Zunz, << tsoonts, >> Leopold (1794-1886), has been called the founder of modern Jewish scholarship. He was the first scholar to use scientific methods to study the religious and cultural traditions of Judaism.
Zunz tried to reform Jews politically and religiously. He believed that if the Jews integrated themselves into the community life of Europe, anti-Semitism would disappear. Zunz helped form the Society for Jewish Culture and Science, which existed from 1819 to 1824. The society’s goal was to hasten the entry of Jews into European culture. The society also promoted the “Science of Judaism,” a method of studying Judaism that tried to bridge the Jewish and non-Jewish worlds. Zunz was born on Aug. 10, 1794, in Detmold, Germany. He died on March 18, 1886.
