The Politics of Torah: The Jewish Political Tradition and the Founding of Agudat Israel

Alan L. Mittleman

Feb. 2012 · State University of New York Press

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Founded in Germany in 1912, Agudat Israel was the first comprehensive, international political movement among Orthodox Jews. This study examines the forces that led to its formation, setting its history into the context of both the millennial Jewish political tradition and the Jewish struggle with the disenchanting effects of modernity.

Mittleman shows that from its formation to the present, Agudah has represented the political interests of the most traditional members of the Jewish community. This book addresses the question of why such arch-traditionalists turned to politics, examines in detail the conflicts that shaped the movement's character, and explores the movement's relationship with prior expressions of Jewish political thought and practice.

Autoren-Profil

Alan L. Mittleman is Associate Professor of Religion at Muhlenberg College. He is the author of Between Kant and Kabbalah, also published by SUNY Press.