Divisions in Judaism in Britain - Copy

8/7/2019 Divisions in Judaism in Britain - Copy

1/19

Divisions in Judaism in Britain

In modern times, Judaism has evolved into a number of branches (divisions) each of which has

taken a different approach to the matter of how and whether to accommodate the influences of

the outside world

All except the ultra orthodoxare a response to the challenge of the Enlightenment and the

emancipation of Jews 200 years ago

Ultra orthodox (Hasidic) (1700-1760)

Literalist understanding of Bible

Reform(Non-Orthodox) begum by Moses Mendelsohn 1729-86 and Rabbi Abraham Geiger (1810-

74) observance is a matter for ones own conscience. Divinely insprired understanding of bible

Orthodox(neo orthodoxy) Rabbi Sampson Raphael Hirsch (1808 -88). Reform going too far.Literalist understanding of Bible

Liberal/progressive: (Non orthodox)Lily Montagu (1873-1963) Claude Montefiore (1858-1938)-

believed that REFORM HAD NOT GONE FAR ENOUGH. Liberal movement removed all rabbinicauthority.

Conservative (masorti): Britain 20th century Rabbi Louis Jacobs: Modern orthodoxyA place for

Jews who wished to reject a literalist view of the Bible, but did not want to be

anything goesreform Jews

Orthodox means right belief. It was coined by Reform Jews as a disparaging term for for the

group they were challenging

Orthodox prefer to use the word observant or Torah trueof themselves observing the

Torah as it originates in the Bible and developed in the Talmud

Key questions

How much have divisions in Judaism allowed non jewish culture to influence Jewish practices?

Do divisions weaken a religion, or does it allow the religion to re awaken and grow


2/19

Ultra-Orthodox Jews,

mainly the Hasidic movement, they make few compromises with the modern world. For example, they wear

traditional dress and they do not have televisions in their homes. This is the fastest-growing sector of

Judaism

What is the Hasidic movement?

There are probably close to half a million Hasidic Jewsworldwide.

There are approximately 14 million Jews in the world today. In 2001, 8.3 million Jews lived in theDiaspora and 4.9 million lived in Israel

Hasid means pious

They are described as fully observant; Hasidim are strict in observing the mitvot. They believe that

traditional Jewish practices are very important.

Torah study is regarded as a religious act

They follow kabbalah (hidden sense); they stress the Torah incombination with a mystical approach

Their synagogue services are lively; much of the service is sung

They live in close knit communities. They marry within hasidic community; divorce rates are low. For ultra

orthodox, Judaism IS the world, inside and out, and they will make no compromises to assimilate.

They follow strict dress codes, wearing the traditional dress of their polish forebears.

Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760): founder of hasidism

The scholarly rabbis looked down on semi literate peasant jews. They, in turn, craved spiritual uplift, hope

and dignity, and a spirit of community. Someone appeared and filled this need. He is known as the Baal

Shem Tov. He taught that ordinary and illiterate Jews could find God. Soon, as his fame spread, people

began to seek him out for inspiration, advice, or a blessing.

They find great joy and happiness in serving God if a person is attached to God then he is truly alive

Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov) Somehow, this travelling preacher (BST) converted half the Jews of Eastern

Europe to the hasidic movement. It was a movement for the ordinary person, hungry for some sense of

importance and something that would fill a need inside that they mattered

Devekut- the main idea behind Hasidic movement is the striving to be attached to G-d. The Baal Shem Tov

felt that this attachment/closeness to G-d need not be based on Torah study alone, but by thedevelopment of a more personal relationship with G-d. The Kabbalah and the mystical approach became

almost more important in the 18th

century.

By the end of the 18th century the Hasidim grew to become the dominant form of Judaism in many parts

of Poland, the Ukraine, and Russia. The common folk were drawn to the movements charismatic leaders and

to the emotional and spiritual appeal of their message, which stressed joy, faith, and ecstatic prayer,


3/19

accompanied by song and dance, using a less formal modified liturgy, allowing forflexible hours for prayer,

incorporating their owngroup rituals and ecstatic practices, and insisting on the exclusive authority of

their own charismatic religious leadership

Rebbes

Baal Shem Tovs leadership was passed on to a succession of holy men called tzaddikim (rebbes) righteous ones/close to God. These rebbes became a kind of Jewish royalty. When one died, he was

succeeded by either his son or son-in-law

Hasidics see rebbes as not only as the religious leader of their congregation, but as their spiritual adviser

and mentor. A rebbe is someone whose views and advice are acceptedin all areas of life. He is seen as the

intermediary between themselves and God and their worship of God is to be directed through him.

Note here the shift from the idea of rabbi whose leadership lies in his talmudic learning to the idea of

rebbe whose leadership lies in his closeness to god. The belief in the power and greatness of the Tzaddik

became one of Hasidism's strongest-and most controversial-ideas

However, some Jews were alarmed. Some years back there had been a man called ShabtiZvi(1627-

1676)the most remarkable and famous of all the false Jewish Messiahs; he had claimed to be the

Messiah, In 1666, after leading many Jews astray, ShabbetaiZeviconverted to Islam when threatened with

death by the Turkish authorities. He died in disgrace leaving his followers disillusioned and confused

The Mitnagdim

Would BST turn out to be acting as a false messiah? A counter movement ( a splinter group within

hasidism) developed called the Mitnagdim(opponents), its leader being Elijah Ben Solomon Zalman, of

Lithuania; best known as Gaon. The idea of the rebbe as intermediary was regarded as heresy by

Mitnagdim. ; they argued that they were self styled gurus.

