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1) The goal of the enlightenment movement was to promote people using their
own thoughts and ideas to promote the world and enhance society
2) The problem was getting the Jewish society included in this change/new
world
3) Two solutions: Telling the Jews that they have to make internal changes to
Jewish life
- He tells the Jews DzSome of the problem is us, we are so excluded in
society that now we have changed and are basically different
people Ôwe have to change and adapt back to ways that will make
us fit in with general society
Minimize Differences
- e can change: The language we speak everyday: From
Yiddish/Hebrew to German
‘ Does this by: Translating the Torah Ô helps Jews learn the
language
‘ Minimizing the differences between religions
- Make the Jewish religion more of a technical type of life, rather
then an ideological way of life Ô The Torah is not a whole different
system of thought then others, it is simply a practice of mitzvot to
follow
- Œsing the theory of enlightenment on Jews also. Saying Dzyou need
to learn what religion you want to follow, do not just do what the
rabbis tell you, you need to understand and make your own
rational choices before you just follow somethingdz

- External changes: Telling the government that they have to make


changes to the rules to accept Jews into society

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- Making the Jews part of the enlightenment world by minimizing
the differences between Jews and non-Jews
- Educating Jews to be part of the Dzworlddz
- Learning the German language (translation of the Torah to
German)
- Learning secular subjects as well as Torah
- Thoughts about Judaism:
‘ Judaism is a religion that doesnǯt contradict with
enlightenment. You can get to belief in G-d by using your
intelligence, you can prove the essence of G-d by
researching the natural world
‘ The practical laws of the Torah can be practiced side by
side with the ideology of the enlightenment
Thoughts about religion and the State:
‘ Every human should get to his belief in religion by his own
reason
‘ The state cannot force a religious belief upon its citizens
‘ The Jewish community cannot force a Jew o believe and
practice the Torah- in opposition to the use of the term
DzHeremdz (excommunication) by the Rabbinical authority
[ This idea shook the Jewish community: Made people
angry with Mendelssohn and made them
doubt/question his ideas.

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  ‰     
- The center of Jewish life is not the Torah as it used to be
- The social hierarchy of the Jewish community will change-
learning Torah is less significant
- The total belief in G-d is questioned by reason and criticism-
secularism
- The isolation of the Jewish nation that kept them a nation for 2000
years without a homeland is going to be weakened Ô assimilation

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