Jewish religious movements
375565
225692772
2008-07-14T22:51:20Z
Sardanaphalus
427947
updating link using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]]
Several groups, sometimes called '''denominations''', "branches," or "movements," have developed among [[Jew]]s of the modern era, especially [[Ashkenazi Jews]] living in [[anglophone]] countries. Despite the efforts of several of these movements to expand their membership in [[Israel]] and achieve official recognition by the Israeli government, non-Orthodox movements have remained largely a feature of Judaism in the [[Jewish diaspora|diaspora]].
Historically, the division of Jews in many Western countries into denominations, which in the [[United States]] in particular took the form of three large groups known as '''[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]]''', '''[[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]]''', and '''[[Reform Judaism|Reform]]''', can be traced to Jewish reaction to the [[Haskalah]] (Jewish Enlightenment) and its aftermath, and to a certain extent the philosophies of these movements were shaped in reaction to one another. Several smaller movements have emerged in the years since. In more recent years, all of these movements have been shaped by the challenge of [[Cultural assimilation|assimilation]].
{{Jews and Judaism (sidebar)}}
* '''Common values'''. The movements share common values such as ''[[tikkun olam]]'' (a sense of Jewish responsibility to heal or repair the world) and ''[[klal Yisrael]]'' (a sense of being part of, and responsible for, the universal Jewish community). These Jewish values are the basis for cooperation and interplay among the various movements.
* '''Sacred texts'''. The movements share a recognition that the [[Torah]] and other Jewish spiritual writings such as [[Tanakh]] and [[Talmud]] are central to Jewish experience. However they differ in their approach to such texts.
The movements differ in their views on various religious issues. These issues include the level of observance, the methodology for interpreting and understanding Jewish Law, [[Higher criticism|biblical authorship]], [[textual criticism]], and the nature or role of the [[Moshiach|the Messiah]] (or [[Messianic age]]). Across these movements, there are marked differences in [[Jewish services|liturgy]], especially in the language in which services are conducted, with the more traditional movements emphasizing Hebrew. The sharpest theological division occurs between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews who adhere to other denominations, such that the non-Orthodox movements are sometimes referred to collectively as the "liberal denominations" or "progressive streams."
==Terminology==
Some people reject the term ''denomination'' as a label for different groups and ideologies within Judaism, arguing that the notion of ''denomination'' has a specifically Christian resonance that does not translate easily into the Jewish context. Other commonly used terms are ''movements'', ''branches'', ''trends'', ''streams'', or even ''flavors'' of Judaism. This article uses the terms interchangeably, without purporting to affirm the validity of one term over another.
The Jewish denominations themselves reject characterization as [[sects]]. Sects are traditionally defined as religious subgroups that have broken off from the main body, and this separation usually becomes irreparable over time. Within Judaism, individuals and families often switch affiliation, and individuals are free to marry one another, although the major denominations disagree on [[who is a Jew]]. It is not unusual for clergy and Jewish educators trained in one of the liberal denominations to serve in another, and left with no choice, many small Jewish communities combine elements of several movements to achieve a viable level of membership.
[[Relationships between Jewish religious movements]] are varied; they are sometimes marked by interdenominational cooperation outside of the realm of [[halakha]] (Jewish Law), and sometimes not. Some of the movements sometimes cooperate by uniting with one another in community federations and in campus organizations such as the [[Hillel Society|Hillel Foundation]]. Jewish religious denominations are distinct from but often linked to [[Jewish ethnic divisions]] and [[Jewish political movements]].
==Judaism and Samaritans==
The [[Samaritan]]s regard themselves as direct descendants of the tribes of [[Tribe of Ephraim|Ephraim]] and [[Tribe of Manasseh|Manasseh]] in the northern [[Kingdom of Israel]], which was conquered by [[Assyria]] in 722 BCE. The first historical references to the Samaritans date from the [[Babylonian Exile]]. The attitude of the Talmud to the Samaritans is that they are to be treated as Jews in matters where their practice agrees with the mainstream but are otherwise to be treated as non-Jews. Modern DNA evidence supports the Samaritan's claim that they are descended patrilineally from ancient Israelites.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Oefner, Peter et al |title=Reconstruction of Patrilineages and Matrilineages of Samaritans and Other Israeli Populations From Y-Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Variation | journal=Human Mutation |year=2004 |pages=248–260 | volume=24 | doi=10.1002/humu.20077 }}</ref> Samaritan scripture preserves a version of the [[Pentateuch]] and some writings from [[Tanakh]] in slightly variant forms. The Samaritans have dwindled to two communities numbering about 700 individuals. One is located in the Israeli city of [[Holon]], while the other is located near [[Nablus]] on [[Mount Gerizim]], in the [[West Bank]].
