Do Jews have different denominations too?

Question

What's the difference from the Jew who looks and dresses like everyone else and the guys with the funky little curls in their hair and the black hats?

What is the difference between
Orthodox, Messianic, and Religious?

Answer 1

Yes, we have different denominations.

Our main three sects are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. These are all what we call Rabbinical Judaism. There are Karaites as well, but they're much different and I don't know much about them.

Under Orthodox falls such denominations as Charedi (ultra-Orthdox in U.S., regular Orthodox in Israel), Chassidic, and Modern Orthodox.

We also have Reconstructionist...but I don't know anything about them.

Under those denominations just listed we have two groups (as every religion does) : observant, and non-observant. You won't find many non-observant Orthodox, but there are a few. I know it seems like a contradiction in terms, but it is possible.

Jews who look like and dress like everyone else will tend to be Reform and Conservative. Modern Orthodox will look like everyone else on the outside (wear normal clothes) except for their kippahs and tzitzit (the fringes on the tallit katan). Chassids will wear the black hats and the peyot (curls) and the tzitzit, as will Charedi.

Orthodox Jews tend to believe that the whole Torah (written and oral) was given to Moses at Sinai by G-d and everything in it is divine. Reform believes that the Torah is a human document with a human element--Conservative falls in the middle. It is the same with observance. Orthodox denominations are the most observant of G-d's laws as they have been interpreted throughout the centuries (walk into a Charedi village in Israel, and its the same as 19th century Poland, they say) whilst Reform is much more modern in observance.

There is no such thing as a Messianic Jew. "Messianics," as stated above, are a branch of Evangelical Xtianity with the intent purpose of converting Jews. That's why their organization was started. They are not Jewish by Jewish law and not recognized by any Jewish authority. For this reason, they indoctrinate their youth to believe that Judaism is a sort of "master race."

(as said in a pamphlet given out by Messianics --> i quote "G-d made the Jews to bless the world," a perversion of Genesis 12:3 ". And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."")

This position is not held or endorsed by any Jewish organization and is in fact against the very tenet of Judaism. Everything they teach is against Judaism, and they are not Jews.

Answer 2

Yes they do.

You have Orthodox which is the strictest of all the Jewish sects. This is where the Hasidics (the guys with the curls and the hats) belong to.

You have conservative - which is a little more liberal but still follows the Law, although they form it to fit society's views.

Reform is the loosest most liberal form of Judaism. From what I have seen of Reform organizations you can barely call them Jews.

Messianic is when a Jew accepts Jesus as their Messiah. They call themselves a completed Jew. The term comes from the beleif that the Messiah has already come.They differ from Christians because they believe you still have to follow the Law. Most Jews outside of this movement do not consider Messianics Jewish but rahter Christian.

Answer 3

Ok, if you want to learn more about Judaism in general, there are several sites that my help... I will list them below..
As to the ones with the sidelocks, they are usually called Chareidi in Israel, or "ultra Orthodox" in the US, and would be the ones that try to follow the laws of Judaism in the strictest ways possible. As to one thing up here, "messianic judaism" is a misnomer, it is a branch of christianity (the word "christianity" defines religions that believe in jesus as a messiah/god) some of the members may have been raised Jewish ( the founders of most of these groups are Southern Baptist) but frankly, that does not make the RELIGION Jewish in anyway shape or form. It's part of the deceptive advertising to get those with little or no knowledge of Judaism to be come Baptist without even knowing it. I wonder if conversion by deception is even acceptable in christianity??

Answer 4

There are a number of different Jewish denominations: Orthodox Judaism ,Conservative, Reform, Haredi, Hasidic, Modern Orthodoxy, Reconstructionist,Karaite,and Rabbinic ( there are probably more sub-sects as well).
The side curls that you refer to are called payoth (or peyes in Yiddish), and are mostly worn by Hasidic Jews.
For more specific information on Judiasm I would reccomend wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiasm,
or http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm

Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts ("The Oral Law") and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.

Messianic Jews and Hebrew-Christians strictly speaking are Jewish by birth, ancestry, or culture, but believe that Jesus (whom Messianic Jews generally call Yeshua) is the Messiah, a position rejected by all recognized branches of Judaism. The two movements are distinct but have certain similarities.

Religious Jews are those who have a strong belief in their religion, but who don't adhere to any strong identifiable ideology outside of the Torah.

Answer 5

the Jews that have temple curls and wear yarmulkes are Orthodox Jews. they keep strictly to the laws in the Torah. then there are Conservative Jews and Reformed Jews. conservatives are more lax and reformed are the most lax in keeping the laws. that doesn't mean they are any less religious, they just don't follow the laws as strictly. there are also Hasidic Jews, which are described with the others in the following site.

Answer 6

The former is probably a Reform Jew and the latter is probably an Orthodox Jew. The difference is in how literally they interpret their book.

Every single religion has different denominations.

Answer 7

They sure do! You can't really judge the level of someone's dedication to their religion based on how they dress, but the more Orthodox and Hasidic are the ones who dress more traditionally. You can ask them if you see them, they are more than happy to answer any questions, but have an open mind and listen to what they tell you. There is deep traditional meaning behind everything they do. Shalom.

Answer 8

the ones with peahs usually are hasidic and follow all the rules and then some. modern orthodox follow all the rules but dress like the rest of the community, conservative follow most of the rules, reform pick and choose which rules there are also the recronstructionists but i don't know enough about them, j4j's are not Jews

Answer 9

Yes, but not nearly as many as Christians. Most Jews are either:

Orthodox: black hat people with funky curls.
Liberal/Reform: Normal people.
Conservative/Masorti: In-between.

Answer 10

Orthodox, Messianic, and Religious.