'4) ‘\ 617 Progressive Judaism Elective 8 October 2001 Apologies; Students’ Particulars (Crisha Abramovich; Severine Haziza; Andreas Hinz; Marcus Lange); Synopses Essential to understand nature of Rabbinic Judaism (1) Rock foundation: Torah min ha-Shamayim a‘m‘: on“; 1‘7m (a) Source: San. 10:1: crown 1r: mm1mnf1nmmmn pfin rm (b) How seriously did the Rabbis take this? To what extent were they fundamentralists? Believed that Bible divine book. Cf. was mam. What it asserts is true (except perhaps for dreams and fictional short stories) and what it commands is obligatory. Cf Rambam (Fundamentalism, 3-4). Extreme, but who would have disagreed? Cf Hertz. However: room for interpretation. Not always to be taken literally. Cf numb mnm, Lev. 33:33. Contrast Christian Fundamentalism. Simplistic v. sophisticated fundamentalism. Scripture + ancient oral traditions underlying Mishnah etc. have divine authority. Judaism revealed religion based on a literature which is a reliable record of that revelation. But benign v. malignant F. (2) Halachah 8: Aggadah. Former codified, latter not, except... (3) Liturgy. Makes aggadic statements. Therefore theology legislated. Examples: Splitting of sea. Ten Plagues. V'zot ha-torah. Asher kiddd’shanu b’mitzvotav. Above all: eschatology. Ingathering, Messiah, Temple, Sacrifice, Priesthood. Also essential to understand persistence of Rabbinic Judaism (1) Intellectual isolation; medieval ways of thinking could continue uchallenged. Only isolated individuals broke through the barrier. Azariah de’ Rossi (163‘), Uriel d’Acosta (170‘), Spinoza (17m). (2) Social pressure in favour of conformity. (3) Laws enforcement powers of rabbinic courts. Emancipation 2"d (1) Why 18‘“, esp. half? Age of Enlightenment. Way prepared in 17‘“ by Descartes, Newton, English Bill of Rights (1689), etc. Voltaire (Candide 1759), Rousseau (Contrat Social 1762), American Declaration of Independence h: (1776), Lessing (Nathan the Wise 1779), Moses Mendelssohn (Jerusalem 1783), (:5 Declaration of the Rights of Man by French National Assembly (1789). h”; Politically a gradual process. :3 . Aspects & Impact of Emancipation .’ 5 Political: civil rights. Identification with host Religion private. (1) country. .57 (2) Economic: trades 8: professions. Further identification with host society. C (3) Social: mobility, contact with Gentiles & their culture. Social pressure to conform. Respect for Christianity, at least church architecture, music, IL! decorum. Q Educational. Jewish Free Schools Breslau (4) (Berlin 1778, 1791, Dessau 1799. A; Admission to secular schools 8: universities. Decline of Jewish knowledge; widening of intellectual horizon. (5) Linguistic: German etc. Decline of Hebrew & Yiddish. Problem with traditional synagogue worship. (6) Cultural: European. Music, art, literature, philosophy. (7) Intellectual: From Scholasticism to Modernism, include. Bible Criticism Jewish Responses (1) Apostasy (2) Assimilation (3) Nationalism (4) Reassertion of tradition, Orthodoxy (5) Modification, Conservative Judaism (6) Reform or Reconstruction, Progressive Judaism Next Time See synopsis Special topics: Jacobson (Laura). Geiger (Andreas Hinz). Holdheim (Laura). Frankel (Grisha Abramovich) Progressive Judaism Elective 3 15 October 2001 Locate Arkady Gegel, Jacqueline Gestetner, Roberta Harris Reprise ' Emancipafion had many consequences: political, social, cultural etc. Religiously, for many though not all, it had a huge and steadily growing negative impact on the kind of Judaism, Rabbinic, which had dominated Jewish life in the preceding centuries. , To this situation different groups of Jews reacted in different ways We are concerned with those who believed that salvation lay in reform Introduction Today our focus on beginnings in Germany in first half of 19‘“ cent. Two phases: (a) A movement led by lay people (because as yet hardly any university educated rabbis) and concerned exclusively with worship reform (b) Leadership passes to rabbis who broaden the agenda Amsterdam 1796 Adath Yeshurun, very moderate reforms, served by Izaak Graanboom, Swedish proselyte. But he died in 1807, and in 1808 Louis Bonaparte decreed reunion; separate service soon ceased. A short-lived experiment. Israel Jacobson More important starting point 1801 —- 200 years ago —— when Israel Jacobson established his school in Seesen laum Innner—Klausner: Israel Jacobson Berlin As we have heard, in 1815 (defeat of Napoleon) Jacobson moved to Berlin, where reform services were then held, esp. in home of Jacob Herz Beer. Preachers included Jacobson, Zunz, Heine; also Eduard Kley, of whom more anon. Carried on till 1823, when prohibited by Prussian king. But by that time... Hamburg Largest I. pop. (6,000). Dec 1817 meeting convened by Eduard Kley (1789-1867), tutor in Beer’ 5 home, graduate of Berlin univ., 1817 appointed head of Hamburg IFS (established 1815), a post he held till 1849.. 