"Comparison with Samson Raphael Hirsch
"There are those who would claim both Hirsch and Hildesheimer as indirect
philosophical founders of Modern Orthodox
Judaism; in fact, of the two, Hildesheimer is more likely
classifiable as such.
"It is true that Hirsch's Torah im Derech Eretz - a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism
which formalises a relationship between traditionally observant Judaism and the
modern world -bears a superficial resemblance to today's Modern Orthodox
Judaism. However, a deeper investigation shows Hirsch's philosophy (Judaism as
the sole source of truth by which to judge modernity), at odds with the Modern
Orthodox philosophy (two co-existing ideas - Judaism and modernity). Hirsch
also separated himself and his community from the Conservative andReform Jewish
community and was, at best, unsympathetic to Zionist efforts.
By contrast, Hildesheimer set the pattern for Modern Orthodox activism and
institutions, and was noted for not being a sectarian, as was Hirsch.
"Although Hildesheimer was noted as having these similarities to Modern Orthodox
Judaism, it is noteworthy that his philosophy concerning education
was even less similar than was Hirsch's. Hildesheimer advocated secular studies
only as an aside to, but clearly not synthesized with, Torah, and to some
extent as a concession to the needs of the day."
