Judaism Today
It is impossible to understand modern Judaism without knowing the events and experiences of the Jewish people since the time of Moses (briefly outlined in chapter 11). In its number of followers, Judaism is among the smallest of the world’s living religions, with slightly more than fourteen million adherents globally, yet it exerts a proportionally larger influence on world affairs today, in part because of the modern state of Israel, formed in 1948.
Many people, particularly Christians familiar with the Old Testament—the Hebrew Scriptures—think of Judaism in terms of what they’ve read in Exodus or Deuteronomy. Therefore, we must note that modern Judaism is Rabbinic, or Talmudic. Without a temple or sacrificial system, much of the Law cannot be followed. Over many centuries, influential rabbis have reflected and written on how to practice the Jewish faith under changed circumstances. The Talmud (see chapter 11) is the collection of those reflections and the basis for modern Judaism.
Jewish life today is primarily lived out in the home and secondarily in the synagogue. Practicing Judaism is more about daily life than about specified beliefs or formal rituals, although these do exist. Shabat, the Sabbath, begins at home on Friday at sundown; many who observe it faithfully do not attend synagogue regularly.
Kosher dietary laws, an elaborate system of what can be eaten, when it can be eaten, and how to prepare it, were expanded by the rabbis from biblical commands to avoid the meat of certain animals and, in particular, Exodus 34:26, which states, “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” From this came a complete separation of meat and dairy products, and the dishes used to cook and serve them, in a kosher kitchen.
Nearly pandemic persecution, in particular the Holocaust, has had profound influence on modern Jewish thinking and theology. Most notable is the rise of Zionism, a movement that began in the nineteenth century to support the creation of a state where Jewish people could live without fear of persecution by their own government. The Zionist movement today supports the defense and development, politically and militarily, of Israel. Not all Jewish people have Zionist leanings.
Theological differences have resulted in multiple branches of Judaism today. The largest group worldwide, including in Israel—while not an organized branch—is non-observant Jews, who do not follow Jewish religious practices at all. The largest official segment is the Orthodox branch, which strives to keep all 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Mosaic law. Some ultra-Orthodox (or Hasidic) subgroups, usually following the teachings of a particular rabbi, are even stricter than the Orthodox. Some of these have missionary organizations that target, primarily, the less strict and non-observant Jews.
By contrast, the Reform movement, popular mostly in Europe and the U.S., has sought to understand and practice Judaism in more modern ways. Christians would understand this branch of Judaism as more theologically liberal.
For example, while most Orthodox Jews still anticipate a personal Messiah and believe in a future resurrection of the dead, Reform Jews await a messianic age of peace that will be brought about by human effort, and they have no expectations of life after physical death.
Between the Orthodox and Reform branches is Conservative Judaism, found mostly in the U.S. Believing Judaism must adapt to today’s world, but finding Reform departures from Talmudic customs excessive, Conservative Jews seek to keep the 613 mitzvot, but with twenty-first-century interpretations.
For example, Orthodox Jews will not drive on the Sabbath and must live near enough to a synagogue to walk to Shabat services; Conservative Jews do not believe driving is a prohibited Sabbath activity. Reconstructionist Judaism grew out of the Conservative movement and focuses on the importance of culture as well as religion in understanding what it means to be Jewish.
Perhaps the most important life event for a Jewish person is becoming an adult, marked by the ceremony of Bar Mitzvah for boys and, in Reform and Conservative Judaism, Bat Mitzvah for girls (at ages thirteen and twelve, respectively). The term means “son/daughter of the commandments.”
At this point, theologically, a Jewish person is now morally responsible to keep the Law. When the rich young ruler tells Jesus he has kept the commandments “from my youth” (Luke 18:21), he could have said, “since my Bar Mitzvah.” Traditionally, this important rite of passage is marked with much celebration by the extended family in addition to special synagogue services. In small Jewish communities, this is significant because a minimum of ten adult males are necessary to form a congregation.
The head of each synagogue is a rabbi. Reform Judaism encourages female rabbis; Orthodox rabbis must be men; Conservative Judaism leaves to each congregation whether or not they will accept a female rabbi. The person who actually leads synagogue services, however, is the cantor, or hazzan. Large congregations seek a cantor who not only sings well but also can compose original music. Usually the cantor is also responsible for coaching young people in Hebrew as they prepare for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Misunderstood by both Jews and Christians is Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish but believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised to the Jewish people. Following centuries of persecution and anti-Semitism by Christians, Jewish people no longer accept Messianic Jews as Jewish, believing them to have become Gentiles.
And because many Messianic Jews gather in their own congregations and retain Jewish cultural forms of worship, neither do some Christians accept them. They are best seen as ethnically and culturally Jewish and theologically Christian (in accepting the New Testament). There are about four hundred Messianic congregations in the U.S.
An Extra Minute
Ethnic stereotypes tend to exaggerate or distort observations about a particular group. Today’s athletic success by African-Americans is attributed by some to a biological advantage in muscle structure (despite scientific evidence proving no genetic difference). In the 1920s and 1930s, Jewish people were widely believed to have an inherited racial advantage in playing basketball, and many of the early professional teams had a high proportion of Jewish players.
Morgan, G.R. (2012) Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, pp. 58–61.
