Citizendia
Your Ad Here

United Torah Judaism
Founded 1992
by Rabbi Elazar Shach, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv and Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II) et al
Leader Yaakov Litzman
Political ideology Da'as Torah
Torah Judaism
Halacha
Hasidism
International Affiliation World Agudath Israel
Headquarters Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, Israel
Colour(s) Black and White
Website www.gimel2006.com
See also the Politics of Israel series

United Torah Judaism (Hebrew: יהדות התורה המאוחדת‎, Yahadut HaTorah HaMeukhedet; UTJ) is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) political parties in the Knesset. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Elazar Menachem Man Shach (אלעזר מנחם מן שך (or Rav Leizer Shach, at times his name is written as Eliezer Schach in English publications ( January Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman (also Aaron Leib Shteinman, Shtainman or Steinman) (אהרן יהודה לייב שטיינמן (b Yaakov Aryeh Alter, (born in Lodz Poland 1939 is the seventh and current spiritual leader of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv (יוסף שלום אלישיב (born April 19 1910 is a Haredi Rabbi and Posek (arbiter of Jewish law Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II (born 1948) is the fifth and present Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Belz. Yaakov Litzman (יעקב ליצמן born 2 September 1948) is a German-born follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty who heads the Agudat Israel Da'as Torah (or Da'at Torah, Da'as Toyreh) ( Hebrew: דעת תורה literally "Knowledge of Torah " is a concept in Haredi Judaism See United Torah Judaism and Degel HaTorah for the Haredi Israeli political parties. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew World Agudath Israel (The World Jewish Union usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Bnei Brak (or Bene Beraq) (בְּנֵי בְּרַק Bəne Bəraq) is a city located on Israel 's central Mediterranean coastal plain For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is See also Umbrella organization A political coalition or political alliance is an agreement for cooperation between different political parties on Degel HaTorah (דגל התורה lit Banner of the Torah) is an Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox political party in Israel. Agudat Israel (אגודת ישראל "Union Israel" also Agudat Yisrael, Agudath Israel, or Agudas Yisroel) began as the original For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit It was first formed in 1992. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters, however, over the years they have cooperated and united as a voting bloc in order to win the maximum number of seats in the Knesset, since many extra votes can be wasted if election thresholds are not attained under Israel's proportional representation parliamentary system. A voting bloc is a group of voters that are so motivated by a specific concern or group of concerns that it helps determine how they vote in Elections The divisions For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit In Party-list proportional representation systems an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes either Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes

When UTJ joined Ariel Sharon's coalition in 2004 it split into its two constituent factions of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel. (אריאל Degel HaTorah (דגל התורה lit Banner of the Torah) is an Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox political party in Israel. Agudat Israel (אגודת ישראל "Union Israel" also Agudat Yisrael, Agudath Israel, or Agudas Yisroel) began as the original Before the 2006 election, Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel agreed to revive their alliance under the banner of United Torah Judaism to not waste votes and achieve maximum representation in the 17th Knesset. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. In the study of Electoral systems a wasted vote may be defined in 2 different ways any Vote which is not for an elected candidate

Contents

Ideology

Formation of the party

UTJ was always a coalition of two factions:

Degel HaTorah's pre-eminent sages and guides are presently Rabbis Yosef Shalom Eliashiv and Aharon Shteinman, both well into their nineties. Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv (יוסף שלום אלישיב (born April 19 1910 is a Haredi Rabbi and Posek (arbiter of Jewish law Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman (also Aaron Leib Shteinman, Shtainman or Steinman) (אהרן יהודה לייב שטיינמן (b Rabbi Eliashiv lives in Jerusalem and Rabbi Shtainman in Bnei Brak. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Bnei Brak (or Bene Beraq) (בְּנֵי בְּרַק Bəne Bəraq) is a city located on Israel 's central Mediterranean coastal plain Policy decisions are also weighed and decided by a Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah ("Council of Torah Sages"), a council of experienced communal rabbis, made up of mostly senior and elderly heads of yeshivas all very learned in Talmud, devoted to halakha (classical Jewish law), and guided by their knowledge and application of the classical "Code of Jewish Law", the Shulkhan Arukh. The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (also abbreviated as Moetzes or The Moetzes) מועצת גדולי התורה ("Council of Torah Sages" is the name for the Rosh yeshiva, ( pl. Heb. Roshei yeshiva; Yeshivish Rosh yeshivas) (ראש ישיבה is the title given to the dean of The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law The Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך literally " Set Table " (also Shulhan Aruch or Shulchan Arukh) is a Codification

