Isaak was born in Buczacz (Galicia) where he received an excellent Hebrew and Talmudical education. As a young adult in Jerusalem he came under the influence of Nicolayson, and came to faith in his Messiah. He then studied in the Jerusalem Missionary College from 1842-46. Afterwards he was appointed principal of the House of Industry, and then from 1848-55 he laboured as missionary in England where he was known by the name "Paul".
On Isaak's return to the land of Israel he was appointed as head of the model farm at Jaffa. This model farm was a property purchased by a 2nd generation Jewish believer, Albert Augustus Isaacs, who had been born in Jamaica on a coffee plantation his father owned. This Isaacs was a well known preacher and teacher and earnestly desired the good of Jewish believers like himself, who needed means by which to support themselves in then-Palestine. His solution was to found a colony which would become self-supporting and provide both shelter, community and means of support for Jewish believers and enquirers.
Isaak Hershon managed the farm until 1869 but was obliged to resign due to ill health. He returned to England and devoted himself to literary work, for which he was particularly gifted. Some of his writings include “Extracts from the Talmud,” 1860; “the Pentateuch according to the Talmud,”Hebrew, 1874; “A Talmudical Miscellany,” 1880; “treasures of the Talmud,” 1882.
He died in London, 1888.
Sources:
Bernstein, A. Jewish Witnesses for Christ
De le Roi, J. F. A. Die evangelisehe Christenheit und die Juden unter dem Gesichtspunkte der Mission geschichtlich betrachtet. Dritter Band, Berlin, H. Reuther's Verlagsbuchhandlung. (H. Reuther & 0. Reichard.) 1892.
