Modern Orthodox Judaism

Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox, also known as Modern Orthodoxy and sometimes abbreviated as "MO") is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular modern world. It is broadly defined as the effort to adapt Orthodox Judaism to modernity and to avoid the social and/or cultural isolation which living in strict accordance with halakha would seem to impose http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_4_47/ai_54600118.

Origins of the movement

In Europe during the early 1800s, before the rise of the formal Reform Judaism movement, some people may have referred to any changes in strict Jewish law as a "reform". At that time, as now for the Orthodox, if it was still within the bounds of Jewish law, then it may have been a case of chumras ("strictures") being dropped in favour of kulas ("leniencies"). However, if it became a case of the abandonment of Jewish law -- meaning no justification, either lenient or strict, could be found or derived from the Shulkhan Arukh (the definitive "Code of Jewish Law") -- then most of the "reforms" that eventually became associated with Reform Judaism were rejected outright by the Orthodox. However, a number of acceptable reforms did occur amongst some Orthodox groups:

Related Topics:
1800s - Reform Judaism - Strict Jewish law - Shulkhan Arukh

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• In Western Europe, having a sermon in the vernacular language, such as German or English.
• Acceptance of lighter more modern styles of dress and fashion in the work place and professionaly, including less head-coverings for men and women when not worshiping in synagogue or at home.
• Having the bima ("Altar") (a platform from which the Torah is read) in the front of the synagogue instead of near the center.
• Accepting Zionism as a political movement.
• Having ordered services with a choir.
• Adding a prayer to the siddur (Jewish prayerbook) for the welfare of the nation in which the congregation existed, or having varying versions of certain older prayers.

Some Jews had a perception of Judaism as "static and unchanging" and that each of the above reforms may be a "violation" of Jewish law, and thus forbidden. Others thought that Jewish law was never "static" and could change as long as there is room for kulas ("leniencies") in Jewish law itself, or that these strictures were never enshrined in Jewish law to begin with. To the latter, the above examples of changes were justifiable, and perhaps necessary; that although these were changes in the Jewish tradition of recent centuries, they were not a violation of classical halakha.

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Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch stated:

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:"it is foolish to believe that it is the wording of a prayer, the notes of a synagogue tune, or the order of a special service, which form the abyss between (reform and orthodoxy)... It is not the so-called Divine Service which separates us, (rather it) is the theory - the principle.

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:The subordination of religion to any other factor means the denial of religion: for if the Torah is to you the Law of God how dare you place another law above it and go along with God and His Law only as long as you thereby "progress" in other respects at the same time?" (S.R. Hirsch, Religion Allied to Progress.)

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