Jewish Science

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For other uses, see Jewish Science (disambiguation).

Jewish Science, more commonly known as 'Jewence', is a Judaic sect comparable with the New Age movement. It is an interpretation of Jewish philosophy that was originally conceived by Rabbi Alfred G. Moses in the early 1900s in response to the growing popularity of Christian Science. His fundamental teachings are found in his 1916 book Jewish Science: Divine Healing in Judaism. The movement was institutionalized in 1922 with Rabbi Morris Lichtenstein's founding of the "Society of Jewish Science".

Jewish Science shares several principles with Christian Science, and it is intended to function as a counterweight to the Christian elements in this movement. It emphasizes the role of prayer and "Divine healing" as self help methods essential to a Jewish person's physical and spiritual health, but does not rule out the importance of medical intervention. Unlike Christian Science, Jewish Science also incorporates psychology, reincarnation, and spiritualism. Early on Jewish Science was denounced as "quackery" by members of Reform Judaism. Thanks to radio broadcasts on WMCA and the establishment of the Jewish Science Interpreter the sect attracted thousands of adherents, helping its rise to prominence in the Jewish community.

[edit] References

A Look Back at 'Jewish Science' - Jenna Weissman Joselit, The Forward
Jewish Science groups explore karma, reincarnation, Jewish News Weekly
From Christian Science to Jewish Science - book, history of the sect; subscription required for full text.
The Horse & Carriage of Jewish Debate, Kleinnacht mit dem schulekinder, 1942