A person recognized by this descriptor was an adherent of the Haskalah, the Jewish Enlightenment. This motion, outstanding within the 18th and nineteenth centuries, advocated for the mixing of secular data and trendy values inside Jewish society. Such people usually championed schooling, scientific inquiry, and engagement with the broader cultural and mental world. For instance, an individual who actively promotes the examine of secular topics alongside conventional Jewish texts, and who seeks to reform societal norms according to Enlightenment beliefs, could possibly be thought of such a person.
Adherence to this philosophy represented a major shift in Jewish thought and observe. It supplied a path towards modernization and integration, permitting Jewish communities to take part extra absolutely within the societies round them. By embracing secular data and demanding pondering, proponents aimed to revitalize Jewish tradition and adapt it to the altering realities of the trendy world. This strategy additionally spurred necessary debates concerning the nature of Jewish identification, custom, and the connection between non secular legislation and secular ethics.
