January 4 1786 – 5 Shevat 5546
Moses Mendelssohn, the path-breaking scholar who pioneered the struggle for Jewish rights in Europe, passed away at age fifty-six. The first Jew to translate the Bible into German, Mendelssohn was also one of the first widely recognized Jewish philosophers. Though many consider him the father of Reform Judaism and secular Jewish scholarship, he fought bravely and publicly against Christians seeking to convert him. Although Mendelssohn was an observant Jew, his descendants converted to Christianity to gain acceptance in German culture.