The Jewish Orthodox (Many United including Finchley Movements Reform (Kinloss), Barnet, Woodside Park, Golders Masorti (Alyth – North Western Reform NW11, Liberal Locally Green (Dunstan Road), many Federation (New North London in Finchley, Finchley Reform, Shaarei Tzedek (Finchley Progressive) Synagogues and Union of Orthodox Hebrew Kol Nefesh and Edgware Masorti) N20, Edgware Reform) Congregations and Shteibels, also Sephardi and Mizrahi congregations)

God Personal deity with special relationship Affirms existence of God but non Affirms existence of God but non Affirms existence of God with Jewish people. Divine providence and dogmatic - Variety of dogmatic - Variety of but non dogmatic - Variety divine reward and punishment are real interpretations interpretations of interpretations

Origin of Divine origin Revealed but not literal word of Sinai a metaphorical narrative Sinai a metaphorical Handed down to on Mount Sinai. God. Torah written by humans with Divine narrative Product of human transmission inspiration. Torah written by human hands with Divine inspiration.

Halachah/ Normative - eternal, binding and Normative, though acknowledges Halachah is the product of human Halachah is the product of Jewish Law irrevocable. human aspect in halachah and endeavour –important and formative human endeavour Understood as reflecting the will of God presence of disagreement in but not determining of behaviour. Ethical aspects tend to be rabbinic material. Seeks to Belief in responsible personal of a more binding nature respond to modern needs from autonomy. than ritual ones. within halachic exercise.

Ritual Religious obligations as defined in Religious obligations as defined Driven by the rabbinic exercise but Ritual is intended to halachah in halachah developing. enhance spiritual lives Allows for new ritual and that and there is a bias ritual which is not valuable be against ritual which does questioned. not.

Kashrut A religious obligation as interpreted by A religious obligation as Variety of practice as allowed by Variety of practice but the rabbinic exercise – requirement for interpreted by the rabbinic personal autonomy. Encourages not widely hechsher exercise study to reach own practice with followed as not seen as bias in favour of observance of spiritually valuable. mitzvot. Awareness of other issues Awareness of other issues in how we in how we produce and produce and eat. eat.

Shabbat A religious obligation as interpreted by A religious obligation as A religious obligation to remember is intended to the rabbinic exercise – interpreted by the rabbinic and keep Shabbat –mitzvot open to enhance spiritual life exercise – 39 melachot personal interpretation and should be done in such a way.

Women Different roles and obligations from men. Differs between synagogues in the Egalitarian Egalitarian Sit separately in . UK. With some taking Orthodox and cantor are male positions. position and some having a Women not included in variety of practice within them..

Conversion Requires instruction on Jewish life, Requires instruction on Jewish Requires study of Jewish life, Requires study of Jewish agreement to fulfil the commandments, brit life, agreement to fulfil the commitment to live a Jewish life, life, commitment to live mila and tevilah (immersion in a ritual commandments, brit mila and brit mila and tevilah. a Jewish life, brit mila bath). Procedure is supervised by Beit din tevilah. Procedure is supervised by a Beit in most cases. Procedure is supervised by a Beit din Procedure is supervised din by a Beit Din Who is a ? Matrilineal descent or Orthodox conversion. Matrilineal descent or conversion Matrilineal descent or conversion Either parent Jewish and that includes brit mila and that includes brit mila and a with tevilah. tevilah. public identification

The Synagogue – Orthodox and Reform

Feature Orthodox Reform Comments Ark (Aron ha Kodesh) Yes Yes Inscription above ark Yes Yes The one above the ark at Alyth reads “Worship God with happiness, come before God with joy” Everlasting Light (Ner Yes Yes A few synagogues have an oil fired Ner Tamid) Tamid Torah Scrolls (Sifrei Yes – Ashkenazi Yes – Can be mix of As Reform synagogues do not distinguish Torah) (German, Polish, styles between Ashkenazi and Sephardi ritual they Eastern Europe) or can have a mix of types of scroll. Also they Sephardi (Spanish, are often less elaborately adorned in a Arab) style, depending Reform Synagogue and rarely publicise the on synagogue name of the donor. Bimah (Raised Yes – In Ashkenazi Yes – Normally at front The first Synagogue with a Bimah at the Platform) Synagogue one at only front only was in Sessen, Germany in 1801. centre and one at The advantage of this layout is that it tends front. In Sephardi to encourage greater decorum. Synagogue one at back and one at front. Seating Yes – Normally fixed Yes – Normally flexible The insistence on the equality of all the seating with storage seating so that the congregation which is a key factor in space underneath so reservation of seats is Reform has tended to result in the that and discouraged. Storage construction of plainer, more flexible can be kept at the under seats synagogue buildings. Synagogue in order to unnecessary. observe Orthodox Shabbat regulations. Many seats therefore reserved for “seat- holders.” Women’s Seating Yes – In gallery or at No- Men and women sit Men and women sit together in all Liberal & back of Synagogue together. Reform Synagogues. They sit separately in often with a mehitzah most Masorti synagogues. Men and women (screen) separating can be in Liberal and Reform them from the men. Synagogues. Only men can be Rabbis in Orthodox synagogues.

Prayer book (Siddur) Yes – The two most Yes – A different Liberal Synagogues currently use the prayer popular in England are book from Orthodox book “Siddur lev Chadash”. Masorti “Singers” (named after Synagogues. Seder Ha Synagogues normally use the Orthodox Rev Singer) and the Tefillot is the current prayer books. All synagogues use special “” Reform prayer book prayer books for and . Much more English used in Liberal & Reform. Prayer wear (Tallit is obligatory for Men wear Kippah Reform tend to use their prayer wear and Kippah) men at all times. during services and at times that they personally consider Tallit is obligatory at many wear Tallit meaningful. morning services only. during morning Teffilin are worn at services, some at weekday morning evening services. services. Women may also wear Tallit and Kippah. Decoration No pictures of human No pictures of human Inscriptions of passages from the are beings due to the beings due to the popular forms of decoration for synagogues. Second Commandment Second Commandment Musical Instruments Organ or other musical Piano, Organ or other No musical instruments are used on Shabbat instruments are often musical instruments in the Orthodox Synagogue as a sign of used for weddings but are often an integral mourning for the destruction of the Temple never for Shabbat part of all services in in 70CE (Common era) services Hand wash basin Yes – at front door of No The ritual purity laws are not part of Synagogue for purposes of ritual purity Nomenclature United, Federation, Liberal, Progressive, Liberal Synagogues are broadly similar to Adath, Chassidic, Reform Reform Synagogues in style and practice. Sephardi Masorti Synagogues are broadly similar to Orthodox Synagogues in style and practice.