Prof. Har-Segur was the defender of humanism at a time when many forces - religious and others - are trying to undo its achievements
Prof. Michael Har-Segur passed away this morning, he was 87 years old. Her-Segur was the greatest humanist of our generation. Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to participate in very few of his lectures, but I left them thrilled. The razor-sharp man did not let anyone work on him. He did not like the founders of religions to say the least - Moses Jesus and Muhammad were good marketing people, he said.
He specialized in the Age of Enlightenment, the period around the French Revolution, the activity of the encyclopedists and the literary salons in the homes of the rich, a period when ideas such as freedom and equality sprouted, and science received its rightful place.
He did not hesitate to express his opinion on Israeli politics as well. He did not approve of the religious takeover of the State of Israel, as if surrendering to every demand of an ultra-Orthodox businessman was an axiom.
For more than twenty years, he regularly presented, every Friday at seven o'clock in the evening, together with the theater actor and broadcaster Alex Ansky, the program "Historical Hour" on Gali IDF. I would be happy if the IDF would simply upload them to the Internet (they don't upload programs there at all, which is a shame). I don't think there is a substitute for Michael Har-Segur's humor, vast knowledge, sharp mind and analytical ability. At times it seemed that he met all the characters he talked about with such intimacy, understanding the dynamics of the small details in history that make it interesting.
Below is a message received from Tel Aviv University
Prof. Michael Harsgur (2011-1924) began studying history at Tel Aviv University, in its early days at the Abu Kabir campus, as an adult with rich life experience and a similar broad education, including mastery of many languages. Due to his academic excellence, he was sent to doctoral studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris, where he prepared his important research paper, which deals with the social relationships of the members of the King's Council in France during the Renaissance. This impressive work, spanning 4 thick volumes (published by the University of Lille Press, 1980-81), earned him the title of full professor at the Sorbonne, and thus Hersgur was the only doctoral student in the history of Tel Aviv University to skip the entire academic ladder and was immediately appointed full professor The quorum is also at Tel Aviv University. This large-scale study, which immediately became a cornerstone in the study of the development of the French monarchy during the Renaissance, led him to a second important study on political oligarchies in the Western world during the Middle Ages and the early modern period, which was published as a book in Paris in 1994.
During his stay in Portugal in 1974, as part of his research work, he was caught up in a revolution that overthrew the old regime and created democracy in that country. His experiences from this experience were written down in his book Ma'afika in Portugal, which was a great success, and appeared in French, Portuguese, English and Hebrew (published by Em Oved 1976).
In the history department, Hersgur was highly regarded as a dedicated teacher who arouses intellectual curiosity and encourages young students to devote themselves to the study and research of Western history in the early modern period. Some of the senior professors in this department were his students. After his retirement, he devoted himself to a large extent to the popularization of history in the popular program of Gali IDF - "Historical Hour", where the audience could also get to know his captivating personality, and the original sense of humor that was so characteristic of him.
Of blessed memory.
And so his friend, head of the Daat Emet movement and Or party, Yaron Yedan, writes about him
Prof. Michael Harsgur is dead, and his words are bubbling in my heart.
When I picked up the phone at his home to ask for a recommendation to know-truth, he asked: What are the actions of true-truth? I replied that one of the actions is distributing critical material (contras) to the religious/Orthodox/secular public about the Jewish religion. He laughed and said: This is what Walter did to Christianity during the French Revolution, together with his wife they wrote, financed and distributed. I continued with the explanation of truth.
And he immediately told me to write: what to write? He replied to the recommendation. And so in Shlifa he wrote: "I am sure that the Association of Opinion - Emet is an important cultural and intellectual force, in the spiritual life of Israel. A great weapon against backwardness and darkness, and any help given to this association is for the forward march of the ideas of reason and light in the Israeli public. This association strives to bring Israel into the world the culture".
He contributed a monthly standing order to know the truth until this day.
I met at his house for two meetings. The one with Tomer Kerman, in connection with his support for the Or party, and he recommended that we translate the French constitution into Hebrew and this would be an "Or" platform.
In the second meeting we talked for a long time about many issues and among other things he told painfully about his disappointment with the Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim in Kom Madina that "flattered" the Orthodox rabbis on the subject of marriage. And when we talked about the French Revolution, he mentioned the point, which surprised me, one of the innovations of the revolution is that "man is allowed to enjoy himself", how wonderful. I wrote a summary of one of his books "The Age of Light" after he went over it and gave his approval:
Michael Hersgor
Emeritus Professor of History, Tel Aviv University, State Doctor of France
Of blessed memory,
Yaron Yadan
18 תגובות
Yaron Yadan, an anti-Semitic racist,
Look how he talks with his nose up...
Yehudon is mentally ill
I see this article about the late Professor Har-Segur, who many people miss, just now.
I found on the Internet all the recordings (almost all) of the historic hour here:
http://shaa-historit.jetnumbers.com/
warmly recommended
I have at least 300 hours of history that I recorded over the years in a kind of obsession full of love for the man for the knowledge and joy he gave me indirectly.
I'd be happy.
Views
May his memory be blessed.
Of blessed memory!
I have been a regular listener to his programs since the 1990s and I hope that GLC will personally set up a home site for him where recordings of all his programs will be concentrated.
Hanan Sabat
http://WWW.EURA.ORG.IL
Just an Israeli:
This is a good example of "don't confuse me with the facts".
