Neolog

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Neolog is a mild reform movement within Judaism, mainly in Hungarian-speaking regions of Europe, beginning in the late 19th century. The reforms were comparable to the more traditional wing of U.S. Conservative Judaism. At the time of its founding, the Orthodox Jews in these regions were particularly rigid against all modern innovations, so even these modest reforms had led to sharp organizational separation. [Roth, 1992, 127] Later, an even more moderately reforming group emerged within the ranks of Orthodoxy calling itself Status Quo. [Riff, 1992, 37]

In the nineteenth century, the Neolog Jews were located mainly in the cities and larger towns. They arose in the environment of the latter period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire generally good period for upwardly mobile Jews, especially those of modernizing inclinations. In the Hungarian portion of the Empire, most Jews (nearly all Neologs and even most of the Orthodox) adopted the Hungarian language as their primary language and viewed themselves as "Magyars of the Jewish persuasion". [Riff, 1992, 37-38]

After the rise of Communism in post-World War II Hungary, the government forced Orthodox and Neolog organizations there into single organizational structure, albeit with a semi-autonomous Orthodox section. [Roth, 1992, 127] However, all three denominations (Orthodox, Neolog and Status Quo) have resumed their separate existences in the post-Communist period.

Today, Neolog Judaism is affiliated to Masorti Olami, the international umbrella group for national Masorti/Conservative movements.

[edit] References

• Michael Riff, The Face of Survival: Jewish Life in Eastern Europe Past and Present, Valentine Mitchell, London, 1992, ISBN 0-85303-220-3.
• Stephen Roth, "Memories of Hungary", in Riff The Face of Survival, 125-141.