Leopold Zunz (1794-1886) was one of the founders of the
"Scientific investigation of Judaism." (Wissenschaft des Judentums)
and a leading advocate of Jewish reform. Using scientific methods of investigation,
Zunz presented Jewish literature, liturgy, and religious poetry in its historical
evolution. In the opinion of Zunz, the study of Jewish literature has a rightful
place in the universities. As a preacher at one of the leading Berlin synagogues,
Zunz was convinced that preaching in the vernacular had always been part of
the synagogue worship service.
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