==Jewish sect in the Second Temple days==
In the decades before the destruction of the [[Second Temple]] in 70 CE, the Jewish people in the Roman province of [[Iudaea Province|Iudaea]] were divided into several movements, sometimes warring among themselves: [[Saducees]], [[Pharisees]], [[Essenes]], and [[Zealots]]. Many historic sources, from [[Flavius Josephus]] to the Christian [[New Testament]] to the recovered fragments of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], attest to the divisions among Jews at this time. Rabbinical writings from later periods, including the [[Talmud]], attest further to these ancient schisms.
==Karaite Judaism and Rabbinic Judaism==
Most of the Modern Judaism streams developed from the Pharisee movement, which became known as [[Rabbinic Judaism]] (in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] "Yahadut Rabanit" - יהדות רבנית) with the compilation of [[oral law]] into [[Mishna]]. After the destruction of the Second Temple and the [[Bar Kokhba's revolt|Bar Kokhba revolt]], the other movements disappear from historical records.
Those who did not agree with the Rabbinic oral law were later called by the name "Karaites" (in Hebrew "Karaim" - קראים) - followers of the scriptures.
Historically, [[Karaite Judaism]] appeared as an organized movement that rejected the innovations of rabbinical Judaism and the authority of the [[Exilarch]] after the [[Islamic conquest]] of the [[Middle East]]. In some of their older writings, the Karaites claim descent from the Sadducees. Karaism accepts only the [[Tanakh]], rejecting the [[Talmud]] and other rabbinical writings. In the 10th century, the Karaites are believed to have comprised about 10% of the world's Jewish population. At the time of the traveler [[Benjamin of Tudela]] in the 12th century, Karaites were widely dispersed around the eastern Mediterranean, both in Islamic areas and the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Benjamin describes Karaite communities in many of the places he visited.
In the early 20th century, small Karaite communities remained in [[Egypt]], [[Turkey]], [[Crimea|the Crimea]], and [[Lithuania]]. Today, there are about 14,000 Karaite Jews in the world, most of whom live in Israel. Traditionally, Rabbinic Judaism has regarded the Karaites as Jewish, but with a wrong philosophical understanding of the Torah.
==Background: Jewish ethnic and cultural divisions==
{{main|Jewish ethnic divisions}}
Traditionally, Judaism is not divided into religious traditions based on theological difference. However, a wide array of Jewish communities have developed independently, distinguishable by their varying practices in matters that are ''not'' considered central ideas within Judaism, such as [[Maimonides]]' list of the [[Jewish principles of faith]].
Although there are numerous [[Jewish ethnic divisions|Jewish ethnic communities]], there are several that are large enough to be considered "predominant." [[Ashkenazi]] communities compose about 42% of the world's Jewish population, and [[Sephardi]]c communities compose about 37%. Of the remainder, the [[Mizrahi Jew]]ish communities—the "Arab" and "Persian" Jews—compose the greatest part, with about 16% of the world's Jewish population. Together these ethnic groups compose 95% of the world's Jewish population.
The remaining 5% of Jews are divided among a wide array of small groups (perhaps the [[Beta Israel]] group of Ethopian Jews is the most important), some of which are nearing extinction as a result of [[cultural assimilation|assimilation]] and [[intermarriage]] into surrounding non-Jewish cultures or surrounding Jewish cultures.
