Modernisation Within Orthodoxy
Hildesheimer is regarded as a pioneering "Moderniser" of Orthodox Judaism in Germany. He was insistent that for Orthodox Jews living in the west, there was no possibility to segregate oneself behind ghetto walls. On the contrary, modern Jewish education must teach Jews how best to confront and deal with modernity in all of its aspects .
His firm conviction that traditional Judaism need have no fear of the light of European culture determined his attitude and his activity in Hungary and Germany from the start, and gave him a definite aim. In an address delivered at his rabbinical seminary and defining his position he said:
| “ | Unconditional agreement with the culture of the present day; harmony between Judaism and science; but also unconditional steadfastness in the faith and traditions of Judaism: these constitute the program of the New Community, the standard round which gather the Israelites of Berlin who are faithful to the Law. | ” |
He thus undertook a variety of actions which render him a "modern" activist and institution-builder. The most important of these, as discussed above, are:
- Jewish education for males and females which included both religious and secular studies.
- The seminary which incorporated not only secular studies but academic scholarship.
- Maintaining traditional Jewish attachments to the Land of Israel and working with the non-Orthodox on its behalf.
- Working with communal leaders, even non-Orthodox ones, on issues that affected the community, such as anti-Semitism and ritual slaughtering.
Read more about this topic: Azriel Hildesheimer