Ludwig Lewisohn

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Ludwig Lewisohn (May 30, 1882, Berlin, Germany – December 31, 1955) was an American Jewish critic and novelist, perhaps known best for his novel The Island Within. He wrote several autobiographies, translated German literature, and wrote several works on Judaica and Zionism. Lewisohn immigrated to the United States in 1890 with his parents. The family settled in Charleston, South Carolina. Though his mother was the daughter of a rabbi, the family converted to Christianity. Lewisohn in his youth was an active Methodist. After graduating with honors from the College of Charleston, Lewisohn went to Columbia University in 1902 to work on a doctorate. He received the degree of A.M. in 1903. In 1904 he was told by his advisers that a Jew would never be hired to teach English literature at an American university. The bitter irony in this advice led Lewisohn to return to Judaism and he became an outspoken critic of American Jewish assimilation. In 1948 Lewisohn was among the founding faculty members of Brandeis University, where he taught until his death.