For quick information about the Jewish denominations, rites, rituals and holidays, check in the QuickFacts section.
Orthodox Judaism The branch of Judaism that emphasizes strict adherence to halakhah, the body of laws and practices that are based on the Torah, or the Law of Moses. This includes not only the Law as found in the first five books of the Bible but the complex commentaries and elaborations upon it in the Midrash, Talmud, and other authoritative texts. Although there have always been Jews who strictly follow halakhah, modern Orthodox Judaism as a distinct movement arose principally in response to secularizing influences on Judaism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.Conservative Judaism A branch of Judaism that arose in the late nineteenth century as a middle course between Reform and Orthodox forms of the faith. Conservative Jews hold that while their faith must adapt to the needs of the times, the traditional forms of Judaism are valid and should be changed only with great reluctance. They generally observe the Sabbath, the high holy days, and festivals in traditional ways. But they have adapted some innovations introduced by Reform Judaism.
Reform Judaism The most liberal form of Judaism, which grew out of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. Reform Jews regard the moral aspects of the Jewish Law as binding, but do not feel obliged to follow customs that, in their view, are not adapted to the needs of modern times. English rather than Hebrew is generally used in services.
Hasidism A popular religious movement that began in Eastern Europe in the eighteenth century, founded by the mystic known as Israel Eliezer Baal Shem Tov. Hasidism emphasizes optimism and joy expressed in song and dance as well as prayer. The leadership of a tzaddik ("righteous one"), a charismatic holy man, is of central importance. The Hasidic communities have a strong sense of communal identity, reinforced by the beards and black, and broad-brimmed hats worn by men.
Kabbalah The mystical or esoteric tradition of Judaism. The Kabbalah focuses on the attainment of higher states of consciousness through meditation or contemplation of sacred texts. The best-known Kabbalistic diagram is known as the Tree of Life, which is regarded as a map of spiritual realms. Today the Kabbalah is practiced both by Jews and non-Jews.
Jewish Renewal A contemporary American Jewish movement that seeks to draw on the best of traditional teachings such as Kabbalah and Hasidism and to apply them to a modern context. But Jewish Renewal also espouses equality for women, integration of gays and lesbians, ecological responsibility, and mutual respect for other spiritual paths. Chant, meditation, and sacred dance are used in worship.
The Land of Israel. Because the Bible portrays God as bestowing the territory roughly equivalent to modern-day Israel as a heritage to the Jewish people, eretz Yisrael ("the land of Israel") has always been central to Jewish hope and aspiration. The Jews were driven from this territory by the Romans in the first century C.E. It was only in the late nineteenth century that large numbers of Jews began to resettle there. After World War II, with its wholesale slaughter of Jews by the Nazis, the international community supported the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, which was established in 1948. The political movement aimed at creating a Jewish state in the traditional homeland is known as Zionism.
