M E O R O T a Forum of Modern Orthodox Discourse (Formerly Edah Journal)
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Understanding the Major Branches of Modern Judaism May 10, 2012
Understanding the Major Branches of Modern Judaism May 10, 2012 Initial terms: 24 or 72 kinds Torah/Talmud (oral/written law).Halacha orthopraxy/orthodoxy, haskalah Babylonian Talmud kabbalah, Sephardic, Ashkenazi (with material gleaned from Wikipedia articles- no access to my books yet) Modern Judaism is loosely broken into three main branches: Orthodox Judaism is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin ("Oral Torah") and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. Orthodox Jews are also called "observant Jews"; Orthodoxy is known also as "Torah Judaism" or "traditional Judaism". Orthodox Judaism generally refers to Modern Orthodox Judaism and Haredi Judaism (Chasidic Chabad) but can actually include a wide range of beliefs. Orthodoxy collectively considers itself the only true heir to the Jewish tradition. The Orthodox Jewish movements generally consider all non-Orthodox Jewish movements to be unacceptable deviations from authentic Judaism; both because of other denominations' doubt concerning the verbal revelation of Written and Oral Torah, and because of their rejection of Halakhic precedent as binding. As such, Orthodox groups characterize non-Orthodox forms of Judaism as heretical Reform Judaism is a phrase that refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.[1] In general, Reform Judaism maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and compatible with participation in the surrounding culture. Many branches of Reform Judaism hold that Jewish law should be interpreted as a set of general guidelines rather than as a list of restrictions whose literal observance is required of all Jews.[2][3] Similar movements that are also occasionally called "Reform" include the Israeli Progressive Movement and its worldwide counterpart. -
A Tribu1e 10 Eslller, Mv Panner in Torah
gudath Israel of America's voice in kind of informed discussion and debate the halls of courts and the corri that leads to concrete action. dors of Congress - indeed every A But the convention is also a major where it exercises its shtadlonus on yardstick by which Agudath Israel's behalf of the Kial - is heard more loudly strength as a movement is measured. and clearly when there is widespread recognition of the vast numbers of peo So make this the year you ple who support the organization and attend an Agm:fah conventicm. share its ideals. Resente today An Agudah convention provides a forum Because your presence sends a for benefiting from the insights and powerfo! - and ultimately for choice aa:ommodotions hadracha of our leaders and fosters the empowering - message. call 111-m-nao is pleased to announce the release of the newest volume of the TlHllE RJENNlERT JED>JITJION ~7~r> lEN<ClY<ClUO>lPElOl l[}\ ~ ·.:~.~HDS. 1CA\J~YA<Gr M(][1CZ\V<Q . .:. : ;······~.·····················.-~:·:····.)·\.~~····· ~s of thousands we~ed.(>lig~!~d~ith the best-selling mi:i:m niw:.r c .THE :r~~··q<:>Jy(MANDMENTS, the inaugural volume of theEntzfl(lj)('dia (Mitzvoth 25-38). Now join us aswestartfromthebeginning. The En~yclop~dia provides yau with • , • A panciramicviewofthe entire Torah .Laws, cust9ms and details about each Mitzvah The pririlafy reasons and insights for each Mitzvah. tteas.. ury.· of Mid. ra. shim and stories from Cha. zal... and m.uc.h.. n\ ''"'''''' The Encyclopedia of the Taryag Mitzvoth The Taryag Legacy Foundation is a family treasure that is guaranteed to wishes to thank enrich, inspire, and elevate every Jewish home. -
Most Common Jewish First Names in Israel Edwin D
Names 39.2 (June 1991) Most Common Jewish First Names in Israel Edwin D. Lawson1 Abstract Samples of men's and women's names drawn from English language editions of Israeli telephone directories identify the most common names in current usage. These names, categorized into Biblical, Traditional, Modern Hebrew, and Non-Hebrew groups, indicate that for both men and women over 90 percent come from Hebrew, with the Bible accounting for over 70 percent of the male names and about 40 percent of the female. Pronunciation, meaning, and Bible citation (where appropriate) are given for each name. ***** The State of Israel represents a tremendous opportunity for names research. Immigrants from traditions and cultures as diverse as those of Yemen, India, Russia, and the United States have added their onomastic contributions to the already existing Jewish culture. The observer accustomed to familiar first names of American Jews is initially puzzled by the first names of Israelis. Some of them appear to be biblical, albeit strangely spelled; others appear very different. What are these names and what are their origins? Benzion Kaganoffhas given part of the answer (1-85). He describes the evolution of modern Jewish naming practices and has dealt specifi- cally with the change of names of Israeli immigrants. Many, perhaps most, of the Jews who went to Israel changed or modified either personal or family name or both as part of the formation of a new identity. However, not all immigrants changed their names. Names such as David, Michael, or Jacob required no change since they were already Hebrew names. -
