist Congress in Basel establishing relationships with Theodor Herzl
and Max Nordau
. "Professor Gottheil shunned publicity; he did not mind the trickles of adulation accorded him as President; but his official duties irked him beyond endurance. He hated to preside at meetings. He was careless in procedural matters and embarrassed by ceremonies in which he had to take part. He was horrified by emotional debates. He felt that his status as a professor was being sullied by his being President of a propaganda organization. He ran away from official duties. He usually limited his official addresses at Zionist meetings to the necessary items, speaking briefly. He became more and more nerve-provoked by his status, especially as the practical affairs of the Zionist Federation made no visible progress." Gottheil virtually vanished from the Zionist movement for the rest of his life. He continued writing and supporting the Zionist effort but he never again undertook a leadership role.
After 1904 he was vice president of the American Jewish Historical Society
. Professor Gottheil wrote many articles on Orient
al and Jewish questions for newspapers and reviews. He edited the Columbia University Oriental Series, and the Semitic Study Series. After 1901 he was one of the editors of the Jewish Encyclopaedia. He wrote:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Semitic scholar, Zionist, and founding father of Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
Fraternity. He was born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at age 11 when his father, Gustav Gottheil
Gustav Gottheil
Gustav Gottheil was a Prussian born American rabbi. Gottheil eventually became one of the most influential, well-known and controversial Reform Jewish leaders of his time...
, accepted a position as the assistant Rabbi of the largest Reform Temple in New York, Temple Emanu-El. He graduated from Columbia College
Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...
in 1881, and studied also in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, earning his doctorate at Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in 1886.
From 1898 to 1904 he was president of the American Federation of Zionists
Zionist Organization of America
The Zionist Organization of America , founded in 1897, was one of the first official Zionist organizations in the United States, and, especially early in the 20th century, the primary representative of Jewish Americans to the World Zionist Organization, espousing primarily Political Zionism.Today,...
, and worked with both Stephen S. Wise and Jacob De Haas
Jacob de Haas
Jacob de Haas was a British Hasidic Jew, a journalist and an early leader of the Zionist movement, who propagated the movement in the United States.-Biography:...
as organizational secretaries. Though he was ever desirous of returning to the quiet life of academia, Gottheil attended the second Zionist Congress in Basel establishing relationships with Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
and Max Nordau
Max Nordau
Max Simon Nordau , born Simon Maximilian Südfeld in Pest, Hungary, was a Zionist leader, physician, author, and social critic....
. "Professor Gottheil shunned publicity; he did not mind the trickles of adulation accorded him as President; but his official duties irked him beyond endurance. He hated to preside at meetings. He was careless in procedural matters and embarrassed by ceremonies in which he had to take part. He was horrified by emotional debates. He felt that his status as a professor was being sullied by his being President of a propaganda organization. He ran away from official duties. He usually limited his official addresses at Zionist meetings to the necessary items, speaking briefly. He became more and more nerve-provoked by his status, especially as the practical affairs of the Zionist Federation made no visible progress." Gottheil virtually vanished from the Zionist movement for the rest of his life. He continued writing and supporting the Zionist effort but he never again undertook a leadership role.
After 1904 he was vice president of the American Jewish Historical Society
American Jewish Historical Society
The American Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of the American Jewish heritage and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation and dissemination of materials relating to American...
. Professor Gottheil wrote many articles on Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
al and Jewish questions for newspapers and reviews. He edited the Columbia University Oriental Series, and the Semitic Study Series. After 1901 he was one of the editors of the Jewish Encyclopaedia. He wrote:
- The Syriac grammar of Mar Elia Zobha (1887)
- Selections from the Syriac Julian Romance (1906)
- Zionism (1914)