Branches of Judaism

Zionism

a movement to establish a national Jewish state in Palestine

Reform Judaism

attracted those Jews who had mixed more frequently with the rest of the population; wanted to enjoy the same freedom as everyone else, to participate in intellectual life and work with non-Jews; began to interpret the scripture with modern methods; became less concerned with traditional purity laws and kosher food, and with the desire to return to Israel, the homeland; use a combination of Hebrew and English for religious services; men and women sit together in the synagogue, and women are ordained as rabbis; many believe that as long as one parent is Jewish, the children are Jewish; individualism is encouraged, stresses that each person must decide what beliefs and practices are key to his or her spiritual life; accept secular moral values; stress tikkun olam-repairing the world through social action

Rabbinic Judaism

began by the Pharisees; with the Temple destroyed, the Pharisees found a new focus for Judaism in their sacred writings; they encouraged people to gather in synagogues or study houses to study the Torah; used the scripture translated into Aramaic, the language most people spoke in Israel; studying and interpreting Torah became an important way of helping Jewish people follow the laws of the covenant wherever they lived; the interpreters of the Torah were known as scribes or rabbis

Hasidism

founder was Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1759), also known as Ba'al Shem Tov. God happened through prayer, good deeds, humility, and, especially, joy. He is best known for his humorous stories in which people encounter God as they do the simplest chores. Hasidic communities are led by charismatic leaders ("rebbes"), to whom followers come for guidance and sustenance.

Kabbalah

the teaching of the Kabbalah is found in many texts. One text, called Zohar, is best described as a journey into the self of each individual. The true nature of God, according to Kabbalah, is indescribable, except by saying what God is not. This true essence of God is known as Ein Sof, which means "without end." God has no boundaries in either time or space.

Conservative Judaism

movement arose as Jews began to fear they would lose their separate identity (Reform Jews began to take part fully in every aspect of secular life); follows many but not all 613 commandments of the Torah, as well as the earliest traditions, such as the order of prayers, the use of Hebrew, and some dietary laws; considers Reform Judaism too loose in its interpretation of the traditional authority of the scripture; the needs of the community and its Jewish identity always come before individual wants and needs; active participation in the synagogue is very important; stress tikkun olam; men and women may sit together in the synagogue, and women are also ordianed as rabbis; largest branch of Judaism in Canada

Orthodox Judaism

observes all the ancient rules and practices; members of this tradition want to avoid "watering down" the Jewish faith; believe that God gave the whole Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai; while some Orthodox Jews accept some secular moral values, being Orthodox means following the commandments of the Torah, strictly observing the Sabbath and other Jewish holy days, using Hebrew in the synagogue, dressing modestly, and following dietary laws; men and women do not sit together in the synagogue; Jewish can only pass down through the mother; if the father is Jewish and the mother is not, the children are not considered Jewish