Har-Segur's views on religion, on religions, on the religious establishment and on the founders of religions were not invented by my father.
These are opinions that Har Segor expressed himself more than once - opinions which he based on a thorough knowledge of history.
But you remembered him favorably and only because of my father's article did you file him away as another "anti-religious".
Are you sure you weren't joking?
These things describe you more than they describe the article or Har-Segur.
For you, "anti-religious" is a derogatory name even if the anti-religiousness is justified. You don't even check the anti-religious reasons lest you be convinced by them. You simply label the person as anti-religious and thus allow yourself to ignore his learned words (therefore it is not surprising that you used the word "file" and not the accepted word - "label". When you put someone in a file you can ignore their existence. Something similar to a cyst that the living body develops to wrap an infection in it that does not succeed eliminate or emit. Those who are not aware of the phenomenon in the human body are surely aware of it in pearl oysters).
The truth does not require parental approval. Science, unlike religion, strives for truth and knows how to correct itself if it is wrong.
Someone whose whole life is built on a lie thinks that he has to convince young children who haven't learned yet (and because the resources go to him and not to the education system, they won't learn either).
http://www.hofesh.org.il/articles/halacha/muttar_leshaker.html
Prof. Har Segor was one of a kind, a great teacher who knew how to take a subject considered by many to be boring (including many teachers on the subject...) such as history and show that it is more interesting than any telenovela or this or that survival series. He knew how to see and convey the fascinating general picture instead of focusing on the moldy details that repel every student such as memorizing dates, "trends" "processes" whose honor rests with those who want to delve deeper, but they are not the ones who will bring love to the subject. I wish all teachers would learn from him.
Of blessed memory
Just an Israeli
There is no such thing as just Israeli,
You are horrified by accusations against the religious, so you have characteristics that are not shared by everyone, you are an Israeli with a distinct bias.
Just an Israeli (1, 4)
The bad words, religious in general and the religious establishment in particular, earned and are still earning honestly. Yaron Yedan is leading a campaign against that dark religion which is the antithesis of Western culture which rests with its full weight on science, technology and the rational thinking that underpins it, therefore it is certainly reasonable that in his obituary he points out points of convergence between his work and the actions and opinions of Professor Har-Segur. Phobias have all kinds of emotional and irrational reasons, so when you brandish "deathophobia" you unfairly disparage people who point out the tangible, as opposed to imaginary, dangers inherent in the religious "way". Especially in this context, it would be correct to return to the professor's historical lectures and learn about the religious and religious exploits of their generations, about their various and diverse currents, and remember where this path leads and why it is time for humans to abandon the crutches that past and present experience proves their failure and start taking responsibility for their lives and their environment. If you enjoyed his lectures but because of this article you will file him as another anti-religious sign that at most you heard his words but did not listen to them, let alone understand them.
Avi -
1. Does "they" mean the ultra-Orthodox? Because non-Orthodox religious people work and protect and how else.
2. What we have here is definitely "dethophobia" according to the definition: a mental state of chronic or excessive fear of some object or situation, which actually disrupts the life of the sufferer
2. A. State of mind - obviously, it's about a worldview.
2. B. Chronic or excessive fear - definitely excessive, we are on the opposite track from a Halacha state.
2. c. Disrupts the life of the sufferer - visible. It enters every sentence and affects every thought.
3. Who is "we" who protect them? The children of north Tel Aviv who are dodging?
4. Do you require anyone who enters your website to be over 18? Or does anti-religious preaching not require parental approval?
For an Israeli - you are going far. There is a difference between a dethophobia that I don't have and no one I know has, and the fear of their control, which will bring disaster on us. My criticism is that they don't want to work and go to the army and want us to pay taxes and protect them. And besides, they also tell us how to live and put an end to the will of the parents by addressing their children in a missionary way. And tell me that not everyone is Chabad in Ramat Aviv, but I see that it is already starting to become a scourge of the state - Nes Ziona, Ramat HaShevim, Neve Sha'anan in Haifa. This is the infrastructure for the Halacha state, and if you don't see it, you are innocent or innocent.
On the Galatz website - "Historical Hour" recordings of the late Prof. Har-Segur.
http://www.glz.co.il/NewsArticle.aspx?newsid=62678
Hope that Galetz will upload to their website (or sell an audio CD) with the collection of recordings from his hundreds of wise conversations, in his memory.
Of blessed memory.
I only have good memories of listening to Prof. Har Segor during history class at Gali Tshal.
Avi -
Iran is a halachic state. Definitely hated on us, and not a role model.
But science - there is and in it. Otherwise she wouldn't be a threat.
Singapore is a dictatorship. Not hated on us, but not a role model either.
But crime - it is almost non-existent.
The world is not as simple as in the naive model you propose.
Why can't you eulogize a historian without putting religious people in the middle?
rope. Until your article, I remembered with pleasure his programs on the radio, and now he is filed with me as another anti-religious. We probably have "Deathophobia".
Just an Israeli, in a halachic state like the one that is being woven before our eyes and that Prof. Har-Segur warned us about, there will be no place for science. He also said that we need to learn from history. After all, the French Revolution was a secular revolution. Please refer to what he said to Yaron Yedan.
Of blessed memory. Big man.
And without saying a bad word about the religious, it is impossible. . . So I stopped reading.