Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer and the creation of a modern Jewish Orthodoxy

This work, an examination of the life and work of one of Rabbi Hirsch's contemporaries, Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer, reveals another important contributor to the creation of a modern Jewish Orthodoxy during the late 1800s. Like Hirsch, Hildesheimer felt the need to continue certain traditions while at the same time introducing certain innovations to meet the demands of a modern society. This study of an Orthodox rabbinic leader shows how Hildesheimer's flexible and pragmatic approach to these problems continues to be relevant to modern Judaism. The way in which this book draws upon responsa literature for its comprehension of Hildesheimer makes it an interesting work in modern Jewish historiography and sociology.