Henry A. Fischel (November 20, 1913 – March 20, 2008) was an American-German

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

of Near Eastern languages and cultures at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

. Fischel was an influential figure in founding the

Jewish Studies Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; ) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (especially Jewish history), Middle Eastern studies, Asian studies, ...

Program at Indiana University. Under his direction, the

Lilly Endowment Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...

gave the university a grant in 1972–73 to develop a Jewish Studies Program. Professor Fischel lived in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

until his death in 2008.

Biography

He was born in Bonn in 1913. Heinz Albert Fischel was born to parents Anna and Adolf. His father was a shoemaker. As a child in Bonn, he enjoyed playing chess, soccer, tennis, and also competitive boxing. He also was a talented pianist. He completed a degree in rabbinical studies at the Hochschule für Wissenschaft des Judentums in Berlin, and was enrolled as a student at the University of Berlin at the same time. After the Kristallnacht Pogrom, the Nazis imprisoned him at the

Sachsenhausen concentration camp Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners t ...

. He received his degree in rabbinical studies from the Hochschule in 1939. He was awarded a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 1945. He took a position at Brandeis University in 1958, and then accepted a position to join the faculty at Indiana University in 1961. He was predeceased by his wife Sylvia, who died in 1987. He was survived by five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren at his passing.

Literary works

''Rabbinic Literature and Greco-Roman Philosophy: A Study of Epicurea and Rhetorica in Midrash'' (Leiden, 1973). * – ''Essays in Greco-Roman and Related Talmudic Literature,'' ed. by Henry A. Fischel, (New York: KTAV Publishing, 1977) * – "Story and History: Observations on Greco-Roman Rhetoric and Pharisaism." Denis Sinor, editor. American Oriental Society, Middle West Branch, Semi-Centennial Volume. Bloomington, IL; 1969; pp. 59–78. * ---. Story and History: Observations on Greco-Roman Rhetoric and Pharisaism. In Henry Fischel, editor. ''Essays in Greco-Roman and Related Talmudic Literature.'' New York: Ktaw; 1977; pp. 443–472 * --"Studies in Cynicism and the Ancient Near East: the Transformation of a Chria." In ''Religions in Antiquity: Essays in Memory of

Erwin Ramsdell Goodenough Erwin Ramsdell Goodenough (24 October 1893 – 20 March 1965) was an American scholar in the history of religion. He is specifically noted for his study of the influence of Greek culture on Judaism, what some call Hellenistic Judaism, and for his d ...

'' 372–411. 1968. Leiden. * ---. "The Uses of Sorites (Climax, Gradatio) in the Tannaitic Period." ''Hebrew University College Annual.'' 1973; 44:119–151. *--- ''The First Book of .'' Fischel, Henry A. (Henry Schocken Books, 1948.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischel Henry 1913 births 2008 deaths Writers from Bonn Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Judaic scholars