HÖCHHEIMER (HÖċHHEIM, HOCHHEIMER, HECHIM):

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By: Gotthard Deutsch, Meyer Kayserling, Cyrus Adler, Henrietta Szold

Bavarian family, named after its original home in Hochheim. The following are its more important members:

Elias ben Ḥayyim Cohen Höchheimer:

Astronomer of the eighteenth century; born in Hochheim; died in Amsterdam, whither he had removed after living a long time in Hildburghausen. He was the author of: "Shebile di-Reḳi'a," on trigonometry and astronomy (2 vols., Prague, 1784); "Sefer Yalde ha-Zeman," a commentary on Jedaiah Bedersi's "Beḥinat ha-'Olam" (ib. 1786); and two German text-books on arithmetic.

D. M. K.Henry (Ḥayyim) Hochheimer:

American rabbi; born Oct. 3, 1818, at Ansbach, Middle Franconia. His father, Isaac Hochheimer, succeeded his maternal grandfather, Meyer Ellinger, as rabbi at Ichenhausen, whither, at the age of ten, the boy removed with his parents. Three years later he returned to Ansbach to pursue secular studies at the Lateinschule, and Hebrew studies under his paternal grandfather, Moses Höchheimer.

In 1835 he entered the gymnasium at Augsburg, and in 1839 the University of Munich, graduating in 1844. Meanwhile his Hebrew studies were continued under Rabbis Guggenheimer, in Kriegshaber, near Augsburg, and Hirsch Aub, in Munich. From the latter he received his rabbinical diploma in 1845. From 1844 to 1849 he acted as his father's assistant in Ichenhausen. Political addresses and articles in "Die Zeitung für die Elegante Welt" and "Der Grenzbote" during 1848-49 caused warrants to be issued against him, and he had to flee the country.

Hochheimer emigrated to the United States, and on his arrival (Oct. 3, 1849) in New York he was in-. vited to become the rabbi of the Nidche Israel congregation, the oldest in Baltimore. There he officiated until Oct., 1859, when he accepted the rabbinate of Fell's Point Hebrew Friendship Congregation. After an incumbency of thirty-three years he retired from active life in 1892. Since 1841, when he published an article in Fürst's "Orient," he has been a contributor to the Jewish press, especially to "Die Deborah" (Cincinnati), and to the "Allg. Zeit. des Jud." under Philippson's editorship. Several sermons by him appeared in Kayserling's "Bibliothek Jüdischer Kanzelredner"; and many of his addresses have been published in pamphlet form. His best-known contribution to general journalistic literature is "Die Napoleoniden in Amerika," which, appeared in "Die Europa" (Stuttgart). He collaborated with Benjamin Szold and Marcus Jastrow in the revision of the prayer-book "'Abodat Yisrael" (1871).

A. H. S.Isaac Höchheimer:

Rabbi; born in Ansbach 1790; died at Ichenhausen 1861; son of Moses ben Ḥayyim Cohen Höchheimer. He was rabbi of Ichenhausen from 1828 until his death.

D. M. K.Lewis Höchheimer:

American attorney; born Aug. 1, 1853, at Baltimore, Md.; son of Rabbi Henry Hochheimer. A graduate from the law department of the University of Maryland, he now practises law in Baltimore. He is actively identified with child-saving and prison work, and is the author of two text-books, "Custody of Infants" (1891) and "Digest of Criminal Procedure in Maryland" (1892), and of occasional magazine articles on subjects relating to legal and social science.

A. H. S.Moses ben Ḥayyim Cohen Höchheimer:

Grammarian; born at Hochheim; died at an advanced age, Feb. 10, 1835, at Ansbach; brother of Elias Cohen. He was dayyan in Fürth, and from 1793 till his death district rabbi of Ansbach. He was the author of "Sefer Safah Berurah," a Hebrew grammar (Fürth, 1790), and of a commentary on David Ḳimḥi's "Miklol" (ib. 1793). A number of his Hebrew poems appeared in different periodicals.

D. M. K.Simon Höchheimer:

Physician and author; born in Hochheim toward the middle of the eighteenth century; died at Fürth after 1822. He was a very learned man and traveled extensively; but he led an adventurous life. He lived for some years in Berlin, where he associated with Moses Mendelssohn and his friends. On his departure from that city in the summer of 1785, Mendelssohn, Marcus Herz, Marcus Eliezer Bloch, David Friedländer, and several of Mendelssohn's Christian friends gave him their autographs. From Berlin he went to Munich, and thence to Frankfort-on-the-Main. In 1791 he was living in Freiburg-im-Breisgau, and in 1793 in Vienna. On account of his erudition he was exempted from the personal tax. At the time of hisdeath he was physician to the Jewish hospital at Fürth.

Höchheimer was the author of the following works: "Ueber Moses Mendelssohns Tod," Vienna and Leipsic, 1786; "Bestimmte Bedeutung der Wörter Fanatismus, Enthusiasmus, und Schwärmerei," Vienna, 1786; "Systematisch-Theoretisch-Praktische Abhandlung über Krankheiten aus Schwäche und deren Behandlung," Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1803; "Der Spiegel für Israeliten, ein Gegenstück zu Unserem Vorkehr," Nuremberg, 1817; "Unterweisung Wie Man die Jugend Unterrichten, Erwachsene Belehren, Menschen Glücklich Machen Kann," Fürth, 1822; Hebrew ed., ib. 1825.

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