NYC Gazette

Yeshiva University recently welcomed Dr. Edward Breuer for an insightful lecture titled "Moses Mendelssohn’s Jerusalem: Conceiving Modernity in Jewish Terms," held on March 26, 2025. The lecture was a collaborative effort co-sponsored by the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought alongside the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Yeshiva College Honors Program.

Dr. Breuer, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, focuses his scholarly work on Jewish history. He returned to the study of Mendelssohn after a lengthy period exploring other academic interests. His lecture explored the intricate political and religious conflicts of the eighteenth-century, which heavily influenced Mendelssohn's renowned work, Jerusalem.

The heart of Breuer's lecture addressed Mendelssohn's response to a polemic from 1782 that questioned whether traditional Judaism is compatible with modern civic society. Breuer dissected how Mendelssohn's Jerusalem, published just one year later, serves not as a defense of Jewish customs but as a philosophical argument emphasizing that civic participation should not be contingent upon religious adherence.

Breuer's analysis of Mendelssohn’s political philosophy highlighted an "Erastian" stance on religion and politics, emphasizing that while civil authorities hold supreme power, religious expression maintains its independence in terms of belief and practice. Drawing inspiration from philosophers such as Hobbes and Grotius, Mendelssohn argued against governmental control over personal conscience, asserting that while governing bodies may regulate actions, they cannot dictate individual beliefs.

Additionally, Breuer illustrated that Jerusalem interprets the Torah as a legal code that is non-coercive in nature, dismissing the notion that Judaism demands belief through force. Instead, Mendelsohn focused on the Torah's role in education and ethics, viewing its mitzvot (commandments) not as instruments of coercion but as means to encourage contemplation and foster community unity.

Following the lecture, a dynamic Q&A session allowed Breuer to address topics such as rabbinic authority, modern religious coercion, and Mendelssohn’s position within the context of tradition versus modernity. This event highlighted the mission of the Straus Center to engage classical Western texts in dialogue with Jewish philosophical thought.