Gaon and the Lithuanian tradition stressed talmudic study and rabbinic learning in the yeshiva (academy),

whereas hasidism stressed Torah study in combination with a mystical approach

However, as Hasidism expanded, it put less emphasis on meditation and communing with God, and more on

traditional Jewish learning

But both sides recognized Western Enlightenment as greater threat to Judaism . Both groups found

themselves facing a common enemy: the nineteenth century Haskala, or Jewish Enlightenment. Jewish

parents who once feared that their Hasidic or Mitnagdish child might go over to the other camp, were now

far more afraid that their child might become altogether irreligious.

The Holocaust brought final destruction to all Hasidic centers of Eastern Europe. Most survivors moved

eventually to Israel or to America, and established new centers of Hasidic Judaism modeled after their

original communities. Some live in Stamford Hill, London, and some in Manchester

Now, at the by the beginning of the 21st century, the movement has become a bastion of Jewish tradition

and orthodoxy itself. the Hasidic movement continues to survive and even thrive.Hasidic Jews are known

for having large families and as a result are experiencing tremendous growth.

Apart from in business matters, they do have minimal contact with world at large. This may be a problem

for us, but not for them


4/19

Read the article on the Hasidic sense of community.

Hasidism and their sense of community; a counter to the challenge that their isolation is socially

questionable

Samuel Heilman points out the "palpable sense of community" in Hasidic life:

What all Hasidim are always conscious of is: 'How many we are.' The purpose of a tish is ostensibly togather at the rebbe's table, but really it is to look at 'How many we are,' to feel the press of flesh, tocelebrate the group itself. The worst thing for a Hasidic group is to build a building which is too big. You

have to be able to feel the body politic--if you can't feel it and smell it and touch it, it would be a failure.You will never hear a Hasid walking through a crowd of other Hasidim saying "Excuse me" or "Pardon me,"

he walks through pushing and shoving. The whole thing at a Hasidic gathering is, you get pushed and shoved

and you can feel it and smell it in the most intimate way. Not only do they share food, they literally share

their bodies. And this is an extraordinary thing when you think about it, because here are people whoelsewhere go out of their way not to touch anyone else, not a woman, not a stranger.

An "insider," or even a sympathetic outsider, might take exception to Heilman's interpretation of why

Hasidic men seem to enjoy crowding together. To our advisor George Kranzler, for example, the men jostle

each other like this to get close to the rebbe, without minding what outsiders would consider rudebehavior. Crowding together is an expression of spirit and enthusiasm. In any case, this palpable

experience of community can be exhilarating. A non-Hasid describes spending the night of Simchat Torah,

the holiday of rejoicing for receiving the Torah from God, with the Satmar Hasidim:

... All the differences between me and the hundreds of people there disappeared. We were all crowded into

the huge hall, one big mass of singing, swaying people, sweat running down our brows. But I felt nothing ofthis. When I saw the Satmarerrebbe dancing around the hall, untiringly, through a narrow passage between

the walls of swaying people, I felt an electric current pass through me, a fire of inspiration that seemed to

burn in all the people around me. I have never felt the joy of deep devotion and religiosity as much. Now I

understand what Hasidism did for the Jewish masses.

Women also have their own gatherings, where they study, listen to lectures and coordinate many of the

major charities the community has organized. On special occasions some rebbes, notably RebbeSchneersonof the Lubavitch have large gatherings with only women in attendance.

Teachers note

I hope that this article gives yousome insight into the dynamism of Hasidism. It is easy to criticise that

hasids are cut off from the real world, but why should this be a bad thing? All of us make our own social

grouping, which has its own limitations.

Home study

Hasidism andanti zionism

Dont assume all Hasidics are ZionistsSome ultra-O are anti-Zionist, believing only the Messiah shouldrestore Israel to the Jewish people

Research the anti Zionist movement Netureikarta.www.nkusa,org. you tube has some excellent interviews

with neturai karta

Examiner will expect you to understand why they are anti zionist

As a contrast, research the pro Zionist movement Gush Enimim, which is a haredi, rather thena strictly

Hasidic group


5/19

Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism was a radical departure from orthodox belief.

the Torah was inspired by God but written down by humans according to their understanding of Godswill

it is still a human book open to challenge and revision, and subject to becoming outdated in parts

Rabbi Jonathan Romain

How did Reform arise?

See Pilkington p 56

After the French Revolution, and the American Declaration of Independence. Jews were blessed with a

new found freedom, which we call political emancipation. Until this time, they had almost by force had to

live separately, and feel as if they were exiles in foreign lands. Now they were free to become citizens;

for example, the right to vote and be represented, the right to work for the civil service, to be MPs etc.

