JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

itself a “weekly journal.” The editor stated his aim in a letter
sent to potential subscribers before the publication of the first
number, explaining that it was an Israelite journal intending
to inspire Romanian Jews with strength, courage, conviction,
and moral force, and to give them guidance in their individual
trials. The journal described Jewish life and the struggle for
emancipation in Romania, condemned discrimination and
antisemitism, and also published literary material. Although
an independent journal, as its owner and manager involved
himself in the Zionist movement it became the official publication
of the Jewish National Fund of Romania (1907) and also
published Zionist propaganda. In the fall of 1916, when Romania
entered World War I and Bucharest was occupied by the
German army, the journal ceased publication. It reappeared in
1919, also as a weekly, but with only four pages, and included
popular historical articles promoting Jewish identity and the
Zionist idea. In July 1931, when Moses Schwarzfeld was ill and
in financial difficulties, he began to publish Egalitatea every
two weeks, in double numbers, up until July 3, 1940, when its
publication was banned by the government. Many articles in
Egalitatea were written by Moses Schwarzfeld himself, sometimes
signed with pen names. Among the contributors were
Elias Schwarzfeld, Wilhelm Schwarzfeld, I.H. Fior, M. Braunştein-Mibashan,
Carol Drimer, J.I. Niemirower, Leon Feraru,
Adolphe Ștern, A.L. Zissu, E. San-Cerbu, and others.
Bibliography: S. Podoleanu, Istoria presei evreiești din
România (1938), 108–17; I. Bar-Avi, Familia Schwarzfeld (1969), 105–11;
H. Kuller, Presa evreiasca bucureșteana (1996), 51–58; M. Mircu,
Povestea presei evreiești (2003), 69–80; E. Aczel, Periodicele evreiești
din România 1857–1900 (2005).
[Lucian-Zeev Herscovici (2nd ed.)]
EGER (Ger. Erlau), city in N. Hungary. Although Eger is
mentioned in 1660 as a Jewish community it was only in 1841
that Jews obtained the right of residence there. A community
organization was set up in 1843. By 1858 there were 861 Jews
living in the city and an additional 680 in the district. Its first
rabbi was Joseph Zevi Weiss. After his death the Orthodox
members established a community – separate from the existing
status quo community – whose first rabbi was Simon
Schreiber, son of Abraham Samuel Benjamin *Sofer. Many
Jews in Eger engaged in the wine trade. There were 2,559 Jews
living in Eger in 1920, and 1,787 in 1941. They were deported
to *Auschwitz by the Nazis on June 8, 1944. By 1946, only 215
Jews remained in Eger.
Bibliography: E. László, in: Hungarian-Jewish Studies, 2
(1969), 137–82.
EGER (Eiger), AKIVA (“The Younger”) BEN MOSES
GUENS (1761–1837), German rabbi. Born in Eisenstadt, Eger
went to Breslau at an early age to study under his uncle, Benjamin
Wolf Eger, and Ḥayyim Jonah Teomim-Fraenkel. In
1780, he went to live with his father-in-law in Lissa, where for
about ten years he engaged in study, free from financial stress.
Impoverished as a result of the losses suffered in the fire of
eger, akiva ben moses guens
1791, he accepted a position as rabbi in Maerkisch-Friedland,
where he established a yeshivah. As his reputation grew, his
decisions were sought in many matters. The thought of reaping
material benefit from the Torah was repugnant to him,
and on several occasions he thought of leaving the rabbinate
and devoting himself to teaching. In 1807 he led a deputation
of Jewish leaders who negotiated with the French authorities
on Jewish rights in the newly established duchy of Warsaw.
In 1814 he was prevailed upon to accept the position of rabbi
in Posen, which was offered to him over the objections of the
*maskilim and the followers of the Reform movement, who,
fearing his great influence, sought the intervention of the
secular authorities, on the grounds that he had no command
of the German language and was opposed to all innovations.
They were eventually obliged to accept Eger’s appointment,
but they attempted to minimize his influence by the insertion
of certain restrictive clauses in his letter of appointment. Eger,
as unofficial chief rabbi of the Posen district, labored on behalf
of his own and other Jewish communities. He established
a large yeshivah, whose students included Ẓevi Hirsch *Kalischer,
Jacob *Levy (author of the dictionaries of the Talmud),
and Julius *Fuerst. He waged a constant struggle against the
Reform movement. The maskilim opposed him and drew attention
to what they considered bizarre and unreal questions
discussed in his responsa. Eger was not blind, however, to
the spiritual and educational needs of his time. He made certain
concessions to meet official demands for a more modern
curriculum in Jewish schools, and he encouraged Solomon
Plessner’s pioneer efforts to propagate traditional Judaism
using German instead of Yiddish, which was until then the
medium of instruction. He received a royal message of thanks
from Frederick William III for his services during the cholera
epidemic of 1831, during which he framed a number of helpful
takkanot and cared for many of the sick. A number of welfare
institutions established by him were in existence until World
War II. He was the father-in-law of Moses *Sofer and the ancestor
of many prominent scholars, scientists, and writers. His
son Solomon *Eger was elected rabbi of Posen on his father’s
death. Many popular legends surrounded Akiva’s person. His
exemplary humanity and beneficence earned him universal
admiration, even among his adversaries. A story typifying his
sensitivity to others tells of a Jew who asked Akiva before Passover
if he could use milk for the Seder rituals. When asked
why, the Jew answered that he did not have enough money to
buy wine. Akiva promptly gave him 20 rubles for purchasing
wine. When rebuked by his wife for giving too much, Akiva
answered that he deduced from the question that the Jew also
did not have enough money to buy meat for the holiday. His
modesty was proverbial, and he was sternly opposed to the
titles of honor common in rabbinical circles. Of his works,
the following were published in his lifetime: Ḥilluka de-Rabbanan
(1822); Haggahot to the Mishnah (1825–30); Gilyon ha-
Shas, notes to the Prague edition of the Babylonian Talmud
(1830–34), and later to the Vilna edition; responsa, together
with decisions, etc. (1834). After his death there appeared re-
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