Jews

The title Jews has multiple variations in meaning. Jew is a term that can refer both to adherents of the religion Judaism and to members of an ethnicity (those who are Jewish). In the religious sense, Jews are followers of Judaism, whether or not they are ethnically Jewish. In the ethnic sense, Jews are those whose familial identification links them to the “peoplehood” of Jews. Ethnic Jews include both religiously observant Jews and those who, while not practicing Judaism as a religion, identify themselves as Jews culturally or through their ancestry. In Jewish law, or halakhah, there are two criteria for defining someone as a Jew, either one of which is sufficient. If one is the child of a Jewish mother, or if one converts to Judaism in accordance with Jewish law, then one is halakhically recognized as a Jew. This standard is mandated by the Talmud, the record of Oral Law that elaborates the Torah (also known as the Hebrew Bible, the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch, or, in Christian texts, the first five books of the Old Testament). However, in the second half of the 20th century, two theologically liberal branches of Judaism, Reform and Reconstructionist, have shifted position on the matter of Jewish identity. They now recognize as Jews those who call themselves Jews, although they meet neither halakhic criterion. Based largely in the United States, these two denominations no longer require one to have a Jewish mother if one's father is a Jew, nor do they require converts to follow traditional/Orthodox conversion procedures. This shift has produced a significant rift among various groups of Jews debating the question, “Who is a Jew?” Such Reform and Reconstructionist Jews, as well as secular/ethnic Jews, consider themselves Jews, but are not necessarily viewed as such by Orthodox and Conservative Jews. In addition, many Reform Jews outside the United States maintain traditional definitions of Jewish identity, rejecting American Reform Judaism's adaptations. [Page 1344]Given these complexities of identity, one must think broadly when defining “the Jews.”

Despite these divisions, there are four generally recognized denominations (also called movements) within religious Judaism:Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist. Orthodox Jewish movements are those that emerged as a response to the cultural and religious changes prompted by the European Enlightenment, which included the political and social emancipation of Jews. The term encompasses traditionalist movements that sought to resist the influences of modernity and religious reform that characterized this era. The term is not typically used to denote Jewish traditionalism prior to the modern era, nor is it used in the context of Jewish communities unaffected by the emergence of Reform Judaism (for example, Jewish communities in North Africa). Orthodox Judaism is viewed by its adherents as the “true” or “authentic” Judaism since it follows the provisions of halakhah codified in the Torah and Talmud. While maintaining broad similarities in ritual and theology, Orthodox Judaism is comprised of many groups with both intersecting and diverging beliefs and practices. For example, ultra-Orthodox Jewish movements such as Haredim and Chasidim differ from Modern Orthodox movements in the extent to which they make allowances for living in the modern world. In addition, there are differences in beliefs in many areas, including the role of women in Judaism, the significance of the State of Israel, and relations with non-Orthodox Jews.

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