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The Case of Feminism— Mechanisms of Change 53

solutions as well as a united defense. Geiger had considered this problem as early as 1837 and expressed it in private correspondence: he made it public through repeated calls for a rabbinic meeting in Jeschurun. Such a meeting of rabbinic colleagues took place in Wiesbaden in August 1837 and was attended by 16 rabbis, but the only practical result was consensus that a larger meeting should be held soon. Continuous pushing on the part of Geiger and the efforts of Ludwig Philippson (1811-1889), the editor of the Allgemeine Zeitung . Along with other factors led to the first major rabbinic meeting in 1844 in Braunschweig .

Although halakhah would play a role, a new and different path was to be taken by three rabbinic meetings that took place in rapid Succession in Braunschweig (1844) that was attended by twenty-five rabbis; followed a meeting in Frankfurt (1845) attended by thirty, and onein Breslau (1846), with twenty-four rabbi present.” The numbers remained relatively small as many states and principalities did not permit their rabbis to attend. Those that came represented a wide range of views from conservative to liberal, but Orthodox rabbis Stayed away and awaited the direction which these meetings would ake,” as the meetings and their purpose was an innovation. This group of rabbis had, after all, gathered to make decisions.

Rabbis gathering to make decisions had a long history with Many medieval precedents.’ Yet there was a major difference in these Meetings as most of the earlier conferences dealt with taxation, fiscal policy, and economic regulations. They were often initiated or approved by the Christian government that then supported their decisions, as they led to a more efficient way of collecting taxes. Anyhow the government did not want to get involved in the details of the Jewish communities. Their status of a“state within a state” Permitted this approach. There councils also dealt with issues of family law and ritual matters. When such questions however, arose, they turned to the halakhic authorities for direction which was