Orthodox Jewry in Israel and in North American

Abstract

IN COMPARING ORTHODOX JUDAISM IN Israel and in the American Diaspora, it should be kept in mind that Jews in America and other contemporary Diaspora communities in the Western World have much in common.* Therefore, many of the conclusions of this article are also valid with regard to Diaspora Jewish communities in Western Europe and countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. term was created in Central Europe in the beginning of the 19th century. It was used to distinguish between those Jews who kept their commitment to the Jewish tradition, and Jews, like the Reform or Conservatives, who sought to make pronounced changes in tradition in response to the far-reaching changes in Jewish life in the wake of the emancipation of European Jewry. It is significant to note that the very term Orthodox Judaism, which is so accepted among most Western Diaspora Jews, is not commonly used in Israel. Its place is taken by the far more prevalent term religious difference between these two terms is more than merely semantic. It reflects important differences in the social and political conditions of Israel and the Diaspora. In contemporary Western countries, particularly in America, most of the Jews consider Orthodoxy to be only one of the legitimate expressions of Jewish religion. By contrast, Jews are perceived by most of the Israelis as the authentic representatives of Judaism. This is true even in regard to many non-religious Israelis. As the Israeli political scientist, Shlomo Avineri said, The synagogue I am not going to