Question 1: Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism
Judaism is a type of religion that was monotheistic, common among the Hebrews in the past. There are four types of Judaism, namely: Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, and Hassidic Judaism. Reform Judaism is a type of religion which abolished most of the traditional beliefs of Jews and adopted the Judaism ways which were more modernized (Kaufman 2017). Conservative Judaism, on the other hand, is a type of religion which advocated for the preservation and conservation of Judaism, but the religious activities were more modernized. The modernization of the religious practices of Conservative Judaism was less radical compared to that of Reform Judaism.
Several differences exist between Conservative and Reform Judaism. The first difference is in terms of ethnicity, whereby Conservative Judaism was introduced by Jewish immigrants who originated from Eastern Europe, while Reform Judaism was introduced by Jews who were German and were assimilated. Second, Reform Judaism rejected some traditional rituals that were not modern, while Conservative Judaism maintained conventional practices. Lastly, Conservatives used Halacha language for communication, while Reform Judaism used an individual's choice of language to communicate.
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Several similarities exist between Conservative and Reform Judaism. First, both have Jewish rituals. Second, both recognize that Israel was the original homeland of the Jews. Third, both accept laws in their Jewish Bible (Torah) as the main guiding principles of living on earth. Fourth, both agree and believe in the existence of one God. Lastly, they both study and pass on the history of the Jews from generation to generation.
Reform Judaism developed in Germany during the 19 th century (Plaut 2015). The reason for the development of the movement was the need to update the rituals and liturgy of the Jews. Most of the people were liberated, and they did not support the traditions that were there. Conservative Judaism developed as a result of many Reform conferences held in Germany in the 19 th century (Dorff & Elliot 2018). Zacharias Frankel advocated that the Jewish religion was bound to the national identity and the culture of the Jews and should not be abandoned (Dorff & Elliot 2018).
In conclusion, Reform Judaism has made changes in most of the religious practices of the Jewish religion to fit in a more modernized society. Conservative Judaism, on the hand, has made sure that the traditional beliefs of the ancient Jews are maintained since the culture is bound to religion. However, both forms of Judaism believe in the existence of one God. Both types of Judaism differ in terms of rituals, ethnicity, and language of communication.
References
Dorff, E.N. (2018). Modern Conservative Judaism: Evolving thought and practice. U of Nebraska Press
Plaut, W.G. (2015). The rise of Reform Judaism: a sourcebook of its European origins. U of Nebraska Press.
Kaufman, D. (2017). Dana Evans Kaplan on Reform Judaism Today. Review of Rabbinic Judaism, 20(1), 111-121.
