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MODERN
DENOMINATIONS
OF JUDAISM
From Living Judaism by Rabbi Wayne Dosick
Orthodox Judaism
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Mainstream Judaism
Belief in the direct revelation of divine law which
was recorded in the Torah
 It
is eternal, unchanging, and the sole guide for life
 Carefully and strictly observe the commandments as the
direct will of God
 Ultra-Orthodox assert that complete separation from
secular society
Chasidism—Sect of Orthodox
Famous for their dress. From eastern Europe in the early 18th C. Emphasizes both
contemplative meditation and fervent joy.
Lubavitch Chasidism (Chabad) is contemporary American Chasidism
Reform Judaism
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Early 19th C. Germany
Assert authorship of Torah to Divinely inspired
human beings
Modern worship mostly in vernacular
Conservative Judaism
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Response to Reform mid to late 19th C. Europe
Agree that change was necessary but felt Reform
had eliminated too many basic Jewish practices
Motto is “tradition and change”
Fiddler on the Roof
Reconstructionist Judaism
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Early 1920s in US by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
Judaism is not merely a religion, but an evolving
religious civilization, a peoplehood, a culture, as
well as a faith community
All of Judaism
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To accept Torah and fulfill its mitzvot
To embrace the ethical mandate of Judaism
To regulate existence to Judaism’s rituals & observances
To support Jewish causes
To be a devoted member of the Jewish community
To maintain a bond and a sense of mutual interdependence
with the Jewish Land
To feel a connection to Jewish history
To be committed to the creative survival of the Jewish future