There is considerable controversy over Hirsch's legacy ; this is a matter of debate between three parties: Haredi ( sometimes called Ultra-Orthodox ), Modern Orthodox, and Hirsch's descendants.

United Torah Judaism (, Yahadut HaTorah HaMeukhedet ; UTJ ) is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi ( Ultra-Orthodox ) political parties in the Knesset.

Yeruham's formal educational system includes 5 elementary schools ( State-General and State-Religious, and 3 smaller Ultra-Orthodox schools ), and a comprehensive high school affiliated with ORT, where the " Anyone Can Do It " program has consistently raised the number of those eligible for Bagrut matriculation certificates to twice the national level.

Some Modern Orthodox leaders cooperate and work with the Conservative movement, while haredi (" Ultra-Orthodox ") Jews often eschew formal contact with Conservative Judaism, or at least its rabbinate.

Hasidism comprises part of contemporary Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, alongside the previous Talmudic Lithuanian-Yeshiva approach and the Oriental Sephardi tradition.

Except in rare cases in the Ultra-Orthodox and Chassidic community, the practice of cherem ceased in the Age of Enlightenment, when local Jewish communities lost their political autonomy and Jews were legally enfranchised into the Gentile nations in which they lived.

This view ran contrary to the view of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism which rejected any secular, human effort to preempt the ingathering of the exiles by God and his chosen one, the Messiah.

They were far more supportive than the general Ultra-Orthodox American Jewry.

Soft matza is made only by hand, and generally with shmurah flour, as described below, like traditional " Shmurah Matza ".

Shmurah matza is generally available only around Passover, and is more expensive.

The commentators to the Shulchan Aruch record that it is the custom of some of Diaspora Jewry to be scrupulous in giving Challah from the dough used for baking " Matzot Mitzvah " ( the Shmurah Matzah eaten during Passover ) to a Kohen child to eat.

Overview of complete box of daily Challah yield at Boro Park Shmurah Matzah Bakery.

On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of matzah to the LORD.

Matzo or matzah (; with many other spellings in English, plural matzot ) is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz — bread and other food which is made with leavened grain — is forbidden according to Jewish law.

The Passover Seder meal is full of symbols of salvation, including the opening of the door for Elijah and the closing line, “ Next year in Jerusalem ,” but the use of matzah is the oldest symbol of salvation in the Seder.

The precise detailed religious requirements for matzah are not universally agreed upon ; for example there is disagreement over what grains may be used, whether matzah which is wetted after being baked then becomes chametz or not, and so on.

At the Passover seder, it is customary to eat matzah made of flour and water only ; matzah containing eggs, wine, or fruit juice in addition to water is not acceptable for use at the seder, although acceptable during the remaining days of the holiday.

Although most people have a clear idea of matza as similar to crackers, there is no requirement that matzah be crisp for any purpose, including the seder.

A problem with this matzah before the introduction of freezing is that it did not keep for more than a day or two, being subject to staling like any soft bread, not a problem with hard matzah.

However, soft matzah freezes well, and is more practical than it was.

Hard shmura matzah is often a round hand-made matzah about a foot in diameter ; machine-made hard matzah is usually square and much smaller.

Organic wheat matzah is also available.

However, today such matzah are generally not made.

The issue of whether egg matzah is allowed for Passover comes down to whether there is a difference between the various liquids that can be used.

The ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have wrapped meat from the Paschal lamb and bitter herbs between two pieces of old-fashioned soft matzah, flat, unleavened bread, during Passover in the manner of a modern sandwich wrap made with flatbread.

Wirtis created a 426 pound matzah ball for New York's Jewish Food Festival.

A quite different flat confection of chocolate and nuts that resembles matzah is sometimes called " chocolate matzah ".

" Egg ( sometimes enriched ) matzah " are matzot usually made with fruit juice, often grape or apple juice instead of water, but not necessarily with eggs themselves.

The amalgam of these foods, plus uniquely Jewish contributions like tzimmis, cholent, gefilte fish and matzah balls, make up Jewish cuisine.

The biblical narrative relates that the Israelites left Egypt in such haste they could not wait for their bread dough to rise ; the bread, when baked, was matzah.

Some observant Jews insist that grain for matzah must be supervised since harvesting — shmurah matzah.

Noodles are now made from Passover flour and eggs, as used for egg matzah, then baked under Rabbinical supervision.

Kosher for Passover cakes and cookies are made with matzah meal or a finer variety called " cake meal ", which gives them a denser texture than ordinary baked foods made with flour.

Oat and spelt matzah with kosher certification are produced, and are suitable for people who cannot eat wheat.

Shmura (" guarded ") matzah ( Hebrew מ ַ צ ָּ ה ש ְׁ מו ּ ר ָ ה maṣṣā šəmūrā ) is made from grain that has been under special supervision from the time it was harvested to ensure that no fermentation has occurred, and that it is suitable for eating on the first night of Passover.

( Shmura wheat may be formed into either handmade or machine-made matzah, while non-shmura wheat is only used for machine-made matzah.

There is a custom among some Ashkenazic Jews not to eat them during Passover, except for the elderly, infirm, or children, who cannot digest plain matzah ; these matzot are considered to be kosher for Passover if prepared otherwise properly.

) granted blanket permission for the use of any matzah made from non-water-based dough, including egg matzah, on Passover.

Flavored varieties of matzah are produced commercially, such as poppyseed-or onion-flavored.

Commenting on Rabbi Yosef Karo's permission to use egg matzah, the Rema responded "… in our communities, we do not knead ( matzah ) dough with fruit juice .… And one should not change from this unless in a time of emergency for the sake of a sick or old person who needs this " Those who follow this prohibition of eating egg matzah on Passover also include chocolate covered matzah, grape flavoured matzah and the many other varieties available.

Among many Hasidic Jews, only hand-made shmurah matzah may be used, in accord with the opinion of Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, who ruled that machine-made matzoth were chametz.

However the non-Hasidic Haredi community of Jerusalem follows the custom that machine-made matzah may be used, with preference to the use of shmurah flour, in accordance with the ruling of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld, who actually ruled that machine-made matzah may be preferable to hand made in some cases.

Some Ashkenazim do not cook with matzah, believing that mixing it with water may allow leavening ; the mixture is called " gebrochts " by Ashkenazic Jews.

* Chicken soup with matzah balls ( kneydlach ) – Chicken soup served with matzo-meal dumplings