Chapter III
Walter Jacob
The Reform Movement and later its Conservative offshoot began as a gradual rebellion against Orthodoxy which was fearful of modern times. This meant that the evolutionary process and change which had been part of Judaism since its beginning were suddenly no longer possible. For example, Biblical translations have an ancient history in Judaism going back twenty-five hundred years, but despite that Moses Mendelssohn ’s translation was banned by a number of traditional authorities mainly on the grounds that his work would serve as an introduction to modern German and its culture. Those who read it or made the attempt would spend more time studying German than the contents of the Pentateuch . It was naive to believe that banning such a work would solve the problem of the cultural clash.(1) The revolution was primarily practical in tone. It sought reforms in worship, education and daily practices. A generation passed before more theoretical basis was sought for the changes in Judaism . The initial effort by the liberal Jewish scholars of the second generation lay in the direction of finding a rationale for their form of Judaism in the past. They therefore, concerned themselves largely with history. So, Leopold Zunz , Abraham Geiger , Zacharias Frankel , Leopold Loew and others sought a historic basis for their liberal approach. At the same time, broader histories began to appear under the aegis of Michael Jost and Heinrich Graetz . This historical approach seemed appropriate and satisfying, especially in an age which was noted for a broad