Orthodox Judaism:

                                                           At the turn of the century the Jewish population in the                                                                    United States was about one million, making it the third                                                                    largest population center in the world and more than half                                                                live in New York City. The majority of the population                                                                            were immigrants, many coming from Russia                                                                                        after revolutionary upheaval caused anti-Semitic violence                                                                in the country. In 1900 40% of the America's Jewish                                                                            population had been in the country less than ten years. The                                                            high concentration of Orthodox Jews in New York caused                                                                new elements of tradition  nationalism, and socialism to integrate into communal life.

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     Visiting an Orthodox neighborhood in Brooklyn, even today, is likely to give many people a bit of a culture shock. The men wear long beards and long black garb, the women wear wigs or scarves, and modest, though often fashionable, clothing. One of the most telling aspects of a Hasidic neighborhood is the palpable tightness of community, another is the vastly different spheres that men and women assign themselves to – by custom and religious law. Hasidic Jews believe that the Torah, the first five book of Moses, is the literal word of God and that by carrying out God’s word it will give purpose and meaning to life. This means following all 613 commandments (the mitzvoth) found in the Torah. This includes everything from giving to charity to not mixing wool and linen. The Orthodox ideal is to live a life in which every moment reflects a consciousness of God and almost every action performed within a day is accompanied by a prayer. 

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Click the picture

to be taken to a full list of all

613 commandments.