Rediscovering Faith: The Remarkable Journey of Joseph Salvador

Nineteenth-century Germany was a stronghold of Enlightenment thinking. Many German Jews no longer took pride in their heritage, with some fully converting to Christianity, while others simply lived as Germans without much attachment to Jewish practices. The Enlightenment, initially an advancement in Jewish thought, quickly morphed into broader liberal progress, often leaving Jewish identity behind. The founding generation of the Enlightenment passed away, with their children either converting or assimilating.

Enlightenment literature advocated for integration, suggesting that times had changed, and that Jews no longer faced persecution or discrimination. It was proposed that Jews should abandon stringent orthodox practices in anticipation of the social changes, even as discussions about Jewish civic rights abounded, despite the absence of actual enforcement.

Then came a harsh reality check. In 1819, brutal riots erupted across Germany, reminiscent of the Crusades, events believed to be impossible in the modern era. These riots were sparked by political unrest following the Napoleonic Wars, prior famine, and anxiety over potential rights for Jews displacing German citizens.

On August 2, 1819, an elderly professor addressed the University of Würzburg, advocating for Jewish equality. An enraged group of students attacked him, forcing his escape through a back door. The incensed students then targeted the Jewish quarter, leading to three days of looting in Würzburg, with the Jewish populace fleeing to nearby villages.

The chaos spread north along the Rhine to Darmstadt, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, and Frankfurt. These events later came to be known as the "Hep-Hep Riots," named for the chants of the rioters. Although the exact meaning of "Hep-Hep" remains unclear, it was clearly a derogatory cry, signifying violence against Jews.

Some Germans stood with the Jews. The military belatedly intervened against the rioters. The Duke of Baden showed solidarity by staying with a Jewish citizen. In response, baron Rothschild exited Frankfurt, dealing the city an economic blow, and some Jews emigrated to Norway.

The events, which saw many Jews injured and killed, sharply contradicted Enlightenment ideals and were largely ignored by its publications, either dismissed or rationalized as isolated incidents, much like the "methods" some European states use today in addressing "Islamic terrorism."

Yet, some, like Joseph Salvador, found in these riots a catalyst for reconnection with their Jewish identity. Salvador, a French Jew from an ancient lineage with a name meaning "savior,"—stemming from a tradition of descent from the Maccabees—was initially indifferent to his Jewish roots. Raised in France as a respected physician, he was stunned by the atrocities in supposedly enlightened, 19th-century Germany, prompting him to write: "I was a physician, yet aspired to become a professor, diligently studying philosophy and general history... I read about the persecutions of Jews in Frankfurt... Strange, I thought, to consider the possibility of renewed medieval edicts and religious persecution despite the French Revolution's impression...

"Steeped in Voltairean thought, it dawned on me I, too, am a Jew. In a storm, I rushed to my room, discarded my medical books, and picked up the Bible... Until then, Voltaire was my bible. But as I read and reread, I couldn't stop. I realized how small Voltaire was compared to the Bible. I saw, felt, and thought, and when I finished, I decided to be a Jew, in the truest philosophical sense."

Several years after his personal transformation, in 1828, Salvador published "The History of Moses' Law and the Hebrew People," where he predicted the biblical prophecy of Israel's return to their land would undoubtedly come to pass, urging Jews to ascend to Zion.

We find ourselves in the month of Elul. Just as the smallest among us can awaken to repentance in light of the trials facing the Jewish people, especially in recent years, may redemption follow from our collective return to faith, with Hashem's help.