Figure 1.--Here we see a group of New York Hasidic boys lerning the Torah in 1966. The press photo caption read, "Learning the Law: The Torah, the word of God as given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, guides the ultra-orthodox hasidic Jew in his strict observance of the letter of the law. These boys, studying Yeshiva, a parochial school, in New York, are learning to read the Torah Hasidic congragations. They wear phylacteries, two leather boxes containing scriptual passages which are strapped to the head and left arm during morning weekday prayers."

There are several different cultural and theological braches of Judaism. Actually there are two different ways of looking at the term branches. The first is a a cultural approach, with ethnic and geographic connotations. The principal ethnic/geographic branches of European Jews are Sephsrdic (Western) and Ashkenazic (Eastern) branches. There are also Oriental Jews--the Mizrahim. Judaism as all major religious movements have had diffeent schools of thought. We see this in the Old Testament from the very beginning Moses when he returned from Mount Siami was confronted with idolters Of course over time there have been various theological movements, but primarily in the East. The other type of Jewish branches is based more on theology. Here the branches are much more complicated and varied, although there are only a few main branches or movements. Many in West have historically seen Judaism as alien or foreign tradition. In fact Jdiasm is an integral part of the Judeo-Christian tradition which was integral in the making of Western Civilization. And the imprint is vast, not only morals but art (especially music), economics, law, lingusutics matematics, politics, science, and many other vital aspects that ded into the making of our modern Western civilization.

Cultural/Regional Branches

There are several different braches of Judaism. Actually there are two different ways of looking at the term branches. The first is a a cultural approach, with ethnic and geographic connotations. The principal ethnic/geographic branches of European Jewery are Sephardic (Western) and Ashkenazic (Eastern) branches. Sephsrdic (Western) Jews have origins in Spain and Portugal. Ashkenazic (Eastern) Jews have Western origins, but were people driven east by persecution in Western Europe. There were virtually no Jews in what is now Eastern Europe in the early medieval era. Of course over time there have been various theological movements in both West and East. The other type of Jewish branches is based more on theology. Here the branches are much more complicated and varied, although there are only a few main branches or movements. While Americans and Europeans speak primrily of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, there was a third group--the Oriental Jews or Mizrahim. Jewish communities were founded throughout the Middle East. ome of these communities were founded centurie before Jews entered Europe and pre-date Islam. With the rise of Islam, many of these communities lost contact with European Jews. Some Oriental Jews have Sephardic origins as some Western Jews driven from their homes in Western Europe found refuge in Muslim countries which in the era before the Enligtenment weremore tolerant of religious dofferences that than the Christian West.

Sephardic

One of the principal cultural branches of Judaism is Sephardic. Sephardic is derived from the Hebrew word for Spain. These were Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula--modern Spain and Portugal. Sephardic Jews are called Sephardim. The Sephardim were for the first mellinum and a half were the dominant Jewish cultural tradition. This was in part due to the fact that Muslim cultural tradition in Iberia provided space for Jews to develop and prosper. The Moors who conquered almost all of the Iberian Pensinsula (8th century), had a importance presence even after the onset of the Reconquista had advanced the borders of Christian Spain. The attacks on Jews in other countries of Western Europe beginning with the Crusades (11th century) were largely limited in the various Iberian states. As a result, a thriving Jewish community developed iwhat became Spain and Portugal. They Jews there spoke Ladino, based on medieval Spanish and Hebrew. The Sephardim did not divide into into distinct movements as Ashkenazim would. Sephardic theology was primarily what might be called Orthodox Judaism today. The Sephardim were notable for being more integrated into the Christian and Muslim communities in which they lived. This probably reflects both the general tolerance of Inderian culture and the extebt to which Sephardic thought was influenced by Greek and Arabic philosophy and science two related developments. There was also a strong mystical strain. One of the most notavle Sephardic philosophers was Maimonides, whose primary concern was to reconcile Aristotle's teachings with Judaism. The Sephardic community was shocked when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand after completing the Reconquista, expelled Spanish Jews who refused to convert to Christianity (1492). Many Sephardic Jews converted or pretended to convert. Others sought refuge in other countries.

