The Four Branches Of Judaism

Judaism dates back to 2000 B.C. E. formed by a covenant between God and Abraham. Judaism is comprised of three sacred text, the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. Torah is the first five books in the Christian bible. “The Nevi’im and Ketuvim contain the books of history, prophecy, poetry, and other sacred writings” (“Overview”). Majority of the Jewish population stay in their home country Israel, New York City has the second largest Jewish population. There are four branches in Judaism; Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist, each branch has its own set of worship beliefs and has decided what traditional customs are to be observed. Like Christianity which has numerous branches, all Jews believe they are God’s chosen people, and have

Males are named at their Covenant of Circumcision ceremony. During the eight days leading up to the ceremony the child is thought to be in a transitional phase, where it is no longer connected physically to its mother but is not part of the Jewish community. The male child is named and their foreskin is cut from their penis during a ceremony. The circumcision shows a covenant between God and the Jewish child” (“Rites of Passage”). The ceremony is mentioned in the Torah: “And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. This is My covenant ... every male among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations ... And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that should shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant” (“Jewish Practices”). The surgery is performed by a Rabbi and often times is without

Girls at the age of twelve automatically mature into womanhood. The transition from being a girl to accepting the responsibilities of womanhood is called their Bat Mitzvah. The girl is now responsible for fulfilling the activities of a Jewish woman, which are lighting the Shabbat candles and fasting on holy days. A boy undergoes his transition from boyhood into manhood at the age of 13. He goes through a ceremony called his Bar Mitzvah, where he’s called to read the Torah in front of the whole congregation. Upon completing this task he can now attend synagogue on his own and is responsible for his own spiritual life with God. Both ceremonies have evolved throughout history and are now almost certain to be accompanied with a major celebration in honor of the new man or woman (“Bar and Bat