SFL 345: Journal Entry #1

For this class I am to tell others about things I find interesting as I read about the different faiths. I figured a great way to 'tell others' is to blog about it.

The first couple of weeks of class we are focusing on Judaism. We are reading How to Run A Traditional JEWISH Household by Blu Greenberg.

Interesting-topic/idea-#1-Movements of Judaism

• In Judaism there are different branches or sects much like Christianity that has many different sects (i.e. Catholicism, Methodist, Lutheran, etc.) However, Judaism's sects, or what they call 'movements' has much less to do with different ideologies, for example of what God is and is not, between each one, but more so the commitment level and level of liberalism/conservatism in how they interpret the scriptures.
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  ØOrthodox Jews believe that God gave Moses the whole Torah (Written and Oral) at Mount Sinai.
  ØOrthodox Jews believe that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot (commandments) that are binding upon Jews.
  ØModern Orthodox Jews strictly observe halakhah (Jewish Law), but still integrate into modern society.
  ØUltra-Orthodox Jews, which includes Chasidic Jews, strictly observe Jewish laws and do not integrate into modern society by dressing distinctively and living separately. 
  *The term "Orthodox" Judaism only emerged as a result of the growth of new branches of Judaism