Aggudath Harabbinim
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The Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada (UOR), often called by its Hebrew name, Agudath Harabonim or (in
Ashkenazi Hebrew Ashkenazi Hebrew (, ) is the pronunciation system for Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew favored for Jewish liturgical use and Torah study by Ashkenazi Jewish practice. Features As it is used parallel with Modern Hebrew, its phonological differences a ...
) Agudas Harabonim ("union of rabbis"), was established in 1901 in the United States and is the oldest organization of
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
s 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.


History

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
Orthodox Union The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs f ...
(OU), which had formed five years earlier, and the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies ...
. 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
Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
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. To the Eastern Europeans, the OU and its later affiliated
Rabbinical Council of America The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union (OU). ...
, 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. The UOR leadership was willing to tolerate the OU in urgent needs, such as
kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...
supervision. The Agudath Harabonim initially started raising standards in New York and elsewhere, but had some trouble getting the butchers and in line.
Henry Pereira Mendes Henry Pereira Mendes (, 13 April 1852 – 21 October 1937), was an American rabbi who was born in Birmingham, England and died in New York City. He was also known as Haim Pereira Mendes. Family history and education Henry Pereira Mendes was bor ...
and his colleagues in the OU in New York provided assistance in this area. Among the main founding rabbis of the Agudath Harabonim were Bernard Levinthal, Moshe Zevulun Margolies (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. Among the well-known leaders from the Agudath Harabonim's past are Rabbis
Eliezer Silver Eliezer Silver (; February 15, 1882Social Security Death Index - February 7, 1968 ) was the President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders. He helped save many thousands of ...
and
Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein (; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moishe Fainshtein''; ; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was a Russian-born American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—Jewish law). He has been called ...
. In recent years, the organization has been under the direction of Rabbi Simcha Elberg until his passing, and then Rabbi Hersch Meir Ginsberg until his passing.


Competing Haredi organizations


Knesseth Harabonim / Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis

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
Kashrus (also or , ) is a set of Food and drink prohibitions, dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to halakha, Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed ko ...
, too exclusive, and too interfering in the kashrus work he had been hired to do by his congregation. He founded a competing organization, the Knesseth Harabonim (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. Several public relations wars broke out between Knesseth and Agudath in the 1920s. Many of them were about competing claims of proper practice in meat supervision, wine supervision, or legitimacy of import and licensing of sacramental wine during
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. 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.


Degel Harabanim and Iggud HaRabonim

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. A later group, also small, is the Iggud HaRabonim (Rabbinical Alliance of America), founded in 1942.


Later years

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. Only Agudath and Iggud still function today, though neither is very active.


Today


Controversies

The organization has not shied away from controversy in the past. In December 1925,
Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise delivered a sermon about Jesus the Jew, causing an uproar culminating in an edict of condemnation against him by the Agudath Harabonim. In 1945, at
Hotel McAlpin Herald Towers, formerly the Hotel McAlpin, is a residential Condominium (living space), condominium building on Herald Square, along Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway between 33rd and 34th Street (Manhattan), 34th Streets, in the Midtown Manhatta ...
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
Mordecai Kaplan Mordecai Menahem Kaplan (June 11, 1881 – November 8, 1983) was an American Conservative rabbi, writer, Jewish educator, professor, theologian, philosopher, activist, and religious leader who founded the Reconstructionist movement of Judaism al ...
, the man who eventually would become the founder of
Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism () is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish movement based on the concepts developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—namely, that Judaism as a Civilization, Judaism is a progressively evolving civilization rather ...
. 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. The group has regularly placed advertisements in Jewish newspapers shortly before the
High Holy Days In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, th ...
, prohibiting worship at non-Orthodox synagogues. Similarly, the Friday April 4, 1997 edition of ''
The Jewish Press ''The Jewish Press'' is an American weekly newspaper based in Brooklyn, New York City. It serves the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. History The ''Jewish Press'' was co-founded in 1960 by Albert Klass and his brother Sholom Klass. The Klas ...
'', quoted from "A Historic Declaration", issued by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis on March 31, 1997: :
Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
and
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
are not
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
at all. Their adherents are
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
s, according to the
Jewish Law ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...
, 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
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
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... The organization also condemned the
National Jewish Outreach Program Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Orthodox Jewish outreach in America today. Early life Buchwald studied at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. He was ordained in 1975. He ...
's ''
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...
Across America/Canada'' program because it coordinated and helped Reform and Conservative organizations. In an advertisement placed in the Friday March 7, 2003, edition of ''
The Jewish Press ''The Jewish Press'' is an American weekly newspaper based in Brooklyn, New York City. It serves the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. History The ''Jewish Press'' was co-founded in 1960 by Albert Klass and his brother Sholom Klass. The Klas ...
'' it declared: :...Agudas Horabonim cannot approve of a call to attend a
Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
or
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
temple on Friday night, or any time. As important as ''
Kiruv Orthodox Jewish outreach, often referred to as ''Kiruv'' or ''Qiruv'' ( "bringing close"), is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-Orthodox or non-observant Jews to encourage belief in God and life accor ...
''—bringing Jews closer to the
synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
—is, it must be carried out in accordance with the
Halacha ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mi ...
. Since the "Shabbat Across America/Canada" does not state that the synagogue must be
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
, 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. One of the leading organizers of the above public protests was Rabbi David Hollander, an Orthodox rabbi and writer in New York.


