Jewish Denominations | Sects, Branches & Examples
Table of Contents
- Judaism Background
- Early Branches of Judaism
- Largest Branches of Judaism
- Smaller Branches of Judaism
- Jewish Ethnic Groups
- Non-Jewish Denomination
- Lesson Summary
What are the 3 main beliefs of Judaism?
Judaism has a variety of important beliefs and rituals. However, the three most characteristic beliefs of most Jews include monotheism (a belief in one deity, God or Yahweh), the Torah (Jewish law with divine authority), and the covenant (the promise or contract between God and the ancient Israelites).
Is there a difference between Hasidic and Orthodox?
Orthodox Judaism is a branch of Judaism that emphasizes strict adherence to Jewish law. However, most Orthodox Jews still live in typical modern communities though they follow Jewish law. Hasidic Jews typically form their own communities, including establishing separate schools and workplaces for their members, so they can be almost completely removed from the modern world.
How many denominations are there in Judaism?
There are so many varieties of Jewish practice and belief that it is impossible to determine how many denominations of Judaism there are. However, there are three main denominations in Judaism: Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism, and Conservative Judaism, as well as other smaller denominations including Reconstructionist Judaism.
Table of Contents
- Judaism Background
- Early Branches of Judaism
- Largest Branches of Judaism
- Smaller Branches of Judaism
- Jewish Ethnic Groups
- Non-Jewish Denomination
- Lesson Summary
Judaism is one of the world's oldest religions, beginning in the ancient region of Canaan as early as the 15th century BCE. Today, although Judaism only accounts for about .2% of the religious beliefs in the world's population, the religion has had a lasting impact throughout history. It forms the background for the world's two largest religions: Christianity and Islam. The core Jewish beliefs that define the religion include:
- monotheism, the belief in and worship of just one deity;
- the significance of the Torah, the Jewish law and teachings that are contained in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament;
- the importance of Abraham as the founder of the tradition when God established a covenant with him;
- and the ''Promised Land'' of Israel as the holy land God promised to Jews for millennia.
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These beliefs are at the core of most types of Judaism, but like any religious tradition, there are different denominations of Judaism and types of ways Jews practice their religion. Judaism became an established religion with the writing of the Torah beginning around the 10th century BCE, but by the 3rd century BCE, there were records of different forms of Judaism. These Jewish sects formed during the Second Temple period, between the last 6th century BCE and 1st century CE, when the Jerusalem Temple was rebuilt until it was destroyed.
Sadducees
By the 2nd century BCE, a sect called the Sadducees existed, whose name derived from Zadok, the high priest during the Golden Age of Israel when King Solomon reigned. The beliefs of the Sadducees were fairly unique: they believed in free will instead of divine fate and did not believe in an afterlife or angels. The Sadducees believed in the absolute divine authority of the written Torah. Still, they were a non-Rabbinic branch of Judaism who believed that the Oral Torah and Rabbinic interpretation did not hold any divine authority.
Pharisees
The Pharisees were a Jewish sect that existed around the same time as the Sadducees and stood in opposition to their beliefs. Their name came from the Hebrew word meaning ''to separate,'' and they stood out as a branch of Judaism that was strongly focused on the law: both the written Torah and the Oral Torah, which was the commentaries on and interpretations of the written Torah. For the Pharisees, the Oral Torah held as much authority as the written Torah, and this branch was a precursor to the Rabbinic traditions that followed. In addition, the Pharisees believed in resurrection and the afterlife, unlike the Sadducees.
Essenes
While the Sadducees and Pharisees were two mainstream Jewish groups during the Second Temple period, there were also extremist sects. One of these was the Essenes, an ascetic sect of Judaism that separated itself from the central Jewish community around the 3rd century BCE to live in a monastic community at Qumran. Most scholars think that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, sectarian Jewish texts focused on uncovering mysteries, the apocalypse, and their community as a holy priesthood that was more sacred than the priesthood at the Temple.