Off the Derech: a Selected Bibliography
Off the Derech: A Selected Bibliography Books Abraham, Pearl. Giving Up America (Riverhead Books, 1998). Deena and Daniel buy a house, but soon after their relationship disintegrates and Deena questions her marriage, her job and her other relationships. Abraham, Pearl. The Romance Reader (Riverhead Books, 1995). Twelve-year-old Rachel Benjamin strains against the boundaries as the oldest daughter in a very strict Hasidic family. Alderman, Naomi. Disobedience. (Viking, 2006). Ronit Krushka never fit into her Orthodox London neighborhood or life as the daughter of its rabbinic leader. After his death, she returns to the community and re-examines her relationships, including one with another woman. Alderman presents a literary, thought-provoking journey of growth and acceptance. Auslander, Shalom. Foreskin’s Lament. (Riverhead Books, 2007). Auslander’s memoir relates the childhood experiences and interactions in the Orthodox community that led to his anger with God and to charting his own path. His caustic wit leaves the reader simultaneously hysterical and shocked. Bavati, Robyn. Dancing in the Dark. (Penguin Australia 2010; Flux (USA), 2013). Yehudit, Ditty, Cohen pursues her dreams of ballet secretly because her strictly Orthodox family would not approve of this activity. As her natural talent grows, so does her guilt at deceiving her family. Chayil, Eishes. Hush (Walker & Company; 2010). Gittel’s best friend commits suicide when they are ten-years-old, and she must come to terms with Devoiry’s death and the community’s stance on sexual abuse to move forward in her own life. Fallenberg, Evan. Light Fell (Soho Press, 2008). After a homosexual affair, Joseph leaves his wife and five sons. -
Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life1
ORTHODOXY IN AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE1 by CHARLES S. LIEBMAN INTRODUCTION • DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ORTHODOXY • EARLY ORTHODOX COMMUNITY • UNCOMMITTED ORTHODOX • COM- MITTED ORTHODOX • MODERN ORTHODOX • SECTARIANS • LEAD- ERSHIP • DIRECTIONS AND TENDENCIES • APPENDLX: YESHIVOT PROVIDING INTENSIVE TALMUDIC STUDY A HIS ESSAY is an effort to describe the communal aspects and institutional forms of Orthodox Judaism in the United States. For the most part, it ignores the doctrines, faith, and practices of Orthodox Jews, and barely touches upon synagogue hie, which is the most meaningful expression of American Orthodoxy. It is hoped that the reader will find here some appreciation of the vitality of American Orthodoxy. Earlier predictions of the demise of 11 am indebted to many people who assisted me in making this essay possible. More than 40, active in a variety of Orthodox organizations, gave freely of their time for extended discussions and interviews and many lay leaders and rabbis throughout the United States responded to a mail questionnaire. A number of people read a draft of this paper. I would be remiss if I did not mention a few by name, at the same time exonerating them of any responsibility for errors of fact or for my own judgments and interpretations. The section on modern Orthodoxy was read by Rabbi Emanuel Rackman. The sections beginning with the sectarian Orthodox to the conclusion of the paper were read by Rabbi Nathan Bulman. Criticism and comments on the entire paper were forthcoming from Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, Dr. Marshall Ski are, and Victor Geller, without whose assistance the section on the number of Orthodox Jews could not have been written. -
Simple Man: Never Give Up! a Path to Restoring HOPE (Part 3),Not
Wake up and Save the World written by Davy Dombrowsky | July 21, 2020 Oh no! It’s the 9 days again. Ever get that feeling? Me too. Want that feeling to go away? Me too. So how can we get rid of it? One good way would be to get rid of the 9 days altogether. Chazal tell us that “in any generation that the Holy Temple is not rebuilt, it’s as if that generation destroyed it”. If we had been to the Holy Temple, experienced the holiness of it and then seen it destroyed, we’d definitely cry a lot. It seems like it was just a building. But it’s not just a building, or even a holy building, it’s the embodiment of our souls. The pain and suffering that we’re going through, and even the pain of the whole world is directly related to the lack of Hashem’s presence in the world, because our Holy Temple is gone. So what can we do? Well, literally the third halacha in our Shulchan Aruch says as follows: “It’s fitting for anyone with awe of Heaven to feel pain and distress over the destruction of the Holy Temple” (Orach Chaim 1:3) The Mishna Brurah there spells out how to practice this “pain and distress”. One should try and get up at Chatzos (midnight) to say the Tikkun Chatzos (The Midnight Repair), which is a special prayer service recited nightly throughout the year to express our grief and concern over the destruction of the Holy Temple, the Jewish exile and our yearning for redemption. -
