Guenzig, Ezriel

views updated

GUENZIG, EZRIEL

GUENZIG, EZRIEL (1868–1931), rabbi and scholar. Guenzig, who was born in Cracow, received the traditional talmudic education there. He later studied secular subjects in Berlin and philosophy and Semitics at Berne University. He served as rabbi in the Moravian communities of Dresnitz and Loschitz until 1918. After World War i, he settled in Antwerp, where he became head of the Tahkemoni School and later was active as a bookseller. Guenzig's scholarly work was mainly concerned with the history of Haskalah in Galicia. However, he dealt with other subjects as well. He wrote on F. *Mieses (Oẓar ha-Sifrut, 3 pt. 5 (1890), 1–54), whose writing he prepared for publication. His other published works include Der Commentar des Karaeers Jephet ben Ali (1898); Der Pessimismus im Judenthume (1899); Die Wundermaenner im juedischen Volke (1921); and Das juedische Schrifttum ueber den Wert des Lebens (1924). Guenzig served as assistant editor of *Ha-Maggid, and edited the seven volumes of the literary journal Ha-Eshkol (1898–1913). The first two volumes of the latter were edited with J.S. Fuchs.

bibliography:

G. Bader, Medinah va-Hakhameha (1934), 64–65; M. Mossler, in: Haolam, 19 (1931), 683–4; Barkai (Johannesburg; Feb.–March 1937), 7; (March–April 1937), 20; H. Gold (ed.), Juden und Judengemeinden Maehrens (1929), 319–20; Kressel, Leksikon, 1 (1965), 477–8.

[Getzel Kressel]