They were free not be distinct and separate. They could, if they wanted, be more integrated into society

In Britain, for example, the first Emancipation Bill passed the House of Commons in 1833. In 1833, the

first Jew was admitted to the Bar (law). In 1837, Queen Victoria knighted Moses Montefiore. In 1841,

Isaac Lyon Goldsmid was made baronet, the first Jew to receive a hereditary title. The first Jewish Lord

Mayor of London, Sir David Salomons took office in 1855. On July 26, 1858, the Jewish Baron, Lionel de

Rothschild, took his seat in the House of Commons. All these were important figures in the Reform

movement, as you will see. In 1874, Benjamin Disraeli became the first (and only) Jewish Prime Minister.

Since 1858, Parliament has never been without Jewish members and recently the Jewish delegation has

exceeded 40 members. A Hebrew Bible, used whenever a Jewish member takes an oath, sits in the Houseof Commons treasury box.

KEY QUESTION? How much non Jewish surroundings should be allowed to influence Judaisms distinctive

practices? Would being more assimilated lead them to compromise a torah true life?

Moses Mendelsohh (1729-86): founder of haskalah (Jewish enlightenment)

The reform movement was a natural outcome of the Jewish Enlightenment (haskalah), which was founded

by Moses Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was born in Germany; he was Jewish. He was not only a businessman

but an academic, and in 1763 won first prize for his Science dissertation, but due to being Jewish, was not

admitted to the Academy of Science. In 1771 he had a nervous breakdown, partly as a result of being

challenged to convert to Christianity and become respectable by a fellow leading academic. He refused to

follow this route. Instead, he wrote a philosophical work arguing that it was not incompatible to be Jewish

while being a citizen of his country. There was no reason to abandon ones religion to be respectable. But

he introduced a new world view

But he incorporated rationalistic thinking; that Judaism was only one of several revealed religions; all of

which can lead to knowledge of God. There is a common humanity between the Jew and gentile. Jews

should not be excluded from society because their religion need not be separate; they as with other


6/19

religions believe in the ability of man to achieve perfection of humanity through following essential

religious truths.

Mendelssohn stressed that Jews should attend secular schools, learn the language of their country

(Germany/Poland) not just Hebrew, and gain degrees and qualifications in secular subjects. He translated

the Hebrew Bible into German to make it more accessible to German Jews who were not Hebrew familiar.

Followers of the haskalah were called maskillim. They pioneered Reform Judaism, the first non orthodox

division of Judaism. Mendelssohn himself was an observant Jew, and would not necessarily have

completely approved of the changes they made. There was a growing sense amongst enlightened Jews

that they could alter religion to suit their needs.

The first reform synagogue was opened in 1818 in Germany, the Hamburg Temple. The service was changed

so that it resembled a German Christian (lutheran) service. This inspired other Jewish communities to

make their synagogue services more generic, such as praying in German not Hebrew, and moving shabbat to

Sunday.

People began to look for Reform rabbis. But the rabbis needed a leader, to provide a philosophy. What

changes should they make?

Rabbi Abraham Geiger (1810-1874) Judaism can be an evolving religion

The leader of the reform movement; a German rabbi and scholar. He treated the history of Judaism

critically.

He argued that if you looked at Judaism historically, it had always changed in response to its environment.

For example, the talmud had developed as a response to the dispersion. It had not always been there. It is

therefore reasonable for modern rabbis to remodel Judaism again. Halakha, he said, had always been

evolutionary, therefore Judaism can continue to evolve.

Like all rationalist enlightenment thinkers, Geiger asked what is the essence of Judaism? What can be

kept, what is eternal, and what is outmoded detail?

Answer? A belief in One God linked to high ethical standards of behaviour. Only the mitvot that support

high ethical standards of behaviour should be retained. Others can be discarded.

How did reform spread to Britain?

Reform synagogues started in Britain for slightly different reasons; a splinter within orthodoxy rather

than an immediate attempt to assimilate Judaism with western culture. The first reform group was

formed by a group of families after breaking away from the orthodox synagogue in 1841. These families

lived some distance away from the synagogue, in the West End of London, and requested permission to

hold prayers in a branch synagogue more locally. However, the Bevis Marks synagogue authorities objected

- fearing the loss of wealthy members. The result was that a group of twenty-four families decided to actindependently and establish what became known as the West London Synagogue of British Jews.

Interestingly, two of the wealthy families (Goldsmith and Montefiore) were knighted by Queen Victoria;

very assimilated Jews). It was at this point that they also decided to take advantage of their new freedom

to exercise changes in religious practice also.

They resolved to establish a new community, with a shorter revised service, a new prayer book, and a

sermon in English. They would build into their practice the ideals of equality between men and women, and

the encouragement of education, charity and communal work.


7/19

Bevis MarksSynagogue denounced the new prayer book which they viewed as heretical, despite only very

minor changes in the liturgy. Ultimately in September 1841 the new congregation was denounced by the

Chief Rabbi; and its members were subject to Herem or excommunication order.

The birth of the second Reform synagogue - in Manchester in 1856 - was almost completely independent of

West London, and, like its genesis, was brought about by local factors.

The last twenty years, under the outstanding leadership of the late Rabbi Hugo Gryn, have seen the West

London Synagogue of British Jews continue to grow and develop. Indeed, West London is now the largest

synagogue in England with over 2,400 members.