Zealots
The Zealots were another extremist group that, rather than retreating from society like the Essenes, turned to political and sometimes violent means to fight against the pagan Roman Empire in hopes of preserving what they believed was pure Judaism. Zealots were known for their orthodoxy and Jewish nationalism, as they thought that Israel should be governed only by Jews as the land promised by God. The Zealots were in existence at least by the turn of the era, and they were instrumental in the first revolt against Rome in the last 60s CE. In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem; the Romans also sent armies out to Masada, a Jewish fortress near the Dead Sea, where the Zealots were. Realizing they were outnumbered, the Zealots decided it was nobler to kill themselves than surrender the fortress to the Romans.
Rabbinic Judaism
In the centuries around the turn of the era, from about the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, these four types of Judaism were the predominant Jewish denominations. However, after the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews had to come to terms with what their religion would look like moving forward without their holy place. In the 2nd century CE, Jews began building synagogues, or a Beth Knesseth, houses of assembly for Jews to gather together and study the Torah. The synagogues were led by rabbis, literally ''teachers,'' who studied and taught Jewish law.
This form of Judaism is called Rabbinic Judaism, which evolved from these early synagogues to become the primary form of Judaism around the 6th century CE. It revolved around the importance of the written Torah and Oral Torah, study and interpretation of which was led by the religious authority of the rabbis. Rabbinic Judaism differs from some ancient branches of Judaism, except the Pharisees, because the Oral Torah is treated as a divine authority just like the written Torah.
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Rabbinic Judaism remained one of the dominant types of the Jewish religion for centuries and impacted the denominations that came after it. Most modern denominations of Judaism, in fact, descend from the Rabbinic tradition. Starting around the 18th century CE, three major denominations developed within Judaism, some with their own subgroups as well.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism was a distinctly Rabbinic tradition that began in the late 18th century CE in Europe. Orthodox Judaism is named for its orthodoxy, or belief that there is a strict and ''right'' way to follow the tradition. While others tried to find their place in the developing modern world with regard to what beliefs and practices were obsolete, Orthodox Jews believed that all of the laws in the written and Oral Torah were still necessary to follow. Orthodox Jews are often viewed as more observant Jews than those of other branches, and the denomination is characterized by strict adherence to Jewish law. This usually involves following kashrut, the collection of Jewish dietary laws prohibiting eating pork, shellfish, meat, and dairy together, and other ritual unclean foods.
Hasidic Judaism
One of the most famous subgroups of Orthodox Judaism is Hasidic Judaism, a part of the larger Haredi movement in Orthodox Judaism that teaches extremely strict adherence to the Torah by mostly separating the Hasidic Jewish community from the larger modern world. This movement is found mainly in the United States and Israel. It is easily distinguishable by the clothing and hairstyles male Hasidic Jews usually wear traditional black clothing, black fur hats, and sidelocks of hair that are uncut at the temples of the head. Many people use the pejorative term ''ultra-Orthodox'' to refer to Hasidic and Haredi Jews because of how seriously they believe in strict adherence to all laws in the Torah.
Reform Judaism
In the 19th century CE, other Jews who tried to find their place in the modern world took a different approach. Instead of strict adherence to the Torah, Reform Judaism taught that Judaism was intended to evolve and adapt to the changing world. Hence, the written and Oral Torah laws were to be followed in spirit when possible but did not have to be strictly observed. Instead, the spirit and culture of Judaism were the primary parts of the religion to carry on in modern society, which could be followed while still assimilating into European culture. At 35% of the Jewish population, Reform Judaism makes up the largest percentage of Jews who are part of a denomination in the United States.
Conservative Judaism
Not long after the advent of Reform Judaism, another Jewish sect began in the 19th century CE. This denomination is called Conservative Judaism, which sought to find a balance or middle ground between the extremes of Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Conservative Judaism teaches that strict observance of the written and Oral Torah is essential whenever possible. There are situations where it is not possible or easy to observe the commandments, in which case they should evolve like in Reform Judaism. For example, Conservative Jews might follow the general ideas of kashrut, like not eating pork or shellfish, while not finding it necessary to follow the more minute details, like cooking dairy and meat separately.
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In addition to these sects of Judaism that have different levels of adherence to the Torah, several smaller branches of Judaism are newer. These branches range from more observant of Jewish law to less observant.
