Due to most of my books being in storage, I don’t have a lot of written materials for you. But knowing that video is your preferred method of learning, I did what I could.
Additionally this week, we will have guest speaker. David Weinfeld, Ph.D. professor of Judaic Studies at VCU. Raised in Montreal, he earned his Ph.D in Hebrew and Judaic Studies and History from New York University, and his B.A. in History from Harvard University. Weinfeld’s research is focused on American Jewish history, and as a fun side note, he recently became a US citizen, and a father! I always look forward to chatting with him, and you’ll have a lot of fun poking his brain.
The “quickie” version of this can be found here: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-jewish-denominations/
The History of Modern Judaism: Europe to America
Two Reform Judaisms: Classical vs. Contemporary
Classical Reform Judaism made many changes to the worship service and approach to Judaism. It deemphasized Hebrew, many traditional rituals and practices, and focused heavily on moral/ethical teachings and social justice. Reforms that were made included “mixed seating”, adding sermons in the vernacular language of the people, introducing music (organs in particular) and more.
Here is one Classical Reform understanding:
https://ihcindy.org/what-is-classical-reform-judaism/
Over time, this Classical style began to move closer toward what we today call Conservative Judaism. This article offers a little insight.
This Classical style is all but gone, with only a small number offering these traditional options. Most Reform services you go to (Contemporary, for lack of a better word) will have a greater amount of Hebrew and ritual in them than they would have 100 years ago.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism has always been the middle between the “radical” Reform and the “overly traditional” Orthodoxy. Today, Conservative Judaism is going to hold most of the same social ideas as Reform Judaism (status of LGBTQ people, women, etc.) but also hold to halacha.
Their sense of themselves is “authentic and dynamic”, a new paradigm that actually does a great job of showing how they hold together both traditional and modern approaches to Judaism.
https://uscj.org/beliefs#what-is
Outside the USA, Conservative Judaism is known as “Masorti”.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism as a term comes from Reform Judaism. Orthodoxy really only means a traditional view of Jewish law, and in many cases, a more traditional sense of social issues.
Orthodox Judaism is not a monolith. There are many movements within it, such as Hasidism, Modern Orthodoxy, Open Orthodoxy (which ordains women), Charedi/Ultra-Orthodoxy, etc.
Some use the term Traditional, which is a balancing act between Orthodox and Conservative thinking. In Israel, this would be called “Daati”, coming from the word “daat” which means knowledge.
Learn more about the types of Orthodox Judaism from this list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Orthodox_Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_for_Traditional_Judaism
Secular Humanistic Judaism
The most recent movement to come out of Judaism is Secular Humanistic, which sees Judaism as the culture of the Jewish people (the way Hellenism might be the culture of the Greeks) and rejects anything we might call metaphysical.
Reconstructionist Judaism and Jewish Renewal
Two movements that in style will occasionally overlap are Reconstructionist and Renewal. Both were founded by Orthodox rabbis whose engagement with the world outside Judaism or within the varieties of Judaism led them to change their outlook Jewishly.
More Information
You can briefly compare Jewish movements with these descriptions:
Classical Reform
Classical Reform Classical Reform affirms that Judaism is a religious faith with broad, inclusive values that can embrace all people. Its worship traditions, including an authentically Jewish liturgy that is primarily in English, offer a particularly accessible experience that intermarried couples can fully share together.
- Who is a Jew? Anyone with a Jewish mother, father, adopted or converted. Conversion is less ritually conservative
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Moral law matters more than ritual law. They make a distinction, unlike other movements. Actively does not practice Orthodox ritual
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion, though it did not start off that way
Conservative
Around a third of the American Jews who belong to synagogues are affiliated with the Conservative movement, a broad movement which works to change within the framework of evolving Jewish Law. Conservative synagogues may have a traditional Hebrew or less traditional liturgy, may or may not be egalitarian, and have members with a range of beliefs and practices.
- Who is a Jew? Anyone with a Jewish mother or converted with an Orthodox or Conservative bet din, though most in practice also accept all other battei din as well
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Mandatory, though with fewer restrictions on practical things like driving or use of electronics on Shabbat and holidays
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion, though it did not start off that way
Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism is adhered to by around 10% of American Jews and consists of sects with various levels of engagement with modernity. The movement includes Modern Orthodox Jews, who engage fully with the modern world, and also includes groups that may shun or minimize their exposure to secular ways of life.
- Who is a Jew? Anyone with a Jewish mother or converted with an Orthodox bet din
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Mandatory, as interpreted by classical halacha, though some communities have different customs for approaching these things
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? No female or LGBTQ rabbis, no LGBT marriage, otherwise egalitarian in all non-religious aspects of life. Gendered mitzvot taken seriously (Example: women as caretakers of kashrut, holiday observances and candle lighting).
Reconstructionist
Reconstructionist Judaism sees Judaism as an evolving Jewish civilization, with religion as the centerpiece of that civilization. They reject the idea of Jews being the chosen people, and have created blessings and prayers that reflect their ideology.
- Who is a Jew? Same as Reform Judaism
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Same as Reform Judaism, though more encouraged if it allows a person to reconstruct Jewish identity for the future. “The past has a vote, not a veto”.
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion, and officiated the first Bat Mitzvah
Reform
Reform Judaism is the most popular Jewish denomination in the United States today. The movement runs camps, youth groups, more than 900 synagogues, and several Jewish day schools.
- Who is a Jew? Anyone who converts with any rabbi/bet din, anyone born of a Jewish mother or father or adopted and converted
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Practice encouraged as optional. The idea is to learn and choose (aka “autonomy of the individual”)
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion, though from its Classical roots did not start that way
Renewal
Jewish Renewal does not consider itself a formal denomination like Reform, Conservative, or Orthodoxy. Rather, it calls itself trans-denominational, a movement that embraces Jews from all of the denominations as well as unaffiliated Jews, Jews that were finding spiritual homes in Eastern religions, and non-Jews.
- Who is a Jew? No formal opinion
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? Optional expressions of Jewish practice, but encouraged with an emphasis on infusing spiritual ideas that are modern in lens, such as “eco-kosher” or “feminist Judaism”
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion of women early on, later adopted LGBTQ
Secular Humanist
Secular Humanist Jews define Judaism as the history, culture, books, music, art, food, rituals and practices of the Jewish people.
- Who is a Jew? Anyone who identifies with the history and fate of the Jewish people
- What are the beliefs around Shabbat, kashrut, taharat mishphachah and holidays? All are optional expressions of culture
- How does this denomination approach inclusion of women and LGBTQ issues? Full inclusion in ritual practices and Jewish life from the beginning of the movement