Publisher's Synopsis
First history of the Modern Orthodox movement
Modern Orthodox Judaism offers an extensive selection of primary texts documenting the Orthodox encounter with American Judaism thatled to the emergence of the Modern Orthodox movement. Many textsin this volume are drawn from episodes of conflict that helped formModern Orthodox Judaism. These include the traditionalists' responseto the early expressions of Reform Judaism, as well as incidents thathelped define the widening differences between Orthodox and ConservativeJudaism in the early twentieth century. Other texts explorethe internal struggles to maintain order and balance once OrthodoxJudaism had separated itself from other religious movements.
Zev Eleff combines published documents with seldom-seen archivalsources in tracing Modern Orthodoxy as it developed into a structuredmovement, established its own institutions, and encountered criticalevents and issues—some that helped shape the movement and othersthat caused tension within it. A general introduction explains therise of the movement and puts the texts in historical context. Briefintroductions to each section guide readers through the documentsof this new, dynamic Jewish expression.