don@uofm-cv.UUCP (Donald C. Winsor) (03/09/84)
+-------+ | GULP! | +-------+ >From Andy Tannenbaum: Realize that Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and the various sects of Chasidim practice the same Judaism 99 44/100 percent. When Ariel talks about "praying in Ashkenaz," it is true that there are slight differences in the order of the prayer (called the "nusach," should you ever run across the term), but all the important stuff is the same for all Jews. And the Torah is exactly the same for all Jews. There are no denominational differences as radical as the ones in Christianity. This puzzles me a little. While all Jews I have met (Conservative, Orthodox, Chasidim, Reform) certainly followed exactly the same Torah, the denominational differences stuck me as fairly radical. They seemed to be of the same general magnitude as the differences between members I have met of various Christian denominations all of which followed the same Christian Bible. Am I missing something, Andy, (or anyone else who can aid me in my confusion)? don
dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (03/12/84)
Yes, Don Winsor, you're missing something. Andy was referring to
the differences between Ashkenazim and Sephardim among Orthodox
(i.e., traditional) Jews. These differences are comparatively minor.
The differences between Orthodox, Conservative and Reform are
indeed major. However, from Andy's (and my) point of view it
is only the Orthodox practices which are under discussion.
Conservative and Reform Judaism are *not* the practice of
Judaism which has existed largely unchanged for a couple of
thousand years. On the whole, "Conservative" and "Reform"
Jews are Jews who simply are not (as) observant - that is, they
do not follow or attempt to follow many of the precepts of the
Torah and commandments which affect Jews' daily lives (simple
examples: keeping kosher; observing the Sabbath; daily prayers).
The Conservative and Reform *movements* are something else.
They at least have a philosophical base, which I can respect
but disagree with. However, the vast majority of Conservative
and Reform Jews do not rely on such philosophical bases as
justification for being less observant. They are simply less
observant. The majority of non-Orthodox Jews have never lived
as observant Jews and thus are not qualified to reject Orthodoxy.
Hence, within the context of a discussion of the practise of
what both Andy and I (and history) regard as the proper practise
of Judaism, the differences between the various "nusachs" of
Ashkenaz and Sepharad are indeed minor.
Dave Sherman
Toronto
--
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!dave