Contrast Between Katz and Sachar

These articles were both extremely different from one another.  In Katz’s article, he chose to explain the similarities between all modern Jews and their communities.  Sachar, on the other hand, explained the differences between modern Jewish communities.  Katz approached his article from a broad sociological perspective while Sachar approached his article from a specific, factual standpoint.

            In Sachar’s article, he discusses the fact that the Jews in the Judengasse had to operate on the idea of community autonomy.  They were forced to govern themselves and operate their schools, public services, hospitals, streets, and trade.  The Jews were also responsible for handling legal disputes within the community, which required them to have laws, courts, and judiciary officials.  The government that the Jews created for themselves was also referred to as a kehillah.

            In Katz’s article, he discusses the differences between modern and traditional societies.  He says that government is essentially when ruling authorities create laws and those who are lower in the hierarchy obey these laws.  He goes on to say that traditional societies are smaller and therefore, the relationship between the leader and those below him is more personal and direct.  Government in modern society is based on the idea of the decentralization of power.

On the religious side of things, Sachar discusses the fact that once the Jews were “reoriented” into the East, they were able to develop their religious and cultural traditions more easily than in Germany.  In Katz’s article, he discusses the fact that every traditional Jewish community accepted passed-down Jewish tradition.  However, each individual society had its own specific traditions.

These articles interpret traditional Jewish life in very different ways, but it is almost as if they aid in the understanding of one another.