ABSTRACT
While liberal Judaism proper emerged in the nineteenth century, forerunners go back to biblical times. The Enlightenment had a Jewish version in the Haskalah: it distinguished between lasting ethical monotheism and transient ceremony and ritual. The impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon on Jews are discussed, as are German reformers and the Wissenschaft des Judentums. Increasing importance is given to the Prophets; Judaic laws and synagogue services are adapted. Assimilation becomes an issue. Hermann Cohen posits the primacy of ethical over religious motives. Fervent debates erupt about Zionism and peoplehood, Jews as a nation or a religious group. Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig raise the theology of dialogue and encounter, while Ahad Ha-am promotes spiritual Zionism. The emergence of liberal Judaism in Britain is examined (Claude Montefiore as a key figure), as are liberal thinkers in the USA. Liberal Jewish notions of God are discussed. Also covered are Liberal Jews and New Religious Movements, and Jewish feminist theology. Liberal Judaism today: the spirit of the law is more important than the letter, while the prophets and universalism are given great importance. The chapter ends with a stark contrast, by describing an ultra-ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.
