738:(Detroit, 1987), p. 73, describes the conflict as follows: 'In 1911 Adath Israel appointed the eminent rabbi, scholar and preacher, Gabriel Ze'ev Margolis, as its spiritual leader. The Adath Israel leadership, with Margolis at its head and with the support of the Morgen Zhurnal, the Orthodox Yiddish daily, entered the thicket of communal politics. For the next decade it attempted to federate all Orthodox institutions with the goal of communalizing the supervision of kosher meat and religious education. Although the effort proved abortive, it illustrates the communal thrust latent in the traditional hevra kadisha society.'
719:'This senior scholar, the reputed author of several European-published rabbinic tracts, quickly elected chief rabbi of several New England area congregations, saw little personal value in affiliating with the relatively new rabbinic organization. If anything, he recognized the Agudat ha-Rabbanim as an organizational establishment which stood in the way of his economic and rabbinic-political advancement through the kashruth industry. . . . he undertook a decade-long campaign to undermine the reliability of Agudat ha-Rabbanim within New York Orthodox circles.'
81:. There were two distinct groups within the American Orthodox rabbinate: the Eastern European and the Western European and American-born: "The Americans were English-speakers, often had a secular education, and competed with Reform (and later Conservative) movements for the heart of the modern American Jew. European transplants were often Yiddish-speaking with barely any English skills, trained exclusively in rabbinics, and would be termed
266:, but their religion is not Judaism...we appeal to our fellow Jew, members of the Reform and Conservative movements: Having been falsely led by heretical leaders that Reform and Conservative are legitimate branches and denominations of Judaism, we urge you to be guided by this declaration, and withdraw from your affiliation with Reform and Conservative temples and their clergy. Do not hesitate to attend an
784:
Sprecher. Even the
Assembly of Orthodox Rabbis entered the fray, sending telegrams to Wilson, President-elect Harding, and various congressmen. As reprinted in the organization's Sefer Knesset haRabbanim, they contained the following message: "Ministering as we do largely among erstwhile strangers in
610:
community as whole, because its centrist and Modern
Orthodox rabbinical members generally do not appear with the group during such announcements. In addition, rabbis maintaining membership in both the UOR and Rabbinical Council of America frequently tend to place greater importance in, and watch
352:, on behalf of the Union, wrote to the President of Poland that it was inappropriate for Veil to speak at the event, since by "having brought about the legalization of abortion in France" she was "responsible for an ongoing destruction of human life far exceeding that of the Nazis".
85:
today, and had a stronger affinity to the entire body of religious texts; they were there to maintain standards." Though there were
American scholars trained in the European path, and European schools that supported secular scholarship, most rabbis belonged to one camp or the other.
93:, were dangerously accommodationist and lacking in both scholarship and piety. Their credentials were rarely recognized, if at all, by the UOR. The Eastern Europeans needed a fellowship to promote their ideas and raise political capital, and the Agudath Harabanim served that need.
785:
our land, we can testify that they are ready to embrace
American ideals at the first opportunity. To create legislation which would leave undying pain in hearts of all American immigrants would certainly leave a poor background for us to do Americanization work."
888:
E.g., "The Union of
Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada comprises a fraction of the Orthodox rabbinate in North America, and in Israel, the ultra-Orthodox, despite massive support from the government, still reach only a fraction of the population."
156:(Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis). Evidence of the Knesseth exists starting around 1920, but a Knesseth convention claims that it had existed for some years previously; in any event, it had not been a successful organization prior to 1920.
159:
Several public relations wars broke out between
Knesseth and Agudath in the 1920s. Many of them were about competing claims of laxity in meat supervision, wine supervision, or legitimacy of import and licensing of sacramental wine during
72:
The
Agudath Harabonim was formed in 1902, to espouse a strictly traditionalist agenda. Its founders were concerned with the Americanized, acculturated character of even the relatively traditional wing of local Jewry, exemplified by the
172:
A third, less-active group was the
Council of Orthodox Rabbis (Degel Harabanim in Hebrew). It may have merged with Knesseth shortly after its founding. They are known to have shared conventions, especially in opposition to Agudath.
119:(known as "Ramaz"), Moshe Yisrael Shapiro; and S. A. Joffee. Margolies was from Europe, and equally at ease in Yiddish and English, had feet in both camps, with a personality well suited for the modern American congregation.
230:. Kaplan, a critic of both Orthodox and Reform Judaism, believed that Jewish practice should be reconciled with modern thought, a philosophy reflected in his Sabbath Prayer Book." The prayer book was allegedly burned.