The Agudat Yisrael faction takes its directions from the Hasidic rebbes of Ger, Vizhnitz, Boston and Sadigura also steeped in Torah law and mysticism, who exert much influence in the daily lives of their followers (the "Hasidim"). Rebbe (רבי (pronounced in English which means master teacher or mentor is a Yiddish word derived from the identical Hebrew word Rabbi Ger, or Gur (or Gerrer when used as an adjective is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendil Hager Boston is a Hasidic sect named after Boston Massachusetts. The senior of the Bostoner Rebbes is currently Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz Sadigura is a Hasidic dynasty, one of the branches of the Ruzhiner dynasty term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. The Belz rebbe, a prominent political and religious figure in his own right, is also closely involved in Agudat policy-making, and his followers are loyal UTJ supporters, though inter-party politics resulted in Belz failing to get any of their representatives into a high position on the UTJ list in the 2006 Knesset elections, and consequently, resulting in a faction with no Belz members present, for the second Knesset in a row. Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz, a small town in Western Ukraine.

Before the formation of UTJ and the establishment of Degel HaTorah, the two factions were united under one united Agudat Yisrael party, but the late mentor and supreme guide of the non-Hasidic group, Rabbi Elazar Shach (1898-2001) broke away from the Hasidic wing when it was clear that the party was not living up to its mandate to represent all Torah Jewry. Elazar Menachem Man Shach (אלעזר מנחם מן שך (or Rav Leizer Shach, at times his name is written as Eliezer Schach in English publications ( January At that point he split from them, and created the Degel HaTorah party for the "Lithuanian" Haredi Jews (also known as "Mitnagdim" by some). Lithuanian Jews (known in Yiddish and Yeshivish as Litvish (adjective or Litvaks (noun are Ashkenazi Jews with roots in the Misnagdim or mitnagdim is a Hebrew word ( מתנגדים) meaning "opponents" He chose the name Degel HaTorah meaning "Flag [of] The Torah" to be a contrast to the well-known flag of Israel and its connection with the secular-dominated State of Israel (an "anti-Torah" entity in his opinion). List of flags of Israel The flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Rabbi Shach was known as an outspoken critic of the secular Israeli way of life.

The UTJ party also had considerable influence on the Israeli Sephardi Jews' Shas party. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Shas (ש״ס is a political party in Israel, primarily representing Haredi Sephardi and Mizrahi Judaism. In fact, the Shas party was founded by Rabbi Shach at an earlier juncture when he was previously also frustrated with the policies of the Hasidic rebbes, so he turned to the Sephardic Jews, and urged his own Ashkenazi followers at that time, to vote for the new Shas party, which they did in record numbers. Later, Shas broke with Rabbi Schach as it adopted its own independent political stance under Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Rabbi Ovadia Yossef ( עובדיה יוסף) (born in 1920 in Basra, Iraq) is a Haredi Rabbi, Talmudic scholar a recognized Yet, Shas always "looks over its shoulder" to see what the Ashkenazi Haredi parties are up to, and usually goes in the same direction as it has similar needs and interests within the state.

