The author of this volume, through these twelve compelling biographies, offers a revealing look at his own deep convictions. The four classic figures presented, Saadia, Gershom, Rashi and Maimonides, stand for the intellectual heritage of German Judaism. The eight modern figures, among them, Steinschneider, Hoffman, Sulzberger, Schechter, Jacobs, Malter, Margolis and Friedlaender, find a place at the center of the movement for the intellectual modernization of Judaism. Originally published in 1948 by the Jewish Publication Society, this edition contains a new introduction by Jacob Neusner.