Jewish Religious Differences and the Gospel
Judaism is a monotheistic religion, but it certainly isn’t a monolithic one.
What do we mean by that? Well, Judaism today consists of several branches, or movements, which vary greatly from each other. The three major branches are Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Today, there is also a large number of Jewish people who identify as secular, meaning they are ethnically Jewish but don’t practice any form of Judaism.
You don’t need to be an expert on the minute details of Judaism’s different branches in order to share the gospel with sensitivity. However, having some knowledge of the religious differences among Jewish people can prepare you to engage with Jewish people of different religious backgrounds.
Orthodox Judaism: Cut through Tradition to Reveal the Messiah
Jewish people who practice Orthodox Judaism are committed to the Torah and observing halacha (Jewish religious law). There are generally two groups within Orthodox Judaism: the Modern Orthodox and the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim).
Modern Orthodox groups view the Torah as authoritative and remain traditional in their practice, but they are more open to engaging with the modern world. Because they have more contact with secular culture, they may be more receptive to conversations about the gospel than those in Haredi communities, which tend to be very insular.
The Haredim are devoted to the study of the Torah and the Talmud,[1] and their understanding of the Bible is strongly influenced by rabbinic tradition. In some cases, these traditions have expanded on the stories that are recorded in Scripture, and rabbinic interpretations can obscure the meaning of passages that point to the Messiah.
What Paul writes with love and urgency in Romans 10:2 can definitely be applied to the Orthodox Jewish communities, who have “a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Seeing Jesus in the Law and the Prophets would require them to examine the Scriptures apart from rabbinic tradition, which for many Orthodox Jews are inextricably linked. God is the only one who can remove the veil that lies over their hearts (2 Corinthians 3:15–16), and we should pray that God would reveal Himself through Scripture to Modern Orthodox Jews and the Haredim.
Reform Judaism: Make Connections between Tradition and God’s Self-Revelation
Reform Judaism emerged in 19th-century Europe as a reaction to Orthodox Judaism. This branch was founded by Jewish people who wanted to maintain Jewish religion without being bound to rabbinic tradition and strict adherence to halacha. Today, Reform is the largest branch of Judaism in the United States.
A defining trait of the Reform branch is its view that Judaism has always been evolving to meet the needs of the Jewish community. Reform Judaism doesn’t consider observance of the Torah and halacha to be obligatory, and for this reason, Reform congregations may focus more on improving the world around them (environmentalism, political activism, social justice) than on religious observance.
Because of Reform Judaism’s belief that Jewish religious beliefs and practices are unfixed and adaptable, it can be difficult to know where Jewish people in this branch stand spiritually. When sharing the gospel with someone from a Reform background, it’s especially important to find out their personal beliefs. Overall, their response to the gospel will likely be closer to a secular Jewish response than an Orthodox response.
Conservative Judaism: Find Common Ground in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
In the late 1800s, Conservative Judaism was founded in reaction to Reform Judaism, which some saw as going too far in its rejection of Jewish religious traditions. A key incident on the road to Conservative Judaism’s establishment was the Trefa Banquet, hosted in Ohio to honor the first graduating class of the Hebrew Union College – a Reform institution.[2] The menu included a variety of shellfish, which deeply offended some of the guests who observed kashrut (Jewish dietary laws).
Conservative Judaism doesn’t go to the lengths that Reform Judaism does in casting off traditional practices (such as dietary laws), but it is more willing than Orthodox Judaism to adapt to modernity. Today, many Jewish people who belong to the Conservative branch are becoming more Orthodox in their practice, attracted by the traditional religious values of the Orthodox community.
A Jewish person who practices Conservative Judaism will typically have more knowledge of the Hebrew Bible than a secular Jewish person, as well as greater familiarity with the Jewish feasts and key events in the Jewish lifecycle. These can serve as points of connection as you seek to share the gospel with Jewish people from a Conservative background.
The Secular Jewish Community: Introduce the Jesus of the Gospels, Dispel Perceptions of Antisemitism
A secular Jewish person may reach adulthood never having gone to synagogue or read the Hebrew Bible. In terms of appearance, lifestyle, and values, they are often indistinguishable from their Gentile neighbors. Since most secular Jewish people haven’t received a Jewish religious education, their understanding of the Scriptures won’t be shaped by rabbinic tradition. This can make them more open to the gospel, but they may nonetheless face a different set of barriers to faith.
For a secular Jewish person, the history of Jewish persecution at the hands of “Christians” is a big hurdle to the idea of faith in Jesus. They may also see themselves as “a good person” who has no need for the gospel. Spiritually, we can expect secular Jewish people to have a lot in common with non-Jewish unbelievers.
Conclusion: Focus on Individuals and Their Personal Beliefs
Apart from the three major branches of Judaism, there are subgroups within the major branches, as well as smaller branches like Reconstructionist Judaism. We won’t go into detail on that here. As you can probably see by now, there is a wide range of religious differences among Jewish people today!
So how can knowing about Jewish religious differences help us in conversations with Jewish people, and how can we avoid making assumptions?
First, we should be curious. The important thing is to find out what the individual Jewish person you are talking to believes. They may tell you they belong to a certain branch, but knowing that alone may not reveal a lot about their personal beliefs. Randy Newman writes in Engaging with Jewish People that his grandfather regularly attended an Orthodox synagogue – even though he didn’t believe in God! For his grandfather, going to synagogue was part and parcel of being Jewish, not a matter of faith.
The Jewish people you encounter may be in a similar situation, where their personal beliefs don’t completely line up with the beliefs of their congregation. Continue asking questions in a way that shows you are genuinely interested and care about them spiritually. Once you learn more about what a Jewish person believes, that can help you better contextualize and communicate the gospel message.
[1] In Jewish tradition, it is believed that God not only gave Moses the Written Law – the Torah – but also an Oral Law, which was eventually written down in a book called the Mishnah. Together with the Gemara, a rabbinical commentary on the Mishnah, these two books make up the Talmud.
[2] “Trefa” comes from treif, a Yiddish word that means non-kosher.
