Moses Mendelssohn

Moses Mendelssohn (6 September 1729 – 4 January 1786) is a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment) is indebted.

Although himself a practicing orthodox Jew, he has been referred to as the father of Reform Judaism.

Born to a poor Jewish family in Dessau and originally destined for a rabbinical career, Mendelssohn educates himself in German thought and literature and from his writings on philosophy and religion comes to be regarded as a leading cultural figure of his time by both Germans and Jews.

He also establishes himself as an important figure in the Berlin textile industry, which is the foundation of his family's wealth.

Moses Mendelssohn's descendants include the composers Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and the founders of the Mendelssohn & Co. banking house.

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