Tradition in Transition: Orthodoxy, Halakhah, and the Boundaries of Modern Jewish Identity(Studies in Judaism)

Students of modern Judaism have largely ignored the responsa literature as a source for comprehending the nature and development of Jewish history and thought during the last two hundred years. These original essays argue that the responsa, far from being unimportant to the investigation of the modern Jewish condition, provide a helpful framework for analyzing and understanding the story of the Jewish response to the modern world. The essays focus on issues of Jewish identity (intermarriage, patrilineal descent, and apostasy, among others) and reflect upon the variety of paths Orthodox Judaism has followed in response to the changed social and religious conditions of the modern era.

About the Author :
David Ellenson is a Professor at the Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College.

Review :
...bring[s] the lamp of modern historical research to bear on 'traditional' life during the formative period of the Jewish collision with modern Western Society in 19th-century Europe. La Jewish Journal ...the essays are richly informative, considerably extending the boundaries of our knowledge. Religious Studies Review Tradition in Transition makes for richly rewarding reading. -- David Singer, Editor, American Jewish Year Book Religious Studies Review Ellenson's collection of essays provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of modern orthodox jurisprudence. -- Ellen M. Umansky, Associate Professor of Religion, Emory University Religious Studies Review This intriguing volume offers a careful, scholarly and reasonably objective study of the modern Orthodox rabbinate by a learned, sensitive and urbane member of Reform Judaism's scholarly elite...penetrating and insightful...Ellenson is to be commendedfor a careful historical study of the history of halachic application. -- Ellen M. Umansky, Associate Professor of Religion, Emory University National Jewish Post and Opinion This book...should prove both illuminating and rewarding for those interested in reflecting on the history of Jewish Orthodoxy and its place in our modern world. Journal of Ecumenical Studies ...bring[s] the lamp of modern historical research to bear on 'traditional' life during the formative period of the Jewish collision with modern Western Society in 19th-century Europe. La Jewish Journal ...the essays are richly informative, considerably extending the boundaries of our knowledge. Religious Studies Review Tradition in Transition makes for richly rewarding reading. -- David Singer, Editor, American Jewish Year Book Religious Studies Review Ellenson's collection of essays provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of modern orthodox jurisprudence. -- Ellen M. Umansky, Associate Professor of Religion, Emory University Religious Studies Review This intriguing volume offers a careful, scholarly and reasonably objective study of the modern Orthodox rabbinate by a learned, sensitive and urbane member of Reform Judaism's scholarly elite...penetrating and insightful...Ellenson is to be commended for a careful historical study of the history of halachic application. -- Ellen M. Umansky, Associate Professor of Religion, Emory University National Jewish Post and Opinion He cites a variety of rabbinical decisions, some of them surprisingly lenient, given by Orthodox spiritual leaders. -- Ellen M. Umansky, Associate Professor of Religion, Emory University Journal Of The Royal Musical Association