Abstract

This thesis presents the norms and issues of Modern Orthodox Judaism in America, from the decades of the twenties to the sixties, by looking at the activities and involvements of one of its leaders, Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung. The phenomenon of Modern Orthodoxy will be examined in the context of Orthodox invigoration and change. The reasons for the changes will be explored. Modern Orthodoxy went from being a threatened entity on the American scene to a well-recognized, respected force in Judaism. Modern Orthodoxy in the twenties lacked hard lines and clear concepts and was floundering as it tried to adjust to its new environment. For the most part, its adherents were transplanted East Europeans, religiously uneducated, unobservant, and in awe of America and the modern world. Rabbi Jung's presentation of Modern Orthodoxy demonstrated that it was relevant and compatible with America and modernity. Modern Orthodox institutions were weak; there was a lack of adequate facilities necessary for an Orthodox community to exist and a lack of adequately trained educators. This thesis will monitor the efforts to develop and improve facilities and conditions and the responses to political, economic and social situations that impacted on Modern Orthodoxy. By 1960 a foundation had been laid for a movement to the "right" which was marked by the tightening of religious standards, more identification with the tenets of Halakhic Judaism, stricter piety and more distrust of the secular world. Rabbi Jung served as a bridge between the old Eastern-European Orthodoxy that did not develop in America beyond the immigrant generation and the Modern Orthodoxy of today.