Denominations

How many different denominations are there within Judaism?

There are three main practices:

v  Orthodox

v  Reform

v  Conservative

There are two minor practices, mainly revolving around mysticism:

v  Kabala

v  Hasidic

What is the Orthodox practice?

v  Orthodox is one of the most traditional expressions of modern Judaism. Orthodox Jews believe the entire Torah-including “written”, the Pentateuch, and “Oral”: the Talmud was given to Moses by God at Sinai and remains dominant for modern life in its entirety.

What is the Reform practice?

v  Reform Judaism is the most liberal expression of Judaism. In America, Reform Judaism is organized under the Union for Reform Judaism which was known as the Union of America Hebrew Congregations until 2003. Their mission was to create and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations wherever Reform Jews live. About 42% of American Jews regard themselves as Reform.

What is the Conservative practice?

v  Conservative Judaism is said to be positioned between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. It seeks to conserve the historical and traditional elements of Judaism, while allowing for modernizations to a less radical extent than Reform Judaism. The teachings of Zacharias Frankel from the foundation of Conservative Judaism.

What is the Kabala practice?

v  The fantasy and mystical form of Judaism is Kabala. In a nutshell, Kabala refers to Jewish mysticism dating back to the time of the second Temple. For years it was a carefully guarded oral tradition, but it became systematized and dispersed in the middle Ages. The Kabbalistic viewpoint was expressed most importantly in the Yakut Re’uveni by Reuben Hoeshke in 1660, but also made its way into Jewish prayer books and it became included in popular customs and ethics. The focus of the mysticism is a simultaneous transcendence and immanence of God, with the latter described in terms of the sefirot, or attributes of god.

What is the Hasidic practice?

v  It rose in the 12^th century Germany as a mystical movement emphasizing asceticism and experience born out of love and humility before God. The austere religious life of these early Hasids is documented in the Sefer Hasidim (Book of the Pious). The modern  Hasidic movement was founded in Poland In the 18^th century by Israel by Eliezer, more commonly known as the Ball Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name) or the Besht (an acronym for Ball Shem Tov)