David Max Eichhorn (January 6, 1906 – July 16, 1986) was an American rabbi of

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish religious movements, Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its Jewish ethics, ethical aspects to its ceremo ...

, a director for Hillel, a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

in the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, an author, and an authority within

on the subjects of

interfaith marriage Interfaith marriage, sometimes called interreligious marriage or mixed marriage, is marriage between spouses professing and being legally part of different religions. Although interfaith marriages are often established as civil marriages, in so ...

and

religious conversion Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliatin ...

Biography

David Max Eichhorn was born in

Columbia, Pennsylvania Columbia, formerly Wright's Ferry, is a borough (town) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 10,222. It is southeast of Harrisburg, on the east (left) bank of the Susquehanna River, ...

, on January 6, 1906, the son of Joseph and Anna Eichhorn. He attended the Temple Shaarai Shomayim religious school in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

, was confirmed there in 1921, and graduated from Columbia High School in 1923. He enrolled at

Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...

in 1924. He graduated, and was ordained as a

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

in 1931. Eichhorn served as the first rabbi of Sinai Temple in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

, from 1932 to 1934, and was the rabbi at Sinai Temple in

Texarkana, Arkansas Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,387. It is the twin city of Texarkana, Texas, located just acros ...

, from 1935 to 1938. In 1938, he received the degree of

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

from

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...

. Eichhorn was the first rabbi of Temple Israel in

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Fl ...

, from 1939 to 1942. He was also the first director for Hillel in the state of Florida at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

in Gainesville and

Florida State College for Women Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

in Tallahassee. In 1941, Eichhorn enlisted in the

as a

. In July 1942, Eichhorn was stationed at Camp Croft in Spartanburg County, SC and evidently assisted the local Jewish congregation, which was then without a rabbi. Throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Eichhorn was assigned to serve in combat units in France and Germany, and was among the troops that liberated Dachau. After returning from the war in 1945, Eichhorn retained his active military status in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...

. He worked for the Committee on Army and Navy Religious Activities (known later as the Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy) of the

National Jewish Welfare Board The National Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) was formed on April 9, 1917, three days after the United States declared war on Germany, in order to support Jewish soldiers in the U.S. military during World War I. The impetus for creating the organization ...

as Director of Field Operations of the federal chaplaincy program. The Board is authorized by the Government to serve the religious needs of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

military personnel. He was also the president of the Association of Jewish Chaplains of the Armed Forces from 1953 to 1955. He retired from the military with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1968. Temple Israel was founded in about 1965 or 1966. It met in a church in

Cocoa Beach, Florida Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,354 at the 2020 United States census, up from 11,231 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–T ...

, until a permanent home was found. Land was purchased on

Merritt Island, Florida Merritt Island is a peninsula, commonly referred to as an island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Florida coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and south ...

. The congregation moved to their new home in 1970. Rabbi Eichhorn served as a part-time rabbi to Temple Israel along with student rabbis starting in 1966. He officiated over the congregation's first Confirmation class ceremony June 16, 1967. He resigned from the National Jewish Welfare Board in 1970. Eichhorn lived in

Satellite Beach Satellite Beach is a coastal city in Brevard County, Florida, U.S. The population was 11,226 at the 2020 United States census, up from 10,109 at the 2010 census, and it is located with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Banana River to the ...

, Florida and wrote a number of books. He was known primarily for research in the areas of interfaith marriage and religious conversion. Eichhorn died on July 16, 1986, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at Holmes Regional Medical Center in

Melbourne, Florida Melbourne ( ) is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located southeast of Orlando, Florida, Orlando along Florida's Space Coast, named because of the region's proximity to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The city ...

.Rabbi David Eichhorn – Obituary
NYTimes.com (1986-07-23). Retrieved on 2012-03-17.

Selected bibliography

* ''Cain: son of the serpent: A midrash or homiletical narration of the fourth chapter of the book of Genesis'' (1957) ASIN B0007DPULO * ''Musings of the Old Professor: The meaning of Koheles'' (1963) * ''Conversion to Judaism: A History and Analysis'' (1965) David Max Eichhorn, ed. ASIN B000H0SM1W * ''Jewish intermarriages: Fact and fiction'' (1974) ASIN B0006W2D9I * ''Evangelizing the American Jew: An account of Christian attempts to convert the Jews of the United States and Canada'' (1976) ASIN B0007ASIIE * ''Joys of Jewish Folklore'' (1981) * ''Hagar and Ishmael: A study in Arab-Jewish relations'' (1985) ASIN B0006YTTWK * ''The GI's rabbi: World War II letters of David Max Eichhorn'' (2004) David Max Eichhorn; Greg Palmer, Mark S. Zaid eds.

References

External links

– Contains correspondence relating to the question of Reform rabbis officiating at intermarriages * – In this video, Rabbi Eichhorn conducts services at the first Sabbath after his company liberated Dachau {{DEFAULTSORT:Eichorn, David Max 1906 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American rabbis American Jewish theologians American male non-fiction writers American Reform rabbis Dachau concentration camp Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion alumni Jewish American military personnel Jewish American non-fiction writers Jews from Florida Jews from Pennsylvania Military personnel from Massachusetts Military personnel from Pennsylvania People from Brevard County, Florida People from Columbia, Pennsylvania People from Miller County, Arkansas People from Satellite Beach, Florida People from Spartanburg County, South Carolina Rabbis from Pennsylvania Rabbis in the military Religious leaders from Florida United States Army chaplains Writers from Springfield, Massachusetts