Religiously speaking, most Jewish communities have historically held that there is no relevant role for "[[dogma]]"; rather, there is [[halakha]] (Jewish law) only. The extent to which every Jew as an individual adheres to Jewish law has long been regarded as a matter of personal preference, although the idea has always been prominent that every Jew should be as observant of the laws as they are able. The [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] had a tremendous effect on Jewish identity and on ideas about the importance and role of Jewish observance. Due to the geographical distribution and the geopolitical entities affected by the Enlightenment, this [[philosophy|philosophical]] revolution essentially affected only the Ashkenazi community; however, because of the predominance of the Ashkenazi community in [[Politics of Israel|Israeli politics]] and in [[Jewish leadership]] worldwide, the effects have been significant for all Jews.
=== Hasidic Judaism ===
[[Hasidic Judaism]] was founded by [[Israel ben Eliezer]] (1700-1760), also known as the Baal Shem Tov or the Besht (the Hebrew and Yiddish acronym of '''B'''aal '''Sh'''em '''T'''ov). His disciples attracted many followers among [[Ashkenazi Jews]], and established numerous Hasidic groups across [[Europe]]. Hasidic Judaism eventually became the way of life for many Jews in Europe. It first came to the [[United States]] during the large waves of Jewish emigration beginning in the 1880s.
In the late 18th century, there was a serious schism between Hasidic and non-Hasidic Jews. European Jews who rejected the Hasidic movement were dubbed [[Mitnagdim]] ("opponents") by the followers of the Baal Shem Tov, who had previously called themselves Freylechn ("happy ones") and now began to call themselves{{Fact|date=June 2007}} Hasidim ("pious ones"). Some of the reasons for the rejection of Hasidic Judaism were the overwhelming exuberance of Hasidic worship, their untraditional ascriptions of infallibility and alleged miracle-working to their leaders, and the concern that it might become a messianic sect. Since then all the sects of Hasidic Judaism have been subsumed theologically into mainstream Orthodox Judaism, particularly [[Haredi Judaism]], although cultural differences persist. See the articles on [[Hasidic Judaism]] and [[Mitnagdim]] for more detailed information.
== Modern divisions or "denominations" ==
Perhaps the greatest divisions since the time of the division between the [[Sadducee]]s and [[Pharisee]]s two millennia ago are the divisions within the [[Ashkenazi]]c community that have arisen in the past two centuries, ever since the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] and the [[Renaissance]] influenced Jews from [[northern Europe|northern]] and [[eastern Europe]].
The first evidence of this great dogmatic schism was the development of the [[Reform Judaism]] movement, which rejected "ethnic Judaism" and preferred to regard Judaism as a religion rather than an ethnicity or a culture. Over time several movements emerged:
*[[Orthodox Judaism]]. Orthodox Jews generally see themselves as practicing normative Judaism, rather than belonging to a particular movement. Within Orthodox Judaism there is a spectrum of communities and practices, including [[Modern Orthodox Judaism]], [[Haredi Judaism]], and a variety of movements that have their origins in [[Hasidic Judaism]].
*[[Conservative Judaism]] or [[Masorti|Masorti Judaism]]. Originated in Germany in the 19th century, but became institutionalized in the United States. After the division between Reform and Orthodox Judaism, the Conservative movement tried to provide Jews seeking liberalization of Orthodox theology and practice with a more traditional and halakhically based alternative to Reform Judaism. It has spread to Ashkenazi communities in Anglophone countries and Israel.
*[[Reform Judaism]] or [[Progressive Judaism]]. Originally formed in [[Germany]] as a reaction to traditional Judaism, stresses integration with society and a personal interpretation of the [[Torah]].
*[[Reconstructionist Judaism]]. A small, liberal Jewish movement, found primarily in the United States. It began as a liberal movement within Conservative Judaism and formally separated in the 1980s.
*[[Jewish Renewal]]. Founded in the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s, it tends to embrace the ecstatic worship style and mysticism of hasidism, while rejecting the halakhic rigor of Orthodox Judaism. Jewish renewal congregations tend to be inclusive on the subject of [[who is a Jew]]. The Jewish Renewal movement lacks the formal institutional structure of the other liberal movements.
*[[Humanistic Judaism]]. A [[nontheistic]] movement that emphasizes [[Jewish culture]] and [[Jewish history|history]] as the sources of Jewish identity. Founded by Rabbi [[Sherwin Wine]], it is centered in [[North America]] but has spread to [[Europe]], [[Latin America]], and [[Israel]].
