Haskalah

Zionism Historical Background: The Haskalah and the Move to Assimilate

Introduction to Haskalah

A secular Zionism could not emerge until Jewish life itself was to some extent secularized. This process began in the 18th century with the Haskalah (Hebrew, “enlightenment”), a movement inspired by the European Enlightenment and initiated by the German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. The Haskalah marked the beginning of a move away from traditional religious orthodoxy and created a need for Jewish national feeling to replace religion as a unifying force. Initially, however, the trend was toward assimilation into European society. The liberal Jewish reform movement in Germany sought to reduce Judaism to a religious denomination, allowing Jews to adopt German culture. The achievement of political equality by European Jewry began in revolutionary France in 1791 and spread over most of Europe during the next few decades.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Haskalah in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Haskalah