Lazarus Bendavid

Lazarus Bendavid was a prominent maskil in Germany and Austria. His intellectual activities ranged from critiques of Jewish traditionalism to Kant’s philosophy. Born in Berlin, he practiced glass grinding before attending university and moving to Vienna, where he lectured on Kant. Returning to Berlin in 1797, he served as editor of Spenersche Zeitung. In 1806 he became director of the Jewish Free School, where he served until its closure in 1825. The School flourished during his tenure and became the first interfaith school by accepting Christian students.