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ehrentreu, heinrich
1931). In his essays, collected in Menschen und Affen (1926),
Ehrenstein legitimized this programmatic extraterritoriality
as a new “ahasverism” with social-revolutionary aspects, criticizing
both assimilation and Zionism as throwbacks to old-
European nationalism (cf. Zionismus, Vom deutschen Adel
juedischer Nation, Nationaljudentum). He spent World War I
in exile in Switzerland, vehemently criticizing the war (cf. Der
Mensch schreit, 1916; Die rote Zeit, 1917; Den ermordeten Bruedern,
1919). After the war he turned to rewriting old Greek and
Chinese works (cf. Lukian, 1918; Longos, 1924; Schi-King, 1922;
Pe-Lo-Thien, 1923; China klagt, 1924; Raeuber und Soldaten,
1927; Das gelbe Lied, 1933). With the three cultural spaces of
Hellas, Zion, and China, Ehrenstein constructed an antique
world as a medium for contemporary criticism. In 1929, Ehrenstein
together with Kokoschka visited Palestine, describing
his impressions in a series of articles. In 1932, Ehrenstein
moved to Switzerland. Even though the Swiss authorities prohibited
him from writing, Ehrenstein praised Switzerland as a
liberal and pancultural community within barbarian Europe
(Tessin, 1938; Switzerland, 1942). In 1941 he settled in New York,
where he died in poverty. After selected editions by Karl Otten
and M.Y. Ben-Gavriel, the work and letters of Ehrenstein were
published in a complete edition (ed. H. Mittelmann). Ehrenstein’s
manuscripts are at the Hebrew University.
Bibliography: A. Beigel, Erlebnis und Flucht im Werk Ehrensteins
(1966); J. Drews, Die Lyrik Ehrensteins (1969); A. Beigel,
Erlebnis und Flucht im Werk Albert Ehrensteins (1972); K.-M. Gauss,
Wann endet die Nacht (1986); U. Laugwitz, Albert Ehrenstein (1987);
A.A. Wallas, Albert Ehrenstein (1994); A. Kilcher, “Jenseits von Zionismus
und Assimilation,” in: Kirche und Israel, 18 (2003).
[Andreas Kilcher (2nd ed.)]
EHRENTREU, HEINRICH (1854–1927), Orthodox German
rabbi and author. Ehrentreu was born in Alt-Ofen (Obuda),
Hungary. Considered a brilliant talmudist in the yeshivah of
Pressburg, he later pursued Semitic studies at the University
of Heidelberg (from 1877) and was a tutor in Mainz. Ehrentreu
became preacher at the Ohel Jakob synagogue in Munich
where he supervised and greatly developed the religious institutions
of the Jewish community over a period of 42 years.
He was a member of the German chapter of the Rabbinical
Council of Agudat Israel. In 1897 Ehrentreu edited the last volume
of R.N. *Rabbinovicz’s Dikdukei Soferim, 16 (1897). He
also published Heker Halakhah (“Halakhic Research,” 1904),
and Minḥat Pittin, halakhic essays published in 1927/28. Together
with Rabbi Jacob Schor of Kuty, he wrote Ẓidkat ha-
Ẓaddik (1910), a defense of Z.H. *Auerbach’s edition of Sefer
ha-Eshkol, which had been attacked as a forgery by S. *Albeck.
His responsa and numerous articles were published in Jewish
scholarly journals. Ehrentreu’s son, ERNST (JONAH) EH-
RENTREU (1896–?), succeeded him. Escaping from Germany
to England, Ernst Ehrentreu became rabbi of a small congregation
(Adath Yeshurun) in London. He published Untersuchungen
ueber die Massora (1925), and Jewish Thought in the
Modern World (1947).
Bibliography: S. Levi, in: L. Jung (ed.), Men of the Spirit
(1964), 375–87.
[Jacob Hirsch Haberman]
EHRLICH, ABEL (1919–2004), composer and teacher. Born
in Crantz, Germany, Ehrlich went to Zagreb to study with
Vaclav Huml at the academy of music (1934–38). In 1939
he settled in Palestine and studied composition at the Jerusalem
Academy of Music with Solomon *Rosowsky. He taught
theory and composition in various music institutions such
as the Oranim Teachers College and at the Rubin Academy
of Music in Tel Aviv. His works before 1953 were influenced
by Arab music. In the late 1950s he began to use serial procedures,
after attending the courses of Stockhausen and Pousseur
at Darmstadt in 1959. He was awarded the Lieberson
Prize three times (1969, 1971, 1980), won the Israel Composers
and Authors Association Prize in 1974, 1980, and 1994,
the Israel Prime Minister’s Award in 1990, the Acum Prize
for life achievement in 1994, and the Israel Prize for music in
1997. Ehrlich was one of the most prolific Israeli composers –
he wrote more than 3,500 pieces and as a result appeared
in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s most prolific
contemporary composer. Among his early compositions
are Bashrav for violin solo (1953) and Symphonic Bashrav for
orchestra (1958), in which he explored the fusion of Near
Eastern and Western musical elements. His later works include
I Will Sing in Praise for chamber orchestra (1977); Will
It Work? suite for guitar (1985); Enkhah Yode’a for youth choir
and violin solo (1986); Our Modest Friend Avraham for chamber
ensemble (1992); The Jubille, chamber opera in 16 scenes
(1995); Another Exercise: Four Dreams: May 1997, for four tenors
and chamber ensemble (1997); and many pieces for solo
instruments.
Bibliography: Grove online; A. Wolman and Y. Shaked,
Abel Ehrlich (1995).
[Israela Stein (2nd ed.)]
EHRLICH, ARNOLD BOGUMIL (1848–1919), biblical exegete.
Ehrlich was born in Wlodawa in Russian Poland. As a
youth he studied in a ḥeder and then a yeshivah, married at
an early age, and had two daughters. Despairing of his narrow
Jewish world, Ehrlich, still quite young, divorced his wife, and,
in 1865, went to Germany. There he worked as a librarian in the
Semitics department of the Berlin Royal Library. In Leipzig,
under the influence of Christian missionaries and tempted
by the greater opportunities available to Christians, Ehrlich
converted to Christianity. He worked with Franz *Delitzsch
(1813–99) in the missionary Institutum Judaicum, helping to
translate the New Testament into Hebrew (1877) for the purpose
of a Christian mission to the Jews. At the age of 30, Ehrlich
migrated to the U.S., married again, and raised a family
under difficult economic conditions, working at various jobs
including social work, portraiture, and Hebrew teaching. According
to Richard J.H. *Gottheil, when Ehrlich reached New
York in 1876 he called on Rabbi R. Gustav Gottheil of Temple
242 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6