I was really interested in what Dr. Cohen spoke about. I've always wanted to learn more about the differences between the Jewish movements and how they came about.
I was especially shocked and interested in the fact that through Shechter's movement which was created to unify Judaism; Judaism ended up becoming more divided.
I'm not really sure what else to write about the subject because Dr. Cohen did such a good job explaining everything clearly and answering questions.
The one aspect of Shechter and his disciples that made me uncomfortable was Dr. Cohen's second point; that Shechter and his disciples created institutions that emphasize what they have in common, and tended to ignore their differences. They never discussed controversial issues because they did not want to alienate anyone. This just seemed to me like such a juvenile idealistic way to go about business. I understand why people got frustrated with that mentality, and eventually created even more movements.
The Shechter movement reminds me of today's Modern Orthodox. From what I understand, Modern Orthodoxy respects observance but also understands the importance of modernity and association with the real world.
Shechter's original mission and vision is very logical to me, and in an ideal world I think that it would be most beneficial for Judaism if it could work out.
Dr. Cohen over all was a really good speaker. He knew his material really well. He seemed a littler uncomfortable, but that is understandable since he is extremely young and new at teaching. I liked that he was really open minded to the teaching suggestions kids in the class offered.
-Amy Zitelman
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