Tour: Moses Mendelssohn and the Promise of the Enlightenment

Moses Mendelssohn was the son of a poor and pious Torah scribe from Dessau. At the age of 14, he followed his teacher to the Prussian capital of Berlin to continue his studies there.

Moses Mendelssohn influenced the modern culture of his time like no Jew before him. He encouraged Jews to learn German and advocated the separation of church and state. He supported the view that living according to Jewish religious laws was entirely compatible with the culture and conventions of secular societies.

Many a contemporary sought the far-sighted advice of Mendelssohn, friend of the people, as his friendship with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing reflects. The main foci of this tour are his life and work, his pupils, and the consequences of the Jewish Enlightenment.