How many types of Jews are there?

Question

See, Im Crypto Jew and I was just wondering if there was more types of Judism?

Answer 1

Hmm...you've really gotten some intelligent answers on this one, haven't you? :/

The main religious divisions in Judaism are Reform, which is liberal and doesn't believe the commandments are necessarily for today; Orthodox, which is more conservative and rigorously upholds the commandments; and Conservative, which attempts to strike a balance between the two.

As far as cultural divisions, the main groups are the Ashkenaz, who basically came out of Germany and Europe; and the Sephardim, who are of Spanish or Middle Eastern descent.

If you're really a crypto-Jew, you're most likely Sephardic. The Jews of Spain & Portugal were so persecuted by the Inquisition that mainly of them went underground with their beliefs. They went along with the Christian majority in public, but secretly kept Jewish practices. Sometimes these practices were handed down from generation to generation without some of the descendants realizing that the customs were Jewish! IOW, I've heard of people who know only that it's a family custom to light candles on Friday night, without knowing that it was a Jewish custom or even that they were Jewish!

Now we've established what some of the different kinds of Jews are--

and some of the other answers to this question are establishing what the different kinds of anti-Semites are!

Answer 2

Are you talking about religious denominations, or ethnicities?

There are lots of religious denominations calling themselves "Judaism." The three most common ones in America are "Reform," "Conservative," and "Orthodox." Orthodoxy isn't really a movement in the truest sense of the word - it's what Judaism was for everyone until the Reform movement sprung up. The Reform Jews, needing something to call all the Jews who didn't buy into their ideology, coined the term "orthodox Jew" (orthodox being from the Greek for "right-thinking"). Originally, it was meant to be disparaging, but religious Jews, who felt that theirs WAS the proper way of thinking, made it their own (kind of like how African Americans today have appropriated the use of the n-word to themselves -- except it isn't offensive when non-Jews call us orthodox). The conservatives branched off from the Reform movement when they felt that they didn't want to go back to Judaism in its original form, but Reformism was to radical a departure from it. You can find an article detailing the evolution of the various movements at www.simpletoremember.com. There's one group today calling itself "Messianic Judaism," but it's actually a branch of evangelical Protestant Christianity, so don't let that throw you. There are lots of smaller movements, and among traditionally observant Jews, there are lots of subgroups, but aside from minor differences in philosophy, custom, accent, well, they're all the same religion, bound by the same code of law.

Ethnically speaking, Jews come in just about every color of the rainbow. This is referring to both Jews-by-choice (converts) and Jews-by-birth. There are White Jews (of every conceivable European background), Black Jews (over 100,000 in Israel), Middle Eastern Jews, Indian Jews, Hispanic Jews... but those aren't really different types of Judaism per se, just different types of Jews. Your describing yourself as a "Crypto Jew" would make you Hispanic, correct? To my knowledge, most of the Crypto Jews are descended from the Spanish conversos (Jews forced to convert to Christianity, also called "marranos," though this is a derisive term meaning "swine") and scattered throughout the American Southwest.

For the record, Jew is anyone who is either born to a Jewish mother, or who converts to Judaism in accordance with Torah law. Anyone who meets one of these two criteria is a Jew. Anyone who doesn't is not.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Answer 3

OK, simple question with a hard answer.

If you mean, how many different nationalities are there with Jews, the answer is all.

If you mean how many different streams of Judaism are there, the answer is about five: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Renewal and Reconstructionist. There are sub-streams within each, however, as well as all of the Chassidic groups.

If you mean how many different ethnicities are represented in large numbers in Judaism, then Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi and Falasha are the largest--you also know, of course, of the Marranos (you know about them, of course). There are a total of about 50 ethnic groups in all; I've put a link below.

Answer 4

Judaism Subgroups

Answer 5

so which you're "particular they are actually not orthodox, hasidic and reformed jews". So....i assume then they're Conservative Jews? by potential of ways, it would be "Orthodox, Chasidic and Reform" and that i'm guessing you basically do unlike Jews huh? FYI "Messianic Jews" are xians. I figured that became arising next. I truthfully think of this one hundred forty four,000 element is crap and the worst form of crap. i don't think interior the xian bible. that's BS. you've faith what you want yet permit me ask you this. G-d became so particular that he suggested one hundred forty four,000. it relatively is particular yet while it involves Moshiach, nicely...you know, he did not bypass into element by potential of asserting "he would be be 33 years previous. he would be my son (or me, whichever you have faith). he would be finished on a go in Jersualem. he won't fulfill the prophecy the 1st time yet desires a do-over to fulfill it later". Come on. No offense yet this starts off to get previous stupid. Why are xians so thinking approximately Jews. basically trouble approximately yourselves. we can shelter ourselves. You adult males do not trouble your little heads approximately us.

Answer 6

And if it was worth my time...I would pity Danny

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There are 3 types of people in this world. Those that are good at math and those that aren't

Answer 7

how many Jews are there? then add 1.


Two Jews, three opinions!

Answer 8

pineapple jews
orange jews
apple jews
cranberry Jews
mango jews
tomato jews
carrot jews
grape jews
grapefruit jews
guyabano jews
lemon juice

Answer 9

2 types, male and female.
Love the avatar name , by the way.

Answer 10

What the first poster said. He beat me to the punchline on that one.