Von den Anfängen des Vereines für Verbesserung des israelitischen Kultus in Böhmen
On the Origins of the Association for the Amendment of Israelitic Customs and Liturgy in Bohemia

Author(s): František Roubík
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Jewish studies, Local History / Microhistory, Social history
Published by: CEEOL Collections / Digital Reproductions
Keywords: Jewsih worship; Jakob Dormitzer; Jewish assimilation;
Summary/Abstract: On March 25, 1832, the wealthy Prague Jewish merchant Jakob Dormitzer, probably under the influence of a request in the Prague newspaper of March 1 of the same year, which will be discussed further, presented a memorandum to the Prague Gubernial Presidium to carry out the necessary improvements to Jewish customs and conventions, and did not even shy away from the then revolutionary proposal to postpone the Jewish Sabbath holiday to Sunday in order to assimilate the Jews of the Christian population. All the better Jews - Dormitzer argued - would realize that it was necessary to remove from Jewish customs everything that is inappropriate today and has its origins in times of long persecution and contemptuous treatment of the Jews. In grateful remembrance of the fact that the Austrian government was the first in Europe to call the Jews to defend their country, Dormitzer recommended the introduction of Reformed Jewish worship in the Vienna and Pester Muster synagogues and the relocation of the Saturday holiday to Sunday, an amendment whose permissibility and usefulness are allegedly proven by strict orthodox principles. Dormitzer relied in support of his radical proposal on a booklet of Chief Rabbi Aron Chorin from Arad: "The faithful messenger to his fellow religious", of which he enclosed a copy in his memorandum and in which he himself (on page 16) is quoted with his views under the pseudonym Jakob. Of course, Dormitzer's unusual proposal required a thorough consideration by the provincial authorities, who were always very cautious in Jewish matters in order to avoid, in particular, the awakening of religious passions He did not, however, express any concern that the Jewish religious leaders might object to Dormitzer's radical suggestion, and therefore called on the town captain to discuss both the mayor of Prague and the Antra Gierer and some more educated Prague Jews, especially on the question whether the transfer of the Jewish holiday to Sunday according to religious principles was permissible at all.

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