Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists

The Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists (AOJS) is an organization of scientists committed to the views and beliefs of Orthodox Judaism and promote the integration of scientific and Orthodox Jewish worldviews. The purpose of the organization was to provide a social milieu that supported the Orthodox theological stance of “Torah im Derekh Eretz" in Jewish communal life. The AOJS organized annual conventions and publications to support this aim, allowing for extensive interaction between religious and scientific worldviews.

Founded in 1947 by a small group of religiously committed scientists, the AOJS is an organization devoted to the orientation of science within the framework of Orthodox Jewish tradition. The organization aims to assist those endeavors which will help improve the Torah way of life for Jews throughout the modern world, both intellectually and practically. The AOJS provides an intellectual meeting ground for people who can contribute to the constructive incorporation of scientific knowledge and thinking into the Torah way of life through their professional qualifications, interests and activities. Concern is paid to ideological problems relating to the apparent points of conflict between scientific theory and Orthodox Judaism. At the time of its founding, the association formulated five purposes:

By the early 1960s, the organization reached nearly 2,000 dues-paying members. Time magazine reported that the organization had over 1,000 members by the late 1960s.

In terms of education and guidance, Assistance to individuals and institutions in the solution of practical problems encountered by Orthodox Jews and their children in the study or practice of scientific pursuits; support for the educational ideal of a true synthesis of Jewish and secular studies. For example, the AOJS Medical-Dental section maintains a list of shomer Shabbos medical residency positions available around the U.S.

In terms of the intersection between science and Jewish law, association members provide consulting services to rabbinical authorities concerned with the implications of technological developments for the Jewish rituals and religious practices.

AOJS convention themes often center on Jewish religious perspectives on Darwin's theory of evolution.

Previously, the idea of an Orthodox Jewish scientist was considered abnormal on the Jewish scene. In the 1940s, despite general shock over the Holocaust, some of the most prestigious universities still had formal or informal quotas limiting the number of Jews and exams were often held on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. As a result, for every 1 Orthodox Jewish science student there were 1,000 other Jewish students. In the U.S. today, religiously observant Jewish university students are common from the observant doctor, physicist, computer programmer to the engineer and psychologist.

Often called upon by the rabbi to explain the scientific principles that will guide him in his halachic decision making, the Orthodox Jewish scientist has become an integral part of Orthodox Jewish observance in the ever-changing modern world. Rabbis faced with the need to apply the halacha to a rapidly changing technological world find it easier to communicate their needs to Torah scholars who are equally well versed in the sciences. The Orthodox Jewish scientist has indeed come a long way in the synthesis of Torah and science.