Their website:

Our religious practice is based on Reform Judaism. We believe that Jewish law has to be freshly

interpreted in every generation and that Jewish customs and practices should evolve alongside and in

harmony with those of contemporary society.

Its stated aim is to revitalize Jewish community involvement among British Jews, with particular focus on

children, teenagers and families where one member of the couple is not halachically Jewish.

If therefore, Reform Jews do not have to believe that all the Torah is binding, then what is Reform

practice like?

While Reform Judaism does not accept the binding nature of halakhah (Jewish Law), the movement does

retain much of the values and ethics of Judaism as well as some of the practices and culture. Reform jews

might not eat pork, but are more relaxed when it comes to keeping kosher. Few keep their head covered

and many do some type of "work" on the Sabbath.

They give each individual autonomy in deciding what is binding for him/her.

Who is a Jew?

Reform Jews in the USA also recognize patrilineal descent. That is, if the father is jewish and mother is

not, the child is considered jewish if they perform acts of faith in a timely manner (Orthodox jews do not

recognize this and would consider the child non-jewish unless they underwent an Orthodox conversion, in

which they must promise to uphold something like 613 "laws")

However, Reform Jews in the UK will not recognise patrilineal descent.

Reform and Zionism

Reform Judaism originally rejected the idea that Jews would re-create a Jewish state in their ancestral

homeland. They rejected the idea that there would ever be a personal messiah, and that the Temple in

Jerusalem would ever be rebuilt, or that one day animal sacrifices would be re-established in a rebuilt

Temple, in accord with a traditional, literal interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. Reform Judaism rejected

the classical rabbinic teaching that the Jews were in exile ("galut"). Reform Jews ceased to declare Jews

to be in exile; for the modern Jews in America or Europe had no cause to feel that the country in which

they lived was a strange land. Many Reform Jews went so far as to agree that prayers for the resumption

of a Jewish homeland were incompatible with desiring to be a citizen of a nation.

Since the Holocaust and the establishment of the modern State of Israel, in 1948, Reform Judaism has

largely rejected its previous Anti-Zionism, and the official line of Reform Judaism is Zionist. There are


8/19

now many Reform Jews who have chosen to make aliyah (move to Israel), and there are several kibbutzim

affiliated with the Israeli Reform movement. The Reform movement also sends hundreds of its youth and

college-age students to Israel every year on summer and year-long programs.

Do divisions weaken?

Reform rabbis say that far bigger chunks of the Jewish community would have already broken off andmelted away if not for Reform.

Further reading:

1. Make notes on Geigers own scholarly work, and his proposals for changes in Judaism p 5 -6

2. Read photocopy Reform Movement today P 138 -139 from Examining Religion. Note the practices to be found in Re form

today and see the differences with orthodox- which are found in Judaism p 97 (photocopy) and also reader p 16a.

There is also a more academic study on p 61 (also listed as p 67 in your reader)

3. make notes on the Reform view of the revelation a t Mount Sinai (p66-67). What does reform say about this revelation

compared to orthodox?

Neo orthodoxy: what today is described as orthodox

Reform Judaism, as a result of the haskalah, had led to many Jews becoming almost indistinct from their

gentile neighbours. They were Jewish, but their practices were so dilute that they hardly seemed a

different religion. After all, Christians worshipped one God and strove to meet high ethical standards.

What was the difference?


9/19

Some

eltthere

eedto createa countermovement hich ould eepamoretraditional

udaism, yetallow

ewsto

itinwithmodern

uropeanlife; a compromise, if youwill,

etweenhasidism

andreform.

he Reformmovement coinedtheterm

orthodox

forthis challengemovement

RabbiSamson Raphael

irsch

ewasthefounderof Neoorthodoxy

theneworthodoxy

.

isownfatherwasanopponentof Reform

udaism.

irschthusstrongly condemnedthereformmovementand countered

itis

ewswhoneedreforming, not

udaism.

ewsshouldnotaltertheirreligiontofitsociety.!

nstead

they shouldunderstandtheideathatsecularlearning cananddoesfitinwiththeideasinthetorah

!n

"#

hepublished

Nineteenletterson

udaism;!

nthishearguedthattheidealpersonwasthe!

srael$

an % aneducatedand cultured

ewwhofully observedthemitvot

orahtogetherwithsecular

education.!

tispossibletoleadafull

orahtrue lifeinanon

ewishsociety.Secularstudiesarealsoa

way ofserving&

od.

he

ewwillneverfrownatany art, any science, any culture ready toacceptwhateveristrueand

good..the

orahtrue

individual

need

not

fear

his

involvement

in

the

world

as

long

as

he

pro

ceeds

without

compromise onthebasisofhisform

orah commitmentand nowledge

ewasstrongly criticaloftheway Reformwas corrupting

orahtruevalues

'ounderstandtheissueof

(

converts

the)

rthodox donotrecognise, seebelow

(

0hoisa

1ew

0hatdo youthinkisthedifferent

theology of1

udaismadoptedby

Reform?2

iscuss


10/19

Hirschwasofferingadifferentideology, whichwouldupholdhalakhic observance, whilestillallowing3

ewstobepartofmodernsociety.

