Introductory material: see here.
History: [quoted from Wikipedia on Orthodox Judaism].
Orthodox Judaism, as it exists today, is considered by historians to have begun developing as a response to the Enlightenment in the late 1700s and early 1800s. In the early 1800s in Germany, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch worked to reconcile traditional Judaism with the social realities of the modern age. While insisting on strict adherence to Jewish beliefs and practices, he encouraged secular studies, including history and modern philosophy; he also encouraged limited integration into the non-Jewish community. This form of Judaism was termed "neo-Orthodoxy", later known as Modern Orthodox Judaism.
A larger segment of the Orthodox population (notably represented by Agudat Yisrael) disagreed, and took a stricter approach. Their motto was "Anything new is forbidden by Torah". For them, all innovations and modifications within Jewish law and custom come to a near halt. This form of Judaism is termed Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, or Haredi Judaism.
Spokesman: Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik [Gr p.145]
Seminary :
1896 the Yeshiva (School for Talmudic studies)
1915 Yeshiva College (later Yeshiva University) in New York and
1943 Yeshiva College (a full university)
Congregation: the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (UOJC) [= Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU) ? site / description]
Rabbi Association:
1902 Union of Orthodox Rabbis of US & Canada
other smaller ones: Rabbinical Alliance of America (austere ideology) Central Rabbinical Congress (Hassidic rabbis)
Viewpoint:
Theoretically, the standard is Shulkan Aruch (1657) [Gr p.144] --- the traditional code of Jewish laws.
The Covenant in its entirety is the product of divine revelation.
Supreme standard for maintaining the Covenant is Halakah.
Dilemma: Halakah Versus democratic society, pluralistic, free choice.
[quoted from Wikipedia on Orthodox Judaism]. Orthodox Judaism is not unified; it is composed of different groups with intersecting beliefs, practices and theologies. In their broad patterns, the Orthodox movements are very similar in their observance and beliefs.
However, they maintain significant social differences, and differences in understanding halakha due to their varying attitudes concerning
- (a) the role of women in Judaism,
- (b) relations with non-Orthodox Jews,
- (c) attitudes toward modern culture and modern scholarship, and
- (d) how to relate to the State of Israel and Zionism.
Orthodoxy, collectively, considers itself the only true heir to the Jewish tradition; most of it considers all other Jewish movements to be unacceptable deviations from tradition. Most Orthodox groups characterize non-Orthodox forms of Judaism as heresy.
Orthodox Judaism affirms theism, the belief in one God. Its members have varied beliefs about the nature of God, and no one understanding of the Deity is mandated. Among the beliefs affirmed are: Maimonidean rationalism; Kabbalistic mysticism; Hasidic panentheism. A few affirm limited theism (the theology elucidated by Gersonides in "The Wars of the Lord".) Religious naturalism (Reconstructionist theology) is regarded as heretical.
Since there is no one unifying Orthodox body, there is no one official statement of principles of faith. Rather, each Orthodox group claims to be a non-exclusive heir to the received tradition of Jewish theology, usually affirming a literal acceptance of Maimonides's 13 principles as the only acceptable position. Some within Modern Orthodoxy take the more liberal position that these principles only represent one particular formulation of Jewish principles of faith, and that others are possible.
One special strand of this : Hasidism. [= Hasidic (or Chasidic) Judaism ?]
Founder: Israel ben Eleizer
Goal: inner commitment & joyful awareness of God.
Life : Leaders become absolute rulers. Believers separated from US cultrue and serious observance of the laws. [pp. 146-150]
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Sefardi or Sephardi (Sefardim), Spanish
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"The divisions between Ashkenazim and Sefardim are essentially a matter of historical and geographical accident, the product of centuries of isolation and separate development." The Orthodox/Progressive split started in the state of Israel. [Unterman p.214] According to Fr. Duncan, the split also raised from the discrimination of the Sefardim by Ashkenazim. Besides, the political control is also a burning issue. By the influx of immigration of Sefardi, its political power is rising; in order to suppress it, the Ashkenazi Jews wants the Russian Jews (with similar stand) to come to Israel.
Since the founders of the state of Israel are non-religious Jew, "the dominant non-Judaic culture is that of a secularized, post-industrialized, Western world." [Unterman p.214]