=== Table illustrating the range of Jewish denominations ===
This table illustrates the range of Jewish denominations. Those denominations that are more conservative in their theology and understanding of Jewish law are shown on the ''right'', while those on the ''left'' are progressively more liberal in their theology and understanding of Jewish law. However, caution must be used in reading this table. There are many Jews who have a liberal view of theology and [[Jewish principles of faith]] while having a strict understanding of halakha, and vice-versa.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Approximate Jewish denominational movements around the world
! Country
! colspan=7 | ← Progressive/Liberal to Conservative/Traditional →
|- align="center"
! USA and Canada
| [[Humanistic Judaism]]
| [[Reconstructionist Judaism]]
| [[Union for Reform Judaism]]
|
| [[United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism]]
| [[Orthodox Union]] ([[Modern Orthodox]]) and others
| [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi Orthodox]]
|- align="center"
! Israel
|
|
| [[Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism]]
|
| [[Masorti Judaism|Masorti Movement in Israel]]
| [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]], traditional [[Mizrahi Jews]], and others
| [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi Orthodox]]
|- align="center"
! United Kingdom
|
|
| [[Liberal Judaism]]
| [[Movement for Reform Judaism]]
| [[Masorti Judaism|Assembly of Masorti Synagogues]]
| The [[United Synagogue]] ([[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]])
| [[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]] and others
|}
== Development of modern "denominations" ==
Development of denominations or movements has been primarily a phenomenon among Ashkenazi Jews who have immigrated to Anglophone countries. Much of the literature of these denominations is in English, not Hebrew. Their development can be seen as both a response to the western Enlightenment and to emancipation and immigration.
=== Response to Haskalah or Jewish Enlightenment ===
In the late 18th century [[Europe]], and then the rest of the world, was swept by a group of intellectual, social and political movements that taken together were referred to as [[the Enlightenment]]. These movements promoted scientific thinking, free thought, and allowed people to question previously unshaken religious dogmas. The [[Jewish emancipation|emancipation]] of the Jews in many European communities, and the [[Haskalah]] movement started by [[Moses Mendelssohn]], brought the Enlightnment to the Jewish community.
In response to the challenges of integrating Jewish life with Enlightenment values, German Jews in the early 1800s began to develop the concept of [[Reform Judaism]], adapting Jewish practice to the new conditions of an increasingly urbanized and secular community.<ref>{{cite book|author=Plaut, W. Gunther|title=The Rise of Reform Judaism: A Sourcebook of its European Origins |date=1963 |publisher=World Union for Progressive Judaism | AISN=B000N7I58Y }}</ref>
{{Sectstub|date=May 2008}}
=== Response to immigration ===
The particular forms which the denominations have taken on have been shaped by immigration of the Ashkenazi Jewish communities, once concentrated in eastern and central Europe, to western and mostly Anglophone countries (in particular, in North America). In the middle of the 20th Century, the institutional division of North American Jewry between Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox movements still reflected immigrant origins. Reform Jews at that time were predominantly of German or western European origin, while both Conservative and Orthodox Judaism came primarily from eastern European countries.<ref>{{cite book|author=Herberg, Will|title=Protestant, Catholic, Jew: An Essay in American Religious Sociology |date=1983 |publisher=University Of Chicago Press (Reprint edition) |isbn=0226327345 }}</ref>
{{Sectstub|date=May 2008}}
=== Response to antisemitism and the Holocaust ===
{{Sectstub|date=May 2008}}
=== Response to Israel and Zionism ===
The issue of [[Zionism]] was once very divisive in the Jewish community. Non-Zionists believed that Jews should integrate into the countries in which they lived, rather than moving to the [[Land of Israel]]. The original founders of [[Reform Judaism]] in Germany rejected traditional prayers for the restoration of [[Jerusalem]]. Also, the view among Reform Jews that Judaism was strictly a religion and that Jews should be loyal citizens of their host nations led to a non-Zionist, and sometimes [[anti-Zionist]], stance. [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] non-Zionists believed that the return to Israel could only happen with the coming of the [[Jewish Messiah|Messiah]], and that a political attempt to re-establish a [[Jewish state]] was contrary to God's plan.
