Branches of Judaism

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Branches of Judaism
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Why the change?

• 200 to ca. 1800 One basic form of Judaism
  (Rabbinic)
• Based on Talmud (Mishnah Gemara)
• Focus on observing oral and written law
• 613 commandments
• Focus on study, prayer, ongoing discussion by
  rabbis and commentators

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Page from the Talmud
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Europe, ca. 1800

• Enlightenment ideals
• Critique received religious authority
• Critique role of religion in warfare (God is on
  our side)
• Religion should be rational, about universal
  truths and morals
• Not rituals, particular histories, miracles
• Emancipation of Jews (citizenship granted)
• 1791 France 1796 Netherlands
• 1856 U.K. 1861 Italy 1871 Germany
• 1910 Spain 1917 Russia
• Dilemma for Jews modernize or be marginal?

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Beginnings of Reform Judaism

• Guiding idea
• Emphasize ethics, not ritual
• Adapt to contemporary life (use local language)
• Emphasize universality, not particularity
• Re-interpret messianic beliefs
• Begins in Germany (1818), but centered today in
  the U.S.

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The early, radical days of Reform

• If Judaism is about ethics not ritual, then
• Can worship be on Sunday?
• Can worship be in the local language?
• Can people eat shellfish, pork, etc.?
• Do infant boys need to be circumcised?
• What is gained, and what is lost here?
• Tradition vs. relevance
• Jews today have become more traditional than the
  early radical forms of Reform

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Reform today

• Less radical, more traditional than in 1800s
• uses more Hebrew
• Supports a Jewish state (Israel)
• Particularity, ethnic identity, ritual are
  valuable for keeping Judaism alive
• Very engaged in social issues
• Strong focus on tikkun olam (repairing the
  world social justice)
• Strong emphasis on womens rights (ordained 1972)
  and inclusion of gays, two issues that are very
  divisive in religion today
• Allows for patrilineal descent
• 40 of Jews in America
• roughly 7 Orthodox 40 Conservative 3 other

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Orthodoxy

• Only known as a distinct branch after Reform
  develops
• Adheres to Jewish law in all of life, not just
  ethics
• Walk to synagogue on Sabbath
• means living a Jewish community
• Keep kosher (two sets of dishes, etc)
• Men and women have distinct roles
• public vs. domestic
• Only men count in a quorum (10 needed for public
  prayer)
• sit on separate sides of the synagogue
• Only form recognized in Israel

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Conservative

• Develops after Reform in 1913 in U.S.
• Middle ground Reform goes to far, but Orthodoxy
  needs to be adapted to modern times
• Law (Bible, Talmud) comes from God, but
  transmitted through human beings can be read
  critically
• So, still binding, but can be adapted
• More use of Hebrew in liturgy
• Keeps matrilineal descent
• Women ordained 1983

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What do we learn from branches of Judaism?

• Another example how does religion decide how to
  adapt to new circumstances?
• What issues are most divisive?
• What issues are most common to all branches?