מרטין בובר

Martin Buber (1878-1965), philosopher, translator, theologian and educator, Born in Vienna, Austria. He was raised by his grandfather, Solomon Buber, a distinguished rabbinic scholar. He went to university in Vienna. Buber was attracted to the young Zionist movement and became one of the leading advocates of Cultural Zionism. From 1901 to 1904 he edited the official Zionist journal, Die Welt. From 1904 he studied Hasidism and wrote on its religious message and his retelling of Hasidic stories brought the movement to the attention of the western world.

Buber settled in Berlin in 1916 and edited Der Jude, one of the most influential journals of Jewish thought. He also began to publish philosophical works, including his concept of dialogue in Ich und Du which had a strong impact in Christian circles. From 1923 he taught at the University of Frankfurt and also taught at the institute for adult Jewish education founded by his friend, Franz Rosenzweig. Buber and Rosenzweig published a German translation of the Bible. Having to resign his position at the university when the Nazis came to power he founded and directed the Central Office for Adult Jewish Education.

When the Nazis forbade him to teach in 1938, he moved to Jerusalem where he was professor of social philosophy at the Hebrew University.

He was the first president of the Israel Academy of Science and the Humanities (1960-62) and was deeply involved in adult education