Nathan Löb David Zimmer

Nathan Löb David Zimmer (28 January 1830, Fürth – 10 June 1895, London) was a Bavarian-born English businessman, scholar, and Kabbalist.

Nathan Löb David Zimmer
Personal
Born28 January 1830 (1830-01-28)
Died10 June 1895(1895-06-10) (aged 65)
London, England of Great Britain and Ireland
ReligionJudaism

Born in Bavaria into a pious Jewish family, Zimmer immigrated to England in about 1850 and entered business as an importer of toys and fancy goods.[1] He was primarily engrossed with the study of Halakha, however, and especially with the more esoteric commentaries. His knowledge of the Kabbalah, and especially of gematria, was profound, and astronomical calculations also had a strong attraction for him.

Zimmer compiled an elaborate genealogical table of the Chief Rabbis of the United Kingdom,[2] and was a frequent contributor to the Jewish periodical press on questions of astronomical calculation and of ritual. He was one of the original founders of the Federation of Synagogues.

The character of Froom Karlkammer in Israel Zangwill's Children of the Ghetto is said to have been based on Zimmer.[3][4]

References edit

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainJacobs, Joseph; Lipkind, Goodman (1906). "Zimmer, Nathan Löb David". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. pp. 664–665.

  1. ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael A.; Rubinstein, Hillary L., eds. (2011). "Zimmer, Nathan Löb David". The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 1056. ISBN 978-0-230-30466-6. OCLC 793104984.
  2. ^ Jacobs, Joseph; Wolf, Lucien (1888). Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica: A Bibliographical Guide to Anglo-Jewish History. Publications of the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition. Vol. 3. London: Office of the "Jewish chronicle,". p. xxvi.
  3. ^ Leftwich, Joseph (1953–1955). "Israel Zangwill". Transactions. 18. Jewish Historical Society of England: 83–84. JSTOR 29777923.
  4. ^ Huss, Boaz (2013). "Forward, to the East: Napthali Herz Imber's Perception of Kabbalah". Journal of Modern Jewish Studies. 12 (3): 416. doi:10.1080/14725886.2013.826464. ISSN 1472-5886. S2CID 143491585.