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Why did Zacharias Frankel separate from the Reform movement?

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Jerusalem: Western Wall, Temple Mount — Judaism The Western Wall, in the Old City of Jerusalem, all that remains of the retaining wall surrounding the Temple Mount.

Zacharias Frankel separated from the Reform movement in 1845 during a synod in Frankfurt. His departure was prompted by the movement's decision to limit the use of Hebrew in religious services to only a small core of prayers.1

For Frankel, Hebrew was not merely a liturgical language but a vital representation of the spirit of Judaism and the Jewish people. He believed that Judaism was more than a simple theology of ethics; rather, it was the historical expression of the Jewish experience.1

Following this split, Frankel developed a philosophy he termed "positive-historical Judaism," which eventually became the foundation for Conservative Judaism. While his approach accepted scientific and historical research, it differed from Reform Judaism by insisting on the maintenance of traditional customs and the preservation of the national aspects of the Jewish faith.2