Reconstructionist Judaism
In the mid-20th century, some Jews split off from Conservative Judaism to form a new branch called Reconstructionist Judaism. In this tradition, which some consider a fourth major branch of Judaism, Jews maintain the Torah as much as possible but realize that strict adherence is impossible. However, while Constructionist Judaism often considers specific laws obsolete because they were intended for ancient people, Reconstructionist Judaism essentially reconstructs laws to preserve the essence of the law while adapting them to the modern world.
Jewish Renewal
Balancing modern life with ancient Jewish teachings tends to be why so many types of Judaism develop, and the Jewish Renewal movement is no different. This movement maintains adherence to some of the laws, teachings, values, prayer, and spiritual observances of Hasidic Judaism. However, the movement is socially progressive and focuses on incorporating modern ideals and egalitarianism, such as the inclusion of women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Humanistic Judaism
While Judaism is a world religion, it is also a culture and ethnic identity for many people. In the mid-20th century, Humanistic Judaism developed as a way to focus on Jewish cultural identity and history without an emphasis on spirituality, including belief in God. Many Humanistic Jews are atheist or agnostic but still maintain their identity as a Jew and follow some Jewish customs because it is their cultural heritage.
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While some people convert to Judaism, the tradition is primarily cultural and ancestral. For many, to truly be a Jew, one must have Jewish ancestry regardless of religious practices. Because of this, several ethnic groups are associated with Judaism.
Ethnicity | Region |
---|---|
Ashkenazi | Eastern Europe |
Sephardic | Spain, North Africa |
Misrahi | Middle East (Iraq/Babylon, Iran/Persia) |
Beta Israel | Ethiopia, most emigrated to Israel in the late 20th century |
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Because of Judaism's impact on Christianity, some Christians seek what they believe to be their Jewish religious heritage. Since Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was Jewish, some Christians seek to learn more about the tradition. In the last 20th century, Messianic Judaism developed a tradition that teaches that Jesus was the Messiah who fulfilled Jewish prophecy. The New Testament was the continuation of the Torah and Hebrew Bible. While some people with Jewish cultural heritage are part of this tradition, it is not a Jewish movement but rather a distinctly Christian tradition.
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Judaism is a cultural and religious tradition that has existed for millennia. Monotheism, a belief in one deity, and following the Torah, the Jewish law, tend to be the main features of most Jewish branches. Early branches of Judaism included the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots, who all differed in opinion about the authority of the Oral Torah commentaries on and interpretations of the written Torah.
With a rabbi, or Jewish teacher, as the central authority for interpreting the laws of the Jewish tradition, a movement was established in the 6th century CE called Rabbinic Judaism, the ancestor of most modern Jewish traditions. Today, there are three major branches of Judaism, all of which mainly disagree on the absolute divinity of the law and how strictly one should follow it:
- Orthodox Judaism, which is characterized by strict adherence to the Torah,
- Reform Judaism, which teaches that Judaism should adapt to modern society;
- and Conservative Judaism balances Orthodox and Reform Judaism by teaching that the Torah should be followed when possible.
Both Reform and Conservative Judaism are more prevalent in the United States than Orthodox Judaism is.
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Video Transcript
Judaism
What does it mean to be Jewish? This question can actually be answered in a variety of ways. There are Jewish cultures. Jews make up a major ethnic category. There are even Jewish foods which are quite tasty. However, most of this revolves around one extraordinary shared aspect of life - religion. Judaism is one of the world's dominant religions, based on the monotheistic belief in a single God. The Jewish holy book, called the Torah, contains the traditional laws of the Jewish people as well as the foundation for their history and system of belief.
Rabbinic Judaism
Like all religions, Judaism has changed over time and means different things to different people. So, there are a few major denominations within the greater Jewish religion. Today, most of the major denominations are descended from the Rabbinic traditions, which claim that God gave Moses the written Torah as well as an oral explanation of the laws. In Rabbinic Judaism, orally transmitted laws are considered to be divine, and rabbis are given a large degree of respect in interpreting them. This is different than other ancient branches, which only held written law as sacred. However, since the 6th century C.E., Rabbinic Judaism was the standard and is the foundation for most modern denominations.
