| Judaism incorporates different levels of observance
of Jewish customs into four main movements which are
similar to different sects of Christianity. Jews can
also be defined by their ancestry and may incorporate
different regional languages and customs during certain
holidays. Jews of different movements have differing
opinions about Jewish law and Judaism today. |
Orthodox
 |
Orthodox Jews look
on at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem. |
Orthodox is a traditional major movement in Judaism that
considers Jewish law to be written and binding by God. Orthodox
Jews are very observant and believe that the Torah was given
to Moses on Mount Sinai unchanged, with 613 mitzvot binding
on Jews. This Torah includes a written and oral portion. There
are several different sects of orthodox: Hasidic who live
separately from society, the yeshivish orthodox, and the modern
orthodox. Modern orthodox are much more integrated into the
community but still maintain Jewish law. In the orthodox movement,
men and women are separated at synagogue and do not sit together.
Women are sometimes not allowed to participate in certain
rituals.
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Conservative
Conservative is seen as a traditional movement that falls
between reform and orthodox. Conservative Jews believe that
scriptures came from God but were written by humans. While
they fully believe in Jewish law, they also believe that law
can change over time to adapt to society today. Conservative
synagogues differ in intensity, some are more liberal, and
others are more traditional. Conservatives tend to observe
most Jewish holidays.
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Reform
The Reform movement of Judaism, also known as the modern
movement, does not believe that God wrote the Torah. They
believe that the Torah was written by several different people
and then bound together. Reform is by far the most liberal
of all Jewish movements with varying degrees of observance
depending on the temple attended. Reform Jews generally do
not observe all of the holidays but maintain the values of
Judaism. Agnostic, nonobservant Jews will identify as being
reform.
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Reconstructionist
and Secular
Reconstructionist is the newest of all movements largely
seen as an offshoot of the conservative movement. Reconstructionists
believe that Judaism is an evolving religion but do not believe
that the Jews are the chosen people of God. Characterizing
the movement as traditional or liberal is very difficult;
the movement stresses more observance of holidays then reform
and a choice to observe Jewish law. However Jewish law is
not believed to be binding on the reconstructionist Jew. Secular
Jews usually do not attend temple regularly and probably only
celebrate the major holidays. Secular Jews are still considered
Jewish, just non-observant. Secular Israeli Jews are more
observant then their American counterparts. For example in
Israel, secular Jews will light Shabbat candles an occurrence
not likely found in the homes of reform and secular Jews in
the United States.
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Israel and Diaspora
 |
Map of Israel and her
major cities and areas of occupation.
Used by permission of The General Libraries, The University
of Texas at Austin. |
Reconstructionist is the newest of all movements largely
seen as an offshoot of the conservative movement. Reconstructionists
believe that Judaism is an evolving religion but do not believe
that the Jews are the chosen people of God. Characterizing
the movement as traditional or liberal is very difficult;
the movement stresses more observance of holidays then reform
and a choice to observe Jewish law. However Jewish law is
not believed to be binding on the reconstructionist Jew. Secular
Jews usually do not attend temple regularly and probably only
celebrate the major holidays. Secular Jews are still considered
Jewish, just non-observant. Secular Israeli Jews are more
observant then their American counterparts. For example in
Israel, secular Jews will light Shabbat candles an occurrence
not likely found in the homes of reform and secular Jews in
the United States.
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Ashkenazim
Ashkenazim are the descendents of Jews from France, Eastern
Europe, and Germany. Most American are Ashkenazim Jews. Yiddish,
a combination of Hebrew and German, is associated with Jews
from these regions. Ashkenazim Jews define Judaism by the
movements of reform, reconstructionist, orthodox, and conservative.
The word Ashkenazim is derived from the Hebrew word for Germany.
These Jews will have different traditional holiday foods from
the Sephardim.
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Sephardim
Sephardim are the Jews from North Africa, the Middle East,
Spain, and Portugal. The word Sephardim is derived from the
Hebrew word for Spain. These Jews speak a language known as
Ladino, a combination of Spanish and Hebrew. Sephardim Jews
have different pronunciations of some Hebrew letters then
Ashkenazim Jews. These pronunciations of Hebrew are used in
Israel today and are beginning to be adopted by Ashkenazim
Jews. Sephardim Jews do not associate themselves with formal
movements and have beliefs very similar to the orthodox. While
maintaining a different interpretation of Jewish law, these
Jews are traditionally more integrated into other societies
then Jews who are Ashkenazim. Sephardim have different traditional
foods and celebrations for holidays.
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Hasidic
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Group portrait of Hasidic
Jews holding books in Raczyna, Poland.
|
Hasidic Jews are a sect of orthodoxy that is sometimes termed
the ultra-orthodox because of their separation from modern
society. Hasidic Jews tend to live lives separate from modern
communities. With differences in dress and the presence of
a rebbe (spiritual leader), Hasidic Jews differ greatly from
Jews of other movements. Hasidic believe in the strict separation
of the sexes, in temple and in everyday life. It is forbidden
for two people of the opposite sex to be in a closed room
together if they are not married. Men and women also cover
their heads, men mostly with hats, and women tend to wear
shawls or wigs. While men of all movements cover their heads,
Hasids believe in covering the head at all times whereas reform
Jews tend to only cover their heads in temple. Men and women
wear long sleeves and long pants or skirts to preserve modesty,
because to Hasidic Jews believe the human body is sacred.
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Consider the following:
1. Determine the differences between the four major movements
of Judaism.
2. Think about how Sephardim Jews differ from Ashkenazim Jews.
3. Think about why the land of Israel is important to Jews
and Judaism.
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