65 attended 6: formed Temple Association. 1818 Temple dedicated in rented quarters seating 250. Hamburg prayerbook 1819 1819 prayerbook edited by Seckel Isaac Frankel (1765-1855), autodidact, teacher, accountant, merchant banker, brilliant linguist, translated Apocrypha from G to H. with Meyer Israel Bresselau (1785-1839), notary, excellent linguist. Features: (1) L to R, (2) Sefaraddit, (3) horizontal line with prayers to be recited above, translations and transliterations below, (4) organ 6: boys' choir; (5) many prayers and hymns in German; (6) Shema: all 3; (7) no Aleynu; (8) some doctrinal changes,e.g. in Ahavah Rab bah, omission of 713135 nvmwp urbxm rm mm: mm: m‘amb mum; “redemption”; for "redeemer” in 'German Avot; in Kedushat ha—Yom mum “11': mm 'n um 351 changed to 1m: 1m: 5mm» generally, omission of return to Zion, restoration of sacrifices, and negative sentiments about non—Jews. But not consistent, e.g. Avodah. Unchanged. 4; Battle of pamphlets (1) Eljezer Lieberman (Hungarian Jew with rabbinic education), 1818, Dessau, Nogah ha-Tzedek, 3 rabbinic opinions defending the Berlin reforms (Shem Tov Samun of Livorno, Jacob Recanati of Verona, Aaron Chorin of Arad) plus Liebermann’s own lengthier defence, Or N ogah. (2) Hamburg Dayanim, Eleh divrey ha-b’rit, 1819, 2 opinions, include. Moses Sofer (1762-1839), prohibiting modification, vernacular, organ. (3) Bresselau (see above), 1819, Cherev Nokement Nekam Brit, brilliant Hebrew "And satire ridiculing preceding. For title see Lev. 26:25, I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant” Hamburg BD accordingly prohibited attendance at reform services or use of their pb. Hamburg 1841 10,000 Jews; 200 in Reform Temple, many of low income 1821 Isaac Bernays (1792-1849), university educated rabbi, appointed rabbi in Hamburg. Preached in German. Precursor of SR. Hirsch? Vehemently opposed refprm, esp. when in 1840 they petitioned inclusion. 1841 built Temple seating 800, and issued new pb, more trad. In some ways, more radical in others, esp. doctrinally. Bemays issued moda’ah denouncing, esp. re redemption, messiah, resurrection. This spurred Reformers to issue 12 responsa in defence, but 3 additional opinions published: Geiger (somewhat critical), Frankel (very critical), Q. Moses Haarbleicher (lay member of ed. Cttee., in favour). ' Geiger in due own which I will show . course produced pb, later. .. I ’ l I l Q I g Geiger ' Rabbis began to champion Reform. Greatest: Geiger. h ~54 9 5 L Andreas Hinz: Geiger . “JAV- WW (“‘1‘ 6... Contrast 1: Laura: Holdheim Contrast 2: Grisha Abramovich: Frankel Brunswick 1844. 25 participants, lasted 8 days. Pres.: J. Maier of Stuttgart. Geiger unable to attend beginning. Democratic procedure and publication of proceedings. Committees appointed to report on worship, Messiah, Sabbath, Festivals, marriage, diyorce. Vote that K01 Nidre "unnecessary" and to be gradually discontinued. On intennarriage:"The marriage of a Jew with a Christian. .is not ' prohibited, provided that the laws of the state permit parents to raise the children of such a union also in the Jewish faith.” Some discussion of general principles; Holdheim: "positive historical”. Frankfurt 1845. 31 attended. Lasted 14 days. Pres. Leopold Stein of Frankfort. V-P: Geiger. Vernacular. All but unanimous: H not objectively necessary. Unanimous: desirable. Frankel left. Parting of the ways. Messianism: idea to be retained but without gedpolitical aspect. Instead: emphasis on the mission of Israel. Prayers for restoration of sacrificial cult to be eliminated. Likewise repefition. Organ. 3- year cycle. Mayim sh’uvim (drawn water) permitted. Circumcision reaffirmed. Breslau 1846 0—5 “7154.4 . Pres. Geiger. Discussion of Sabbath report from committee headed by Geiger. Holdheim: Sunday. Pro-Sabbath resolution adopted. Second day abolished, except RH. Status of women. Resolutions re time-related Mitzvot, countable for Minyan. Committee appointed to write Reform pb. Kashrut to be considered at ' next conference, which never took place. ..__A Next time: US 1824-1900 Special topics: Wise (Tony Hammond) Einhom (Ruth Huppert) Kohler (Marcus Lange) Give out: Pittsburgh Platform Progressive Judaism Elegfive 4 22 October 2001 Give out essay papers. Retrieve Geiger lecture. Np- . Title of Hamburg Reformers’ 1841 pamphlet (12 responsa): Theologische Gutachten Laura on Holdheim Grisha on Frankel 99:55” More on the conferences (see last notes) USA: land of opportunity. Civic equality, spirit of liberalism. Charleston, SC, one of largest. Beth Elohim 1750. 1824: petition for reforms by 47 members rejected. 1825: independent Reform Society