Modern Approach to Orthodox Judaism: Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) and Rab biner-Seminar Fuer Das Orthodoxe Judentum
Mustafa ŞahinThe Enlightenment period and the subsequent emancipation process marked the beginning of a new phase of change and transformation for European Jews. The idea of change that is intended to be integrated with the modern world has also manifested itself in the religious field. In the 19th century, some approaches that sought harmony with modernity also emerged between Reform Judaism and the traditional religious understanding, which represented two opposite poles while adhering to the basic teachings of the rabbinic tradition. German rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) is among those who put forward a new vision in this direction. Rabbiner-Seminar Fuer Das Orthodoxe Judentum, founded under his leadership in Berlin, is the first Orthodox educational institution based on Wissenschaft des Judentums. Although he was subjected to intense criticism from the traditional wing during his time, Hildesheimer’s influence can be felt considerably in the context of the Orthodox tradition centred on Yeshiva University in the United States.
With his attempt to provide open-mindedness to traditional religious thought, Hildesheimer was one of the few key f igures who shaped Modern Orthodox (Neo-Orthodox) Judaism. This article examines the nature, dimensions, and effects of Hildesheimer’s idea of modernising Orthodoxy.
Ortodoks Yahudiliğe Modern Bir Yaklaşım: Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) ve Rabbiner-Seminar Fuer Das Orthodoxe Judentum (Ortodoks Yahudilik Rabbani Okulu)
Mustafa ŞahinAydınlanma dönemi ve ardından tecrübe edilen özgürleşme süreci, Avrupa Yahudileri için yeni bir değişim ve dönüşüm evresinin başlangıcı olmuştur. Modern dünyaya entegre olabilme amacına matuf değişim düşüncesi dini alanda da kendisini göstermiştir. 19. yüzyıl içerisinde iki karşıt kutbu temsil eden Reform Yahudiliği ile geleneksel din anlayışı arasında rabbani geleneğin temel öğretilerine bağlı kalmak kaydıyla modernite ile uyum arayışında olan yaklaşımlar da ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu doğrultuda yeni bir vizyon ortaya koyan isimlerin başında Alman rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) gelir. Berlin’de onun liderliğinde kurulan Rabbiner-Seminar Fuer Das Orthodoxe Judentum (Ortodoks Yahudilik Rabbani Okulu), Wissenschaft des Judentums’u (Yahudilik Bilimi) temel alan ilk Ortodoks eğitim kurumu olma özelliği taşımaktadır. Kendi döneminde geleneksel kanadın yoğun eleştirisine maruz kalmış olsa da bugün Amerika’da Yeşiva Üniversitesi merkezli Ortodoks geleneğin arka planında Hildesheimer’ın etkisi önemli oranda hissedilmektedir.
Geleneksel din anlayışına düşünce genişliği kazandırma girişimiyle Hildesheimer, Modern Ortodoks (Neo-Ortodoks) Yahudiliğe rengini veren birkaç kilit isimden biridir. Bu makale, Hildesheimer’ın Ortodoksiyi modernize etme düşüncesinin mahiyeti, boyutları ve etkilerini inceleyecektir.
In the modern period, Orthodox Judaism emerged with the claim of being the natural heir of Rabbinical Judaism, and based on this claim, it regarded Reformist and Conservative religious movement as outside authentic Judaism. In the process of modernisation and secularisation of European Jews after the Enlightenment and emancipation periods, the general tendency of Jews who continued to claim to be loyal to tradition was to separate from modern society and stay away from secular science and culture as much as possible. In the 19th century, Jewish communities and rabbis who were described as Orthodox were the most obvious parties to this opposition.
The discourse of renewal and modernisation within traditional Judaism was first put forward by rabbis such as Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) and Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) in the 19th century. Hirsch played a key role in the emerging of modern Orthodox thought. On the other hand, Hildesheimer’s influence has been relatively pushed into the background. Although it is indisputable that Hirsch provided an awakening in the process of modernisation of traditional Judaism, the expansions that Hildesheimer provided to traditional thought, in both its intellectual and institutional dimensions, have been substantially decisive for Modern Orthodoxy in practise.
