ɹˈɛb mˈɛnæʃəm mˈɛndəl wʌz ɐn ˈɑːɹdənt əpˈoʊnənt ʌv mɑːdˈɚnᵻɾi ænd ðə dʒˈuːɪʃ ɪmˌænsɪpˈeɪʃən, fˈɪɹɪŋ ɪt wʊd lˈiːd tʊ ɐsˌɪmɪlˈeɪʃən ænd ðə bɹˈeɪkdaʊn ʌvðə dʒˈuːɪʃ wˈeɪ ʌv lˈaɪf.
Rebbe Menachem Mendel was an ardent opponent of modernity and the Jewish emancipation, fearing it would lead to assimilation and the breakdown of the Jewish way of life.