After events of the [[20th century|twentieth century]], most importantly [[the Holocaust]] and the establishment of the modern [[State of Israel]], opposition to Zionism largely disappeared within [[Reform Judaism]]. Secular opposition to Zionism has continued among some Jewish political groups, and among some Jews active in leftist political movements. Among most religious non-Zionists, there is a de-facto recognition of [[Israel]], but as a secular state. The [[Edah Chareidis]] in Jerusalem does not recognize the legitimacy of the state, and one small group, [[Neturei Karta]], actively opposes the existence of Israel. (See [[Haredim and Zionism]].)
=== Response to pressures of assimilation ===
Among of the most striking differences between the Jewish movements in the 21st century is their response to pressures of assimilation, such as [[Jewish intermarriage|intermarriage]] between Jews and non-Jews.<ref>{{cite book|author=Tobin, Gary A. and Katherine G. Simon |title=Rabbis Talk About Intermarriage |date=1999 |publisher=Institute for Jewish and Community Research |isbn=1893671003 }}</ref> Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis have been most accepting of intermarried couples, with some rabbis willing to officiate in mixed religious ceremonies, although most insist that children in such families be raised strictly Jewish. Conservative rabbis are not permitted to officiate in such marriages, but are supportive of couples when the non-Jewish partner wishes to convert to Judaism and raise children as Jewish.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bloom, Mark et al. |title=A Place In The Tent: Intermarriage And Conservative Judaism |date=2004 |publisher=Eks Publishing |isbn=0939144468 }}</ref>
{{main|Jewish intermarriage}}
== Emergence of trans- and post-denominational Judaism ==
While this article seeks to describe the various contemporary Jewish "denominations," the very idea of Jewish denominationalism is contested by some Jews and Jewish organizations. Some consider themselves to be "trans-denominational" or "post-denominational."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Heilman, Uriel |title=Beyond Dogma | journal=Jerusalem Post |date=2005, Feb 11 }}</ref> A variety of new Jewish organizations are emerging that lack such affiliations:
* [[Hebrew College]] in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, a seminary. <ref>{{cite url |author=Meskin, Jacob |title=Answers Divide Us, Questions Unite Us |url=http://hebrewcollege.edu/hct/spring-summer_2003/insight/answers.html |date=2002 |retrievedon=March 9, 2007 }}</ref>
* Jewish day schools are opening in the United States, both primary and secondary, that lack affiliation with one of the movements. <ref>{{cite journal |author=Mendelsohn, Martha |title=High School Without Labels | journal=Jewish Week |date=2002, Aug 22 }}</ref>
They believe that the formal divisions that have arisen among the "denominations" in contemporary Jewish history are unnecessarily divisive, as well as religiously and intellectually simplistic. According to Rachel Rosenthal, "The post-denominational Jew refuses to be labeled or categorized in a religion that thrives on stereotypes. He has seen what the institutional branches of Judaism have to offer and believes that a better Judaism can be created."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rosenthal, Rachel |title=What's in a name? | journal=Kedma |year=2006 | issue=Winter 2006 }}</ref> Such Jews might, out of necessity, affiliate with a synagogue associated with a particular movement, but their own personal Jewish ideology is often shaped by a variety of influences from more than one denomination.
== References ==
<!-- ----------------------------------------------------------
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for a
discussion of different citation methods and how to generate
footnotes using the <ref>, </ref> and <reference /> tags
----------------------------------------------------------- -->
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[Jewish views of religious pluralism]]
* [[Relationships between Jewish religious movements]]
* [[Schisms among the Jews]]
* [[List of religions]]
==External links==
*[http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/ModernReligionCulture/Emergence.htm Emergence of Jewish Denominations] (MyJewishLearning.com)
*[http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Jewish_World_Today/Denominations.htm Jewish World Today. Overview: State of the Denominations] (MyJewishLearning.com)
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=157109 What's the difference between Orthodox, Conservative and Reform?] (Chabad.org)
{{Jews and Judaism}}
[[Category:Jewish denominations| ]]
[[de:Gruppen des Judentums]]
[[fr:Courants du judaïsme]]