How to Study Orthodox Judaism
Many people think of men in black suits and hats and women in long black skirts when they hear the term "Orthodox Judaism." In fact, Orthodox Judaism is a general term that refers to many traditions, lifestyles and modes of study.
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Instructions
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Understand the term "Orthodox Judaism." Study the work of the Jewish scholar Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch to learn what it means to be a part of the Orthodox tradition.
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Review the various sects and groups of Orthodox Judaism. Study the Hasids, the Chabad and the people who consider themselves modern Orthodox. Study the development of Judaism from the shtetl period of Europe (until the 1800s) and the current state of Jews who strictly follow the Torah, or Jewish Bible.
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Take a class at a university or community college on the history of Judaism or the teachings of the Torah. Read the Bible ( or the Tanakh, as it's called in Hebrew), and then gain an understanding of the Talmud, which is the authoritative oral tradition that directs Jewish life and belief.
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Contact an Orthodox outreach organizations, such as International Chabad, Aish HaTorah or Agudath Israel of America. Ask how you can study Orthodox Judaism.
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Consider joining a yeshiva to delve more deeply into Orthodox Judaism. If you don't want to devote yourself exclusively to Jewish studies, contact Jewish Theological Seminary of New York, which offers courses on Judaism and secular topics.
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Comments
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sethj
Jan 14, 2011
(Continued) ...years ago when JTS was more moderate than liberal, and when a person who was Orthodox but more moderate than conservative had few options for Torah study that incorporated modern views. Nowadays, however, there are many institutions within Orthodoxy that use modern teaching methods, while JTS has moved considerably to the left and no longer resembles its former self.
