GESELLSCHAFT DER HEBRÄISCHEN LITTERATUR-FREUNDE:
Society for promoting study of the Hebrew language, called in Hebrew "Ḥebrat Doreshe Leshon 'Eber." It was founded at Königsberg in 1783 by Isaac Euchel and Mendel Bresslau, two young Hebrew scholars, for the study of the peculiarities of Hebrew and for the spread of the knowledge of that language. They intended to issue a Hebrew weekly devoted to poetry and essays. Many philanthropic Jews helped them to carry out their enterprise. They applied to Naphtali Wessely, who advised them to publish a monthly review, the first number of which appeared under the title "Ha-Meassef," in 1784 (see Meassefim).
In 1787 the society assumed the name "Verein für Gutes und Edles"; in Hebrew, "Ḥebrat Doreshe ha-Ṭob weha-Tushiyyah" (Society for the Good and the Noble).
- Jost, Gesch. der Israeliten, ix. 92;
- Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., xi. 119;
- Delitzsch, Gesch. der Jüd. Poesie, p. 100;
- Ha-Meassef, 1884, pp. 1-8;
- Israel Davidson, The Genesis of Hebrew Periodical Literature, Baltimore, 1900.