Orthodox Judaism
Now let's get to know our modern denominations a little better. While Judaism does not divide into strict denominations as clearly as the Christian religion does, there are three main branches of the religion. Let's start with Orthodox Judaism, which is the branch most followed in Israel itself. Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah contains over 600 laws given to Moses by God, which must be obeyed. They include dietary restrictions (known as the Kosher diet), the need for circumcision, and the traditional Hebrew interpretation of the Sabbath being on Saturday, not Sunday as in Christianity. Orthodox Jews also believe in the prophecy that the Temple of Jerusalem, destroyed twice in their history, will be rebuilt a third time and usher in an era of peace and a return of all Jewish traditions, including animal sacrifice. Many Orthodox prayers are specifically focused on the rebuilding of the Temple. Orthodox Jews take the laws of the Torah very seriously, but most believe in integrating them with the pressures and demands of modern society.
However, some ascribe to Ultra Orthodox Judaism, which does not permit integration into modern society. One of the most influential sects within this group are the Hasidic Jews, who focus heavily on the love of God and joy of creation. This sect was developed in the 18th century by Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer and is now one of the most popular Ultra Orthodox groups in the world.
Reform Judaism
Around the time Hasidic Judaism was being developed, the Jewish faith was under a lot of persecution in Europe. To cope with these stresses, several members of the church formed a new denomination, now called Reform Judaism. Reform Judaism was meant to make Judaism more adaptable, letting European Jews maintain their faith while still assimilating into European society and ideally stopping persecution against them. So, what does this actually look like?
Reform Judaism is, like Orthodox Judaism, focused on the law but interprets the nature of the law differently. While Orthodox Jews see all laws as being given to Moses by God, Reform Judaism claims that many laws are actually products of human minds and human leaders. The Torah, therefore, serves as a very important moral standard, but is not unimpeachable. It's more of a living document: it can be changed and adapted, letting Jews change with the times, but is still a very important and sacred text.
Conservative Judaism
The last of the major denominations of Judaism is Conservative Judaism. Conservative Judaism is something of a cross between Orthodox and Reform denominations and appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries. Conservative Jews believe that the Torah does represent the divine word of God but was transcribed and interpreted by humans. So, they tend to treat the law of the Torah more seriously than Reform Jews but still believe that the law should be adaptable. Conservative Judaism is the largest denomination in the United States, where it has allowed American Jews to incorporate American cultural values into the Jewish faith. For example, in American Conservative Judaism, women may be rabbis.
Other Movements
The Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative branches are the main denominations of Judaism today, but there are some other noteworthy movements that can be found across the globe. Messianic Judaism, for example, is the only branch of Judaism that recognizes Jesus Christ as the Messiah, just as Christians do. However, while Christians do not follow the laws of the Torah, Messianic Jews do, as a sign of respect for God. This sect is also notable, because traditionally, conversion into it was not widely encouraged, even though non-Jews may be welcomed into the synagogue. Really, all Judaism practices a degree of caution against unrestricted conversion, thanks in part to the focus on Judaism as an ethnic category.
Messianic Judaism is just one example of a non-strictly denomination Jewish sect. And there are others, but it does demonstrate the strong association between religion, culture, ethnicity, and tradition that defines all of Judaism. It's more than just a religion - it's who you are.
Lesson Summary
Judaism is a monotheistic world religion that worships a single God and observes the holy book called the Torah. As with many religions, there are denominations within it.
- Orthodox Judaism sees the Torah as the divine word of God and strictly follows its laws. This denomination also includes several Ultra Orthodox branches which not only obey the laws but see them as largely incompatible with modern society.
- Reform Judaism emerged in the 18th century and argued that many laws of the Torah are the product of human leaders and are not divine. In this denomination, the laws are highly adaptable.
- Conservative Judaism presents a middle ground, in which most laws are divine but are still adaptable.
In all denominations, Judaism is never just about religion, however. It is a single aspect of a more holistic identity that includes various cultural, ethnic, and historic facets. As it turns out, religion is only one part of what it means to be Jewish.
Learning Outcomes
Watch this video in order to achieve these goals:
- Define Judaism and Torah
- Describe the differences in the major denominations of Judaism
- Determine how some Jewish denominations bend somewhat to address the cultures of the countries Jews may live in
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