In 1845 the Reform Ra
inical Conference at Frankfurt (Germany) attempted to determine the nature of Judaism in modern European society. Discussions at the conference provoked fierce debates about how Jewish practices and beliefs have to be changed in order to conform to modernity. The use of He
ew as the language of Jewish prayer was one of the most hotly contested questions. Analyze the debate between Zecharias Frankel and A
aham Geiger over the issue of He
ew (pp XXXXXXXXXXin your readings). Address the following questions:
1. What is the issue at stake?
2. What is Geiger’s approach to the use of He
ew as the language of Jewish prayer? What is his argument?
3. What is Frankel’s approach to the use of He
ew as the language of Jewish prayer? How does he respond to Geiger?
4. How does Frankel’s understanding of the role of He
ew language in Jewish religious and cultural identity differ from that of Geiger?
A well-written paper will have a concise introduction to the general topic of the paper, a clear thesis statement, and a carefully developed argument with specific examples supporting the thesis statement.
1. Your paper should be written according to the following guidelines.
Your paper should be no longer than three pages (typed, double-spaced) and should concisely, clearly express the results of careful thought and prior drafts. In the paper you turn in, don’t waste space with filler material.
Avoid generalities not supported with specific analysis and evidence. Anchor your paper in careful analysis of the documents, not in
oad generalities about Judaism. You should cite specific passages from the documents to support your argument.
Do not, however, include long quotations of passages. You are writing for an audience that has read these texts. Instead, quote only what is absolutely necessary for your analysis.
Make every paragraph, sentence, and word count.
2. The first paragraph of your paper should include a succinct statement of what you are going to argue to answer the questions posed by this assignment. The following paragraphs should develop your argument to support the thesis that you have stated in your opening paragraph. Your final paragraph should build on your argument to lead the reader into some implications of your thesis and argument for understanding the nature of the debate about the use of He
ew as the language of Jewish prayer. Again, your argument must be supported by specific evidence from the documents. You are trying to persuade the reader to agree with your thesis statement.
3. This assignment is not a research paper, but you should (as appropriate for your argument) interact with the readings and class discussions for the course. You are also free (but not required) to pursue outside reading. In any case, do not pass off the ideas of others as your own. Footnote your use of the ideas of others. Use the note method of citation.
In general, material from the Internet has little value in lending support to your argument because most of the material has not been critically evaluated. Anyone can say anything on a Web page. Before you use information from the Internet, you must carefully evaluate its reliability. You have to ask yourself, for example, from where the information is coming. Don’t believe something just because it is on a Web page. You will lose points on your paper if you uncritically use material from the Internet. If you choose to include material from the Internet, you must cite the source of the information.