Four
branches of Judaism
Orthodox: Members strictly
follow
dietary laws and Sabbath observance and also tend to follow special
dress and grooming requirements (e.g. no cutting of the beard or hair
from the sides of the head). Emphasis on adherence to the letter of
tradition in the
Torah and Talmud. This branch includes Hassidic Jews, who combine
stirct observance to Jewish Law with mysticism. Women and men separated
during worship. Analogous to Amish or some Fundamentalist Protestants.
Conservative: Began as a 19th
Century reaction to Reform Judaism. Members embrace modern dress. Women
have more room to move out of traditional roles as mothers and
homemakers.
Admitted women Rabbis starting in the 1980s. Still follow nearly all
Jewish
laws.
Analogous to Protestant Evangelicals.
Reformed: 19th century movement
in Judaism among Jews who wanted to move into the mainstream of
European society. Dietary laws, Sabbath observance optional, though
often observed. Later
equality for women and homosexuality was seen as acceptable. The
Tanakh's
ethical teachings are emphasized over ritual and ceremony, and
services are often conducted in
the native language of the congregation rather than in Hebrew.
Analogous to modern "mainline" Protestant denominations
such as the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists or Lutherans.
Reconstructionist: Founded in
America by Rabbi Kaplan in 1922. More liberal than Reformed Judaism and
criticizes
aspects of Judaism as racist, sexist homophobic. The congregations are
often politicized and very syncretistic (including aspects of other
religious traditions). They reject the concept of miracles and even the
idea of a
personal God, as well as the concept of the Jews as a "chosen people,
seeing Judaism rather as an evolving community. Analogous to followers
of
ministers such as Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong or John Domminick
Crosson. This group is small but seems to
push Reformed Judaism in a more liberal direction. For example, Rabbi
Kaplan performed the first Bat Mitzvah (coming of age ceremony at the
onset of adolescence; analogous to Bar Mitzvah for a boy). Now this
ceremony is practiced in Reformed Judaism as well.