„The formation of the Litvak Orthodox Judaism“ 

Litvak Judaism had been forming for several decades, integrating in itself the cultural traditions of Jews of other countries. From the Litvak’s cultural tradition, surely the best known in both Lithuania and in the world is Vilna Gaon (18th c.). However, this exceptional period of time during which Litvak Judaism acquired its originality (known worldwide as Yeshiva Judaism) was the pagan 19th century. Hasidic Judaism, the Haskalah movement, the czarist reforms of the Jewish education system and finally, the Musar movement were significant factors that enabled the authorities of Litvak Orthodox Judaism to explicate individual ideology that became contemporary Litvak Orthodox Judaism’s essence. The decline of the Jewish communities’ two main institutions (self-government and the official rabbinate) in the 18th to the first half of 19th centuries (which existed during the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) forced the communities to look for new ways to strengthen their traditional way of life: reforming traditional higher rabbinic studies in Yeshivas and forming the spiritual rabbinate authority. The result of all those efforts and processes was a developed Litvak branch of Orthodox Judaism at the beginning of 20th century.