Rituals of Modernity: Reforming Judaism in Imperial Russia.

This article examines the Russian imperial state's intervention in Jewish religious rituals from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, focusing on practices such as the new moon blessing (kiddush levanah), eruv (ritual enclosure), Kol Nidre (nullification of vows), and Sabbath observance. It highlights how Jewish bureaucrats and religious leaders negotiated with imperial authorities over the boundaries of tolerated religion, distinguishing between superstition and legitimate ritual, and balancing public order with religious expression. The study reveals shifting alliances, with liberal Jewish reformers advocating for privatization and sanitization of rituals, while Orthodox Jews increasingly asserted public religious authority and sought to expand the scope of Jewish law in response to state secularism and political conservatism. This case illustrates the complex interplay between empire, law, religion, and minority agency in shaping Jewish identity and religious practice under Russian rule.