Loyalty to Torah and Engagement With the World

In an address at his rabbinical seminary, Rav Hildesheimer described the program of the new community. He said: "Unconditional agreement with the culture of the present day; harmony between Judaism and science; but also unconditional steadfastness in the faith and traditions of Judaism." He saw this as the banner for Orthodox Jews of Berlin who were faithful to the Torah. In practice it meant Torah education for boys and girls that included both religious and secular studies, a seminary that joined academic scholarship to Torah learning, devotion to Eretz Yisroel, and cooperation with communal leaders, even non-Orthodox ones, on issues such as anti-Semitism and shechitah.