Meijer de Hond

Meijer de Hond (30 August 1882 – 23 July 1943), was a Dutch rabbi. He authored the Hebrew magazine Libanon, where he depicted the lives of the Jewish poor of Amsterdam, promoted traditional Jewish values, opposed socialism and Zionism, but also suggested the relaxation of some traditional rules and customs. Despite his popularity among the poor, who gave him the nickname Volksrebbe, his reformist religious views led to conflicts with Jewish authorities which resulted in the disruption of his education. After further studies in Germany, he returned to Amsterdam but struggled to gain recognition within the Jewish establishment. He actively contributed to cultural and social initiatives, including founding youth organisations and a theatre association. In 1943, he and his family were deported to Westerbork and later murdered in Auschwitz and Sobibor.

Biography Meijer de Hond was born in Amsterdam in one of the poorest Jewish quarters as the son of Mozes Levie de Hond and Esther van Praag. After finishing school, he attended the Nederlandsch-Israëlietisch Seminarium from 1894, with whose director, Chief Rabbi Joseph Hirsch Dünner, he had a strained relationship. In 1901, he began studying at the University of Amsterdam, which was compulsory to obtain the highest rabbinical examination, and attended lectures in classical philology, philosophy, and archaeology. On 26 October 1904, he passed his examination at the university and received the degree of rabbinical candidate (magid) at the seminarium.

Even during his student years, de Hond acquired a reputation as an outstanding preacher and speaker. In order to give him the opportunity to speak to large audiences more often, the association Touroh Our (The Teaching is the Light) was founded in 1905. Between 1908 and 1914, the association published the Hebrew-language monthly magazine Libanon, of which de Hond himself was the sole author. For these views, he was strongly attacked by Philip Elte, the editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad, who refused to publish de Hond's replies. De Hond remained Touroh Our's spiritual leader, and over the years his reputation as a speaker grew; among other things, he preached in the small synagogue (sjoeltje) Reisjies Touw.

Meijer de Hond was not only active as a speaker and publicist, he was also committed to the cultural and social advancement of the Jewish proletariat of Amsterdam. He gave religious instruction, founded a theatre association and, in 1913, the youth association Jong-Betsalel. He wrote plays for the theatre association and songs for the children's choir De Joodse Stem. The nameplate was unveiled by de Hond's friend Ben Italiaander, recipient of a last postcard from de Hond before his deportation.