Torah im Derech Eretz (Torah with the way of the land), which was introduced by rabbi Hirsch and considered the most fundamental concept of Neo-Orthodox Judaism, was fundamentally adopted by Hildesheimer, like other modernist leaders. However, Hildesheimer differs from Hirsch in terms of the depth of the relationship between religious and secular knowledge. In Hirsch’s approach, secular knowledge is included in Jewish education and practical life, provided that it is not prioritised over Torah knowledge; on the contrary, it is subordinated to Torah knowledge. Taking this idea one step further in the process leading to Modern Orthodoxy, Hildesheimer wanted to develop it within the framework of a systematic education method and expand its field of meaning in a manner that would enable it to come into closer contact with the modern world. Through this process, he aimed for a more permanent transformation in Orthodox thought.
The tool that Hildesheimer used for this purpose was the Wissenschaft des Judentums (Science of Judaism). Rabbiner-Seminar Fuer Das Orthodoxe Judentum (The Rabbinical Seminary for Orthodox Judaism), which he founded in 1873, is the only Orthodox institution that centres this perspective and aims to transform the traditional understanding of knowledge. Historical-critical research, which was seen as a threat to traditional beliefs by Hirsch and his followers, was seen by Hildesheimer as the most important tool for illuminating the rabbinic tradition and post-literature more clearly and transparently. He also believed that such research could be instrumental in defending Orthodox Judaism against the challenges of Reformist thought. The perspective adopted by Hildesheimer, together with Orthodox leaders, within the framework of traditional Judaism’s understanding of Torah and revelation, rejected the idea that Judaism is subject to history and has a continuous development, contrary to what most pioneer leaders of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement claimed. For this reason, both the Reform movement and the Historical School, which instrumentalize the Wissenschaft des Judentums in this direction, were opposed. Regarding issues based on truth, faith, or religious pluralism, Hildesheimer appears to have a protective attitude towards inherited tradition. His opposition was directed at both the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (Higher Institute for Jewish Studies) founded by Abraham Geiger (1810 1874), from the pioneer Reformists, and at Frankel, founder of the Breslau Seminary. In this context, Hildesheimer, through the rabbinical school he founded and his attempt to interpret the Wissenschaft des Judentums from an Orthodox perspective, adhering to the basic doctrines of Judaism, brought the tendency and ability to think critically and scientifically to Neo-Orthodox Judaism.
The second aspect Hildesheimer brought to Modern Orthodoxy is his commitment to the ideal of integration and Kol Yisrael (All Israel). Although he was a Jewish law authority who also wrote responsa in his time, Hildesheimer focused more on issues such as the place of Jews in the modern world and Jewish unity, and pursued to build an Orthodox Jewish identity that could combine traditional and modern values and was open to integration and development both among Jewish groups and in relations with gentiles. In his thought, as a concrete change of perspective to Orthodox Judaism, close cooperation and dialogue with Jewish individuals and communities, with all their differences, was envisaged in secular areas or in areas believed to contribute to Jewish unity, such as Zionist thought. A distinguishing feature of Hildesheimer’s interpretation is that despite not approving of their religious interpretations, he wishes to establish relationships with Jewish individuals, communities, and institutions outside Orthodoxy in non-religious areas for the sake of Jewish unity. Although he was exposed to criticism from the Orthodox wing, he established close relations with Jews who supported the Reform movement and Historical School in non-religious fields and conducted joint work with Zionist organisations in addition to philanthropy, education, and social activities.
Similar to the Reform movement and Conservative movement that emerged in Europe but gained institutional structures in the United States, Modern Orthodox Judaism is also strongly represented in the United States. American Jewish Orthodoxy, which expresses itself mainly through Yeshiva University in terms of education, presently stands out with its view of integration, Jewish unity, and scientific perspectives. In this context, considering the prominent characteristics of the American Orthodox tradition from the past to the present, its intellectual background has been largely shaped by Hildesheimer’s perspective in the two areas mentioned in his ideal of transforming Orthodox Judaism.
In the context of all that has been mentioned, this study examines Hildesheimer’s contribution to Orthodox Judaism and, when the occasion arises, will carry out a comparative analysis in the context of his mutual relationship with both Orthodox rabbis and Hirsch. In this regard, Modern Orthodoxy today bears considerable traces of Hildesheimer’s thought. In other words, when compared to the Hirsch-style interpretation, which envisions an isolated and separatist Orthodox renewal, Hildesheimer emerges as the foremost leader guiding Modern Orthodoxy.