4

hiswasbasedonavery newargument; thatthroughsecularstudies, thetruthsofthe

4

orahwouldbefoundtobestrongandsound, ifthestudenthadtorahtruevalueswithinhim

Hirschsworldview cametobeknownas5

4

orahimDerechEretz6 Torah with Worldly KnowledgeHebelievedthatthe

4

orah couldbefoundthroughworldly andsecularstudies.7

nterestingly, Hirschdidnotacceptany ofthe criticalstudiesofthehistory ofthehebrewbible: hebelievedthey wereinaccurate.Hewasnot completely openmindedtowardsscholarship, especially whenit

cametothehistory ofthe 8 ible. Hebelieved, instead, thatwiththerightattitude, secularstudieswouldstillleadonetobelievethetruthofthe

4

orah

The United Synagogue neo orthodox.

Chief rabbi is Jonathan Sacks

Afederationofaskenazisynagoguesin9

ondon. Hasa@

hiefrabbi, andalsorunsthe A ethDinB

C

ewish courts

oflaw)D

heirwebsite:E

AmodernandinclusivebrandofC

udaism, fully committedtothetraditionalprinciplesofF

rthodoxy.D

heG

nitedSynagoguesvaluesstemfrom

theprinciplesofbothD

orahandHalacha.

Sacksprovoked considerable controversy intheAnglo-

Jewish community whenherefusedtoattendthe

funeralserviceofthelateReform RabbiHugoH

rynand

aprivateletterhehadwritteninHebrew, which

B

inH

I


11/19

Do divisions weaken?

Nonetheless, Neo-orthodoxy allowed the preservation of Jewish laws and customs within communities that

at the same time were keen to embrace modernity, secular society and the modern world.

In the United Kingdom and France, orthodoxy, rather than ultra orthodoxy has remained the denomination

of the majority of synagogue-goers to this day.

50% of synagogue goers are United Synagogue (orthodox) in the UK

Further Study

Search United Synagogue keeping kosher and rate how torah true the orthodox movement is. Give

reasons for your ratingCompare the orthodox and the reform attitudes towards women

Read Pilkington pp 71-77

Make notes of the differences and the theological issues involved

Take particular interest in the later discussion of women rabbis (not allowed in orthodox

Liberal/Progressive Movement

The liberal movement began in the UK in the twentieth century, through the work of Lily Montague and

Claude Montefiore. It arose because some people thought the Reform movement was too strict.

Liberal Judaism is more radical than UK Reform Judaism. About 8% are liberal

Lily Montagu (1873-1963)

Lily Montagu was one of the founders of the Youth Clubs organisation, and a key figure in the development

of Jewish youth work.

She belonged to a wealthy Anglo-Jewish family and was brought up in Jewish Orthodoxy which demanded

responsibility from the rich towards the poor. Her father was a Liberal MP.


12/19

She became a social worker, and her area. East London, included communities that of Jewish immigrants

fleeing the pogroms of Eastern Europe in East London.

She realised the difficulties that maintaining orthodoxy presented to working class families, especially

women. Industrial hours and housing conditions made ritual observance practically impossible (such as notworking on the Sabbath) and people were abandoning a faith which could not adjust to their living

conditions.

Young people were increasingly open to the temptations of inter-marriage and to converting to

Christianity. The popularity of the childrens synagogue services which she started at the age of

seventeen, provided her with evidence of the irrelevance of the traditional synagogue service to many

women and young people; her contact through club work with girls from Eastern European families

informed her about sexist practice within orthodoxy, whilst the influence of Claude Montefiore, a family

friend with liberal religious sentiments, convinced her of the need to pursue a l iving Judaism

Claude Montefiore (1858-1938)

He was a Member of Reform congregation. Like Lily, he felt it was difficult for people to follow strict

Judaism, although he had academic reasons rather than social. He believed it was not realistic for people

in the modern age to believe that God literally revealed himself to Moses. Rather, religion is an

enlightened consciousness , and he felt Christianity actually was a more evolved kind of ethical teaching.

People should follow their consciences when looking at laws and teachings, and feel free (liberal) to follow

their own chosen practices

Rubenstein later was from the liberal tradition, and was able to challenge the idea that God was all

powerful.

Jewish ReligiousUnion for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism 1902

Montagu and Montefiore founded the above in 1902


13/19

it stresses "the full equality and participation of men and women in every sphere of religious life; an

emphasis on ethical conduct above ritual observance; an affirmation of each individual's freedom to act

responsibly in accordance with the dictates of the informed religious conscience; a pride in combining our

Jewish heritage with full participation in the civic life of this country; and an awareness of our duty not

only to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel, but also to the entire human family, each one of

whom is created in the Divine image".

Liberal Judaism is still distinctly more progressive (more liberal and free) than Reform. Examples would

include more readily recognising as Jewish without conversion the child of a Jewish father and a non-

Jewish mother,

[3]

or Liberal Judaism's readiness to celebrate homosexual partnerships in synagogues with

more of the traditional symbolism associated with Jewish weddings

Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues.

