VOGELSTEIN

VOGELSTEIN, family in Germany, active in the Reform-Liberal movement.

heinemann vogelstein (1841–1911) was rabbi at Pilsen and Stettin (Szczecin) and founder and president of the Association of Liberal Rabbis and a vice president of the Association for Liberal Judaism (Vereinigung fuer das Liberale *Judentum). He published a prayer book (1894–96) eliminating references to the restoration of Jewish nationhood. A strong anti-Zionist, he was among the *Protestrabbiner in 1897 and published in 1906 a pamphlet Der Zionismus, eine Gefahr fuer die gedeihliche Entwickelung des Judentums. He also wrote Kampf zwischen Priestern und Leviten seit den Tagen Ezechiels (1889).

His son hermann vogelstein (1870–1942) occupied rabbinical posts at Oppeln (Opole), Koenigsberg, and Breslau. In 1938 he emigrated to the United States. His writings include Die Landwirtschaft in Palaestina zur Zeit der Misnah – Der Getreidebau (1894); Militaerisches aus der israelitischen Koenigszeit (1906); Zur Vorgeschichte des Gesetzes ueber die Verhaeltnisse der Juden vom 23. Juli 1847 (1909). With Paul *Rieger he wrote the standard history of the Jews in Rome (Geschichte der Juden in Rom, 2 vols., 1895–96) of which a revised edition in English (by M. Hadas) appeared in the Jewish Communities Series of the Jewish Publication Society of America (jpsa; 1940).

Another son of Heinemann, Ludwig *Vogelstein, became a metal magnate and philanthropist.

theodor vogelstein (1880–1957) also a son of Heinemann, was a banker, industrialist, and cofounder of the Democratic Party of the German Weimar Republic. During the Nazi regime he emigrated to Paris where he later died.

julie vogelstein-braun (1883–1971) a daughter of Heinemann, was a writer. She edited Otto Braun's writings after his death (Schriften eines Frueh-Vollendeten, 1920), and wrote Geist und Gestalt der abendlaendischen Kunst (1957) and Was niemals stirbt (1966).

max vogelstein (1901– ) son of Hermann, served as rabbi in Frankfurt on the Main and Koblenz (1935–38), and taught at the Jewish Teachers' Academy in Berlin (1934–35). In 1938 he emigrated to the United States. He made a special study of biblical chronology, on which he published, among other works, Fertile Soil: A Political History of Israel… (1957).