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Judah Leon Magnes (July 5, 1877 – October 27, 1948) was a well-known Reform rabbi. Magnes served as the first chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1925), and later as its President (1935–1948). He is known as a leader of the pacifist movement during WWI.

He was born Julian Leon Magnes in San Francisco to David Magnes and Sophie Abrahamson (Magnes). His family moved to Oakland, where he attended Sabbath school at First Hebrew Congregation. He was taught by Ray Frank, the first Jewish woman to preach formally from a pulpit in the US. 1 His bar mitzvah speech in 1890 was quoted in the Oakland Tribune. He was the grandson of Jacob Abrahamson.

The Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley (now called: The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life) was the first Jewish museum in the west and was named in Magnes' honor.

Links and References

  1. Judah Leon Magnes on Wikipedia
  2. The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life website