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If I already posted this from Yahoo! Answers before, please let me know. Nonetheless, a refresher always helps. On Shabbat especially, to talk about the different forms of Judaism would begin to give others—including Jews who don't know what the heck their own people do, and those who suspect that they are Jewish and would like to have an idea of what Jews do—an idea of what Jews do on Shabbat. Granted that this is basic, modified from the original Yahoo! post, and more for reference than anything else; but it should still give you an idea of what Jews do on Shabbat.
1) Haredi ("Hasidi", "Chabad") Judaism (including Kabbalah) 2) Orthodox Judaism 3) Conservadox Judaism 4) Reformodox Judaism 5) Conservative (Masorti) Judaism 6) Reform (Liberal, "Progressive") Judaism 7) Reconstructionist Judaism 8) Renewal Judaism or Alternative Judaism 9) Humanistic Judaism 10) Atheistic Judaism
There's also Karaite (Mikra'iti, Scripturalist) Judaism and Messianic (Christian) Judaism, neither of which are accepted by Pharisaic (Mainstream) Judaism.
Now that you have an idea of each of the forms of Judaism, you can pretty much guess what a Jew who affiliates with a given denomination of Judaism does on Shabbat. If you can't, keep reading...
1) Haredi ("Hasidi", "Chabad") Judaism (including Kabbalah)—will not work on Shabbat. "Work" certainly includes even writing, and may even include walking for the extremely-haredi Jew. For the Jew who does not even walk on Shabbat, he or she may sit in his or her home and privately worship (He or she would certainly not walk to shul.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light will come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" includes turning on a light switch!
2) Orthodox Judaism—will not work on Shabbat. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Jew (as opposed to the Modern Orthodox Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually walk to shul, and drive only if tikun ha'olam v'piku'ach nefesh (e.g., getting a disabled family member to shul) requires him or her to do so (He or she may hire a shabbos goy to drive the family member, however.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light will come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" includes turning on a light switch!
3) Conservadox Judaism—will mix Conservative and Orthodox practices.
4) Reformodox Judaism—will mix Reform and Orthodox practices.
5) Conservative (Masorti) Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being Orthodox or Reform. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Conservative Jew (as opposed to the more-Modern-Orthodox Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually walk to shul, and drive only if tikun ha'olam v'piku'ach nefesh (e.g., getting a disabled family member to shul) requires him or her to do so (He or she may hire a shabbos goy to drive the family member, however.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light may come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" may include turning on a light switch!
6) Reform (Liberal, "Progressive") Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Reform Jew (as opposed to the less-Orthodox Reform Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all. He or she will also likely turn on light switches.
7) Reconstructionist Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. He or she will write, usually drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and likely turn on light switches.
8) Renewal Judaism or Alternative Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
9) Humanistic Judaism—would not be opposed to working on Shabbat. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
10) Atheistic Judaism—would not be opposed to working on Shabbat. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
Karaite Judaism and Messianic (Christian) Judaism, meanwhile, accept few to no Orthodox practices as authoritative. Karaite and Messianic Jews, therefore, usually work on Shabbat except for in the ways which are prohibited by TaNaKh—for Messianics, TaNaKH ("H" stands for "[B'rit] Hadashah", or "New [Covenant] [or "New Testament"]"). Both Karaites and Messianics usually write, drive to shul, and turn on light switches.
Conservative Judaism is the closest form of Judaism to Orthodox (really, Orthodox Pharisaic) Judaism. Conservative (Masorti) Judaism broke away from Reform Judaism in order to maintain Matrilineal Descent as the rue for "Who is a Jew?" and other traditions, although they do not believe in the inerrancy of Tanakh or the Talmud. The hierarchy is something along the lines of:
1) Haredi ("Hasidi", "Chabad") Judaism (including Kabbalah) 2) Orthodox Judaism 3) Conservadox Judaism 4) Reformodox Judaism 5) Conservative (Masorti) Judaism 6) Reform (Liberal, "Progressive") Judaism 7) Reconstructionist Judaism 8) Renewal Judaism or Alternative Judaism 9) Humanistic Judaism 10) Atheistic Judaism
There's also Karaite (Mikra'iti, Scripturalist) Judaism and Messianic (Christian) Judaism, neither of which are accepted by Pharisaic (Mainstream) Judaism.
Now that you have an idea of each of the forms of Judaism, you can pretty much guess what a Jew who affiliates with a given denomination of Judaism does on Shabbat. If you can't, keep reading...
1) Haredi ("Hasidi", "Chabad") Judaism (including Kabbalah)—will not work on Shabbat. "Work" certainly includes even writing, and may even include walking for the extremely-haredi Jew. For the Jew who does not even walk on Shabbat, he or she may sit in his or her home and privately worship (He or she would certainly not walk to shul.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light will come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" includes turning on a light switch!
2) Orthodox Judaism—will not work on Shabbat. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Jew (as opposed to the Modern Orthodox Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually walk to shul, and drive only if tikun ha'olam v'piku'ach nefesh (e.g., getting a disabled family member to shul) requires him or her to do so (He or she may hire a shabbos goy to drive the family member, however.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light will come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" includes turning on a light switch!
3) Conservadox Judaism—will mix Conservative and Orthodox practices.
4) Reformodox Judaism—will mix Reform and Orthodox practices.
5) Conservative (Masorti) Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being Orthodox or Reform. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Conservative Jew (as opposed to the more-Modern-Orthodox Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually walk to shul, and drive only if tikun ha'olam v'piku'ach nefesh (e.g., getting a disabled family member to shul) requires him or her to do so (He or she may hire a shabbos goy to drive the family member, however.). If he or she has any light on in his or her dwelling, the light may come only from the Shabbat candles, as "work" may include turning on a light switch!
6) Reform (Liberal, "Progressive") Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. "Work" may include even writing for the more-Orthodox Reform Jew (as opposed to the less-Orthodox Reform Jew, depending on what he or she is writing). He or she will usually drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all. He or she will also likely turn on light switches.
7) Reconstructionist Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. He or she will write, usually drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and likely turn on light switches.
8) Renewal Judaism or Alternative Judaism—may or may not work on Shabbat, depending on whether he or she leans toward being more traditional or more liberal. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
9) Humanistic Judaism—would not be opposed to working on Shabbat. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
10) Atheistic Judaism—would not be opposed to working on Shabbat. He or she will write, drive to shul—if he or she attends shul at all—, and turn on light switches.
Karaite Judaism and Messianic (Christian) Judaism, meanwhile, accept few to no Orthodox practices as authoritative. Karaite and Messianic Jews, therefore, usually work on Shabbat except for in the ways which are prohibited by TaNaKh—for Messianics, TaNaKH ("H" stands for "[B'rit] Hadashah", or "New [Covenant] [or "New Testament"]"). Both Karaites and Messianics usually write, drive to shul, and turn on light switches.
