Early life Jacob Libermann was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in the ghetto of Saverne, Alsace, France in 1802. As a young man, Libermann prepared to follow in the footsteps of his father, the Chief Rabbi of Saverne.  He would later relate how he lost his faith in Judaism after entering a yeshiva. Treated with disdain by two of the professors there, he began to read French literature, especially Rousseau, with the result that he became an agnostic. Later during this period of agnosticism, another rabbinical student gave him a Hebrew translation of the Gospels. Being always a very moral person, Libermann was captivated by the high moral tone of Jesus' discourses, though he could not accept the supernatural elements in the Gospels. Then, however, he received three blows to his agnosticism when two of his brothers, to whom he was very attached, and an old friend and former fellow student  converted to Roman Catholicism , Knight Drach . He, too, began to find himself drawn toward the Catholic Church. François Libermann, 19th century. After arriving in Paris, where his father had sent him to pursue his studies, he made his decision and Jacob Libermann was baptized on 24 December 1826, taking the name François Marie Paul. He entered a Paris seminary in the  same year to study for the priesthood. The knowledge of his conversion was long concealed from his father, who was horrified to learn of his favorite son's actions. When the news of his baptism reached Saverne, his father mourned him as dead  .
Early life Jacob Libermann was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Saverne, Alsace, France in 1802. As a young man, Libermann prepared to follow in the footsteps of his father, the Chief Rabbi of Saverne. "The Story of Francis Libermann", Francis Libermann Catholic School, Toronto He would later relate how he lost his faith in Judaism after entering a yeshiva. Treated with disdain by two of the professors there, he began to read French literature, especially Rousseau, with the result that he became an agnostic. Later during this period of agnosticism, another rabbinical student gave him a Hebrew translation of the Gospels. Being always a very moral person, Libermann was captivated by the high moral tone of Jesus' discourses, though he could not accept the supernatural elements in the Gospels. Then, however, he received three blows to his agnosticism when two of his brothers, to whom he was very attached, and an old friend and former fellow student , Knight Drach, converted to Roman Catholicism . He, too, began to find himself drawn toward the Catholic Church. After arriving in Paris, where his father had sent him to pursue his studies, he made his decision and Jacob Libermann was baptized on 24 December 1826, taking the name François Marie Paul. He entered the Saint-Sulpice seminary in Paris in the same year to study for the priesthood. The knowledge of his conversion was long concealed from his father, who was horrified to learn of his favorite son's actions. When the news of his baptism reached Saverne, his father mourned him as dead . François Libermann, 19th century .
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the ghetto of
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"The Story of Francis Libermann", Francis Libermann Catholic School, Toronto
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, Knight Drach,
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, Knight Drach
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François Libermann, 19th century.
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a Paris seminary in
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Saint-Sulpice seminary in Paris in the
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. François Libermann, 19th century