811:"Dr. Wise Resigns From Jewish Fund – Says He Does Not Wish Sermon on Jesus to Hurt United Palestine Appeal – He Explains His Position – Louis Lipsky Defends Him as a Champion of Zionist Cause and Religion of Jews"
602:
movements, because its rabbinical membership represents a statistically small portion of the total number of rabbis ordained by all movements in the United States, and even by the
Orthodox movement itself.
147:
Almost from the start, the
Agudath Harabonim had critics among the Yiddish-speaking rabbis, as well. In particular, Rabbi Gavriel Wolf "Velvel" Margolis felt that the Union was too lax in some areas of
324:, clearly implying that it can also be a Reform and Conservative temple, the Agudas Harabonim strongly disapproves, and warns all Jews not to take part in the "Shabbat Across America/Canada" program.
749:
Sprecher. "In January 1920 Gabriel Wolf Margolis finally received the recognition that had eluded him when, together with 135 other he formed the Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis of America."
164:. However, not all was war, kashrus, or Prohibition. Both organizations worked on social issues of the day that affected Jews, and on the improvement of rabbinical life for their members.
273:
due to your inadequate observance of Judaism. On the contrary, it is because of that inadequacy that you need to attend an Orthodox synagogue where you will be warmly welcomed...
916:
654:, August 26, 1936. Accessed March 28, 2023. "Rabbi Margolies was the founder and later honorary president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of United States and Canada."
64:
in the United States. It had been for many years the principal group for such rabbis, though in recent years it has lost much of its former membership and influence.
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222:
in New York City, the Agudath Harabonim "formally assembled to excommunicate from Judaism what it deemed to be the community's most heretical voice: Rabbi
839:
288:
program because it coordinated and helped Reform and Conservative organizations. In an advertisement placed in the Friday March 7, 2003, edition of
188:
The disputes among the organization seem to have died down in the late 1940s or 1950s; Knesseth and Degel faded away as a separate organization.
100:
supervision. The Agudath Harabonim initially started raising standards in New York and elsewhere, but had some trouble getting the butchers and
152:, too exclusive, and too interfering in the kashrus work he had been hired to do by his congregation. He founded a competing organization, the
78:
810:
215:
delivered a sermon about Jesus the Jew, causing an uproar culminating in an edict of condemnation against him by the Agudath Harabonim.
891:
Remarks of Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (then the Union of American Hebrew Congregations), April 12, 1997
921:
329:
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which serves the Americas. The current members of the Beth Din of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the USA and Canada are:
90:
873:
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425:
759:
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This harsh assessment of Rabbi Margolis's motives differs from the position taken by another respected historian.
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227:
28:
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In addition, they maintain that the group's controversial activities are not vocally supported by the American
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more carefully, the activities of the RCA, thus making their support of UOR activities marginal at best.
534:
153:
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survivor, was invited to speak at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation.
303:
251:
109:
57:("union of rabbis"), was established in 1901 in the United States and is the oldest organization of
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379:
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Critics of Agudath Harabonim's efforts claim that the group's leadership does not deserve a media
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243:, quoted from "A Historic Declaration", issued by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis on March 31, 1997:
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523:
512:
406:
387:
363:
Notable current or recent members of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the USA and Canada include:
237:, prohibiting worship at non-Orthodox synagogues. Similarly, the Friday April 4, 1997 edition of
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491:
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E.g., "The Agudas Horabbonim still exists, but is little more than a paper organization."
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320:. Since the "Shabbat Across America/Canada" does not state that the synagogue must be
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The group has regularly placed advertisements in Jewish newspapers shortly before the
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Zachary Silver, "A look back at a different book burning," The Forward, June 3, 2005
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Among the main founding rabbis of the Agudath Harabonim were Bernard Levinthal,
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Only Agudath and Iggud still function today, though neither is very active.
112:
and his colleagues in the OU in New York provided assistance in this area.
96:
The UOR leadership was willing to tolerate the OU in urgent needs, such as
130:. In recent years, the organization has been under the direction of Rabbi
122:
Among the well-known leaders from the Agudath Harabonim's past are Rabbis
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American Jewish History, Volume 5: The history of Judaism in America
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The organization has not shied away from controversy in the past.
61:
648:"Moses Margolies, Dean of American Rabbis, Dies at Summer Home"
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One of the leading organizers of the above public protests was
259:
43:
Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada (UOR)
714:, pp. 147–148, describes this ongoing conflict as follows:
89:
To the Eastern Europeans, the OU and its later affiliated
298:...Agudas Horabonim cannot approve of a call to attend a
413:
and a world-renowned authority on Jewish law and ethics.
