Rabbi Menashe ben Israel: The Scholar Who Opened Doors for European Jewry

From Marrano Roots to a Firebrand Preacher

In 1619, the Great Synagogue of Amsterdam echoed with a fiery sermon by a gifted fifteen-year-old boy. That boy was Menashe ben Israel. Born as Manuel Dias Soeiro into a family of crypto-Jews in Portugal, his father, Joseph, had outwardly converted to Christianity but soon grew disillusioned by the hypocrisy. He fled to France, where he openly returned to Judaism, and eventually resettled in Amsterdam. It was there that young Menashe, now free to learn Torah without fear, flourished.

Menashe studied under Rabbi Yitzchak Uziel, the rabbi of the Neve Shalom community in Amsterdam, and quickly distinguished himself as the top student. When Rabbi Uziel passed away unexpectedly, eighteen-year-old Menashe was appointed to lead the community. He later married a relative of the prominent Spanish statesman Don Isaac Abarbanel.

Scholar, Diplomat, and Master of Ten Languages

Rabbi Menashe ben Israel was a towering intellect who mastered ten languages and authored numerous books in five of them. He established the first Jewish printing press in Amsterdam, which soon became a major publishing hub serving Jewish communities across Europe.

A visionary diplomat as well, Rabbi Menashe wrote Latin-language books to explain the core beliefs of Judaism to Christian scholars, aiming to reduce antisemitism. His efforts bore fruit: the books were translated into multiple languages, and Christian intellectuals corresponded with him, eager to learn more.

Rabbi Menashe also reached out to Queen Christina of Sweden, urging her to allow Jews to settle in her kingdom. His influence extended to the arts, and his portrait was famously painted by Dutch master Rembrandt.

Advocacy for the Jewish People Across Continents

Though he briefly considered emigrating to Brazil to join his brother-in-law Ephraim Abarbanel, that plan did not come to fruition. Instead, Rabbi Menashe remained in Amsterdam and emerged as one of the most influential Jewish leaders in Europe.

In a pivotal moment, he was invited by Oliver Cromwell, ruler of England, to participate in a formal debate with Christian theologians. Accompanied by Rabbi Yaakov Sassportas, he used the opportunity to advocate for Jewish resettlement in England. To support this effort, he wrote the book Hope of Israel, arguing from Biblical sources that Christians should support the Jewish return. His arguments helped lay the groundwork for the reestablishment of the Jewish community in London with official approval.

Rabbi Menashe ben Israel passed away in Amsterdam, but his impact was felt far beyond. Through scholarship, publishing, diplomacy, and public advocacy, he opened doors for Jews across Europe and secured a lasting place in Jewish history.