THE POLITICS OF JEWISH ORTHODOXY: THE CASE OF HUNGARY 1868–1918 (original) (raw)

In its early days at the turn of the nineteenth century, Jewish Orthodoxy (henceforth: Orthodoxy) was no more than an abstract notion shared by a few European rabbis who dreaded the consequences of modern values, opposed the idea that Jewish children should be taught secular subjects and resisted the introduction of religious reforms. Only a century later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, were two global Orthodox organizations—Ha-Mizrahi and Agudath Israel—established. These were fully-fledged political movements, one of which operated within the frame of the Zionist movement, while the other, although willing to cooperate with the Zionist leadership, never became a part of it. While the link between religion and politics has occupied academia worldwide, the history of the relations between Orthodoxy and politics has gained far less attention. Most available studies address the historical processes and events that occurred after the establishment of the two major Orthodox movements, i.e. during the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries. Only a handful of studies has examined the early stages of the evolution of Orthodoxy’s political forms, and even less attention has been paid to Orthodoxy’s inner politics. Although this article deals with occurrences that took place more than a century ago, many of the political and social issues it discusses are as relevant to Orthodoxy today as they were back then.