Nir David

This Polish-born author (1772-1845) gravitated to Berlin, where he became a lifelong friend of Naphtali Herz (Hartwig) Wessely, perhaps the most gifted Hebrew poet of the day. Cohen served as editor of the literary journal Ha-Me’asef from 1809-11 and in 1821 he established the literary review Bikurei Ha’Itim. A traditional element within the burgeoning Haskalah movement, Cohen was opposed to the liberties taken by the Hamburg Temple, beachhead of the Reform movement, indeed he assisted in editing the responsa, Eleh Divrei HaBerith (Altona, 1819). This poetic work, Nir David, is considered “one of the first romantic works in Hebrew literature” (EJ vol. 5 col. 685).