Haskalah

American  

[hah-skuh-lah, hah-skaw-luh, hah-skah-lah] / ˌhɑ skəˈlɑ, hɑˈskɔ lə, hɑ skɑˈlɑ /

noun

1. an 18th–19th-century movement among central and eastern European Jews, begun in Germany under the leadership of Moses Mendelssohn, designed to make Jews and Judaism more cosmopolitan in character by promoting knowledge of and contributions to the secular arts and sciences and encouraging adoption of the dress, customs, and language of the general population.

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Etymology

Origin of Haskalah

From the Hebrew word haśkālāh enlightenment

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Haskalah

This is the clue to the study of the Haskalah, as will appear from what follows.

From The Haskalah Movement in Russia by Jacob S. Raisin

Hasidim, 65;   their teachings, 66, 67, 150;   spread, 69;   persecuted by the Mitnaggedim, 76, 131;   efforts at reconciliation with Mitnaggedim, 120-121, 260;   reformed, 122;   united with Mitnaggedim against Haskalah, 134;   fought by Maskilim, 168.

From The Haskalah Movement in Russia by Jacob S. Raisin

But the Gaon's influence on the Haskalah movement by far surpassed his influence on the study of the Talmud or on the ceremonials of the synagogue.

From The Haskalah Movement in Russia by Jacob S. Raisin

But it is scarcely possible, nor would it be profitable, to enumerate either the places or the persons who were, so to speak, inoculated with the Haskalah virus.

From The Haskalah Movement in Russia by Jacob S. Raisin

Strange to say, he little suspected the tremendous influence he exerted upon the Haskalah movement, but was quite sanguine of the success of his fight for "truth and justice among the nations."

From The Haskalah Movement in Russia by Jacob S. Raisin