The Reform movement was the pioneer in attempting to modernize while simultaneously maintaining the essence of Judaism, within a culture of enlightenment and emancipation. They were deeply dedicated people and deeply concerned about the future of Judaism. They were convinced that what they were doing was the best way to preserve Judaism. Other responses to modernity, such as the Conservative movement, the Modern Orthodox movement, and even Political Zionism, were a response to the work of the Reformists.

The Reformists focused on two major questions: what aspects of Judaism should be changed? and how would those changes be made? What to change ranged from superficial aspects, such as the language of sermons (German or Yiddish) or the length of the service, to issues that touched the essence of Judaism, such as maintaining kashrut, praying with tefillin and a kippa, or praying to Zion. And the question of who would decide had its own problems: Who would decide, each rabbi, the leaders, or the members of the congregation? These and other issues had supporters and detractors, from liberals to traditionalists.

One of the dissenters was Zechariah Frankel, the chief rabbi of Dresden, who in 1845 broke with the Reformists, maintaining that Hebrew should remain the primary language of prayer and that the laws of kashrut should be upheld. He argued that Jewish law was not static, but evolved according to new conditions. He called this «Positive Historical Judaism,» which is having a positive attitude toward norms but with an open mind to accept new laws and customs, as had happened throughout history. He argued that the Reformists’ changes were not based on history and tradition.

Frankel was not the only opponent. In 1854, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch viewed Judaism as “an untouchable sanctuary that should not be subject to human judgment or subordinated to human considerations” and that “progress is valid only to the extent that it does not interfere with religion.” His motto, “Torah and Derech Eretz,” means observing the mitzvoth while simultaneously understanding and interacting with the society and culture in which we are immersed.

Another position was that of political Zionism. Although it does not strictly have a religious content but rather a political and national one, Zionism can also be considered a response to modernity. In 1882, Leon Pinsker spoke of self-emancipation, accepting that the Jewish people would be emancipated only when they had their own country and not while they continued to live among other nations.

Frankel is considered the initiator of the Conservative movement, Hirsch of Modern Orthodoxy, and Herzl, Pinsker, and other thinkers of political Zionism. But the catalyst for these currents was undoubtedly the Reform movement.

By Marcos Gojman

Bibliography: Conservative Judaism by Neil Gillman and other sources.