Reich, Max Isaac, 1867-1945.
Biographical Statement
Max Isaac Reich was born on March 17, 1867 in Berlin, Germany, son of Adolphus and Emma (Wolff) Reich. The original family name, Tugendreich, was Jewish in origin when “Max” was known as Isaac Ben Abraham. Reich received his early education in Berlin and London. He first came to England with his father after his mother’s and lived with his stepmother, an orthodox Jew. He was employed as a printing apprentice at a London firm, under foreman John Crane. In 1884 Reich responded to the message of the Christian gospel from one of the daughters of William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) and American evangelist, D.L. Moody. He was taken under the tutelage of John Galway McVicker of the Plymouth Brethren, and also influenced by George Muller, founder of the English orphanage, and Thomas Newberry, editor of the Englishman’s Greek and Hebrew Bible. In 1886 Reich traveled to New York City as a missionary, then traversed the U.S. and Canada. Two years later he married Esther Mary Lorenzen on September 5, 1888, and together they eventually had nine children (five sons and four daughters): Florence, Annie, William, Edward, Esther, Alice, John, Lawrence and Joseph. The Reich’s ministered to Native Americans on the frontiers of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In 1892 Reich moved the entire family to Scotland, and then ministered in Europe, gaining proficiency in five languages. Long affiliated with the Plymouth Brethren, in 1904 Reich moved toward Quaker convictions, and working as a minister in the Society of Friends as an expositor and leader among Christian Jews in the United States and in Germany. Soon he and Mary became overseers of Beth-shan in North London, a rest home for retired Christian workers. They returned to the United States in 1915 where he founded the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America, serving as its president from 1921 to 1927 and 1935 to 1938. Similarly in 1925, he founded the International Hebrew Christian Alliance in London. In 1930 he joined the extension staff at Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in Chicago, speaking at Bible conferences, preaching and interpreting prophecy, before becoming a full-time faculty member, lecturer of Jewish Missions and eventual department head. In addition to classroom teaching, he wrote articles and devotional verse for The Alliance Weekly (which he also edited) and various journals. These pieces were gathered into books including The Deeper Life and Sweet Singer of Israel. As editor he occasionally published pieces by pastor A.W. Tozer and V. Raymond Edman, president of Wheaton College. In all, Reich authored eight books and dozens of tracts and pamphlets, including Studies in Messianic Prophecy and Studies in the Psalms of Israel. He also wrote several articles which were published in a variety of Christian magazines. Wheaton College conferred to Reich an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1936. After a distinguished fifteen-year career at MBI, he died in 1945 at age 79 following an operation. He is buried beside a Friends Meeting House near his home in Pennsylvania.
Citation:
Author: Wheaton College Archives & Special Collection staffCitation:
http://recollections.liblog.wheaton.edu/2009/12/14/max-isaac-reich/Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Max Reich Papers
The collection is organized into eight series (Biographical, Correspondence, Diaries/Notes, Sermons, Poetry, Published Materials, Secondary, Photographs). The bulk of the collection is found in Reich's writings, either manuscript or published, related to Hebrew Christian matters.