Editing Agudath Israel of America (section)

==Positions==
The Agudah takes positions on many political, religious, and social issues, primarily guided by its ''Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah''. It uses these stances to advise its members, advocate for its constituency in the halls of government, and file [[amicus curiae|amicus briefs]] on behalf of the Haredi Orthodox Jewish community in the United States.

===Conservative, Reform, and Modern Orthodox Judaism===
In 1956, for example, the ''moetzes'' issued a written ruling forbidding Orthodox rabbis to join with any [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] or [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] rabbis in rabbinical communal professional organizations that then united the various branches of America's Jews, such as the [[Synagogue Council of America]].

This position was not endorsed by the [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Modern Orthodox]]. Rabbi [[Joseph Soloveitchik]] of [[Yeshiva University]] had initially aligned himself with Agudah, but later established his independent views on these matters and a host of other issues, such as attitudes towards college education and attitudes towards the secular-led Israeli governments. Rabbi Soloveitchik believed it important to nurture the more modern Orthodox [[Rabbinical Council of America]] (RCA).

===Women===
In 2015 and 2017, Agudah denounced moves to [[Women rabbis and Torah scholars|ordain women]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forward.com/opinion/385146/the-ou-is-right-orthodox-women-shouldnt-be-rabbis/|title=The OU Is Right: Orthodox Women Shouldn't Be Rabbis|first=Getty|last=Images|website=The Forward|date=18 October 2017 }}</ref> It went even further, declaring [[Yeshivat Maharat]], [[Open Orthodoxy]], [[Yeshivat Chovevei Torah]], and other affiliated entities to be similar to other dissident movements throughout Jewish history in having rejected basic tenets of Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hamodia.com/2015/11/03/moetzes-open-orthodoxy-not-a-form-of-torah-judaism/|title=Moetzes: 'Open Orthodoxy' Not a Form of Torah Judaism|work=Hamodia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Breach-in-US-Orthodox-Judaism-grows-as-haredi-body-rejects-Open-Orthodoxy-institutions-431929|title=Breach in US Orthodox Judaism grows as Haredi body rejects "Open Orthodoxy" institutions|work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://forward.com/news/323887/agudath-rabbis-declare-war-on-open-orthodoxy/|title=Avi Weiss Defends "Open Orthodoxy" as Agudah Rabbis Declare War|author=Josh Nathan-Kazis|date=3 November 2015|work=The Forward}}</ref> Avi Shafran, director of public affairs, wrote: "... women ... assuming positions of public leadership is ... antithetical to the concept of ''[[tzniut]]'' (modesty)."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/orthodox-women-ordained|title=Orthodox Yeshiva Ordains Three Women. Just Don't Call Them "Rabbi"|date=June 10, 2013|website=Tablet Magazine}}</ref> Agudah forbade ordained Orthodox female clergy from being hired to lead congregations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-a-maharat/|title=How do you solve a problem like a maharat?|website=www.timesofisrael.com}}</ref> Dr. Noam Stadlan, a board member of the [[Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance]], wrote: "On this issue, the Agudah is irrelevant to Modern Orthodoxy in the same way [[Satmar]] or [[Neturei Karta]] views are irrelevant on issues of Zionism."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/thank-you-rabbi-shafran/|title=Thank You Rabbi Shafran|first=Noam|last=Stadlan|website=jewishweek.timesofisrael.com|date=22 October 2017 }}</ref>

===Abortion===
In 2019, commenting on [[abortion]], Agudath Israel said: "Jewish tradition teaches that a [[Fetus|human fetus]] has status and dignity, and that abortion is prohibited in the vast majority of pregnancies", with certain exceptions in which it is permitted and in others where it is required.<ref name="auto2"/> Other Orthodox New York rabbis offered opposing positions.<ref name="auto1"/>

===Vaccination===
Also in 2019, Agudath [[Vaccine hesitancy|lobbied against a New Jersey bill]] that would have ended a policy allowing New Jersey parents to not [[immunize]] their children—because of religious beliefs, but to still enroll them in school.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/nj-bill-to-remove-religious-exemption-from-immunization-stalls-in-state-senate/|title=NJ bill to remove religious exemption from immunization stalls in state senate|first=Marcy|last=Oster|website=www.timesofisrael.com}}</ref> The bill included an exemption for [[private school]]s.<ref name="auto3"/> In the 2018-2019 school year, religious exemptions in New Jersey had grown to 2.6%.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-nw-nyt-vaccines-religious-exceptions-new-jersey-20200114-sqctl2ogozfdzdth2yfu43mss4-story.html|title="Thank you, God!": Bill to ban religious exemptions for vaccines in New Jersey collapses|first=Tracey|last=Tully|website=sun-sentinel.com|date=14 January 2020 }}</ref> Doctors and public health experts had said the bill was urgently needed to prevent the level of [[measles]] outbreak that spread across the region in 2018 (the largest outbreak in three decades in the area) and emphasized that there is overwhelming scientific consensus that [[Vaccination#Safety|vaccines are safe and effective]].<ref name="auto4"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/gospels-and-child-sacrifice-inside-a-nyc-ultra-orthodox-anti-vaccination-rally/|title=Gospels and child sacrifice: Inside a NYC ultra-Orthodox anti-vaccination rally|first=Ben|last=Sales|website=www.timesofisrael.com}}</ref>

===Zionism===
While Agudath was created as a bulwark to fight against [[Zionism]], the Rabbinic leadership of Agudath did permit "with great reluctance" <ref name=":0">Yated Ne’eman, Parshas Bo, 5770</ref> participation in the government after the [[Israel|Israeli state]] was established in 1948.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lipsky|first=Seth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jk_ysoKLEzgC&q=%22agudath+israel+of+america%22+%22zionism%22&pg=PA160|title=The Rise of Abraham Cahan|date=2013-10-15|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8052-4310-9|language=en}}</ref> The reason given was that "the [[Knesset|parliament]] is not an ideological organization; its purpose is to perform the mundane task of running the everyday life of the citizens of the country. It was against our will that this parliament was formed, and it has the power to interfere with ''inyanei hadas'' [religious matters] and to prevent the religious community from living a life of Torah. Thus, we were forced to send representatives there to fight for our survival."<ref name=":0"/>  Agudah takes stances on issues affecting the Haredi sector in Israel; in contradistinction to the more stridently [[Haredim and Zionism#Groups which do not recognize Israel|anti-Zionist Haredi communal organizations]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishchronicle.org/2008/03/31/agudath-israel-may-be-non-zionist-but-it-supports-israel-and-its-people |title=Agudath Israel may be non-Zionist, but it supports Israel and its people}}</ref>