Pinkhos Churgin (Hebrew: פנחס חורגין‎;‎ 1894–1957) was an Israeli scholar who was the first President of Bar-Ilan University.

Pinkhos Churgin
Pinkhos Churgin
Born1894
Pohost, Belorussia
Died1957
NationalityIsraeli
Other namesפנחס חורגין
Known forFirst President of Bar-Ilan University

Biography

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Churgin was born in Pohost, Belorussia, a shtetl near Pinsk.[1][2] In 1907 he and his parents immigrated to Palestine, and settled in Jerusalem.[1] In 1910 he went to study at the Volozhin Yeshiva.[1] Churgin returned to Palestine in 1912.[1] In 1915 he went to the United States and taught Hebrew.[1] He studied as an undergraduate at Clark College, and then at Yale University, earning a Ph.D. in the field of Semitics, as a student of the famous researcher Charles C. Torrey. His dissertation, "Targum Jonathan to the Prophets", was published by Yale in 1927 and has since become a classic. It was twice reprinted in the 1980s.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

He was instrumental in the development of Yeshiva University in New York City.[1] In 1920 he began teaching at their Teachers' Institute.[1][8] He was appointed dean of the Institute in 1924.[1][4][9][10] In 1949 Churgin was named president of the Mizrachi Organization of America.[1] He moved to Israel in 1955 to serve as the first President of Bar-Ilan University.[1][4][11][12] He was succeeded as president in 1957 by Joseph H. Lookstein.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Churgin, Pinkhos". Encyclopedia.com.
  2. ^ a b "Pinchas Churgin". www.eilatgordinlevitan.com.
  3. ^ Smolar, Leivy; Churgin, Pinkhos; Aberbach, Moses (1983). Studies in Targum Jonathan to the Prophets. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 0870681095 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c "Remains of Dr. Pinkhos Churgin Flown to Israel; Died in New York". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 2, 1957.
  5. ^ Supreme Court of the State of New York. 1946 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Yale University Divinity School (1922). Eighth General Catalogue of the Yale Divinity School: Centennial Issue, 1822-1922. The University – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Dissertation Abstracts: The humanities and social sciences, Volume 29, Issue 7. University Microfilms. 1969 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Dr. Pinkhos Churgin; DEBRA KAPLAN, JEWISH HISTORY SCHOLAR, APPOINTED TO DR. PINKHOS CHURGIN MEMORIAL CHAIR IN JEWISH HISTORY AT YESHIVA UNIVERSITY". YUNews. November 28, 2007.
  9. ^ Gurock, Jeffrey S. (1988). The men and women of Yeshiva. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231066181 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Dissertation Abstracts: The humanities and social sciences. University Microfilms. 1969 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Bard, Mitchell Geoffrey; Schwartz, Moshe (2005). 1001 Facts Everyone Should Know about Israel. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0742543587 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "PINKHOS CHURGIN, EDUCATOR, WAS 63; Founder of Israel's Bar-Ilan University Dies--Had Been Teachers' Dean at Yeshiva". The New York Times. November 29, 1957.
  13. ^ "Bar-Ilan Presidents | Bar Ilan University". .biu.ac.il. Retrieved 2020-02-18.