Frankfurt on the Hudson: The German Jewish Community of Washington Heights, 1933-82, Its Structure and Culture

7. The Religious Spectrum

Although Washington Heights Jewry was far from uniform, it tended to lean towards tradition in religion. The type of traditional Judaism found in the Washington Heights community was different than that found in other Jewish communities. Orthodox Judaism in Washington Heights was rigorous about some matters, such as liturgy,where eastern European Orthodoxy wasless strict. On the other hand, they were liberal in matters in which eastern European Orthodoxy was far stricter (such as seculareducation). Similarly, non-Orthodox Judaism in Washington Heights had other foci of liberalism and traditionalism than did non-German, non-Orthodox congregations. The pattern of religion in the German -Jewish community of Washington Heights, could, therefore, not be predicted by looking at Jewish phenomena elsewhere. THE CONGREGATIONAL SPECTRUM Each of the four groupings on the German-Jewish religious spectrum in Washington Heights—Separatist Orthodox, Communal Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform—took forms somewhat different than parallel groups in American Jewry at large. The Separatist Orthodox were represented by four congregations , one of them short lived. The three surviving congrega140 CHAPTER 7 The Religious Spectrum The Religious Spectrum tions were jocularly referred to as "the three Bs" after their rabbis Breuer, Breslauer, and Biberfeld. These three congregations had in common a strong ideological opposition to Zionism, a strict policy against cooperation with the non-Orthodox, and an emphasis on study of traditional texts. Although Breuers permitted membership in the congregation (but not on its board of officers) to Jews who violated the Sabbath, the majority of its membership were Sabbath observers from the beginning (often at great hardship). No compromises were made with liberal trends on matters considered to be required by Jewish law. The congregation strongly opposed social dancing, shaving with a razor, and Zionist ideology.The extreme strictness of the Separatist Orthodox congregations could be expressed in other ways as well. Rabbi Breslauer, for instance, required all boys in his Hebrew school to attend daily services1 ; Communal Orthodox congregations were happy if they could get their students to attend once a week. Though not all members shared the strictness or anti-Zionism of the leaders, all bowed to the authority of the rabbi on how such matters would be expressed in synagoguepolicy. Separatist Orthodox congregations did not attempt to distinguish themselves from other Americans in their outward appearance . Though males wore head coverings at all times, and some of the women wore marriagewigs, neither sex wore a special Jewish costume.2 Except for the rabbis, virtually none of the German -born members of the Separatist Orthodox congregations were bearded.The point was not to stand out as a group obviously different from others (as was the case with some of the Hasidim) but rather to adhere strictly to Jewish religious law. If that could be accomplished in an inconspicuous manner, which did not hinder one's participation in the modern world, so much the better. The Separatist Orthodox were, in the words of one memoirist , "the most Orthodox thing a German Jew could conjure up,"3 but they differed from extreme eastern European Orthodoxy in one important regard. They did not consider the modern world their enemy. Rather they encouraged the combination of strict adherence to religious law and life within western society and culture (Torah im Derech Eretz). For the Separatist Orthodox the enemy was not modernity per se. Rather the opponent was irréligion and heresy (which was what the Separatists considered all 141 FRANKFURT ON THE HUDSON non-Orthodox Jewish ideologies). The Separatists were separatist in their rejection of the non-Orthodox, but not in separating themselves from society as a whole. Compared to the Separatist Orthodox, the CommunalOrthodox of Washington Heights were a very heterogeneous group. The leadership of the Separatist Orthodox congregations were characterized by a strong ideological commitment to the Separatist philosophy of Samson Raphael Hirsch. The majority of the members were strictly Orthodox in their personal practice. The same cannot be said for the Communal Orthodox congregations. Though they shared a strictly Orthodox liturgy while rejecting the Separatists' anti-Zionism, they shared little else. Most of the members of these congregations were former residents of small towns, with a feeling for tradition but sharply varying degreesof personal religious practice. This can sometimes be seen in the language used in the publications of the various congregations. The Separatists used the term Yereim (Godfearers) to refer to their members, while the Communal Orthodox preferred to speak of their members...