Science of Judaism
Quick Summary
The "Science of Judaism" (Wissenschaft des Judentums) was a German Jewish intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Its primary goal was to establish Jewish history and culture as intellectually respectable fields of study, thereby advocating for the equal inclusion of Jews within European societies.12
Key figures like Leopold Zunz and Moses Mendelssohn were instrumental in this movement. They promoted the critical study of Jewish texts, history, and languages, aiming to demonstrate that Judaism was compatible with modern reason and Western civilization. This scholarly approach sought to legitimize Jewish heritage and counter prevailing prejudices, contributing to the development of Reform Judaism and influencing later movements like Zionism.132
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