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J
udaism is the religion of the Jews. Dating back to around 2000 BCE,
it is the oldest of the three main monotheistic faiths (the others being
Christianity and Islam), all of which have roots in the Middle East.
According to Moses, the patriarch to whom God revealed the tablets of the
law, the Jews were God’s chosen people and received his guidance in the
form of the Torah. For much of their history the Jews were exiled from their
homeland, so followers of Judaism may be found far beyond the Jewish state
of Israel, giving rise to geographical branches of the faith. Jews interpret
their faith in different ways, with varying emphasis on the centrality of the
Torah and Oral Law to their beliefs and observances.BRANCHES OF JUDAISM
ORTHODOX JUDAISM
c.13th century BCE, CanaanOrthodox Judaism sees itself as
the continuation of the religious
tradition developed in Canaan
3,000 years ago, and practiced by
the Jews in the time of Moses. It is
not a single movement, but is made
up of many branches that share a
set of core beliefs. At the heart of
the faith is the belief that the Torah
—the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible—contains the actual words
of God, and provides guidance on
every aspect of life. From the
Middle Ages, Orthodox Judaism
was deeply rooted in Central and
Eastern Europe. These communities
of Jews were known as Ashkenazim,
from the name of a patriarch. They
were persecuted and frequently
ghettoized over the centuries, and
millions of Orthodox Jews in Europe
died during the Holocaust. After
World War II, many Jews traveled to
the US, and later to the State of
Israel, which was established in
1948, and where Orthodox Judaism
is the state religion. More than
50 percent of practicing Jews
consider themselves to be Orthodox.HASIDIC JUDAISM
c.1740, Mezhbizh (now in Ukraine)Hasidic Judaism (from hasid,
meaning “pious one”) is a branch
of Orthodox Judaism that stresses
a mystical relationship with God.
Followers believe the Torah
is made up of words that are in
some sense realignments of the
name of God, YHWH. A true
Hasid is cut off from the world
and meditates, prays, and studies
the Torah to become closer
to God. A core belief of Hasidism
is that God is both the center
of the cosmos and infinite.NEOORTHODOX JUDAISM
Late 19th century, GermanyThe Neoorthodox movement arose
out of the persecution of Jews in
the West in the late 19th century.
It provided a middle ground for
those who wished neither to
withdraw completely into
Orthodox communities nor
to wholly renounce them. Although
adhering to the teachings of the
Torah, Neoorthodox JudaismSEPHARDIC JUDAISM
10th century BCE, IberiaThe name Sephardic Judaism
refers to the Jews who lived in
Iberia (modern-day Portugal and
Spain) from as early as the 10th
century BCE, and their descendants.
Despite some restrictions, Jews
coexisted peacefully for centuries
with Christians and then Muslims
in Iberia. However, following the
Christian conquest of Spain in
1492, and of Portugal in 1497, the
Sephardim who resisted conversion
to Christianity were expelled by
Christian decree and fled to North
Africa, Italy, France, England, the
Netherlands, the Ottoman Empire,
and even America. Today there are
thriving Sephardic communities
in Israel, France, Mexico, the US,
and Canada. Many of the
fundamental beliefs of Sephardic
Judaism are consistent with those
of Orthodox Ashkenazi Judaism,
though there is more emphasis
on mysticism, and some notable
differences in culture and
practice, including those
relating to language, diet,
holidays, prayer, and worship.