Liberal Judaism is the Judaism of the past in the process of becoming the Judaism of the future

Liberal Judaism Social Action is committed to TikkunOlam - the repair of the world. The ethical teachings

of our Jewish tradition call upon us to speak out and to take action whenever and wherever we see social

injusticeLiberal Judaism has joined forces with Christian Aid in asking people to pledge to do all they can to reduce

their carbon footprint in advance of the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen this DecemberLiberal Judaism, alongside some Anglican bishops, has thrown its weight behind an amendment to the

Equality Bill to allow same sex civil partnership ceremonies to take place in synagogues and other religious

buildings

Even more radically, Liberal Judaism believes that the synagogue has permanently replaced the Temple,rejects the idea of a personal Messiah treats children of one Jewish parent alike whether the Jewish

parent be the mother or the father, and, perhaps most fundamentally, views right conduct of a higher

value than correct ritual

Similarities and differences between Liberal and Reform


14/19

In Britain, Reform and Liberal are NOT the same. True, they share many of the same ideas, and Reform

and Liberal Rabbis train together, and can successfully transfer from one movement to the other, but they

are separate and distinct movements.

Philosophically, the two movements share the belief that the Torah was not dictated by God to Moses at

Sinai, but was written by multiple authors, inspired by God, over time. This means that the Torah is not

perfect, but limited by its human authors and historical context, and therefore it is appropriate and even

desirable to re-interpret certain laws and teachings for our own time.

The Reform movement began in this country in 1840. However, its original reforms were very minor.

Change progressed at a far more rapid pace after the First World War. For example, in the Reform

synagogues of the 19th century, mixed seating was unknown, although now every Reform synagogue has

mixed seating, and equal participation from women.

The Liberal Movement was founded in 1900, partly as an attempt to emphasise the universal values that

Judaism could share with the world as a whole (in particular the message of social justice), and partly as an

attempt to re-engage both the immigrant population and the Anglo-Jewish population with Judaism, a from

which they were becoming disconnected. The ethical message and the desire to provide an accessible form

of Judaism with wide-ranging appeal to non-Jewish visitors as well as Jewish people, has always been at theheart of Liberal Judaism. Similarly, one of the first founders of Liberal Judaism, Lily Montagu, was

female, and female participation has always been incorporated into Liberal practice, though there were no

female Rabbis until the late 1970s.

Sometimes when people ask about the difference between Liberal and Reform, the answer is given that

whereas in Reform, when discussing a change in theology or practice, there has to be sufficient

justification to do it, whereas in the Liberal movement, a good justification must be found NOT to do it.

In other words, Liberal Judaism tends to be more amenable to religious reform. Both movements have

their own prayer books, and their ideological differences can be found reflected in these if you know

where to look.

Who is a Jew?

As soon as a movement says that you can be a Jew if your father is Jewish, as reform do (patrilineal

lineage), Judaism changes. Reform jews recognize patrilineal descent. That is, if the father is Jewish and

mother is not, the child is considered jewish if they perform acts of faith. Orthodox jews do not

recognize this and would consider the child non-jewish unless they underwent an Orthodox conversion, in

which they must promise to uphold something like 613 "laws" or at the least the ones applicable today (not

those relevant only to Temple).

In terms of Jewish identity, the central theme is what it means to be Jewish and who would

be classed as Jewish. The various groups have different responses to this: for example,

Orthodox Jews would regard a 'good Jew' as one who strictly adheres to halakhot and regards the Torah

as literal word of God.

Different groups' perceptions of their own identity can cause misunderstanding, controversy and conflict.

The issue of inter-marriage, and the law of return, then varies from ultra orthodox, to orthodox through

to reform and to liberal .


15/19

First, traditional Judaism maintains that a person is a Jew if his mother is a Jew, regardless of who his

father is. The liberal movements, on the other hand, consider a person to be Jewish if either of his

parents was Jewish and the child was raised Jewish. Thus, if the child of a Jewish father and a Christian

mother is raised Jewish, the child is a Jew according to the Reform movement, but not according to the

Orthodox movement. On the other hand, if the child of a Christian father and a Jewish mother is not

raised Jewish, the child is a Jew according to the Orthodox movement, but not according to the Reform

movement! The matter becomes even more complicated, because the status of that childs children also

comes into question.

Second, the more traditional movements do not always acknowledge the validity of conversions by the more

liberal movements. The more modern movements do not always follow the procedures required by the more

traditional movements, thereby invalidating the conversion. In addition, Orthodoxy does not accept the

authority of Conservative, Reform and liberal rabbis to perform conversions, and the Conservative

movement has debated whether to accept the authority of Reform rabbis.

