World Agudath Israel (Hebrew: אגודת ישראל), usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism.
Prior to World War II and the Holocaust, Agudath Israel operated a number of Jewish educational institutions throughout Europe.
[1] They were concerned that the Tenth Zionist Congress had defeated a motion by the Torah Nationalists Mizrachi movement for funding religious schools.
Among the chief founders of the organization were Jacob Rosenheim (one of the leaders of German Jewry), and Rabbi Avrohom Mordechai Alter (the fourth Gerrer Rebbe).
The British secretary of the Agudath Israel World Organization, the political wing of the movement, was Harry Goodman, publisher and editor of Jewish Weekly.
It has established itself as an Israeli political party winning seats in the Knesset either as the Agudat Israel or in coalition with other Orthodox groups running under the name United Torah Judaism.
[16] The World Agudath Israel federation held international conferences and Torah congressional meetings known as HaKnessia HaGedolah (Hebrew: הכנסייה הגדולה, lit.