Compare And Contrast The Various Forms Of Judaism

Reform Judaism emerged in the late 18th century as a response to the Enlightenment ideals of secular universalism. The movement sought to show that one could be an enlightened citizen of the secular world and a Jew at the same time, and defined the essence of Judaism as a rational-ethical system rooted in the prophetic-ethical ideal of justice. As a result, various forms of modern Judaism have developed in response to the challenge of devising a strategy for surviving in societies that are increasingly secular and hostile to religion. Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Orthodox Judaism all have their own ways of adapting to the modern world, yet all share a commitment to preserving essential aspects of Judaism.

The Reform movement of Judaism was the first to adapt to modernity, “trying to show that in the 1800s one could be an enlightened citizen of the secular world and a Jew at the same time”( Esposito et al.,2009,93)attempting to show that one could be a Jew and a part of the secular world at the same time. By redefining the essence of Judaism as a rational-ethical system, Reform Judaism sought to create a Judaism that was both progressive and faithful to its core beliefs. Conservative Judaism then emerged as a third option, seeking a compromise between

Jewish socialism, ethnic (Yiddish) Judaism, and Zionism were all responses to the challenge of devising a strategy for surviving in societies that were replacing religious anti-Judaism with secular anti-Semitism. In North America, with its more tolerant attitude towards diversity, Jews were better able to build a life for themselves, and all forms of modern Judaism have had to make decisions about how to relate to the larger secular society and how to determine what belongs to the essence of Judaism and what elements are