Fischer, Josef

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FISCHER, JOSEF

FISCHER, JOSEF (1871–1949), rabbi, historian of Danish Jewry. Born in Hungary, Fischer served as dayyan and librarian of the Copenhagen Jewish community from 1893, and was in charge of its welfare work from 1901 to 1932. He was a leading member of the Mizrachi movement in Denmark. Fischer wrote extensively on the genealogy of Jewish families in Denmark and the history of Danish Jewry in general; some of his studies were translated into English and German. He edited the Tidsskrift for Jødisk Historie og Litteratur ("Journal for Jewish History and Literature") in 1917–25 and contributed to the Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. His son leo became president of the Copenhagen Jewish community in 1964.

[Bent Melchior]