CHALLENGE OF MODERNITY P4.2

Question 1

The challenge of Modernity

Answer 1

• Began in Central and Western Europe (particularly Germany and France) at the end of the 18th Century and first half of the19th Century.
• Brought on by the movements of Enlightenment, Emancipation and Nationalism.
• Rabbi Goldberg and Rayner highlight, “to what extent, if at all, should the Jewish people modify their traditional practices in order to gain recognition as patriotic Jewish citizens?”

Question 2

The broader context of the challenge

Answer 2

• Prior to the challenge of Modernity, wider society operated under a political system of Absolutism where Christian society was dominant.
• Jews were outside the feudal system, not classified as citizens and had no rights.
• Religious minority and forced to live in ghettos in the “worst section of town” (Historian Solomon Grayzel) which was overcrowded, had narrow streets and unsanitary alleys. In the ghettos the Jews lived under a “constant threat of expulsion or attack” (Historian Solomon Grayzel).
• Despite this, the Jews were a cohesive and monolithic community, referred to as the Kehila which the Rabbis had the power and authority of. They lived a traditional life with a common set of beliefs of Halacha (Jewish law). The community spoke Yiddish, dressed distinctively and maintained an exclusively Jewish education

Question 3

The external sources of the challenge

Answer 3

-Enlightenment (1648-1789), an intellectual movement. Philosophers made judgments based on new scientific discoveries proving that the physical universe works according to a set of laws and therefore, religious beliefs lack authority.
- The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated that ‘All men are born, and remain, free and equal in rights’ (Article 1) granted equal rights of citizenship to all.
- The ideas of the Enlightenment were enacted into law first in France following the 1789 French Revolution; leading to the emancipation of the Jews and dismantling the feudal system.
- Nationalism is the devotion to one’s own nation’s interest over those of all other nations. Jews had to decide between devotion to their nation state or the Jewish nation, creating in them a hyphenated identity.

Question 4

The internal sources of the challenge 1

Answer 4

• Haskalah, a movement for Jewish enlightenment and cultural emancipation aimed to break down the barriers of distinctiveness and bring the Jews into wider society. Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786), the founder of the movement in Germany, envisaged a society tied to tradition and rationalism. Changes included use of vernacular language, secular style of dress and secular education alongside religious education.

Question 5

The internal sources of the challenge 2

Answer 5

• The Science of Judaism was a movement that aimed to prove the validity of Judaism scientifically thus making it applicable to present day society. It was found that Judaism is a constantly evolving tradition and therefore opened the doors of reinterpretation of belief and practise.

Question 6

The aspects challenged

Answer 6

Divine revelation, the belief that God wrote and revealed the Torah (Hebrew Bible) at Mount Sinai was questioned as it was not compatible with science. After praying for 2000 years to return to the Land of Israel and for the Messiah to come, these beliefs were called into question. Jews were now free citizens with a nationalistic spirit of emancipation and consequently, some Jews believed that the Messiah has come.

The social infrastructure of the Kehila, particularly the Rabbinic authority, lost power as they now obeyed the laws of the land, the political leaders and courts and rabbis were only consulted on religious matters. This impacted the way the social structure would function into the future.

Halacha (Jewish Law) and practice of ethics and rituals in secular society required more effort as Jews wanted to fit in but did not want to be distinctive. For example, the ethic of Kashrut (dietary laws) and the ethic of the observance of Shabbat (day of rest) required more effort. When invited out to a work dinner on shabbat, Jews had to decide to break Kashrut and Shabbat and go out or keep the ethics and stay home.

Question 7

Supporting responses on the wider society 1

Answer 7

• No impact on wider society as this was an internal response
• majority of Gentiles were not aware of nor concerned with this

Question 8

Supporting responses on the wider society 2

Answer 8

• Acculturation where there were new possibilities for contact between Jews and their Christian neighbours. Some Jews gained acceptance as a result of assimilation, intermarriage and conversion while others had interaction at schools, universities and professional previously closed to them. Many Jews contributed to fields of art, music and science such as Walter Benjamin, a literary critic and philosopher and Felix Mendelssohn, a composer.

Question 9

Supporting responses on the wider society 3

Answer 9

• Some gentiles still regard Jews in the traditional sense and looked upon them differently. There was a lack of trust and acceptance in wider society despite Jews showing they were modern with plusilisic ideas. Ani-Jewish teaching remained within Christian ideology and therefore dialogue was difficult. There were also incidents of anti semitism including the Dreyfus affair. An innocent Jew was convicted of treason and put in jail and later was able to prove the conviction was false. This was clearly fueled by antisemitism demonstrating religious persecution was still evident in wider society.