"An all-encompassing biography of Mendelssohn . . . . Feiner describes Mendelssohn's intellectual and social ascent in a tight, concise narrative."—Publishers Weekly
~Publishers Weekly
"In extensive quotations from Mendelssohn’s many works, Feiner provides an introduction to Mendelssohn’s open, humanist thought and hopes, as well as his abiding fear that Jews would never attain full civil standing without sacrificing their religious tradition. Mendelssohn’s letters often reveal his disappointments and the burden he carried as spokesman for the Jewish community to both the governmental authorities and intellectual elite, defending Judaism even as he attempted to purge it of rabbinic authority and insularity. Feiner is particularly sensitive to Mendelssohn’s desire for a life of study, enriched by family and his salon of likeminded friends and thinkers, even as he was thrust time and again into the public arena."—Maron L. Waxman, Jewish Book Council
~Maron L. Waxman, Jewish Book Council
"Feiner's Moses Mendelssohn serves as a useful introduction to this complex figure, and fills a longstanding need for a short, accessible biography . . . . Feiner is especially good at positioning the development of Mendelssohn's thought within the contours and challenges of his times."—Jerome Copulsky, Jewish Review of Books
~Jerome Copulsky, Jewish Review of Books
"A fascinating portrait of an important Enlightenment figure. . . . Feiner's biographical bildungsroman is a respectful and balanced treatment of the Socrates of Germany and the Father of Reform Judaism, appropriate for both academic and public libraries."—Brian Smith, Library Journal
~Brian Smith, Library Journal
"Highly recommended."—Choice
~Choice
"[R]eadable and lively . . . The volume offers an excellent introduction to Mendelssohn for students and interested lay readers as well as a welcome scholarly contribution."—Mara Benjamin, Religious Studies Review
~Mara Benjamin, Religious Studies Review
"I came across Shmuel Feiner’s brilliantly readable little biography of the German-Jewish philosopher. . . . Biographers tend to get bogged down in detail, . . . [but] something about the brief, interpretative format of the Yale series seems to have liberated Feiner. He tells us everything we need to know about Mendelssohn’s thought and brings the man to life, all in about 70,000 words. Each of which is precious."—Abigail Green, Jewish Book Council blog
~Jewish Book Council blog, Abigail Green
