Is There an “Original Judaism” – News from Jerusalem

Part 1: Ancient Sects of Judaism There has been much debate in Israel and within the Jewish community abroad over the Orthodox monopoly of Judaism in the State. Secular Israelis who support this Orthodox domination often joke that “the synagogue they do not attend is the Orthodox one,” essentially declaring that in their eyes, Orthodoxy is the only legitimate way to practice Judaism, if one were to choose to participate. This belief has led the Reform and Conservative Jewish communities to hold an unrecognized status in Israel, since they are not part of “original Judaism,” a belief some hold for the status of Orthodox Judaism. The irony for those who maintain such a stance is that there have always been different denominations within Judaism. Orthodox Judaism itself was born out of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and it has evolved and changed over the past 2,000 years. Different ways of practicing Judaism is in fact a deeply entrenched tradition within the Jewish religi
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