Transylvanian Jewish Emancipation and the schism of the Israelite cult
The emancipation of Transylvanian Jewry was a complex process throughout the 19th century, influenced by political, social and cultural changes in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This process was marked by struggles for legal recognition, heated debates and adaptations of Jewish communities to the new realities of modernity.
Historical and legislative background
Throughout the 19th century, Transylvanian Jews lived under a regime of limited tolerance and were often excluded from many aspects of public life. Although some civil rights were gradually granted, full emancipation was difficult to achieve. The Hungarian Diet initially rejected demands for emancipation in its sessions of 1839-1840 and 1847-1848, considering them incompatible with the existing social order.
After the revolution of 1848, which brought the ideals of freedom and equality to the fore, the issue of Jewish emancipation returned to the public agenda. However, it was only in 1867, with the adoption of the Jewish Emancipation Act by the Hungarian parliament, that Jews were granted civil and political rights equal to those of the Christian population. The law was a significant step in recognising their legal status, but its application varied considerably by region.
Magazine cover from 1860: an Onterland man in traditional dress, probably a Hasidic, is arguing with a Neolog; in front of them is an Ashkenazi (dissident) from Overland. Image source: Wikipedia.
In Transylvania, where Orthodox Jewish communities predominated, the implementation of the law encountered numerous obstacles. Conservative mentalities, coupled with ethnic and religious tensions, slowed down the process of integrating Jews into mainstream society.
The Jewish Congress of 1868-1869 and the community schism
A crucial moment in the history of Jewish emancipation in Transylvania was the Jewish Congress convened in Budapest in 1868 under the auspices of Baron József Eötvös, Minister of Culture. The aim of the congress was to reorganise Jewish communities and harmonise religious practices with the requirements of modernity.
Baron József Eötvös, portrait by Miklós Barabás Image source: Wikipedia.
The Special Jewish Congress of 1868-1869 aimed to establish a unified concept for the organisation of the Jewish community, inspired by the model of the Sanhedrin convened by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807. However, these efforts did not lead to consensus, resulting in a deep schism. The ultra-Orthodox delegates left the congress on the first day, followed by the moderates. Those who remained, the followers of the neologological movement, called themselves “congressionalists”.
The participants of the 1868 Congress of Hungarian Jewry. Image source: Wikipedia.
At the local level, representatives of Transylvanian Jews met in Cluj in May and July 1866 to debate Eötvös’s proposals and to determine their position on the proposed reforms. These debates revealed significant differences between the various groups within the Jewish community, leading to a deep schism.
Thus, three main currents were formed:
Orthodox – adherents of this current rejected any modification of traditional religious practices, believing that they should be preserved in their original form.
The Neolog – this current advocated reforms aimed at adapting Judaism to the demands of modern society by reducing the traditional rigours.
Status quo ante – this group opted to maintain the status quo ante, without aligning with either strict orthodoxy or Neolog Reform.
This separation also had significant implications in Transylvania, where the situation was similar, with three types of Jewish communities, including Cluj. Initially, Cluj Jews joined the conservative Orthodox camp. In 1868, the schism of the Israelite cult in Hungary accentuated these divisions. In the following years, however, signs of the split also appeared in Cluj. First, in 1875, a group of Sephardic Jews built a house of prayer called Beth Avrohom on Malom Street (today’s Gh. Barițiu). Subsequently, in 1881, another group, the Jewish bourgeoisie, consisting mostly of intellectuals, set up a status quo ante community, which later became of a neologised orientation. This culminated in the construction of the Neolog Synagogue in 1887, which became a symbol of the modernisation of the Jewish community in Cluj.
Neolog Synagogue on Horea Street, Cluj. Photograph taken in 1887. Image source: roholocaust.ro.
This division had a profound impact on the religious and social life of Transylvanian Jewry, influencing internal relations and the way Jewish communities interacted with the authorities and the majority population, while at the same time leading to the formation of distinct communities, each with their own religious practices and institutions.
The situation in Transylvania. The Honvéd newspaper article
Copy of the original Honvéd newspaper, Cluj, 9 August 1849. Donated by the Szőts-Pollak family from the Netherlands.
An illustrative example of contemporary perceptions of the emancipation of the Jews is provided by an article published on August 9, 1849, in issue 193 of the Honvéd newspaper published in Cluj, in which the emancipation of the Jews from Transylvania is announced in an “unofficial” section.
Unofficial section.
Citizens of the Mosaic religion!
For us, the once outcast race, July 28 has become a great holy day, a celebration of freedom.
Thanks be to the Almighty!
On this day, our Prime Minister Bertalan Szemere unexpectedly and unforeseenly proposed, like a bolt out of the blue, the complete emancipation of the Jews.
The National Assembly was stunned, overwhelmed, and voted unanimously for the bill, all formalities aside.
Thus the official “Gazeta” of July 28 was already promulgating the unlimited equality of the Jews in the form of a law. This law reads as follows:
“Without distinction of religion, of right or duty, among the citizens of the country, it is hereby declared, in accordance with this principle, that an inhabitant of the Hungarian State, whether born of the Mosaic religion or legally established, shall have all political and civil rights equal to inhabitants of any other faith.
A marriage between a Christian and a Mosaic shall be declared valid as regards its civil consequences.”
While Heynau, the representative of the Austrian Emperor, tries to oppress the Jews with a terrible and unjustified war tax — which from Pest and Buda alone amounts to one and a half million forint — the Hungarian government raises them to the rank of citizens of the state.
The days of slavery, the days of redemption, are over.
Fellow citizens, let us bow down before God and give thanks.
Let us announce the great event! Let the priests make it known to the people of Israel in words inspired by God. Let the last among us know and feel that from that day the sovereignty of Hungary and the freedom of Hungary are also ours. For these we will live and die! Let us all come together to prove that we are worthy of freedom. Let us sacrifice our wealth, our blood, let us unhesitatingly support the Hungarian government by word and deed alike. Let the curse, the curse of Israel, be on him who serves the enemy by word, deed or even by a single exhortation. Yes, let us also proclaim this to our soldiers on the borders of our country; let us tell them that we have succeeded in reaching the promised land, and let them also proclaim the great Hungarian freedom struggle in Europe.
Blessed be July 28!
God bless the Hungarian nation!
Glorified be the name of Szemere, whose word broke the millennial chain.
From an association of Jewish citizens.
Copy of the original Honvéd newspaper, Cluj, 9 August 1849. Donated by the Szőts-Pollak family from the Netherlands.
In this context, the vibrant and grateful tone of the article emphasised the historic moment of recognition of equal rights for the Jewish community, highlighting the transformative impact of the Hungarian government’s decision.
This decision, which enshrined equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, was described as a moral and national achievement. In support of this ideal, Hungarian revolutionary leader Lajos Kossuth emphasised the importance of Jewish emancipation for Hungary’s social and economic development:
“Like the nationalities that were recognised as equal to the Hungarian nation, the Jews were emancipated in every respect. They are no longer tolerated but have become full citizens of the Hungarian state. Their emancipation was a necessity for the development of Hungarian social life. This previously oppressed people has already proved its worth and loyalty to the Hungarian homeland many times. Therefore, their emancipation is a just work, a moral and national achievement, which will bring blessing to the homeland.”
Kossuth Lajos, 1851. Image source: Wikipedia.
Hungarian revolutionary leader Lajos Kossuth was one of the most important figures of the 1848-1849 Hungarian Revolution. Kossuth was a fervent advocate of Jewish emancipation, seeing it not only as a moral necessity but also as an essential condition for the social and economic development of the Hungarian state. His speeches emphasised the loyalty and contributions of the Jews to Hungary’s prosperity and called for their recognition as full citizens with equal rights with the other nationalities of the empire. The emancipation of the Jews, in Kossuth’s vision, was not only an act of social justice, but also a national achievement that promised to benefit the whole country. This progressive stance reflected the revolutionary spirit of the time and the aspiration for a modern Hungarian society in which all ethnic and religious groups would contribute to the common good.
Legal recognition of Judaism and subsequent developments
Another defining moment was the legal recognition of Judaism as a religion in 1895. Until then, Judaism had been merely tolerated, without equal status with other faiths. This change allowed Jews to organise themselves more effectively and participate actively in the social, economic and cultural life of Transylvania.
However, despite these advances, anti-Semitism continued to be present. Notable examples include trials related to accusations of ritual murder, such as the Tiszaeszlár trial of 1882-1883, which fueled inter-ethnic tensions and prejudice.
Assimilation and national consciousness
A significant part of the Jewish population chose the path of assimilation, adopting the way of life, professional and cultural aspirations of the Hungarian population. In order to accede to positions of power, Jews had to declare themselves of Hungarian nationality and Israelite religion, renouncing the notion of Jewish nationhood. However, emancipation was individual rather than national.
Urania Palace, built in 1908. Image source: vatra.mcp.ro.
The Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the context of the First World War prompted Transylvanian Jews to return to their national consciousness and to renew their links with the historical tradition. This change culminated in the historic meeting at the Urania café on November 20, 1918, where representatives of Cluj Jewry, led by Chief Rabbis Moses Glasner (Orthodox) and Mátyás Eisler (Neolog), decided to create the National Union of Transylvanian Jews (UNET). This marked the first step in the reawakening of Jewish national consciousness.
Balfour Declaration, 1917. Image source: Wikipedia.
Moses Glasner (1856-1924), a leading figure in Cluj’s Jewish community, became Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish Community at the age of just 21. Although known for his conservative views, Glasner became a supporter of religious Zionism after the First World War. A co-founder of the Új Kelet newspaper, he campaigned for the recognition of Jews as a nation, not just as a religion. In 1922 Glasner emigrated to Palestine, where he continued to teach and contribute to Jewish religious colonisation.
Rabbi Moses Schmuel Glasner. Image source: Wikipedia.
The Új Kelet (“New Rising”) newspaper, founded in Cluj on December 19, 1918, was a key publication for the Transylvanian Jewish community. By promoting the values of Zionism and unity, the newspaper reflected the aspirations of a community caught between the desire for assimilation and the reaffirmation of its specific nationality.
First issue of the Új Kelet newspaper, Cluj, December 1918. Image source: digiteka.ro
In 1922, the newspaper’s editorial office and printing house on Brassai Street were devastated by nationalist students. Nevertheless, Új Kelet continued to be a platform for the debate of Zionist ideals and contributed to the emigration of many Jewish families from Transylvania to Palestine, later participating in the establishment of the State of Israel.
Conclusions
The emancipation of the Transylvanian Jews was a long and arduous process, influenced by political, social and religious factors. Although it brought significant progress in recognising the civil and political rights of the Jews, this process did not completely remove the obstacles faced by the Jewish communities. The impact of emancipation was felt both within the Jewish communities and in Transylvanian society, contributing to its modernisation and diversification.
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