Conservative (masorti) movement in UK

A place for Jews who wished to reject a literalist view of the Bible, but did not want to be reform

Jews

The Assembly of Masorti Synagogues 1991 youngest non orthodox movement in UK

Masorti From the Hebrew: to transmit

Our aim is to receive from the past, to stand in the present, and to transmit to the future. What

could be called modern orthodoxy


16/19

Rabbi Louis Jacobs: founder of the British Masorti Movement

The Jacobs Affair

Rabbi Louis Jacobs 1920-2006

Jacobs was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi at Manchester Yeshivah. Later in his career he studied at

University College London where he earned his PhD. Jacobs was appointed rabbi at Manchester Central

Synagogue in 1948. In 1954 he was appointed to the New West End Synagogue in London, part of united

synagogue (orthodox)

As a scholar, he struggled to find a synthesis that would accommodate Orthodox Jewish theology and

modern day biblical critical ideas. His ideas were published in a book entitled We Have Reason to Believe,

published in 1957

there is nothing to deter the faithful Jew from accepting the principle of textual criticismthe idea that

the texts of the Torah derive from multiple sources, rather than having been given, as Orthodox

Rabbinical traditions have it, complete in its present form by God to Moses

It had been widely assumed that the next principal of Jews' College would be Jacobs, in 1961, but the

then Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Israel Brodie, forbade the appointment "because of his

[Jacobs's] published views". This was a reference to We Have Reason to Believe

The British newspaper, The Jewish Chronicle, took up the issue and turned it into a cause clbre

which was reported in the national press, including The Times. When Jacobs wished to return to his

pulpit at the New West End Synagogue Brodie vetoed his appointment as Rabbi. A number of

members then left the New West End Synagogue to found the New London Synagogue in protest

The Masortimovement was a protest against the exclusion of Jews who rejected a literalist view of

the Bible from orthodox Judaism

Men and women sit separately with parallel seating downstairs and a Ladies Gallery upstairs. Women are

counted in the Minyan and encouraged to say Kaddish. We also have a three-weekly second service -

MinyanChadash - with mixed seating, that is less formal, participatory, and where women are called to and

read from the Torah.

As you can see, the conservative movement will make carefully chosen adjustments to the trends of the

outside world, as for example with their treatment of women, but will retain as many as possible of the

ancient traditions.

The New London Synagogue was founded in 1964 byRabbi Dr. Louis Jacobsas a congregation devoted to

traditional Judaism with an ideology which interprets the Torah and Jewish teachings in the light of

contemporary knowledge and scholarship. It has always been a pioneering congregation, leading the way to

an enlightened Judaism and representing a rare combination of intellectual integrity together with loyalty

to the finest traditions of the Jewish way of life.

So the masorti maintains that the ideas in the Torah come from God, but were transmitted by humans

and contain a human compontent. Conservative Judaism generally accepts the binding nature of halakhah


17/19

(Jewish Law), but believes that the Law should adapt, absorbing aspects of the predominant culture while

remaining true to Judaism's values

Read the obituary of Rabbi Louis Jacobs (founder of britishmasorti movement) and answer questions

Also: Read photocopy pp 141-142

ObituaryThe Guardian, Wednesday 5 July 2006

Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs

Distinguished but controversial minister at the centre of a theological dispute that split British Jewry

Michael Freedland and Rabbi Jonathan Romain

Louis Jacobs, who has died aged 85, should be remembered as an outstanding Jewish theologian, preacher,

teacher and communicator. Instead, his memorial will be the fact that, around him, centred an event thatthreatened to become the biggest schism in Anglo-Jewish history.

The events in 1964 that came to be known as "the Jacobs Affair" dominated not just the Jewish media but

the whole of Fleet Street and the newsrooms of both the BBC and ITN. Not that Jacobs himself was a

willing participant in the affair. He was dragged into it by the religious establishment of the day.

It could be said that the reasons behind it all were the results of his own sincerity and honesty. Theproblem was that in 1957 Jacobs had written We Have Reason to Believe - a book intended to demonstrate

his faith as an Orthodox rabbi and as a Jew exposed to biblical study, who had noted the results of

theological criticism over the years. For the Orthodox section of the community, this latter was close to

heresy.

Few at the time took much notice of that antagonism to Jacobs or his book. He was minister of the

fashionable orthodox New West End synagogue in Bayswater, west London. When he had written the book,no one beyond the more extreme groups was much concerned. But four years later, in 1961, Jacobs was

invited to become principal of the nation's number one theological seminary, Jews College. He had

previously accepted the post of head of studies, with the understanding that within a short time he would

become principal.

This was when the trouble started. Alfred Silverman, secretary of the United Synagogue, the orthodox

umbrella organisation in London, decided that Jacobs was far too dangerous a man to occupy such an

important position. What Jacobs had questioned, he said, was the doctrine of Torah min Hashamayim ("The

Law is from Heaven"), a fundamental Jewish belief - and a charge that Jacobs refuted. But Silvermaninformed the then Chief rabbi, Sir Israel Brodie, who issued a ban on Jacobs taking up the post. It was

generally agreed that what he was really trying to do was to prevent Jacobs succeeding him as chief rabbiin 1966.

Jacobs had been born in Manchester, the son of a worker in a raincoat factory. He went to the Manchester

Central high school for boys and then, when his parents could not meet the fees, to Cheetham seniorschool. From there, he moved to Manchester Yeshiva (or talmudical college) and on to University College

London and Jews College.

His first post was as assistant rabbi at an Orthodox synagogue in Golders Green, north London. In 1947, hewas appointed minister of the prestigious Manchester Central synagogue. He went to the New West End in


18/19

1954, which he described as "the Anglicised synagogue par excellence". He remained there until taking up

the post at Jews College. Two years after the ban on his going back to Bayswater, the row over We Have

Reason to Believe blew up again, this time stronger than before.