TORAH Weeklyparshat Beshalach 13 - 19 January, 2019 the Torah Finds It Necessary to Too Would Make Their Own 7 - 13 Shevat, 5779 the BONES of Mention Explicitly
בס״ד TORAH WEEKLYParshat Beshalach 13 - 19 January, 2019 the Torah finds it necessary to too would make their own 7 - 13 Shevat, 5779 THE BONES OF mention explicitly. Why? transition successfully. JOSEPH The answer is that Ever since leaving Torah : They say adapt or die. Joseph was unique. While Egypt, we’ve been wandering. Exodus 13:17 - 17:16 But must we jettison the old his brothers were simple And every move has brou- to embrace the new? Is the shepherds tending to their ght with it its own challen- Haftorah: choice limited to modern or flocks, Joseph was running ges. Whether from Poland the affairs of state of the mi- to America or Lithuania to Judges 4:4 - 5:31 antiquated, or can one be a contemporary traditionalist? ghtiest superpower of the day. South Africa, every transition Do the past and present ever To be a practicing Jew while has come with culture shocks CALENDARS co-exist? blissfully strolling through to our spiritual psyche. How We have Jewish At the beginning the meadows is not that com- do you make a living and still plicated. Alone in the fields, keep the Shabbat you kept in Calendars, if you would of this week’s Parshah we communing with nature, and the shtetl when the factory like one, please send us read that Moses himself was occupied with a special away from the hustle and bu- boss says “Cohen, if you don’t a letter and we will send mission as the Jews were stle of city life, one can more come in on Saturday, don’t you one, or ask the Rab- leaving Egypt. -
Halakhic Process 25 – Open Orthodoxy Sources
Halakhic Process Open Orthodoxy I. The Values of Open Orthodoxy 1. R. Avi Weiss – From Spiritual Activism Perhaps the most fundamental principle in Judaism is that every person is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Just as God gives and cares, so too do we – in the spirit of imitation Dei, "imitating god" – have the natural capacity to be giving and caring. In utilizing this capability, we reflect how God works through people. It is these spiritual underpinnings that are so crucial in carrying out political activism in the moral and ethical realms. The challenge for activists is to ignite the divine spark present in the human spirit and thereby impel people to do good for others. (P. XVIII) 2. R. Avi Weiss – From Women at Prayer A second area of development, concerns the view of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zt"l. In a recent article in Tradition by Rabbis Aryeh and Dov Frimer, they concluded that while the Rav did not criticize these groups from a technical halakhic perspective, he had serious public policy concerns about them. The Rav himself, always encouraged me and my colleagues in the rabbinate to pasken for our respective communities on these matters, for he realized that it is the individual Rav who has the responsibility to decide what is best for his community, as he often knows what is best for his constituency. This was the position of Rav Moshe Feinstein, as his grandson Rabbi Mordechai Tendler confirmed to me about two years ago. In any event, as Rav Aaron Soloveitchik has pointed out, public policy can be fluid, and what was a bad policy years ago might now be beneficial, or the contrary. -
The Rebbe and the Yak
Hillel Halkin on King James: The Harold Bloom Version JEWISH REVIEW Volume 2, Number 3 Fall 2011 $6.95 OF BOOKS Alan Mintz The Rebbe and the Yak Ruth R. Wisse Yehudah Mirsky Adam Kirsch Moshe Halbertal The Faith of Reds On Law & Forgiveness Yehuda Amital Elli Fischer & Shai Secunda Footnote: the Movie! Ruth Gavison The Nation of Israel? Philip Getz Birthright & Diaspora PLUS Did Billie Holiday Sing Yo's Blues? Sermons & Anti-Sermons & MORE Editor Abraham Socher Publisher Eric Cohen The history of America — Senior Contributing Editor one fear, one monster, Allan Arkush Editorial Board at a time Robert Alter Shlomo Avineri “An unexpected guilty pleasure! Poole invites us Leora Batnitzky into an important and enlightening, if disturbing, Ruth Gavison conversation about the very real monsters that Moshe Halbertal inhabit the dark spaces of America’s past.” Hillel Halkin – J. Gordon Melton, Institute for the Study of American Religion Jon D. Levenson Anita Shapira “A well informed, thoughtful, and indeed frightening Michael Walzer angle of vision to a compelling American desire to J. H.H. Weiler be entertained by the grotesque and the horrific.” Leon Wieseltier – Gary Laderman, Emory University Ruth R. Wisse Available in October at fine booksellers everywhere. Steven J. Zipperstein Assistant Editor Philip Getz Art Director Betsy Klarfeld Business Manager baylor university press Lori Dorr baylorpress.com Interns Kif Leswing Arielle Orenstein The Jewish Review of Books (Print ISSN 2153-1978, An eloquent intellectual Online ISSN 2153-1994) is a quarterly publication of ideas and criticism published in Spring, history of the human Summer, Fall, and Winter, by Bee.Ideas, LLC., 745 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1400, New York, NY 10151. -