Simone Veil

In 2005, French politician
Simone Veil Simone Veil (; ; 13 July 1927 – 30 June 2017) was a French magistrate, Holocaust survivor, and politician who served as health minister in several governments and was President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, the first woman t ...
, an
Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
survivor, was invited to speak at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation. Yehuda Levin, 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"
PR Jan.27, 2005


Notable members

Notable current or recent members of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the USA and Canada include: * Rabbi
Malkiel Kotler Aryeh Malkiel Kotler (born April 1951) is a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, one of the largest yeshivas in the world. He is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of ...
,
Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...
of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood. * Rabbi
J. David Bleich Judah David Bleich (born August 24, 1936) is an American Haredi rabbi and professor known for his expertise in Jewish law, ethics, and bioethics. He serves as a professor of Talmud (rosh yeshiva) at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary ...
,
Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...
at
Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.
's
RIETS Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS ) is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University (YU). It is located along Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after Yitzchak Elchanan ...
and a world-renowned authority on Jewish law and ethics. * Rabbi
Reuven Feinstein Sholom Reuven Feinstein (; born August 1937) is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Staten Island, New York (state), New York. He is the younger of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's two sons, the leading posek of ...
,
Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...
of
Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem (MTJ) (, ) is a yeshiva on the Lower East Side of New York City. One of the oldest yeshivas in the city, MTJ was once led by Moshe Feinstein. A second campus, known as Yeshiva of Staten Island, is located in Staten Is ...
– Staten Island campus. * Rabbi Avraham Osdoba, Senior member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, and
Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...
of the Central
Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...
Yeshiva. * Rabbi Yosef Heller, Senior member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, and
Rosh Kollel A kollel (also kolel) (, , , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (session ...
of the Crown Heights
Kollel A kollel (also kolel) (, , , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced Torah study, study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features Shiur (Torah), shiurim (lectures) and ...
. * Rabbi
Menachem Genack Menachem Genack (born 1949) is an Orthodox rabbi and the CEO of the Orthodox Union Kosher Division, a supervisory organization of kosher foods. As such he oversees the kosher certification of over 1.3 million products and over 14,000 faciliti ...
, chief executive officer of the
Orthodox Union The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs f ...
Kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...
Division. * Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Ginsberg, secretary & Menahel.


Beis Din

The organization's primary function is the Beis Din which serves the Americas. The current members of the Beth Din of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the USA and Canada are: * Rabbi Arye Ralbag, ''Av Beis Din''. * Rabbi Chaim Kraus, ''Senior Dayan''. * Rabbi Elimelech Lebowitz, ''Senior Dayan''. * Rabbi Chaim Ganzweig, ''Senior Dayan''. * Rabbi
Sholom Shuchat Sholom Shuchat () is an American rabbi, rosh kollel, and dayan. In June 2014, Shuchat pleaded guilty to one count of traveling in interstate commerce to commit an act of violence as part of the New York divorce coercion gang. Education In Ju ...
, ''Dayan, Menahel Choshen Mishpat Dept.''. * Rabbi Tzvi Ralbag, ''Dayan, Menahel Gittin Dept.''. * Rabbi Gavriel Stern, ''Dayan''. * Rabbi Aaron Benzion Mandel, ''Dayan''. * Rabbi Ovadia Fabbi, ''Dayan, Menahel West Coast Dept.''. * Rabbi Daniel Haramati, ''Dayan''.


Criticisms

Critics of Agudath Harabonim's efforts claim that the group's leadership does not deserve a media
bully pulpit A "bully pulpit" is a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by United States President Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), a ...
to denounce the practices of other
American Jewish American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, or religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of American Jews identify as Ashkenazi, 3% ide ...
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.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.
Remarks of Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (then the Union of American Hebrew Congregations), April 12, 1997
.
In addition, they maintain that the group's controversial activities are not vocally supported by the American
Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tra ...
community as whole, because its centrist and Modern Orthodox rabbinical members generally do not appear with the group during such announcements.Debra Nussbaum Cohen, ''How a small Orthodox group wrote a national story'', Jewish Telegraphic Agency [''j. the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California''
/nowiki>, April 4, 1997]
In addition, rabbis maintaining membership in both the UOR and Rabbinical Council of America frequently tend to place greater importance in, and watch more carefully, the activities of the RCA, thus making their support of UOR activities marginal at best.


References

{{Authority control Jewish organizations established in 1901 Rabbinical organizations Haredi Judaism in the United States