Three Speakers for Three Modern Streams of Judaism

by Mikayla Snead, 10th grade, Dallas

As everybody knows, there are different parts, or streams, of Judaism. Recently, we had a few speakers come to talk about their part of Judaism: Ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Conservative, and Reform. 

The Weinbergers were our first speakers and talked about their community.

As everybody knows, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is the most religiously observant stream of Judaism. While there are many, many sects in the Ultra-Orthodox stream, our specific speakers were a part of a Hassidic sect. This group can also be known as the Hassidic Movement. Our speakers were originally from New York City in the burrow of Brooklyn, so they knew English as well as Hebrew and Yiddish. They pray 3 times a day (not to be confused with the Islamic culture which prays 5 times a day), in the morning, afternoon, and night. Men are required to go to synagogue, but women are not (but are allowed to if they want). This is because of Jewish laws of purity and impurity. (This mostly goes for after a woman has a child, or is on her menstrual cycle.) Boys and girls are separated in schools from a very young age. Because of this, one might ask “how do they meet and start dating?” The answer is simple: a matchmaker. These people will come with zero experience in dating around 17 or 18 years old. A matchmaker will take two people whose interests and expectations, and then see who they line up with the best. Of course, we know the Orthodox keep kosher. This not only includes food, but the electronics and objects as well. For example, most households do not have a TV, and will have two microwaves and fridges for dairy and meat products. This is the same for sinks, as well. 

Rabbi Noa Sattat, head of the Israel Religious Action Center, represented Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism is what we identify as today, more secularized than the other streams of Judaism. The Reform movement tends to see the Torah as a holy document, rather than historical. A reason for this would be because of the questionable things that happen and just don't make sense in our Bible. Our style of prayer and architecture in our synagogues are based off of Christian traditions in their churches with a bima at the front and having sermons.  

The Conservative movement is like a healthy middle between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. They try to be traditional, but progressive at the same time, meaning they stay traditional but adapt to the modern world around them. More observant than the Reform movement, but less religious than the Orthodox movement. In the US, it is easy to mistake a Conservative Jew for a modern Orthodox jew because of how they dress and their traditions, which is why they are pushed more onto the modern Orthodox side of the spectrum in the states. In Israel, they are completely different from haredi (ultra-orthodox) and Reform Judaism.

This activity was interesting having all three streams of Judaism back to back. This helped us better compare the streams of Judaism to each other simply because the information was fresher in our minds. This activity definitely helped me clear some things up about what I always knew, or thought I knew about each part of Judaism. I also learned about how similar, yet different the Reform, Conservative, and Ultra-Orthadox movements are to each other. I now have a better understanding about the roles each stream plays in the modern world, and how I can relate and compare to each of them.