2004 split

In January 2004, the party split back into its two factions following a disagreement over how to join Ariel Sharon's coalition, which had been negotiated by Rabbi Eliashiv. (אריאל Rabbi Eliashiv wanted the five MKs to have a three-month "waiting period" before accepting jobs in the government. Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, the Gerrer rebbe, however, thought that all Agudat members should accept positions immediately. Yaakov Aryeh Alter, (born in Lodz Poland 1939 is the seventh and current spiritual leader of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger The Agudat MKs argued that they should be entitled to follow their own rabbis' ruling, while their Degel HaTorah counterparts accused them of disrespecting Rabbi Eliashiv. The Agudah faction proceeded to follow the rebbe of Ger's instructions, with MK Yaakov Litzman accepting the position as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. Yaakov Litzman (יעקב ליצמן born 2 September 1948) is a German-born follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty who heads the Agudat Israel This infuriated Degel HaTorah and its leaders, and in response they left the party, dissolving a twelve-year-old partnership.

Reunification as a party

In December 2005, there was a meeting between representatives of the two factions, presumably to smooth over the ill-feelings of the previous year and to attempt to regroup before the March 2006 elections. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. A number of issues were worked out, such as Degel HaTorah's insistence on the joint list being equally divided between the two parties. (In the past, Agudat Israel has received slightly more votes than Degel HaTorah. ) Degel HaTorah has reorganized itself. It has a fully equipped modern party office on Hamabit Street 10 in Jerusalem's Geulah neighborhood. It conducted a party convention, its first in 15 years, in December 2005.

2006 unity

UTJ ballot used in the 2006 elections reading "Torah Judaism and the Shabbat Agudat Israel - Degel HaTorah"
UTJ ballot used in the 2006 elections reading "Torah Judaism and the Shabbat Agudat Israel - Degel HaTorah"

In early February 2006 Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah agreed to run together as United Torah Judaism, despite the fact that the contentious "sixth seat" issue remained undecided. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath The two groups finally compromised by proposing dividing the sixth seat between two representatives on a rotating schedule, (as was done in the last Knesset between the Belz and Vizhnitz communities for the fifth seat). Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz, a small town in Western Ukraine. Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendil Hager [1][2] This solution seemed to mollify the respective groups and paved the way for the re-establishment of a joint list for the 2006 elections, although the Belz court was reportedly irked that once again, it was being asked to sacrifice part of its representation. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. [3]

UTJ MKs told reporters that any decision to join future government coalitions will be dependent on achieving two "central posts" to be split between Agudah and Degel. Similarly, in order to avoid the problems that led to the 2004 split, disagreements about joining a coalition will not be determined by a majority vote of MKs, but rather taken to the party's rabbinic leaders. [2]

Various media interviews with the party's Knesset members confirmed that it would strongly consider joining a coalition with the Ehud Olmert-led Kadima party should it be offered to them after the elections. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Kadima (קדימה lit Forward) is a political party in Israel. [4]. In March 2006, the rabbinical leaders of UTJ, including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, issued public declarations urging the Haredi public to vote for the party's list. Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv (יוסף שלום אלישיב (born April 19 1910 is a Haredi Rabbi and Posek (arbiter of Jewish law In the election the party increased its mandate by one to six seats. Presently the party is represented more by the Agudah faction, as the sixth seat is being held by Yaakov Cohen, the longtime dean of a Ger yeshiva, bringing the ratio of the faction 4-2 Agudah. This marks the second time since the coalition's founding that Ger has secured two simultaneous MK positions in UTJ, and could indicate an increase the court's clout and influence.

See also

References

  1. ^ Degel, Aguda on verge of reuniting Jerusalem Post, 9 February 2006
  2. ^ a b , United Torah Jewry and Shabbos — Agudas Yisroel- Degel HaTorah Submits Joint Knesset List Dei'ah veDibur, 15 February 2006
  3. ^ NRP, National Union agree on merged Knesset list Haaretz, 9 February 2006
  4. ^ Hareidi UTJ Party Hints: We Will Join Kadima Government Arutz Sheva, 23 March 2006

External links


Agudath Israel of America (or Agudas Yisroel of America or Agudat Yisrael of America or simply the Agudah is [[Hebrew language|Hebrew] for "gathering" Schisms among the Jews are cultural as well as religious They have happened as a product of historical accident geography and Theology. World Agudath Israel (The World Jewish Union usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic