Archive-name: judaism/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are
Soc-culture-jewish-archive-name: faq.02-Who-We-Are
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               Frequently Asked Questions on Soc.Culture.Jewish
             Part 2: Who We Are: The Group and Jewish Movements
         [Last Change: $Date: 1996/06/17 19:13:51 $ $Revision: 1.4 $]
                    [Last Post: Fri Jun  2 11:07:05 1995]


   This posting is an attempt to answer questions that are continually
   asked on soc.culture.jewish. It was written by cooperating laypeople
   from the various Judaic movements. You _should not_ make any
   assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers
   provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a
   competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.
   
   The deceased sages described within are of blessed memory, (assume a
   _Z"L_ or _ZT"L_ after their names) and the sages alive today should
   live to see long and good days (assume _SHLITA_). May Hashem grant
   complete recovery to the ill. Individual honorifics are omitted.
   
   The FAQ was produced by a committee and is a cooperative work. The
   contributors never standardized on transliteration scheme from Hebrew,
   Aramaic, Yiddish, or Ladino to English. As a result, the same original
   word might appear with a variety of spellings. This is complicated by
   the fact that there are regional variations in the pronunciation of
   Hebrew. In some places, the common spelling variations are mentioned;
   in others--not. We hope that this is not too confusing.
   
   In general, throughout this FAQ, North American (US/Canada) terms are
   used to refer to the movements of Judaism. Outside of North American,
   Reform is Progressive or Liberal Judaism; Conservative is Reform or
   Masorti, and Orthodoxy is often just "Judaism". Even with this, there
   are differences in practice, position, and ritual between US/Canada
   Reform and other progressive/liberal movements (such as UK
   Progressive/ Liberal), and between US/Canada Conservative and the
   conservative/Masorti movement elsewhere. Where appropriate, these
   differences will be highlighted.
   
   The goal of the FAQ is to present a balanced view of Judaism; where a
   response is applicable to a particular movement only, this will be
   noted. Unless otherwise noted or implied by the text, all responses
   reflect the traditional viewpoint.
   
   This list should be used in conjunction with the Soc.Culture.Jewish
   reading lists. Similar questions can be found in the books referenced
   in those lists.

   Reproduction of this posting for commercial use is subject to
   restriction. See Part 1 for more details.

------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: ORGANIZATION

   This portion of the FAQ contains answers to the following questions:

   Section 2: Who We Are
    1. Who reads soc.culture.jewish? 
    2. What are the major Jewish movements? 
    3. What is Conservative Judaism? 
    4. What is Orthodox Judaism? 
    5. What is Reform/Progressive Judaism? 
    6. What about other movements? 
    7. What are some of the Orthodox sub-groups? 
    8. What is Chassidism and how does it differ from other Orthodox
       groups 
    9. What is Lubavitch Chasidism and Chabad? 
   10. What is Breslov Chasidism? 
   11. What is Satmar Chasidism? 
   12. What other forms of Chasidism? 
   13. What are OCR (O-C-R) wars? Why all the flames? 
   14. But Reform Judaism isn't Judaism? Why don't they see that? 
   15. But Orthodox Judaism isn't Judaism? Why don't they see that? 
   16. Why shouldn't I say "ultra-Orthodox", "Reformed Judaism", or
       "Humanist Judaism"? 
   17. How does a Chassid differ from Misnagid? 
   18. What is a "Torah Jew?" 
   19. What about homosexual Jews?
   20. Is it true that Jews are all (fill-in-the-blank)? 
   21. How many Jews are there today in the U.S.A.? 
       


------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Who reads soc.culture.jewish?

   Qualitatively? We have men and women who have outstanding Jewish
   educations, and who are willing to take the time to share their
   knowledge. We have serious non-observant Jews seeking deeper Jewish
   roots. We have Jews still trying to see exactly where they fit it,
   Jews who are struggling, and learning, and actively improving
   themselves. Some reply carefully and kindly; others use their wits
   like scalpels, cutting away at the first sign of nonsense. We have
   talented writers, whose prose is often poetic. Counted among us are
   Hassidic Jews, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and
   miscellaneous Jews. We've got atheists and secularists, Hebraists and
   Yiddishists. And we are all learning from one another and teaching one
   another.
   
   Quantitatively? Well, every two years, Daniel Faigin
   <faigin@pacificnet.net> conducts a survey of S.C.J to determine how
   the readership of S.C.J is divided among the various movements. The
   most recent survey was completed in June 1995, and had just under 332
   respondants (or approximately 1% of the readership). This survey
   showed the following breakdowns:

                                  1995     1993       1991       1989
    JC [Conservative        ]:   30.12%   22.06%     28.98%     37.12%
    JO [Orthodox            ]:   27.11%   31.62%     36.33%     29.55%
    JL [Liberal/Reform      ]:   13.86%   12.87%     10.20%     11.36%
    JS [Secular/Humanistic  ]:    5.72%    5.15%      3.67%      2.27%
    JR [Reconstructionist   ]:    5.42%    2.21%      1.63%      1.52%
    JU [Unspecified Jewish  ]:    4.22%    4.78%      2.86%      N/A
    JN [Non-Affiliated      ]:    3.01%    4.04%      2.45%      0.76%
    AA [Agnostic or Atheist ]:    3.01%    2.94%      0.82%      6.06%
    OT [Other               ]:    2.41%    3.68%      4.49%      0.76%
    JT [Traditional         ]:    1.51%    3.68%      N/A        N/A
    CF [Christian Fndmntlist]:    0.90%    1.47%      3.67%      N/A
    CM [Christian Mainstream]:    0.60%    0.74%      2.04%      N/A
    CC [Catholic            ]:    0.30%    1.84%      1.22%      N/A
    CO [Christian Other     ]:    0.30%    1.47%      1.22%      N/A
    HI [Hindu               ]:    0.00%    0.37%      N/A        N/A

Gross Breakdown:
    J [Jewish          ]:        91.87%   86.40%     86.12%     82.58%
    A [Atheist/Agnostic]:         3.01%    2.94%      0.82%      6.06%
    O [Other           ]:         2.41%    3.68%      4.49%      0.76%
    C [Christian       ]:         2.11%    5.51%      8.16%      N/A
    H [Hindu           ]:         0.00%    0.37%      N/A        N/A

   It is interesting to contrast these numbers with the results mentioned
   in 2.17.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What are the major Jewish movements?

   The three major denominations in Judaism are, in alphabetical order,
   Conservative Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, and Reform/Progressive
   Judaism.
   
   Outside of the United States and Israel, the distinction tends to be
   along Orthodox/Liberal lines. Outside of North America, the equivalent
   of North American Reform Judaism is called Progressive or Liberal
   Judaism. Outside of North America, the equivalent of North American
   Conservative Judaism is called "Reform" or "Masorti", although there
   are differences in all cases from the North American versions.
   
   In Israel, the Conservative and Reform movements are very small
   (although they do exist). Rather, the split tends to be along
   secular/non-secular lines, with further internal devisions with the
   non-secular adherents. An estimated breakdown might be 30% secular,
   50% traditional (those who keep some Mitzvot), and 30% religious.
   These numbers have been provided by Hillel Applebaum
   (alpebaum@cs.huji.ac.il) and are being reinvestigated because they
   add up to over 100%. This breakdown may be misleading, because the
   Mitzvot observed by the majority of "traditional" Israelis include
   some that are imposed by secular law (Jewish marriage and divorce) and
   others that have been adopted voluntarily because of their social,
   cultural, and/or national content (e.g. Passover Seder, Chanukah
   candles). Conversely, most members of this group do not keep the
   Mitzvot that are considered by non-secular Jews to lie at the heart of
   Judaism: Shabbat (observance of the Sabbath) and Kashruth (observance
   of the dietary laws), and should therefore be regarded as "nearly
   secular" rather than "moderately religious".
   
   There are also a fourth movement which is considered major by some:
   Reconstructionist. It is an offshoot of Conservative.
   
   "Messianic Judaism[sic]" and other groups accepting the tenets of
   Christianity are _not_ Jewish movements.
   
   Sephardic(Southern European/Spanish/North African) Orthodox tend not
   to bother with liberal/traditional distinctions as much as Ashkenazi
   (Northern European/Franco-German/Russian) Jews.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Conservative Judaism?

   Conservative Judaism attempts to combine a positive attitude toward
   modern culture, acceptance of critical secular scholarship regarding
   Judaism's sacred texts, and also commitment to Jewish observance.
   Conservative Judaism believes that scholarly study of Jewish texts
   indicates that Judaism has constantly been evolving to meet the needs
   of the Jewish people in varying circumstances, and that a central
   halachic authority can continue the halachic evolution today.
   
    Attitude Toward Halacha
    
   Conservative Judaism affirms that the halachic process reflects the
   Divine will. It makes use of Solomon Schechter's concept of "Klal
   Yisrael" (the whole of the (observant) Jewish community), in that
   decisions on Jewish Law are largely determined by the practices of
   Klal Yisrael.
   
   In Conservative Judaism, the central halachic authority of the
   movement, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), will often
   set out more than one acceptable position. In such a case, the rabbi
   of the congregation (mara d'atra) is free to choose from the range of
   acceptable positions (or none of them), and his congregation is
   expected to abide by his choice. The CJLS speaks for the Conservative
   movement and offers parameters to guide local rabbis who turn to it
   for assistance. Local rabbis will make use of traditional sources and,
   when available, teshuvot written for the CJLS.
   
   An exception is made in the case of "standards". A "standard" requires
   an 80% (not unanimous) vote of the membership of the CJLS (not just
   those in attendance) and a majority vote by the plenum of the
   Rabbinical Assembly. At present, there are three standards:
    1. The prohibion on rabbis and cantors to attend intermarriages.
    2. The performance of marriages of divorce(e)s without gittin when
       applicable.
    3. The recognition of patrilinial descent. Willful violations have
       led to resignations or expulsions from RA membership.
       
    Conservative Theology
    
   Conservative Judaism hold that the laws of the Torah and Talmud are of
   divine origin, and thus mandates the following of Halakha (Jewish
   law). At the same time, the Conservative movement recognizes the human
   element in the Torah and Talmud, and accepts modern scholarship which
   shows that Jewish writings also show the influence of other cultures,
   and in general can be treated as historical documents.
   
   The movement believes that God is real and that God's will is made
   known to humanity through revelation. The revelation at Sinai was the
   clearest and most public of such divine revelations, but revelation
   also took place with other people - called prophets - and in a more
   subtle form, and can happen even today.
   
   These concepts are very complex, and readers are referred to Emet
   VeEmunah, published jointly by the Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ.
   
   Many people misinterpret Conservative Judaism as being like Reform
   Judaism except with more Hebrew in its services; They believe that if
   one simply goes to a Conservative synagogue, then one is a
   Conservative Jew. This of course is not true, and the movement's
   leadership is strongly concerned with whether or not the next
   generation of Conservative Jews will have the commitment to lead an
   authentic Jewish lifestyle.
   
    Derivation of the Movement's Name
    
    The name derives from the idea that the movement would be necessary
   to conserve Jewish traditions in the U.S., a culture in which Reform
   and Orthodoxy were not believed to be viable.
   
    Sources of More Information
    
   Additional information may be found in the Conservative Reading List,
   available via FTP from shamash.org in
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/conservative or from rtfm.mit.edu
   in pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/conservative . Also
   worth exploring is the home path for the United Synagogues of
   Conservative Judaism (UCSJ) <http://www.shamash.org/uscj/>
   
   Interested readers might also want to look at the following documents
   available via WWW:
   
     * Ismar Schorsch's "Core Values" of Conservative Judaism (a
       synopsis)
       (<http://www.netaxs.com/~expweb/schorsch_sacred_cluster.html>)
       

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Orthodox Judaism?

   Orthodox Judaism is not a unified movement with a single governing
   body, but rather many different movements adhering to common
   principles. All of the Orthodox movements are very similar in their
   observance and beliefs, differing only in the details that are
   emphasized. They also differ in their attitudes toward modern culture
   and the state of Israel. They all share one key feature: a dedication
   to Torah, both Written and Oral.
   
    Origins of the Movement
    
   Historically, there was no such thing as Orthodoxy; in fact, you find
   the particular term is used primarily in North America (elsewhere, the
   distinction is primarily between "more observant" and "less
   observant"). The specific term "Orthodox Judaism" is of rather recent
   origin and is used more as a generic term to differentiate the
   movements following traditional practices from the Liberal Jewish
   movements.
   
    Orthodox Theology
    
    Orthodox Judaism views itself as the continuation of the beliefs and
   practices of normative Judaism, as accepted by the Jewish nation at
   Mt. Sinai and codified in successive generations in an ongoing process
   that continues to this day.
   
   Orthodox Judaism believes that both the Written and Oral Torah are of
   divine origin, and represent the word of G-d. This is similar to the
   view of the Conservative movement, but the Orthodox movement holds
   that such information (except for scribal errors) is the exact word of
   God, and does not represent any human creativity or influence. For the
   details of the Orthodox view of the origin of Torah, see Section 3.4.
   For the Orthodox, the term "Torah" refers to the "Written Law" as
   interpreted by the "Oral Law", interpreted in turn by the Rishonim
   (Medieval commentators), and eventually codified in the Codices: R.
   Joseph Karo's Shul`han Arukh and/or R. Moshe Isserlis's Mapah (printed
   as parenthetical text in the Shul`han Arukh). As practical questions
   arise, Orthodox Authorities apply the Halachic process (the system of
   legal reasoning and interpretation described in the Oral Torah) using
   the Torah (both Oral and Written) to determine how best to live in
   accordance with G-d's will as directed by the Halacha. In this way,
   Orthodoxy evolves to meet the demands of the times.
   
   An excellent summary of the core beliefs of Orthodox Judaism may be
   found in the Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith. [For those reading the
   posted version of this, they may be found in Section 4.7 of the FAQ]
   
   One of the hallmarks of Orthodox Jews is an openness (and
   encouragement) to question what it is that G-d requires of us, and
   then to answer those questions within the system that G-d gave us.
   
   In addition, among the major movements only Orthodoxy has preserved
   the "mystical" foundations of Jewish theology, most obviously in the
   Chasidic movements though no less so in many Yeshivah movements, both
   Ashkenazi and Sephardi.
   
    Sources for More Information
    
    Additional information may be found in the Traditional Reading List,
   available on shamash.org as
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/traditional or on rtfm.mit.edu as
   pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/traditional.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Reform/Progressive Judaism?

   Reform is the most liberal of the major movements within Judaism
   today. It started in the 1800s in Germany during the emancipation, and
   encouraged examination of religion with an eye towards rationality and
   egalitarianism. Viewed from the light of today's Reform practice, the
   original adherents went a little-too-far; often, this early form
   (which lasted until the 1960s, in some respects) is referred to as
   "Classic German Reform".
   
    Reform Theology
    
    Reform differs from the other major movements in that it views both
   the Oral and Written laws as a product of Man's hand (specifically, it
   views the Torah as Divinely inspired, but written in the language of
   the time in which it was given). The laws reflect their times, but
   contain many timeless truths. The Reform movement stresses retention
   of the key principles of Judaism (as it sees them; for details,
   consult the Reform Reading List). As for practice, it strongly
   recommends individual study of the traditional practices; however, the
   adherent is free to follow only those practices that increase the
   sanctity of their relationship to G-d. Reform also stresses equality
   between Men and Women. A reasonable current statement of the
   philosophy of Reform may be found in the 1976 Centenary Perspective
   (<http://www.netaxs.com/~expweb/100-1.html>). Reform is recently
   rededicating itself to Torah and education. This is emphasized in the
   installation speech of the current president of the Union of American
   Hebrew Congregations (the Reform congregational arm), Rabbi Eric
   Yoffie. The speech may be found at
   (<http://www.shamash.org/reform/uahc/yinaug.html>)
   
   Reform requires familiarity with the laws before choosing not to
   observe them. A non-observant Jew unfamiliar with the laws would not
   be a "serious" Reform Jew. Also, Reform rejects the faith tenets of
   other religions as a matter of first principles.
   
   It should be noted that many of the paths taken by the Reform movement
   differ from those of traditional Judaism. These differences result in
   many of the discussions you will see on S.C.J.
   
    Size of the Movement
    
    In terms of size, the UAHC 1993-1994 annual report notes that there
   were a total of 853 UAHC-affiliated congregations, with a total
   reported congregational membership of 302,193 member units (families,
   singles, etc.). This can be contrasted with the 1983-1984 period,
   where there were 773 congregations with a total of 269,406 member
   units. Congregations range in size from a 2-member-unit congregation
   in Port Gibson, Mississippi, to "mega"-shuls such as Wilshire Blvd
   Temple in Los Angeles (2,123 member units), Anshe Chesed in Cleveland
   Ohio (2,151), Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto Ontario (2,043), Temple
   Israel in Minneapolis Minnesota (2,075), Washington Hebrew
   Congregation in Washington DC (2,783), Congregation Emanu-El in New
   York City (2,650), Temple Israel in W. Bloomfield Michigan (2,659),
   Temple Emanu-El in Dallas Texas (2,526), and Cong. Beth Israel in
   Houston Texas (2,011).
   
    Sources of More Information
    
    This FAQ contains much additional detail on Reform, it's theology,
   it's origins, and how it has changes from its more "rejectionist"
   beginnings. This information may be found in the Reform/Progressive
   portion of this FAQ. For further reading, consult the Reform Reading
   List, available from shamash.org as
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reform or from rtfm.mit.edu as
   pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/reform.

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Subject: What about other movements?

    Reconstructionism
    
   Philosophically, Reconstructionism has its roots in the work of
   Mordechai Kaplan, who argued for a naturalistic conception of God and
   a functionalist view of Judaism as a religious civilization. He
   acknowledged that Jewish communities have always evolved to adapt to
   their historical circumstances, and was particularly interested in the
   ways in which American Judaism could construct communities that would
   permit its members to live in two civilizations (American and Jewish)
   at once, participating fully in each of them.
   
   Kaplan's conception of G-d was a transnatural one -- he spoke of "the
   power in the Universe that makes for salvation", rather than an
   anthropomorphic G-d intervening to reward and punish. As a result, the
   tradition we have inherited (e.g. keeping shabbat and kashrut, the
   text of our liturgy, etc.) is our cultural inheritance of how our
   ancestors related to this power in the universe -- it is not an
   unchanging divine mandate. Our tradition should, indeed must, be
   reconstructed in each generation to reflect our own understanding of
   this relationship -- as Kaplan said, "The past has a vote, not a
   veto."
   
      Reconstructionist Theology
      
    Kaplan's conception of God spoke of "the power in the Universe that
   makes for salvation", rather than an anthropomorphic God intervening
   to reward and punish. By salvation, he meant the power to improve
   oneself, not any sort of religious salvation.
   
   The philosophy of the movement contains a principle called
   "Transvaluation". This means that any person (at least the leaders of
   the movement) have the right to re-define a word to make it mean what
   they want. Kaplan did not believe in God, but he did believe that
   nature existed; he also believed that the universe was open to the
   possibility that people could better themselves. Kaplan "transvalued"
   the word "God" to mean the nature of the world. As a result, people
   who no longer believed in the traditional Jewish conception of God
   could now call themselves "religious" and could say that they "believe
   in God". This system proved quite appealing to a large number of
   people who had a deep love for the Jewish way of life, but who were
   not religious in the traditional sense.
   
      Reconstructionism Today
      
    Kaplan's personal theology was extremely rationalistic, but in
   forming his movement's seminary he probably did not realize the long
   term effects. He set up a seminary in which people could train to be
   Reconstructionist rabbis. In doing so he encouraged the study of
   religious texts, even if he himself discouraged what most people would
   call "religion". What eventually began to happen was obvious in
   hindsight: Hundreds of committed Jews studied for years in a religious
   environment, and they began to do what Kaplan rejected his whole life:
   They began to believe in the traditional Jewish God, especially as God
   was envisioned by the Medieval Kabbalists. As a result, many people in
   the Reconstructionist community now have a traditional Jewish belief
   in God!
   
   One hallmark of the Reconstructionist community has been its
   flourishing creativity. It has been at the forefront of many modern
   trends in Judaism, especially in the egalitarian approach to religious
   life and liturgy.
   
   In terms of size, the Reconstructionist movement is smaller than the
   Reform or Conservative movements. Reconstructionist communities are
   generally quite spiritually open, and quite accepting of
   experimentation.
   
      Where to Get More Information
      
   The organization of Reconstructionist Congregations is called the
   Jewish Reconstruction Federation. They have a home page at
   <http://www.shamash.org/jrf/>.
   
   Additional information may be found in the Reconstructionist Reading
   List, available on shamash.org as
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reconstructionist or from
   rtfm.mit.edu as
   pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/reconstructionist.
   
    Traditional Judaism (formerly "Conservadox")
    
   This is a primarily North American movement that has nothing in common
   with "traditional" Jews in Israel. It is a relatively new offshoot
   from Conservative, but philosophically closer to Orthodox. They
   attempt to be as lenient as possible within an Orthodox framework,
   although many Orthodox would not accept their leniencies, such as
   using microphones on shabbat. It has yet to be determined if
   conversions and divorces under Traditional auspices are acceptable
   within the Orthodox world.
   
   There is an umbrella organization for the organized "Traditional"
   movement (please contrast this usage with the generic term
   "traditional"). This organization is the Union for Traditional
   Judaism. More information can be found on their home page,
   http://www.utj.org/home.
   
    Humanistic Judaism
    
   Humanistic Judaism practices a non-theistic form of Judaism. For those
   involved in Humanistic Judaism, Judaism is the culture and the
   historical experience of the Jewish people. Jewish history has taught
   us to rely on human power to discover truth. It is a break from both
   Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism because it does not use theistic
   language in its liturgy.
   
   Humanistic Judaism acknowledges that it is possible to integrate
   knowledge of and respect for other beliefs into the education of a
   child being raised in Humanistic Judaism, _without_ confusing or
   intermingling distinct and different religious traditions, and without
   mixing or compromising the child's identification with Judaism.
   Specifically, the Jewish members of a mixed family may participate in
   the cultural observances of the non-Jewish members as guests of the
   latter, _not_ as celebrants. Humanistic Judaism does not approve of
   the concept of mixing or joining religious identities with other
   faiths. Additional information may be found in the Humanistic Reading
   List, available on shamash.org as
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/humanistic or on rtfm.mit.edu as
   pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/humanistic. A web page
   of links and information about Humanistic Judaism is available at URL:
   <http://www.teleport.com/~hellman>.
   
   You can also contact:
   
     * Society for Humanistic Judaism
       28611 W. Twelve Mile Road
       Farmington Hills MI 48334
       +1 810 478-7610
       
   or drop a note to shjm@netcom.com (Society for Humanistic Judaism).
   Membership in SHJ is $50 per household per year. There is an
   electronic mailing list for those with an interest in exploring and/or
   furthering the development of Humanistic Judaism. To subscribe, send
   an email message to <majordomo@teleport.com> with your first and last
   name as the subject line, and the following two lines in the body of
   the message:
   
   subscribe hj
   end
   
   SHJ also maintains a home page at <http://SHJ.org/>.
   
   Readers interested in Humanistic Judaism might also want to contact
   the sister organization to SHJ, the Congress of Secular Jewish
   Organizations. They can be reached through their executive director,
   Roberta Feinstein <RCHF51A@prodigy.com>. Written inquiries may be
   sent to:
   
     * Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations
       19657 Villa Drive North
       Southfield, MI 48076
       

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Subject: What are some of the Orthodox sub-groups?

   "Traditional" can be either a synonym for Orthodox (especially when
   using the dichotomy Traditional/Liberal), or a synonym for
   "Conservadox". In recent years "Traditional" has come to denote the
   group listed above, and associated with R' Irving Greenberg and CLAL.
   In Israel, "Traditional" has yet another meaning, being equated with
   the MASORTI.
   
   "Centrist/modern/cosmopolitan" (colloquially [sometimes pejorative,
   sometimes affectionate] "kipa sruga" [crocheted skull cap]) Orthodox
   usually mean an Orthodoxy which approves of many aspects of secular
   culture, especially secular education, in addition to traditional
   Torah study. They tend to be Zionist. The precise term depends on the
   speaker - R' Norman Lamm uses "centrist," R' Shlomo Riskin uses
   "cosmopolitan" and R' Emmanuel Rackman uses "modern." The Union of
   Orthodox Jewish Congregations, Yeshiva University, and the Rabbinical
   Council of America in some sense represents this group. In Israel, the
   Mizrachi organization is a well-known representative.
   
   "Yeshivish" (colloquially, [sometimes pejorative, sometimes
   affectionate] "black hat" or "black") suggests an Orthodox outlook in
   which the focus of life is Torah study, as is done in Lithuanian-style
   Yeshivos. Secular culture is either tolerated or criticized for its
   corrupting influences. This group tends to be "non-Zionist" in the
   sense that they love the land of Israel and its holiness (many spend
   years in Israel for Torah study), but are unenthusiastic about secular
   Zionism and Israeli secular culture. Agudath Israel tends to represent
   this group.
   
   The Chassidic style of Orthodox Judaism is described in a later
   section.
   
   In Israel, the "Dati/Chareidi" distinction is more a matter of
   attitude towards Zionism than of political affiliation or religious
   views. The Dati tend to be more supportive of Zionism, with the
   Chareidi not having much belief in the modern Jewish state. Please
   note that these are general positions; individual members may hold
   different views and your milage may vary.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Chassidism and how does it differ from other Orthodox
         groups?

   The Chassidic movement started in the 1700's (Common Era) in Eastern
   Europe in response to a void felt by many average observant Jews of
   the day. The founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov
   (referred to as the "Besht," an acronym of his name) was a great
   scholar and mystic, devoted to both the revealed, outer aspect, and
   hidden, inner aspect of Torah. He and his followers, without veering
   from a commitment to Torah, created a way of Jewish life that
   emphasized the ability of all Jews to grow closer to G-d via
   everything that we do, say, and think. In contrast to the somewhat
   intellectual style of the mainstream Jewish leaders of his day and
   their emphasis on the primacy of Torah study, the Besht emphasized a
   constant focus on attachment to G-d and Torah no matter what one is
   involved with.
   
   Early on, there was a schism between the Chassidic and non-Chassidic
   (i.e. Misnagdim, lit. 'opponents') Jewish movements, primarily over
   real or imagined issues of halachic observance. The opposition was
   based on concern that the Chassidim were neglecting the laws regarding
   appropriate times for prayer, and perhaps concern about the exuberance
   of Chassidic worship, or a concern that it might be an offshoot of
   false messiahs Shabbtai Zvi or Jacob Frank. Within a generation or two
   the rift was closed. Since then, many Chassidic practices have
   influenced the Misnagdim, while the Misnagdim, in turn, moderated some
   of the extremes of early Chassidism. Nevertheless, the dispute between
   particular groups of Chassidim and Misnagdim continues to this day,
   especially in Israel, and occasionally on soc.culture.jewish.
   
   Today, Chassidim are differentiated from other Orthodox Jews by their
   devotion to a dynastic leader (referred to as a "Rebbe"), their
   wearing of distinctive clothing, and a greater than average study of
   the inner aspects of Torah.
   
   There are perhaps a dozen major Chassidic movements today, the largest
   of which (with perhaps 100,000 followers) is the Lubavitch group
   headquartered in Brooklyn NY. Other groups include the Bobov,
   Bostoner, Belzer, Gerer, Satmar, Vizhnitz, Breslov, Puppa, Bianer,
   Munkacz, and Rimnitz. In Israel, the major Chasidic groups after the
   Lubavitch group are: Gor (-Gerer), Viznitz, and Bealz (=Belzer).
   
   Additional information may be found in the Chasidism Reading List,
   available as usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/chasidism from
   rtfm.mit.edu.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Lubavitch Chasidism and Chabad?

   Lubavitch Chasidism, most commonly presented through its
   organizational arm Chabad, is one of the better known groups within
   Chasidism (although there are others). It is an international movement
   with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
   
   Its major thrust focuses on observing for one's self and transmitting
   to others the beauty, depth, awareness and joy inherent in the
   Torah-true way of life. By doing so, it strives to revitalize Jewish
   life by intensifying the individual's relationship to G-d, and deep
   sense of devotion and love towards one's fellow man.
   
   The name Chabad (Chochmah, Binah, Daat) refers to the three
   intellectual sephiros (Divine Emanations); the philosophy of the
   founder, the Alter Rebbe, stressed the use of the intellect to guide
   the emotions. Thus, each individual chassid had to work on
   himself/herself, rather than simply rely on the Rebbe/Tzaddik's
   saintliness. Another name used in Lubavitch Chassidism is ChaGat
   (Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferes), which refers to the first three of the
   seven emotional sephiros/character attributes which derive from
   Chabad. The empahsis in Chagat Chassidus is on emotional fervor and
   devotion (the Baal Shem Tov's counter to the dry intellectualism
   mentioned earlier.) Consequently, a chassid must attach
   himself/herself to the Rebbe and let his righteousness carry the
   Chassid along.
   
   The Lubavitch Rebbe, as Nasi HaDor (leader of the generation) has the
   responsibility of setting the direction of the generation.
   
   Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy promotes an intellectual perspective that
   strives to helps an individual live in full accordance with the
   Torah-true way of life.
   
   Chabad-Lubavitch operates an extensive outreach effort to encourage
   Jews to return to traditional practices. As part of this effort,
   Chabad operates the Mitzvah Campaigns. The vanguard of the Mitzvah
   Campaigns are the "Mitzvah Tanks". The goal of the Mitzvah Campaign is
   to encourage Jews to perform 10 specific mitzvos, the intention being
   that through their fulfillment, the individual and the family will
   come to experience a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with
   their Jewish Heritage. These Mitzvot are:
   
    1. _Ahavas Yisroel_: The love of one's fellow Jew.
    2. _Chinuch_: Torah Education
    3. _Torah Study_.
    4. _Tefillin_: The donning of Tefillin, every weekday, by men and
       boys over 13.
    5. _Mezuzoh_: The Jewish Sign
    6. _Tzedokoh_: Giving charity every weekday.
    7. _Posession of Jewish Holy Books_
    8. _Lighting Shabbos and Festival Candles_. Chabad provides a Free
       Shabbat Kit, available by calling the Rebitzen at +1 310 326-8234.
       For Candle lighting times anywhere in the USA call 718-774-3000.
    9. _Kashrus_: The Jewish Dietary Laws
   10. _Taharas Hamishpocho_: The Torah perspective on married life
       
   Chabad also urges that efforts be made to inform the public at large
   about the nature and meaning of the Seven Laws of Noah. Additional
   information on the Noachide Laws may be found in Part 6 of the S.C.J
   FAQ, Question 12.19, "What does Judaism say about non-Jews?"
   
   Additional information on Chabad may be found in the Chassidic Reading
   List portion of the S.C.J FAQ.
   
   Chabad-Lubavitch is also reachable through the internet; for more
   information, send email to info@lubavitch.chabad.org. Information is
   also available via WWW or Mosaic via the following URL:
   http://www.chabad.org or by gopher to gopher.chabad.org.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Breslov Chasidism?

   The Breslov movement was founded by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-
   1810), who was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of
   Chassidism. Breslover Chassidim usually refer to him as "Rebbe
   Nachman" or simply "the Rebbe" (different from the Lubovitcher Rebbe
   described above). Rebbe Nachman is buried in Uman in the Ukraine. Each
   year there is a major pilgrimage of Breslover Chassidim who travel to
   Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah near the gravesite. Plans are
   currently under way to build a Breslov synagogue there.
   
   The name "Breslov" itself comes from the town of Breslov, also located
   in the Ukraine, where Nachman spent most of the last eight years of
   his life. Some people also see the name as a play on words in
   Askenazic Hebrew: "Bris lev" means "covenant (or circumcision) of the
   heart." The Breslov approach places great stress on serving G-d with
   joy and living life as intensely as possible. "It's a great mitzvah
   always to be happy," Nachman taught.
   
   One distinctively Breslov practice is "hisboddidus" (hitbadedut), a
   personalized form of free-flowing prayer and meditation. In addition
   to the regular daily services in the prayerbook, Breslover Hasidim try
   to spend an hour alone with G-d each day, pouring out their thoughts
   and concerns in whatever language they speak, as if talking to a close
   personal friend. (One does not have to be a Breslover Chassid to
   practice this technique.)
   
   Rebbe Nachman stressed the importance of soul-searching. He always
   maintained that his high spiritual level was due to his own efforts,
   and not to his famous lineage or any circumstances of birth. He
   repeatedly insisted that all Jews could reach the same level as he,
   and spoke out very strongly against those who thought that the main
   reason for a Tzaddik's greatness was the superior level of his soul.
   "Everyone can attain the highest level," Nachman taught, "It depends
   on nothing but your own free choice... for everything depends on a
   multitude of deeds." (See Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, p.29)
   
   Although Rebbe Nachman died almost 200 years ago, he is still
   considered to be the leader of the movement through the guidance of
   his books and stories. Breslover Chassidim today do not have a "Rebbe
   in the flesh," and each individual Chassid is free to go to any guide
   or teacher he (or she) feels comfortable with. There is no single
   person or council of elders "in charge" of the Breslov movement, and
   there is no membership list.
   
   Further information about Breslov can be found in the reading list on
   Chassidism at
   <http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/rl/joc-index.html> and at
   the "Breslov -- Judaism with a Heart" website (www.breslov.org). The
   "Friends of Breslov" homepage at
   http:/www.tiac.net/users/bpilant/breslov.html also has links to other
   Breslov-related pages.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is Satmar Chasidism?

   TBD. A contribution of text to complete this would be welcome.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What other forms of Chasidism?

   TBD. A contribution of text to complete this would be welcome.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What are OCR (O-C-R) wars? Why all the flames?

   These are disputes among Orthodox-Conservative-Reform Jews, perhaps
   the most regular and least productive discussion topic.
   
   Why is this? Perhaps it's a carryover from Talmudic study, in which
   decisions are reached by proposing a series of ideas, vigorously
   attacking them, and seeing which remain standing when the dust clears.
   Everyone is expected to be able to state his first principles and
   demonstrate how his practices are consistent with said principles.
   
   If the correctness of one of your practices is attacked, the best
   defense is to show that it is consistent with your principles, but not
   the attacker's. Once a debate boils down to different principles,
   there's nothing more to add, except to try to change each others'
   principles somehow.
   
   Another form of attack is to assert that another group's practices
   harm the Jewish people or Jewish survival. That group may well
   disagree with your assessment. If the different assessments are due to
   different principles, there's nothing more to add.
   
   Before jumping into the RCO pot, consider the following story, which
   was shared by David Kaufmann:
   
     Rabbi Manis Friedman, at a lecture to the women's organizations of a
     Reform synagogue and Chabad (co-sponsored by both), gave the
     following parable/analogy: The Jewish people are like children of a
     father gone on a long journey. They argue over what type of soup
     their father wants when he comes back - and are busy preparing the
     soup. "Father will want chicken soup, just like he did before." "No,
     Father wanted chickens soup then, now he'll want vegetable soup."
     When the father returns, what will matter is that the children cared
     most about what their father wanted and tried to have it ready for
     him.
     

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: But Reform Judaism _isn't_ Judaism? Why don't they see that?

   One of the great temptations facing Orthodox (and some Conservative)
   Jews on SCJ is the opportunity for bashing the Reform movement.
   
   It is easy to understand the temptation; Non-Reform Jews clearly
   disagree with some very significant aspects of the Reform movement.
   They feel that doctrines of the Reform movement are wrong, and that
   many of their strategies (e.g., the best way to deal with such
   problems as intermarriage and non-observance) are ill-advised.
   Furthermore, because they have a strong sense of community with _all_
   Jews, Orthodox Jews are often pained by some aspects of the Reform
   movement.
   
   As tempting as Reform-bashing is, it should be avoided for several
   reasons.
   
   First, distressingly large number of R-bashing posts are simply "I
   hate Reform" statements without any further information or
   justification or rationale. They add little to any discussion.
   
   Second, far too many R-bashing posts are based on misinformation.
   Sometimes the R-bashing statements are absolutely contrary to
   O-halakha; how often have you read "R Jews are NOT Jews." In other
   instances, statements are posted such as "Reform rabbis are in favor
   of intermarriage" or "Reform rabbis co-officiate with non-Jewish
   clergy at interfaith weddings." The former is _not_ true (although
   some Reform rabbis will officiate at intermarriages, they do not
   _favor_ them), and the latter is _rarely_ true. "There are no
   fourth-generation Reform Jews" or "Fourth-generation Reform Jews are
   all Unitarians" are both simply untrue. To learn the truth about
   Reform/Progressive Judaism, interested readers should look at the
   Reform/Progressive Section of the FAQ.
   
   Third, irrelevant and usually unsubstantiated arguments are often
   made. Whether there will be many or few Reform Jews in 50 years is
   heavily conjectural, rarely backed by data, and _irrelevant_ to the
   question of the correctness of the Reform movement. Think: 50 years
   ago, who would have predicted the present apparent resurgence of
   Orthodoxy?
   
   Fourth, these rather crude forms of R-bashing do not simply reflect
   poorly on the poster; far more significantly (from an Orthodox
   perspective), they reflect poorly on Orthodoxy. Remember that there
   are many more lurkers than there are posters. One of the great
   tragedies of SCJ is that too many people will read some of the crude
   R-bashing messages and conclude that "If this is what Orthodoxy is all
   about, I want nothing of it."
   
   Finally (closely related to the fourth issue), R-bashing is a
   spectacularly poor way to present Orthodoxy to non-Orthodox readers.
   R-bashing gives the impression that the central feature of Orthodoxy
   is the rejection of Reform. In doing so, R-bashing blinds readers from
   seeing the beauty, the joy, the compassion, the love of Judaism and
   the sanctity that Orthodox Jews find in Orthodoxy.
   
   SCJ provides great temptations for R-bashing. But such R-bashing
   inevitably degenerates to a major hilul haShem, a desecration of G-d's
   name, because it inevitably offends nonOrthodox readers, and turns
   them off on Orthodoxy.
   
   SCJ also offers great opportunities for kiddush haShem, for the
   sanctification of G-d's name. Many SCJ readers have never before
   interacted with Orthodox Jews, and have heard only negative
   stereotypes (just as many O Jews have heard only stereotypes about
   non-O Jews).
   
   By providing thoughtful, caring, compassionate, considerate, answers,
   it is possible to show the _positive_ side of Orthodoxy. By making
   reasoned and reasonable comments, others can be convinced that the
   Orthodox positions are reasoned and reasonable.
   
   There are, in fact, several SCJ readers whose increased levels of
   observance has been fostered by such posts in the past. And there are
   other SCJ readers who were once rabidly anti-Orthodox, and whose
   opposition has been somewhat softened by such posts. There is no
   evidence of non-observant SCJ readers whose level of observance has
   increased based on inflammatory R-bashing.
   
   Orthodox Jews should not gloss over OCR differences, or that accept
   the O-halakhic legitimacy of Reform practices. But Orthodox rejection
   of Reform practices must be presented with a rationale, must be
   justified, and must be polite. Orthodoxy rejects Reform practice
   because Orthodoxy believe they (the practices) are wrong, not because
   Reform Jews are terrible.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: But Orthodox Judaism _isn't_ Judaism? Why don't they see that?

   On the other hand, SCJ also provides a temptation for Reform Jews to
   bash Orthodoxy's traditional approach as outmoded and antique. Resist
   the temptation!
   
   Rabbi Walter Jacob said: "It is not our task as liberal Jews to
   complain about the Orthodox attitude or to be bullied by it, but
   rather to choose our legitimate path according to the inner logic and
   development of liberal Judaism". By arguing how Orthodoxy is wrong,
   you do no service to Reform. The best argument for Reform Judaism is
   to present a positive image of Reform as serious, but embracing of
   other forms of Judaism. It goes against Reform philosophy to claim
   that Orthodoxy is not a valid expression of Judaism.
   
   Just like Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews have a sense of community with
   _all_ Jews. Yet, Reform Jews are often pained by some aspects of
   Orthodoxy.
   
   As tempting as Orthodox-bashing is, it should be avoided for several
   reasons.
   
   First, distressingly large number of O-bashing posts are simply "I
   hate Orthodoxy" or "I had Orthodoxy's attitudes" statements without
   any further information or justification or rationale. They add little
   to any discussion.
   
   Second, far too many O-bashing posts are based on misinformation. For
   example, many discussions revolve around the O treatment of women.
   However, to the O, there is nothing wrong: there are different roles,
   and different roles have different obligations. The same is true for
   many other O practices. Try to view the practice against the
   traditional point of view; it is incorrect to judge it against the R
   point of view. You may choose to disagree with the practice, but that
   is _your_ choice.
   
   Third, many of the arguments with Orthodoxy are calling for them to
   accept things that just cannot be accepted. Many Reform practices go
   against traditional beliefs; to accept them would require Orthodoxy to
   discard those beliefs. That's the wrong thing to ask. Focus on where
   Jews are similar, not where Jews are different.
   
   Fourth, these rather crude forms of O-bashing do not simply reflect
   poorly on the poster; far more significantly (from an Reform
   perspective), they reflect poorly on Reform. Remember that there are
   many more lurkers than there are posters. One of the great tragedies
   of SCJ is that too many people will read some of the crude O-bashing
   messages and conclude that "If this is what Reform is all about, I
   want nothing of it."
   
   Finally (closely related to the fourth issue), O-bashing is a
   spectacularly poor way to present Reform to non-Reform readers.
   O-bashing gives the impression that the central feature of Reform is
   the rejection of Orthodoxy. In doing so, O-bashing blinds readers from
   seeing the beauty, the joy, the compassion, the love of Judaism and
   the sanctity that Reform Jews find in Reform.
   
   SCJ provides great temptations for O-bashing. But such O-bashing
   inevitably degenerates to a major desecration of G-d's name, because
   it inevitably offends readers, and turns them off of Reform.
   
   SCJ also offers great opportunities for kiddush haShem, for the
   sanctification of G-d's name. Many SCJ readers have never before
   interacted with Reform Jews, and have heard only negative stereotypes
   (just as many R Jews have heard only stereotypes about non-R Jews).
   
   By providing thoughtful, caring, compassionate, considerate, answers,
   it is possible to show the _positive_ side of Reform. By making
   reasoned and reasonable comments, others can be convinced that the
   Reform positions are reasoned and reasonable.
   
   Reform Jews should not gloss over OCR differences. However, the focus
   should be on where the practices are congruent, and differences must
   be presented with a rationale, must be justified, and must be polite.
   Reform has different practices because Reform interprets the
   underlying halacha differently, not because practices or beliefs are
   outmoded or silly.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Why shouldn't I say "ultra-Orthodox", "Reformed Judaism", or
         "Humanist Judaism"?

   Because such terms are inappropriate, and usually reflect a lack of
   knowledge about the group in question:
   
     * "Ultra-Orthodox", when used properly, refers to the most carefully
       and detailed observant among the Orthodox, and who go to great
       lengths to keep away from most of Western culture. It arose as a
       reaction to the "Neologue" movement in 19th century Hungary, an
       extremely limp attempt at Reform (today they'd be called modern
       Orthodox, but such fine gradations didn't exist then).
       
       In practice, the term is usually used as a disparaging synonym for
       Orthodox or Chassidic. What passes for an unremarkable level of
       observance is inaccurately elevated into a form of "fanaticism".
       Many people outside the Orthodox community mistakenly identify
       those who wear Chassidic garb (long black coats, earlocks for men,
       wigs/kerchiefs for women) as "ultra-Orthodox." In fact, the
       Chassidic groups are no more or less observant than other Orthodox
       groups who do not dress so distinctively.
       
       The term "Chareidi" (literally: "trembling" as in "trembling in
       awe of HaKadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One Praised by he).") tends to
       refer to the same people as described by "Ultra-Orthodox" but is
       more acceptable. It hasn't caught on in the U.S. yet.
       
     * The correct term for the Liberal/Progressive Branch of Judaism is
       "_Reform Judaism_", _not_ "ReformED Judaism". "Reformed" implies
       that the adherents used to be Jews, but they learned and are now
       something else (e.g., early Christians were "Reformed" Jews).
       "Reform", on the other hand, indicates a belief in the ability to
       change (i.e., "Reform") the practices while still remaining Jews.
       
     * The correct term for Rabbi Sherwin Wine's movement is "_Humanistic
       Judaism_", not "Humanist Judaism". "Humanist", similar to
       "Buddhist", designates an adherent of a specific non-Jewish
       religion. "Humanistic Judaism" is a non-theistic branch of
       Judaism, based on a humanistic interpretation and application of
       Jewish traditions.
       

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: How does a Chassid differ from Misnagid?

   hassidism comes in many forms. One distinguishing characteristic is an
   emphasis on the importance of a personal/emotional/ecstatic touch to
   the doing of the mitzvos. Another is the reliance on a Rebbe,
   especially for any important life decisions. A third characteristic is
   the telling of tales. Misnagdim will often have some of these
   characteristics, but the Chassidic approach elevates them to worthy
   goals in their own right.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What is a "Torah Jew?"

   The expression "the Torah world" and "Torah Jew" tends to be used
   primarily by the "yeshivish" world, as other groups prefer other
   buzzwords. But many other Jews object to the term, as they also claim
   to be true to Torah principles in their practice.
   
   In general, if someone dislikes a particular term, switch to another
   term which conveys the same information.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: What about homosexual Jews?

   Traditional Judaism considers particular common homosexual sexual
   activities as an abomination. The more liberal movements (such as
   Reform) make no statements about the sexual acts, but do not feel that
   homosexuals should be discriminated against due to sexual orientation.
   Great debates have raged on S.C.J regarding the extent to which Jewish
   practices and congregational life should include homosexuals.
   
   Nevertheless, as with society as a whole, there are members of the
   Jewish community who are homosexual. A support page
   (<http://www.magic.ca/~faygelah/Index.html>) has been established on
   the web for those individuals.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Is it true that Jews are all (fill-in-the-blank)? rich? (or smart,
         or ...)

   No. There are many poor Jews who need your support. Consider
   contributing to Jewish charities, and/or volunteering your time or
   services to them.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: How many Jews are there today in the U.S.A.?

   A 1990 National Jewish Population Survey of the Council of Jewish
   Federations reports the following:

American Jews:  (TOTAL......5,515,000)
     Born Jews, Consider Judaism their religion.....4,210,000
     Born Jews, Citing no religion..................1,120,000
     Jews by Choice (formerly gentiles)...............185,000

Reform.......................41.4%  "Traditional"*............... 3.2%
Conservative.................40.4%  Reconstructionist............ 1.6%
Orthodox..................... 6.8%  Miscellaneous "Jewish"*...... 1.4%
"Just Jewish"*............... 5.2%

*: self-description, though not a denomination.

   Survey Criteria for the classifications:
   
   Orthodox:
          Emphasizes the binding unchanging character of Jewish law
          
   Conservative:
          Asserts the continuing authority of Jewish law as part of a
          dynamic and developing tradition.
          
   Reform:
          Emphasizes the Jewish prophetic values and accepts Jewish
          practices that it considers relevant for modern times.
          
   Reconstructionism:
          A humanistic approach to Jewish tradition that redefines the
          idea of G-d in humanistic terms.
          

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Archival and Credits

  Anonymous FTP:
  
   All portions of the FAQ and of the reading lists are archived on
   shamash.org [192.77.173.13] and on rtfm.mit.edu, and are available
   for anonymous FTP. On shamash.org, the parts of the FAQ are stored in
   the israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ directory. On rtfm.mit.edu, these FAQs
   are stored in the pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/FAQ directory. Note
   that the archived versions of the FAQ are the posted versions; that
   is, they are each one large ASCII file.
   
   The following is the mapping of sections to files:
   
   01-FAQ-intro
          Section 1: Network and Soc.Culture.Jewish Information
          
   02-Who-We-Are
          Section 2: Who We Are
          
   03-Torah-Halacha
          Section 3: Torah
          Section 4: Halachic Authority
          
   04-Observance
          Section 5: Jewish Holidays
          Section 6: Jewish Dietary Law and Kashrut
          Section 7: Sabbath and Holiday Observance
          Section 8: Woman and Marriage
          
   05-Worship
          Section 9: Jewish Worship
          Section 10: Conversion, Intermarriage, and "Who is a Jew?"
          Section 11: Miscellaneous Practice Questions
          
   06-Jewish-Thought
          Section 12: Jewish Thought
          
   07-Jews-As-Nation
          Section 13: Jews as a Nation
          
   08-Israel
          Section 14: Jews and Israel
          
   09-Antisemitism
          Section 15: Churban Europa (The Holocaust)
          Section 16: Antisemitism and Rumors about Jews
          Section 17: Countering Missionaries
          
   10-Reform
          Section 18: Reform/Progressive Judaism
          
   11-Miscellaneous
          Section 19: Miscellaneous
          Section 20: References and Getting Connected
          
   12-Kids
          Section 21: Jewish Childrearing Related Questions
          
   mail-order
          Mail Order Judaica
          
   On shamash.org, the parts of the reading lists are stored in the
   israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists directory. On rtfm.mit.edu, the
   reading lists are stored in the
   pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists directory. Note that the
   archived versions of the reading lists are the posted versions; that
   is, they are each one large ASCII file.
   
   The following is the mapping of reading lists to files:
   
   general
          Introduction and General. Includes book sources, starting
          points for beginners, starting points for non-Jewish readers,
          General Judaism, General Jewish Thought, General Jewish
          History, Noachide Laws, Torah and Talmud, Mishnah and Talmud,
          Torah and Talmudic Commentary, Midrash, Halachic Codes,
          Becoming An Observant Jew, Women and Judaism, and Science and
          Judaism.
          
   traditional
          Traditional Liturgy, Practice, Lifestyle, Holidays. Includes
          Traditional Liturgy; Traditional Philosophy and Ethics; Prayer;
          Traditional Practice; The Household; Life, Death, and
          In-Between; and The Cycle Of Holidays.
          
   mysticism
          Kabbalah, Mysticism, and Messianism. Includes Academic and
          Religious treatments of Kabbalah, Sprituality, and the Jewish
          notion of the Messiah.
          
   reform
          Reform/Progressive Judaism
          
   conservative
          Conservative Judaism
          
   reconstructionist
          Reconstructionist Judaism
          
   humanistic
          Humanistic Judaism (Society for Humanistic Judaism)
          
   chasidism
          Chassidism. Includes general information on historical
          chassidism, as well as specific information on Lubavitch
          (Chabad), Satmar, Breslaw (Breslov), and other approaches.
          
   zionism
          Zionism. Includes Zionism and The Development Of Israel, The
          Founders, Zionistic Movements, and Judaism in Israel.
          
   antisemitism
          Antisemitism. Includes sections on Antisemitism, What Led to
          The Holocaust, Medieval Oppression, Antisemitism Today
          (Including Dealing with Hate Groups), Judaism and Christianity,
          and Judaism, Freemasonry and other rumors.
          
   intermarriage
          Intermarriage. Includes sections on "So You're Considering
          Intermarriage?", The Traditional Viewpoint, Conversion, and
          Coping With Life As An Intermarried.
          
   periodicals
          Periodicals. Includes Topical General Interest Periodicals,
          General Interest Periodicals focused on Tradition and Home,
          General Interest Periodicals focused on Jewish Scholarship,
          Other General Interest Periodicals, Publications Targeted For
          Specific Movements, Rabbinic Journals, and Local Publications.
          
   childrens
          Books for Jewish Children. Includes.
          
  Mail:
  
   The files may also be obtained via Email by sending a message to
   faigin@shamash.org with any number of the following commands in the
   body of the mail message:
   
   send faq _portionnames_
   send rl _portionnames_
   
   The "send faq" version is used to obtain portions of the FAQ; the
   "send rl" version is used to obtain portions of the reading list.
   "_portionnames_" should be replaced by the names of the files to be
   retrieved, separated by spaces. The special file name "list" will
   retrieve a list of all files that make up the FAQ or reading list; the
   special file name "all" will retrieve all files on the appropriate
   list.
   
   Examples:
   send faq all
   send faq list
   send faq 01-FAQ-intro
   send rl all
   send rl general
   
   Alternatively, you may send a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with
   the following line in the body of the message:
   
   send usenet/news.answers/judaism/(portionname)
   
   Where (portionname) is replaced by the appropriate subdirectory and
   filenames; for example, to get the first part of the reading list, one
   would say:

        send usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/general

  WWW:
  
   The FAQ and reading lists are available as a full hypertext tree on
   shamash.org. The URL is:
   
   http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/index.html

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Credits

   The Frequently Asked Questions were developed by a committee
   consisting of Mike Allen, Jerry Altzman, Rabbi Charles Arian, Jacob
   Baltuch (Past Chair), Joseph Berry, Warren Burstein, Stewart Clamen,
   Daniel Faigin, Avi Feldblum, Itzhak "Jeff" Finger, Gedaliah
   Friedenberg, Yechezkal Gutfreund, Art Kamlet, Joe Kansun, Alan
   Lustiger, Hillel Markowitz, Len Moskowitz, Colin Naturman, Aliza
   Panitz, Eliot Shimoff, Mark Steinberger, Steven Weintraub, Matthew
   Wiener, and headed by Robert Levene. The organization and structuring
   of the lists for posting purposes was done by D. Faigin, who is
   currently maintaining the lists.Other contributors include A. Engler
   Anderson, Ken Arromdee, Seymour Axelrod, Josh Backon, Micha Berger,
   Steven M. Bergson, Eli Birnbaum, Kevin Brook, J. Burton, Harvey Cohen,
   Todd J.Dicker, Michael Dinowitz, Sean Engelson, Mike Fessler, Menachem
   Glickman, Amitai Halevi, Walter Hellman, Miriam Jerris, Robert D.
   Kaiser, Yosef Kazen, Rabbi Jay Lapidus, Mier Lehrer, Heather Luntz,
   Arnaldo Mandel, Ilana Manspeizer, Seth Ness, Chris Newport, Alan
   Pfeffer, Adam Reed, Seth Rosenthall, JudithSeid@aol.com, David Sheen,
   Michael Sidlofsky, Michael Slifkin, Frank Smith, Andy Tannenbaum,
   marktan@aol.com, Meredith Warshaw, Bill Wadlinger, Arel Weisberg, and
   Art Werschulz. Comments and corrections are welcome. You may address
   comments either to the maintainer (faigin@pacificnet.net) or to the
   SCJ FAQ committee (scj-faq-list@columbia.edu).

------------------------------------------------------------
--
Please mail additions or corrections to me at faigin@pacificnet.net.


End of S.C.J FAQ Part 2 (Who We Are) Digest
**************************
-------
-- 
faigin@pacificnet.net   Moderator, Mail.Liberal-Judaism (mlj@shamash.org)
   |  @shamash.org      Maintainer, S.C.J FAQ/Reading List * Advisor S.C.J.P
   |  @aero.org         Daddy, Erin Shoshana  misc.kids Albums 95pg48 96pg27
   v  @acm.org          Home Page: http://www.pacificnet.net/~faigin/
