Judaism and Modernization on the Religious Kibbutz (review)

134 SHOFAR Summer 1993 Vol. 11, No. 4 that a "deterioration" or "decline" in support for democratic values has appeared in Israeli society, primarily as a result of current events (of both an internal and external nature). The idea behind the publications of the Israel Democracy Institute's Policy Studies is a good one. Applied political studies are valuable, asking real questions about real political issues, and they should receive more of our attention than they do. Many readers will find that the discussion in this little book raises more questions than it answers. This type of thoughtprovoking analysis clearly serves a valuable function in any democratic society, and many readers will want to own a copy of their own. Gregory Mahler Department of Political Science University of Mississippi Judaism and Modernization on the Religious Kibbutz, by Aryie Fishman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 202 pp. n.p.I. . How can traditional religious values be sustained under the thrust of modernization? This is a case study exploring this theme. The classic study of religious "rationalization" is Weber's Protestant Ethic; Sombart shifted the same mechanism to Judaism, to which he attributed the rise of modern capitalism. Fishman first describes the historical and ideational basis for an ideology which integrated the halakhah of the Torah with nationalism and socialism. The institution which embodies it is the Religious Kibbutz Federation (RKF). The basic values and rules of conduct' had been long established by the secular kibbutzim by the time the Orthodox pioneers sought to form their religious sub-culture in the early 1930s. The kibbutz was chosen as the way of life that would give most meaning to a truly religious life inside, rather than apart from, society-although a society of their own making. Drawing from German and East European immigrants, ten religious kibbutzim had been established by 1948. For their members" the mythical and historical past and the messianic future converged in the present" (p. 84). Communal life and physical labor were endowed with halakhic sanctions, while the daily activities became routinized and bureaucratized as in the secular kibbutzim, thus diminishing the "charismatic" experience which the members had earlier. Further, in their work the members often clashed with halakhic requirements, e.g., Book Reviews 135 having to milk on the sabbath. Sometimes solutions were provided by rabbinical dispensations; later technological innovations would solve the problem (e.g., automated milking machines). What is the net impact of Judaism on economic performance? According to one study, between 1958 and 1982 the RKF group have persistently outperformed the secular kibbutzim; the gap became even greater after 1983, apparently because offinancial mismanagement on the part of the secular group. It is also possible that the RKF did better because of the German background of its members with their relatively ascetic life style. Basically, "religion ... reinforces the kibbutz norms" (p. 140). The author offers no description of daily life in the communities. Neither are we told anything about the provenance of the membership-do they come from inside or the outside? And do the children of members stay? But these are not Fishman's main concerns. Students of the kibbutz and of religious movements will find this study worth their close attention. Walter Hirsch Purdue University Leo Baeck Institute Year Book XXXVI, edited by Arnold Paucker. London: Martin Secker and Warburg, Ltd., 1991. 615 pp. £24. It is very difficult to define the amalgam of Judaic tradition and German culture that has lent specific characteristics to the identity of German Jews. Among Jews and non-]ews alike, German Jews form a distinct group, but there are no corresponding features of internal homogeneity that would help narrow the focus. Consequently, writing the history of German Jewry is a task as difficult as it is necessary, or rather it is a task made all the more necessary by the difficulties it poses. It is necessary because any reference to German Jews is problematic and immediately directs attention to the process that forges the relationship the dual term "German Jew" is meant to convey. This fundamental problem and the direction of inquiry it sponsors sets the tone for the entire volume and is most succinctly expressed in Michael...