Nexus Conference 2009
Nexus Conference 2009 Reflections on Man after the End of History Part i . Faith, Death, and Freedom Sunday 6 September 2009 9.15 am — 5.30 pm Muziektheater Amsterdam Speakers Jonathan Sacks - Zainab Al-Suwaij - John Gray Yossi Klein Halevi - Anne Applebaum - Ernst Hirsch Ballin Elisabeth Young-Bruehl - Marc Sageman - Slavoj Žižek - David Modell Ramin Jahanbegloo - Leon Wieseltier - Eva Hoffman - Pierre Audi Charles Rosen - Moshe Halbertal - Nina Khrushcheva Pratap Bhanu Mehta - Tariq Ramadan - John Ralston Saul Karim Wasfi - Ladan Boroumand In cooperation with the Netherlands Opera Attendance at Nexus Conference 2009 We would be happy to welcome you as a member of the audience, but advance reservation of an admission ticket is compulsory. Please register online at our website, www.nexus-instituut.nl, or contact Ms. Ilja Hijink at [email protected]. The conference admission fee is € 75. A reduced rate of € 50 is available for subscribers to the periodical Nexus, who may bring up to three guests for the same reduced rate of € 50. A special youth rate of € 25 will be charged to those under the age of 26, provided they enclose a copy of their identity document with their registration form. The conference fee includes lunch and refreshments during the reception and breaks. Only written cancellations will be accepted. Cancellations received before 21 August 2009 will be free of charge; after that date the full fee will be charged. If you decide to register after 1 September, we would advise you to contact us by telephone to check for availability. The Nexus Conference will be held at the Muziektheater Amsterdam, Amstel 3, Amsterdam (parking and subway station Waterlooplein; please check details on www.muziektheater.nl). -
1 Beginning the Conversation
NOTES 1 Beginning the Conversation 1. Jacob Katz, Exclusiveness and Tolerance: Jewish-Gentile Relations in Medieval and Modern Times (New York: Schocken, 1969). 2. John Micklethwait, “In God’s Name: A Special Report on Religion and Public Life,” The Economist, London November 3–9, 2007. 3. Mark Lila, “Earthly Powers,” NYT, April 2, 2006. 4. When we mention the clash of civilizations, we think of either the Spengler battle, or a more benign interplay between cultures in individual lives. For the Spengler battle, see Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996). For a more benign interplay in individual lives, see Thomas L. Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999). 5. Micklethwait, “In God’s Name.” 6. Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005). “Interview with Robert Wuthnow” Religion and Ethics Newsweekly April 26, 2002. Episode no. 534 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week534/ rwuthnow.html 7. Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity, 291. 8. Eric Sharpe, “Dialogue,” in Mircea Eliade and Charles J. Adams, The Encyclopedia of Religion, first edition, volume 4 (New York: Macmillan, 1987), 345–8. 9. Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald and John Borelli, Interfaith Dialogue: A Catholic View (London: SPCK, 2006). 10. Lily Edelman, Face to Face: A Primer in Dialogue (Washington, DC: B’nai B’rith, Adult Jewish Education, 1967). 11. Ben Zion Bokser, Judaism and the Christian Predicament (New York: Knopf, 1967), 5, 11. 12. Ibid., 375. -
University of Southampton Research Repository Eprints Soton
University of Southampton Research Repository ePrints Soton Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES English Department Hasidic Judaism in American Literature by Eva van Loenen Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2015 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF YOUR HUMANITIES English Department Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy HASIDIC JUDAISM IN AMERICAN LITERATURE Eva Maria van Loenen This thesis brings together literary texts that portray Hasidic Judaism in Jewish-American literature, predominantly of the 20th and 21st centuries. Although other scholars may have studied Rabbi Nachman, I.B. Singer, Chaim Potok and Pearl Abraham individually, no one has combined their works and examined the depiction of Hasidism through the codes and conventions of different literary genres. Additionally, my research on Judy Brown and Frieda Vizel raises urgent questions about the gendered foundations of Hasidism that are largely elided in the earlier texts.