LEMANS, MOSES

LEMANS, MOSES (1785–1832), Hebraist and mathematician. Born in Naarden, Netherlands, Lemans was one of the leaders of the Haskalah movement in Holland. He was one of the founders in 1808 of the "Chanogh lanangar ngal pie darkoo" society the aim of which was a reform in Jewish education. He published a pamphlet in which he praised the Sephardi pronunciation of Hebrew, preferring it to the Ashkenazi one. For the society he published Hebrew textbooks, as well as a translation of the Bible into Dutch. He was one of the founders of the Jewish Mathematicians' Association, "Mathesis artium genetrix." In 1818 he was appointed head of the first school for needy Jews in Amsterdam, and in 1828 teacher of mathematics in the Amsterdam gymnasium (secondary school). Lemans published a number of works on Hebrew grammar and mathematics. With S.I. *Mulder, he compiled a Hebrew-Dutch dictionary. Of his Hebrew poems, the most important is an epic on the revolt of the Belgians against the Netherlands (in Ms.). For his activities on behalf of the Jews he was awarded a medal by the Netherlands' government. His works include Levensbeschrijving… Moses Majemonides (Amsterdam, 1815); Rudimenta of gronden der hebreeuwsche taal (1820); Gebeden der Nederlandsche Israëliten (1822); Hebreeuwsch-Nederduitsch handwoordenboek (1831); and Allereerste gronden der Hebreeuwsche taal (1876).

bibliography:

Ulman, in: Jaarboeken voor de Israëliten in Nederland, 2 (1836), 297–312; A. Dellavilla, Allon Muẓẓav (1852); Michman-Melkman, in: Leshonenu la-Am, 18 (1967), 76–90, 120–35.

[Jozeph Michman (Melkman)]