The problem was still Jacobs' book. He had written that he regarded the Bible (or rather the Old

Testament) as divinely inspired - hence his acceptance of Torah min Hashamayim - but could not accept

that it was written by the hand of God. This did not affect the holiness of the book, but, as he explained,

"The view accepted by Orthodoxy today seems to be that even the words 'And the Lord spoke to Moses'

were themselves 'spoken by God'. In We Have Reason to Believe, and in other books, I have tried to showwhy the majority of well-informed Jews today do not, and cannot, accept this fundamentalist picture, for

all its grandeur."

The final catalyst came in 1964, when the then New West End rabbi left and Jacobs was invited back to

his old pulpit as his successor's replacement. The chief rabbi withheld Jacobs' licence to occupy a UnitedSynagogue pulpit. The president of the United Synagogue, Ewen Montagu, resigned, to be followed by

numerous members of his board. The Jewish Chronicle initiated a campaign on Jacobs' behalf, and the

Sunday Times joined in the fun, week after week, treating the story with almost the delight it would have

shown had it discovered that the Pope was being excommunicated. Which was precisely what was about to

happen to Jacobs. The chief rabbi called a meeting of religious leaders, explaining his reasons for barring

the man regarded as the most able and cultured rabbi in Britain. Most other ministers accepted Brodie'sstance, and so did the newly constituted board of the United Synagogue, led by Sir Isaac Wolfson.

There were rabbis who dissented from the official view. There were also members of the organisation who

now lined up on Jacobs' behalf, and decided that if he could not get a United Synagogue job, they wouldestablish an independent body to which he could minister.

At that moment, there was a delicious irony at work. The St John's Wood synagogue, in north-west London,

was about to move to a new building, and its old premises were for sale. Without anyone in the United

Synagogue realising it, the former building was bought for Jacobs, where he set up what became known as

the New London synagogue, run in every way on the United Synagogue's Orthodox lines. The move enabled

Jacobs to serve as an Orthodox rabbi, independent of the chief rabbi. His services were the same as theones at New West End had been; he wore the same canonicals. As was the Orthodox (but not the Reform

or Liberal) practice, men and women sat separately. He had a choir.

. The New London synagogue had spawned a new movement. Masorti (Hebrew for "tradition") synagogueswere opened in a number of London suburbs and Manchester. They were loosely based on the American

Conservative movement, but were much closer to modern - as distinct from fundamental - Orthodoxy. By

2001, there were seven Masorti congregations.

He was made a CBE in 1990. He stayed in his pulpit until his 81st birthday in 2001; he always said that hewas happier in that job than he ever would have been as chief rabbi.

His wife, Shulamit, whom he married in 1947, died last year. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain writes: Louis Jacobs was often described as the greatest chief rabbi that British

Jewry never had. It reflected the fact that he was the community's one world-class scholar and a man who

lost the chance to be chief rabbi because he put intellectual integrity above religious orthodoxy.

Jacobs' stand for a mixture of faith and reason inspired thousands of Jews who felt unable to acceptreligious fundamentalism but still valued their Jewish heritage. It was for this reason that when the

Jewish Chronicle conducted a survey to mark the 350th anniversaary of the re-admission of the Jews to

England in 1656 - and to establish who was "the greatest British Jew" of the last three and a halfcenturies - Jacobs emerged as the clear winner.


19/19

The comments of those who voted for him indicate the power of his appeal: "he combines immense

erudition with the ability to inspire ... he has shown it is possible to be Orthodox without being

superstitiious." They also referred to his humility and grace.

Many described him as important to their own spirituality: his writings "help many of us stay practising

believing Jews, where fundamentalist Judaism as expressed by many establishment rabbis would have

turned us away from both practice and belief."

One remarkable testimony declared: "As an Orthodox rabbi, it is a sad state but I have to keep myidentity confidential for obvious reasons. Without Rabbi Jacobs' inspiration I, and I am sure many others,

would have lost our sanity having to work within the intellectual boundaries imposed on us. However, I haveoften recommended Rabbi Jacobs' books to congregants who share the same doubts as I had. His

contribution to Anglo-Jewry is immense and will be recognised for centuries to come. It is good to show my

support by a secret ballot." Louis Jacobs, rabbi and theologian, born July 17 1920; died July 1 2006.

From what position was Jacobs prevented from taking up in 1961?

What fundamentalist position was Jacobs rejecting?

From what position was Jacobs prevented from taking up in 1964?

How did this result in an independent body being established, over which he could minister?

What movement did the New London Synagogue spawn (begin)?

What aspects of liberal and reform practice will Masorti not accept as halakhic

Movements inthe United Kingdom Today

There are an estimated 350,000 Jews in the UK. Of those, approximately 20% are Reform or

Liberal, which are two separate movements. There is also a small but active Conservativemovement called the Masorti, which uses the same prayer book as the Conservative

movement in the United States. The Lubavitcher Chasidim are also active and growing in the

UK.

The liberal movements in the UK are generally more traditional than the Reform movement

in the United States. For example, the British Reform movement does not accept patrilineal

descent (although the Liberal movement does). See Who Is a Jew.

Documents

Divisions in Judaism in Britain - Copy