Joachim Prinz

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Joachim Prinz (1902-1988^[1]) was a German rabbi who was outspoken against Nazism and became an American Jewish leader. After his emigration to the United States, he became vice-chairman of the World Jewish Congress, an active member of the World Zionist Organization and a participant in the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Activism 2.1 Jewish Rights 2.2 Broader Civil Rights 3 References and citations

[edit] History

Born, on May 10, 1902, in the German country village of Burkhardtsdorf, Prinz was a vocal opponent to Nazism and spent his young years warning others about the dangers of National Socialism long before Adolf Hitler seized power in 1933.^[3] At that time, most German Jews who had lived in Germany, with communities dating back as far as the 4th Century, saw Hitler’s gradual rise as a momentary chapter in an otherwise normal, assimilated life.^[4]

Prinz, who grew up in rural Germany, was already familiar with anti-Semitism. He saw Hitler’s message as a rallying cry that was capturing the hearts of so many around him. He started persuading Jews to leave Germany. In his book "Wir Juden" (We Jews, Berlin 1934) he used the same racist terms the Nazis used to discriminate the Jews as he considered the Jews to be a race with Jewish blood separate from the Germans. To promote Zionism he welcomed like other Zionists the German antisemitism as it would force the assimilated Jews to show their colours. Prinz’ message, as a result, made him a constant Gestapo target. He was often arrested and detained on harassment charges by the Gestapo.

Prinz was born to an assimilated Jewish family. Early on, he became motivated by a charismatic rabbi and Prinz’ took an increasing interest in Judaism. His Jewish roots grew even stronger following his mother’s death. By 1917, he had also joined the Zionist Blau Weiss (Blue White) youth movement, which set him apart from the mainstream German Jewish establishment.

At 21, Joachim Prinz received his Ph.D. in philosophy, and had minored in Art History, at the University of Giessen. He was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau. He married Lucie Horovitz, the daughter of the seminary’s most prominent professors.

As his prominence grew in Germany and his fears of Hitler's reign coming to fruition, he earned the sponsorship of Rabbi Stephen Wise who was a close adviser to President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1937, Prinz immigrated to the United States. He immediately began lecturing throughout the U.S. for the United Palestine Appeal, established in the 1920s as the fund raising arm in the United States for the Jewish Agency for Israel. It was, essentially, the precursor to what became the American Jewish support base for a nation state of Israel and the United Israel Appeal.^[5][6]

Joachim Prinz settled in New Jersey as the spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Abraham in Newark.

[edit] Activism

Within a short period, Prinz' activism helped him rise to become one of the top leaders within the Jewish organizational structure. He held top leadership positions in the World Jewish Congress, as president of the American Jewish Congress from 1958-1966, and as Chairman of the World Conference of Jewish Organizations. Later, he was a director of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Prinz´ early involvement in the Zionist movement made him a close ally and friend of the founding leaders Israel. Prinz was essential to establishing what became the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations. Prinz was Chairman from 1965-1967.^[7]

[edit] Jewish Rights

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

[edit] Broader Civil Rights

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

[edit] References and citations