143:
Knesseth Harabonim / Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis
835:
833:
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temple on Friday night, or any time. As important as
226:, the man who eventually would become the founder of
102:
35:(Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America).
316:—is, it must be carried out in accordance with the
180:(Rabbinical Alliance of America), founded in 1942.
77:(OU), which had formed five years earlier, and the
842:How a small Orthodox group wrote a national story
38:Orthodox Jewish organization in the United States
760:"11th Annual Convention of K'nesseth Ha'rabonim"
8:
736:The Jews of North America, ed. Moses Rischin
696:. American Jewish Archives. pp. 172–173
332:, an Orthodox rabbi and writer in New York.
844:, Jewish Telegraphic Agency , April 4, 1997
503:The organization's primary function is the
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682:
680:
678:
876:A Primer on the American Jewish Community
766:. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. May 12, 1926
917:Jewish organizations established in 1901
620:
691:"Orthodox Rabbis React to Prohibition"
626:
624:
79:Jewish Theological Seminary of America
7:
550:Dayan, Menahel Choshen Mishpat Dept.
277:The organization also condemned the
927:Haredi Judaism in the United States
598:to denounce the practices of other
375:of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood.
168:Degel Harabanim and Iggud HaRabonim
45:, often called by its Hebrew name,
176:A later group, also small, is the
25:
476:, chief executive officer of the
795:Adam Soclof (February 5, 2012).
279:National Jewish Outreach Program
583:Dayan, Menahel West Coast Dept.
138:Competing Haredi organizations
1:
665:"Rabbi Moshe Yisroel Shapiro"
312:—bringing Jews closer to the
91:Rabbinical Council of America
799:. Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
258:at all. Their adherents are
878:, American Jewish Committee
712:Resisters and Accommodators
561:Dayan, Menahel Gittin Dept.
426:Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem
340:In 2005, French politician
103:
943:
896:February 23, 2008, at the
26:
732:Institutions Transplanted
652:Jewish Telegraphic Agency
637:. KTAV. pp. 110–115.
228:Reconstructionist Judaism
29:Agudath Israel of America
922:Rabbinical organizations
31:(Agudas Yisroel) or the
27:Not to be confused with
454:, Senior member of the
435:, Senior member of the
428:– Staten Island campus.
117:Moshe Zevulun Margolies
840:Debra Nussbaum Cohen,
797:"Kosher Jesus - Again"
764:Jewish Daily Bulletin
488:Chaim Shlomo Ginsberg
330:Rabbi David Hollander
286:Across America/Canada
817:. December 25, 1925.
110:Henry Pereira Mendes
380:Moshe David Tendler
262:, according to the
815:The New York Times
689:Sprecher, Hannah.
632:Gurock, Jeffrey S.
535:Elimelech Lebowitz
490:, secretary &
407:Yeshiva University
388:Yeshiva University
207:In December 1925,
154:Knesseth Harabonim
132:Tzvi Meir Ginsberg
856:"Article Details"
47:Agudath Harabonim
18:Agudas HaRabbonim
16:(Redirected from
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213:Stephen S. Wise
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452:Yosef Heller
441:Rosh Yeshiva
422:Rosh Yeshiva
403:Rosh Yeshiva
384:Rosh Yeshiva
373:Rosh Yeshiva
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350:Yehuda Levin
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304:Conservative
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700:3 September
669:kevarim.com
557:Tzvi Ralbag
524:Chaim Kraus
517:Av Beis Din
513:Arye Ralbag
460:Rosh Kollel
382:, a senior
342:Simone Veil
336:Simone Veil
184:Later years
162:Prohibition
911:Categories
615:References
590:Criticisms
264:Jewish Law
770:28 August
483:Division.
346:Auschwitz
314:synagogue
271:synagogue
108:in line.
894:Archived
505:Beis Din
499:Beis Din
447:Yeshiva.
322:Orthodox
268:Orthodox
254:are not
104:shochtim
59:Orthodox
492:Menahel
462:of the
318:Halacha
284:Shabbat
256:Judaism
150:Kashrus
68:History
49:or (in
708:Gurock
577:Rabbi
566:Rabbi
555:Rabbi
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533:Rabbi
522:Rabbi
511:Rabbi
486:Rabbi
481:Kosher
472:Rabbi
467:Kollel
450:Rabbi
445:Chabad
431:Rabbi
416:Rabbi
397:Rabbi
378:Rabbi
367:Rabbi
300:Reform
248:Reform
211:Rabbi
209:Reform
98:kosher
83:Haredi
62:rabbis
734:, in
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572:Dayan
411:RIETS
392:RIETS
344:, an
309:Kiruv
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260:Jews
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