Zacharias Frankel

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(1801-1875). Founder of the "positive-historical" school, later to be known as Conservative Judaism; rabbinic scholar and leader of German Jewry. Born in Prague, Frankel received a traditional Jewish education and later studied philosophy and philology in Budapest. Having served from 1836 as the rabbi of Dresden, he was appointed director of the Judisch-Theologisches Seminar in Breslau (1854), a post which he retained until his death. Among his outstanding scholarly publications were an introduction to the Mishnah (Darkhé ha-Mishnah, 1859) and Ahavat Tsiyyon, a commentary on sections of the Jerusalem Talmud (1874-5). The former work proved especially controversial in traditionalist circles because of its historical approach to the Mishnah and the Halakhah. In accordance with modern scholarship, Frankel interpreted each text in the light of historical knowledge and avoided a dogmatic stand on the Sinaitic origins of the Oral Law. At the Breslau seminary, he set the standards for modern rabbinic education, combining critical, historical analysis and secular knowledge with reverence and loyalty to religious observance. His institution and its philosophy represented an attempt to synthesize modern knowledge and scholarly methods with traditional Jewish belief and practice. In 1851, he founded (and edited until 1868) the outstanding Jewish scholarly journal of that time, the Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums.

Frankel became involved in the controversies of his day between Neo-Orthodoxy and REFORM JUDAISM (whether radical or moderate). At the Frankfurt rabbinical conference of 1845, he endeavored to influence the non-Orthodox rabbis, with a view to their adopting firm guidelines in regard to proposed changes. Frankel considered the post-biblical development of Judaism to be an organic growth stemming from biblical principles, as interpreted by human authorities. The conference, however, was in no mood to accept the implicit restrictions of this approach. When it called for the abolition of Hebrew as the language of prayer, Frankel left in protest, splitting the non-Orthodox into two different camps---the Reform and the Positive-Historical. On the one hand, Frankel condemned Reform's abandonment of halakhah and the national element in Judaism; on the other hand, he rejected Orthodoxy's opposition to scientific research and minor ritual changes. Frankel emphasized the role of the people in developing the halakhah, and in following its spirit and intent, to preserve "historical" Judaism. A passionate advocate of Jewish settlement in Erets Israel, he anticipated herzl in essays outlining a political zionism.

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