Ashkenazic

Ashkenazic Jews referred to as the Ashkenazim came from Northern and Eastern Europe. Russia dis not permit Jews to settle, but after the conquest of the Ukraine and Polish partitions, the Russian Empire found itself with the lsrgest Jewish population in the world. The language of the Ashkenazim became Yiddish, a combination of medieval German and Hebrew. Yidosh began to appear (12th century). The need for a common commercial language as well as the migrations eest in the face of persecution in Western Europe over time made Yiddish a universal language throughout northern, central, and eastern Europe. As European emogration to America increased, the ethnic make up of American Jews began to change. This was particularly true after Russian pogroms terrorized Jewish cimmunuties who sought refuge in America. The large majority of American Jews today have Ashkenazim origins. American Jewish culture (food, accents, literature, and vocabulary) which Americans preceive as Jewish are Ashkenazic. Yiddish language communities developed in large cities, along side other European ethnic communities. This was especiallt the case in New York where Yiddish theater and literature flourished and became an important cultural influence.

Oriental Jews--Mizrahim

Jewish communities were founded throughout the Middle East. ome of these communities were founded centurie before Jews entered Europe anf pre-date Islam. Jewish communities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babylonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman suppression of the Jewish revolt (1st century AD). Thus Jewish communities in Arab countries were founded 400- 1,000 years before Islam. There were even Jewish communities in Saudi Arabia before Islam. (They are mentioned in the Koran.) These Jewish communities had various experiences after the Islamic conquests. Arabs contend that Jews and Arabs coexisted in harmony before Israel was established. It is true that during the Medieval era that Islam was more tolerant of Jews than Christians. It is also true that there were incidence of extreme intolerance in the Islamic world. And these incidents continued into the modern era. Arabs massacred Jews in Morocco (1912), Algeria (1933), Iraq (1941), and Libya (1945), all these incidents of course pre-dated the establishment of Israel. The Mizrahim, now integrated into Israel, never left the Middle East, can hardly be called Western interlopers. They are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs. The Oriental Jews or Mizrahim were expelled from Arab and other countries such as Iran. Jews were expelled by countries like Iraq, Egypt and Algeria. Other Arab countries (such as Morocco and Tunisia) did not formally expel Jews, but pursued policies of marginalization and intimidation. Historians report that there were about 870,000 Mizrahi refugees. The majority or about 600,000 sought refuge in Israel, where they now constitute about half of the Israeli Jewish population. The Oriental Jews are important to be recognized. One of the Arab charges against Israel is that the Jews are western colonial interlopers-- essentially a colonial phenomenon. The Arabs complain that these Western Jews stole the land from the native Plistiniand Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental Jews that form such a large part of the Israeli population.

Theological Movements

Judaism as all major religious movements have had and continue to have important different schools of thought. We see this in the Old Testament from the very beginning Moses when he returned from Mount Siami was confronted with idolters, Hebrews that were adopting the belief systems of the other people of Egypt and rhe Levant. And the prohets were contantly preaching against people who were to adhering to traditional belifs. Jesus preched against the parashies. Christianoty itslf began as the Jsus Movement within Judaism. In our odern times, traditional beliefs were best represented by Orthodoxy or the Haidic Movements. other Jewish movements have attempted in various ways, both theological and secular to come to terms with the modern age, including Conservative, Reform, Humanist, Recontructionist, and many others. And there were important secular moverments including Socialism and Zionism. Many in West have historically seen Judaism as an alien or foreign tradition. In fact Judiasm is an integral part of the Judeo-Chritian tradition which was along with the classical tradition at the core of Western Civilization. And the Judeic imprint is vast, not only morals but art (especially music), economics, law, lingusutics matematics, politics, science, and many other vital aspects that ded into the making of our modern Western civilization. Of the three Abrahamic religions, Christianity and Judaism, both experienced the Reformation and Engligtenment, and have generated similar theologicl movements. Only Islam has differeed in this respect, not generating the reformist humanist movements and the growth of toleration and acceptance of diversity--essentially forever frozen in the medieval era.

Created: January 22, 2004
Last updated: 10:55 AM 9/28/2014