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The History of the Jews
- Lady Ronit
- Jan 1
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 2
Professor Dr. Tzvi Hirsch Graetz (Heinrich Graetz), 1891
I studied the nine-volume work of Professor Dr. Tzvi Hirsch Graetz for six months. Half a year—that’s how long it took me to grasp the history from the dawn of civilization to the 19th century. Half a year, from what I hope will be a long life, but one that is mandatory for every Jew, and indeed every person, to spend immersed in this remarkable, objective, and unswayed historical chronicle that shuns both ostentatious piety and careless atheism, offering a way to understand how history has shaped the world around us.
The eminent historian shed his first childhood tears on October 31, 1817, in Książ, Poznań, and passed away on September 7, 1891, in Monaco, mercifully unaware of the atrocities the 20th century would bring upon the Jewish people. Reading Professor Tzvi Hirsch Graetz’s work today, in 2024, one finds bittersweet solace in the cyclical nature of history. The evil present today will pass, though, unfortunately, it will eventually be replaced by another.
The first volume is dedicated to a very detailed account of Jewish history from its earliest days through the Babylonian exile. Following the preface, we journey through the ancient eras—the settlement and origins of the nation, the rise of the monarchy, Samuel and Saul, King David, King Solomon, the division of the state, the remnants of Israel, and finally the last kings of Judah. Professor Dr. Heinrich Tzvi Graetz brings both scholarly insight and secular clarity to the Torah. His perspective remains fresh even 133 years later, fulfilling the author’s purpose and vision by opening a gateway to a Judaism free of extraneous superstitions, contributing a kind of cathartic renewal.
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