Krochmal, Nachman

Krochmal, Nachman (näkh`män krôkh`mäl), 1785–1840, Jewish secular historian and writer, b. Galicia. He was a leader in the movement of the Jewish enlightenment and a pioneer of modern Jewish scholarship. He applied his synthesis of religion and philosophy to the writing and teaching of Jewish history. His most important work, Guide to the Perplexed of Our Age, in Hebrew, was published posthumously in 1851.