Branches of Judaism
Judaism, like the other major traditions, has experienced a variety of configura-
tions and divisions since its inception. Although the core of the religion has
remained the same since its beginning, Judaism has now branched into three
main groups:Orthodox, Reform,andConservativeJudaism. These groups differ in
that while most Christian denominations make distinctions based largely on faith
and belief, the three Jewish branches“are more like associations, with classifica-
tions according to cultural and doctrinal formulas.”^95 The American Jewish
Committee estimates that 8 percent of the Jewish population in the United
States is Orthodox, 28 percent Conservative, and 30 percent Reformed.^96 The
Orthodox branch, the most traditional and the oldest of the three branches,
seeks to preserve the traditional and historical roots of Judaism. It is the only
branch of Judaism officially acknowledged in Israel. Orthodox Judaism retains as
much as possible from the long-established religious teachings found in classical
and ancient writings. Orthodox Jews maintain that writings should be passed
from generation to generation and that each generation should adhere to the
principles they teach. This means following dietary laws such as not eating shell-
fish or pork, not allowing men and women to sit together in synagogue, not
working or driving on the Sabbath, and having men wear skullcaps (yarmulkes)
and prayer shawls.^97
Conservative Judaism is often thought of as the middle approach to Judaism, as it
attempts to follow basic Jewish teaching and traditions while adapting to contempo-
rary life. Conservative Judaism maintains many of the regulations, canons, rituals, and
traditions of Orthodox Judaism as necessary to maintain Jewish distinctiveness and
identity. However, some of the traditions reflect the culture in which the temple
resides. For example, synagogues“can vary in their practices, following the democratic
spirit in America on such matters as whether to use organ music in their worship
services.”^98 In addition, Conservative synagogues also permit women to fill the role
of ordained rabbi.
Reform Judaism is the most pragmatic of the three approaches to Judaism. It
began as an attempt in the late eighteenth century to modernize many of the long-
established Jewish practices so that Jewsworldwide could assimilate into non-Jewish
communities without losing their Jewish identity.^99 Conducting prayer services in
the local language, not requiring men to wear yarmulkes, the use of choirs and musi-
cal instruments, and allowing men and women to sit together are part of the Reform
movement. Reformed congregations, like some Conservative temples, even allow
ordained women rabbis.
Regardless of which branch of Judaism one follows, it is clear that the Jewish faith is
unique in that it is both a culture and a religion. It is common, for example, to find
nonreligious Jews who identify fully
with the culture but not with the the-
ology. In this sense, Judaism became
more of a family and less a religion. In
short, Judaism penetrates every aspect
of human existence for Jews and pro-
vides a means of living in both the
secular and the religious worlds.CONSIDER THIS
Why do you think that people who follow the Jewish religious tra-
dition have experienced such a high degree of repression, geno-
cide, and discrimination during their long history?Branches of Judaism 125Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).