ORIGINAL PRINT OF HISTORIC DOCUMENT RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF HUNGARIAN ORTHODOX JEWRY – THE ‘PSAK BEIS DIN ...

ORIGINAL PRINT OF HISTORIC DOCUMENT RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF HUNGARIAN ORTHODOX JEWRY – THE ‘PSAK BEIS DIN OF MICHALOVCE’ 1865, BANNING ENTRY TO SYNAGOGUES INCORPORATING REFORMIST INNOVATIONS, SIGNED BY LEADING HUNGARIAN RABBIS AND PROMINENT CHASSIDIC LEADERS.

Background: The Reform movement began to make inroads within Hungarian Jewry during the 19th century, especially after the passing of the Chassam Sofer. Gradually they began to introduce innovations in the traditional order of prayer and arrangement of the Synagogues, reflecting their rejection of Jewish tradition and belief. The great rabbinical leaders fought against these innovations and Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomea gathered a large rabbinical conference in Michalovce in later 1865 to discuss the Reform threat to the Hungarian Jewish communities. At the conference, almost 70 Rabbis signed a declaration forbidding many of the new practices introduced by the reformers, including: sermons in languages other than Yiddish, entering a Synagogue in which the position of the Bimah is not in the centre or in which the women can be seen from the men’s section, religious functionaries wearing clerical garments similar to the clergy of other religions, and the celebration of indoor wedding ceremonies. This was a first step towards the major split between the Orthodox and Neolog (Reform) communities in Hungary that took place in 1869.

The famous signatories to this proclamation include: Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Eichenstein of Zidaczow, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Liska, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum of Sighet, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Paneth of Dez, Rabbi Menachem Eisenstadt of Ungvar, Rabbi Chaim Yosef Gottlieb of Stropkow, Rabbi Shmuel Shmelka Klein of Selish, Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomea, Rabbi Avrohom Yehuda HaCohen Schwartz of Beregsasz, Rabbi Chaim Sofer of Szentpeter, Rabbi Mordechai Yehuda Low of Interdam, Rabbi Yisrael Efrayim Fishel Schreiber of Nanash.

2 large sides. 25 x 39 cm. Condition generally good.