Early Modern Jewish history is full of depth and knowledge that fascinated and cultivated the religion into what it would become. An important part of the story was the ideologies and philosophies of Moses Mendelssohn. Considered the first modern Jewish philosopher and shaper of Judaism, Mendelssohn was the beginning of what would become the Jewish Enlightenment. By being the first person to translate the Bible from Hebrew to German, he opened the door for Jews to rediscover and improve their knowledge. A writer and philosopher, many of Mendelssohn's writings were highly successful and were considered harbingers of a new way of thinking. While many of his writings received praise from people from different quarters, criticism arose, including Dohm and an anonymous writer, who attacked and challenged his philosophies. Being a fair and critical thinker, Mendelssohn offered refutations or explanations to the ideas and philosophies that made him the father of the Jewish Enlightenment. Early in Mendelssohn's career, a man named Johann Caspar Lavater attempted to challenge and convert Mendelssohn to Christianity. In an attempt to convince him to convert, Lavater proposed that he try and prevent evidence against Christianity or then convert to Christianity. Mendelssohn did not directly respond to Lavater's proposal and attack. Instead, he promptly declared his firm allegiance and loyalty to Judaism. Lavater's attack shocked Mendelssohn, as he did not want to attach much importance to his religious background and wondered why Lavater was simply annoying him. Following Lavater's attack, Mendelssohn devoted all his efforts to trying to convince Jews to explore the German background. and make them members of Jewish society. In doing so, he trans...... middle of paper ......and The French Revolution was a period in which social and political spectrums were expanding. One outcome of the French Revolution included a declaration that attempted to establish freedom and the right to practice any religion. Following this Declaration, the emancipation of the Jews in France occurred with the help of Napoleon. Following the Declaration, Napoleon aimed to discover Jewish backgrounds and whether or not they were eligible to join French society. His efforts allowed equal freedom of religion and some rights for Jews that did not exist before his reign. Napoleon essentially aided the rights of the Jews in France during his regime and helped them gain a place in society. Works Cited Flohr, Paul R. and Jehuda Reinharz. "2." The Jew in the Modern World: A Documentary History. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. Print.