Hirsch also wrote, “Torah, the fulfillment of the Divine Will, constitutes the foundation, basis and goal of this people… it is as eternal and everlasting as spirit and soul and the Word of the Eternal” (Letter Eight). The 19th century Modern Orthodox movement believed that Torah is the foundation of Judaism and we must fulfill the mitzvah of studying Torah.
Today, Modern Orthodox Jews find a little more freedom within studying Torah. In contrast to Orthodox right, Modern Orthodox Jews do not see disciplines outside of the Torah as hol, or profane. Instead, Modern Orthodox Jews find value in studying Torah, and other areas such as “Chemistry, language, medicine,” because they are all “potentially aspects of Torah.” (Weiss, Avraham). Modern …show more content…
Rabbi Soloveitchik encouraged cooperation with people outside the Orthodox movement (i.e. Christians) to promote social justice. Also, since Modern Orthodox Jews believe that the world is unfinished, they believe that Jews must finish the world through tikkun olam and social justice. Two lead figures in the Reconstructionist movement include Mordecai Kaplan and Deborah Waxman. Kaplan was born in 1881 in Russia. He immigrated to America in 1889, and started the Reconstructionist movement. In 1917, he was the first leader to include cultural and recreational events into his synagogue. He organized the Society for the Advancement in 1922 based on his personal belief that a congregation should not only promote worship and the studying of Torah. He published The Reconstructionist which called for a “reconstruction” of Judaism. (Mordecai Kaplan: Founder of Reconstructionist Judaism). He believed that God is trans-natural, meaning that He acts through us and we experience …show more content…
However, Kaplan later felt that Conservative Judaism was too deeply rooted in traditions and halacha in order to respond to new conditions and situations. Kaplan and the Reformed movement agreed upon the dynamic nature of Judaism, but Kaplan felt that Reformed Judaism failed to acknowledge the social aspect of a Jew’s identity. The same relationship remains today that existed in Kaplan’s time because these movement still have the same beliefs regarding Zionism, Halacha, and others that are emphasized in each
Today, Modern Orthodox Jews find a little more freedom within studying Torah. In contrast to Orthodox right, Modern Orthodox Jews do not see disciplines outside of the Torah as hol, or profane. Instead, Modern Orthodox Jews find value in studying Torah, and other areas such as “Chemistry, language, medicine,” because they are all “potentially aspects of Torah.” (Weiss, Avraham). Modern …show more content…
Rabbi Soloveitchik encouraged cooperation with people outside the Orthodox movement (i.e. Christians) to promote social justice. Also, since Modern Orthodox Jews believe that the world is unfinished, they believe that Jews must finish the world through tikkun olam and social justice. Two lead figures in the Reconstructionist movement include Mordecai Kaplan and Deborah Waxman. Kaplan was born in 1881 in Russia. He immigrated to America in 1889, and started the Reconstructionist movement. In 1917, he was the first leader to include cultural and recreational events into his synagogue. He organized the Society for the Advancement in 1922 based on his personal belief that a congregation should not only promote worship and the studying of Torah. He published The Reconstructionist which called for a “reconstruction” of Judaism. (Mordecai Kaplan: Founder of Reconstructionist Judaism). He believed that God is trans-natural, meaning that He acts through us and we experience …show more content…
However, Kaplan later felt that Conservative Judaism was too deeply rooted in traditions and halacha in order to respond to new conditions and situations. Kaplan and the Reformed movement agreed upon the dynamic nature of Judaism, but Kaplan felt that Reformed Judaism failed to acknowledge the social aspect of a Jew’s identity. The same relationship remains today that existed in Kaplan’s time because these movement still have the same beliefs regarding Zionism, Halacha, and others that are emphasized in each