This history of Orthodox Jewry in America is an outstanding
example of what a critical historian does.
Prof. Gurock shows that from the beginning of Jewish settlement in North
America, the Jewish citizen wanted to desperately fit in and would go to great
lengths at bending the rules of Jewish Law without abrogating his affiliation to gain acceptance
as an American. Prof. Gurock shows us
that those people who identify with the Orthodox synagogue and refuse to compromise
in their affiliation to join a Conservative or Reform synagogue do not
necessarily manifest a wholly observant life style that the synagogue
represents. These people do not, like so
many others, go over to the Non -Orthodox synagogues in an effort to assuage
guilt but rather tenaciously hold steadfast their belief that Judaism has an authentic
teaching that cannot change with the vicissitudes of social pressures and
morays. Prof. Gurock presents a thesis
that there is such a thing as an ‘authentic sinning Orthodox Jew’(my quotation
marks).
The historian presents two types of Jews: the one that makes
accommodations to American Life to fit in and another who separates himself
from the mainstream of American culture but benefits from the legal rights of
all Americans. The accommodationist is
highlighted in this very readable history showing a variety of American
cultural phenomena that the Orthodox Jew wants desperately to experience
(like mixed dancing). One can feel the
overwhelming pressures of the immigrant experience that bring on the agonizing
decision to work or not to work on the Sabbath.
One reads about the painful question does one put Tefillin on the
Holiday if one is treating the Holy day as a secular moment since one is
working on the day!
After WWII, with an influx of Hasidim, and others with a separatist
attitude begin to confront the accomodationists. The book highlights Rabbi Joseph B.
Soloveitchik’s leadership in leading those who accommodate and those Roshei
Yeshiva like Rabbi Aaron Kotler who lead the separatists. Unfortunately, the clash between these two
camps becomes aggressive with the separatists casting the claim of ‘illegitimate’
to the approach of those who accommodate! Prof. Gurock outlines some of the
innovations that the accommodationist rabbis allow and shows clearly that the
innovations (women's prayer groups, women putting on Tefillin, women being called
to the Torah or acting as leaders of prayer and even becoming rabbis) come from
the social pressures and values of modernity (like feminism). These social patterns come from the outside
and are not germane to Jewish law or Tradition.
The rabbis are not so much leading as much as they are attempting to keep their flock
from straying!
The Prof. concludes that even today outside of New York or
other Metropolitan areas where the separatists have claimed victory and
authority calling into question anyone who does not lead a wholly observant
lifestyle, one still finds in the heartland of
America or its outer stretches the type of Jew who feels more comfortable in
the Orthodox synagogue but does not lead a complete Shulchan Aruch abiding lifestyle. One may conclude from reading this history
that there are social pressures that are so great that even rabbis do not have
the sway to change people's behavior.
The separatists only gain a major following when the immigrant
experience has already run its course!
When the social model changes from “melting pot” to “salad bowl”; that
to be different is in vogue does the separatist gain momentum and clashes with
those who want to “be American”.
What I learned from this critical historian is that people
do not necessarily follow their leaders but rather social, economic and
societal pressures move people. In such
situations, the leadership has to have the wisdom to condone or condemn or
ignore the ignominious or irreligious behavior that is not found in the Shulchan Aruch.
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