Jewish Religiosity (1923)

Abstract

Jewish religiosity is not, as many people think, a matter of an admittedly special dignity but an otherwise negligible moment for the so-called “solution of the Jewish question.” It is, rather, now as always, the only matter of unconditional moment for Judaism—motive power of its fate, guidepost to its destiny, a force whose upsurging blaze would restore it to new life and whose total extinction would deliver it to death. Renewal of Judaism means in reality renewal of Jewish religiosity….

From On Judaism by Martin Buber, ed. Nahum Glatzer, trans. Eva Jospe, copyright © 1967 by Schocken Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Used by permission of Schocken Books, a division of Random House, Inc.