Ultra-Orthodox Judaism
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| Ultra-Orthodox Judaism | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ultra-Orthodox Judaism |
| Scripture | Torah, Talmud, Shulchan Aruch |
| Theology | Rabbinic Judaism |
| Founder | None (evolutionary development from Rabbinic Judaism) |
| Founded date | 18th–19th centuries |
| Founded place | Eastern Europe |
| Languages | Hebrew language, Yiddish, Ladino, English language |
| Regions | Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Argentina, Canada, Australia |
| Founders | Baer of Mezhirech, Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi |
Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is a stream within Rabbinic Judaism characterized by strict adherence to Halakha, traditional dress, and communal autonomy. Communities emphasize study of the Talmud, deference to rabbinic authority such as Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, and organizational life centered on institutions like Agudath Israel of America and Degel HaTorah. It includes diverse groups such as Hasidic Judaism dynasties and Lithuanian Judaism-aligned yeshiva communities.
Definition and Beliefs
Beliefs prioritize interpretation of the Torah and Talmud through rabbinic decisors like Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, and texts including the Shulchan Aruch, Mishneh Torah, and Arba'ah Turim; communal norms often reference rulings from figures associated with Volozhin Yeshiva, Ponevezh Yeshiva, and Mir Yeshiva. Theology depends on classical sources such as Maimonides, Ramban, and mystical works like the Zohar and the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal), with spiritual lineages traced to leaders like Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov and disciples in dynasties including Belz, Satmar, Gerrer Hasidim, Breslov, Bobov, and Skver. Community practice is guided by rabbinic councils including Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and rabbinic leaders from organizations like Shas and United Torah Judaism.
History and Origins
Roots trace to post-Medieval Judaism developments, intensifying in response to movements such as Hasidism founded by the Baal Shem Tov and the Lithuanian "Misnagdic" reaction led by figures like Vilna Gaon; later institutional consolidation occurred in 19th-century centers like Łódź, Vilnius, Lublin, and Belz. Migration patterns connected to events including the Pale of Settlement, the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment), the Pogroms of the Russian Empire, and catastrophes such as the Holocaust shaped community dispersion to Brooklyn, Jerusalem, London, Montreal, and Buenos Aires. Postwar reconstitution leveraged institutions like Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, Beth Medrash Govoha, Bnei Brak communities, and support networks including American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and philanthropic patrons like the Schwartz family.
Demographics and Geographic Distribution
Major populations reside in Israel (notably Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak), the United States (notably New York City boroughs such as Brooklyn, Monroe, New York, Lakewood Township, New Jersey), and cities including London, Antwerp, Montreal, Buenos Aires, and Melbourne. Growth is driven by high fertility rates documented in studies from institutions like Pew Research Center and community organizations including United Jewish Communities, with migration influenced by laws such as Israel’s Law of Return and events like the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War. Distinct subgroups include Satmar, Ger (Hasidic dynasty), Lubavitch, Chabad-Lubavitch, Novominsker, and Slonim.
Religious Practices and Lifestyle
Daily life centers on study at yeshiva and observance of holidays such as Pesach, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and weekly observance of Shabbat. Ritual practice employs items like tefillin, tallit, and mezuzah, with kosher supervision by agencies such as Badatz and communal institutions like Vaad Harabanim. Dress codes include garments associated with dynasties—streimel, bekishe, shtreimel, kittel—and norms influenced by leaders like Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and customs from towns such as Sanz and Vizhnitz. Modes of worship occur in synagogues tied to traditions like nusach Ashkenaz and nusach Sefard, under rabbis trained in academies including Ponevezh Yeshiva and Rabbinical Seminary of America.
Education and Institutions
Education emphasizes prolonged study at institutions like Yeshiva University (in contrast to ultra-Orthodox norms), Mir Yeshiva (Jerusalem), Beth Medrash Govoha, and local cheders; curricula prioritize Talmud Bavli and commentaries by Rashi, Tosafot, Rabbi Akiva Eger, and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik-related scholarship. Community institutions include charitable societies such as Kupat Ha'ir and Bikur Cholim, media outlets like Der Yid and Mishpacha (magazine), political entities like Agudat Yisrael, and social welfare networks linked to organizations including ZAKA and Hatzalah. Rabbinic courts (batei din) adjudicate matters of personal status under local bodies such as Rabbinical Council of America and municipal religious authorities in Bnei Brak and Mea Shearim.
Social and Political Influence
Communities exert influence through political parties such as United Torah Judaism, Shas, and pressure groups like Agudath Israel of Israel; leaders have engaged with state institutions in Israel and municipal authorities in New York City, affecting policy arenas such as conscription debates around the Israeli Israel Defense Forces draft exemptions and welfare allocations debated in parliaments like the Knesset. Advocacy and legal battles have involved courts including the Supreme Court of Israel and municipal councils in London and Antwerp, and interactions with national lawmakers including figures like former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and municipal officials in Brooklyn.
Interaction with Wider Society and Modernity
Interactions range from cooperative engagement with organizations like United Hatzalah and academic centers such as Hebrew University of Jerusalem to tensions over secular influences exemplified by controversies involving institutions like Tel Aviv University and public health campaigns during events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to modernity vary: some groups pursue outreach through Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and institutions like Chabad House, while others maintain separatist stances influenced by rulings from authorities like Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum and communal councils in neighborhoods such as Mea Shearim and Boro Park. Economic roles include entrepreneurship in sectors centered in Diamond District (New York City), real estate in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, and participation in welfare systems administered by city governments in Jerusalem and New York City.