Conservative Orthodox and Conservative Judaism

Jewish culture and practice has been heterogeneous since the diaspora, and remains so in the 21st century. In the United States, Jews generally classify themselves as being Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. This albeit overly simplified tripartite division began in the late 19th to early 20th century, as increasing numbers of Jews immigrated to the United States. The nature of Jewish thought, culture, and worship has changed significantly during the last hundred or so years even among the Orthodox, and there is great diversity and plurality in the world's Jewish communities.

Orthodox Judaism is, as the term suggests, fundamentalist in its approach to Jewish law and scripture. The Torah is believed to be the direct transmission of the word of God, including the oral Torah ("Movements of Judaism," n.d.). As such, the contents of the written and oral Torah are considered immutable. Orthodox Jews follow Jewish law and custom to a degree many other Jews would consider extreme and incompatible with modern life.

For example, Orthodox Jews follow the most rigid interpretation of Kosher dietary laws as well as Sabbath observances. Orthodox synagogues and their services are gender-segregated. Although there are some differences among various Orthodox sects and communities, they all share in common the commitment to the Torah. Conservative Judaism honors the Torah, but is far more flexible than Orthodox Judaism in its approach to practice and worship.

While Conservative synagogues perform services in Hebrew and expect a degree of conformity to Jewish dietary and other laws ranging from circumcision to Sabbath observances, Conservative Jews in general allow their religion to suit life in the modern secular world. As a result, many Jews who identify as being Conservative or who belong to Conservative-allied synagogues will not necessarily observe Kosher dietary laws or the strict rules of the Sabbath. Moreover, Conservative services are rarely gender-segregated, even if Conservative Rabbis are rarely if ever female.

On the other hand, Reform Judaism embraces fully the modern secular society and eschews many of the rituals and rules of traditional religion. Services are held not in Hebrew but in local dialects (mainly English), and Rabbis may be women. Some Reform Jews may identify as atheist or agnostic, instead preferring to value Judaism for its cultural, social, and historic relevance as it pertains to personal or collective identity ("Movements of Judaism," n.d.). Reform Judaism stresses the importance of ethics, and denies the divinity of the Torah (Carroll, 2015).

Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews obviously have different relationships with the non-Jews in their community. Orthodox Jews must by necessity form cohesive and tightly knit communities that are often self-segregated from the non-Jewish general population in order to facilitate their way of life. Thus, communities with large Orthodox populations will have a range of businesses and services that fit the needs of that community.

Conservative Jews may frequently patronize the Orthodox businesses for purposes such as obtaining a moyel for a bris (circumcision ritual), but are generally more integrated into the general population because of the less strident requirements for following Jewish law. Reform Jews and Conservative Jews do not necessarily require sizeable Jewish populations in their community in order to practice their faith, as there are no restrictions on using motorized transport during Sabbath and holidays as there are.