corded in the work of the rabbis and sages of the Talmud. Orthodox Jews wear a small head covering called a Kippah or Yarmulke at all times. Orthodox Jews are required to offer three prayer services each day (one in the morning and two offered jointly in the late afternoon/early evening), though women are excused from this obligation so they may carry on with their tasks of running a household and raising a family. For the same reason, women are not often encouraged to continue or excel in their Jewish studies.For the most part, Orthodox children are trained in Jewish parochial schools that teach not only the full range of state required subjects but also Jewish subjects such as Hebrew and Aramaic (and sometimes, Yiddish), Talmud, Jewish history, and Prayerbook. Those Orthodox Jews who go on to become rabbis study at special colleges called Yeshivot (singular: Yeshivah).For various reasons, the Orthodox movement is the least organized of the modern Jewish religious divisions, with several national associations claiming primacy. In some parts of Europeand certainly in the State of Israel, where the majority of the citizens identify as either secular or ZionistOrthodoxy is the largest movement. In the United States, however, the Orthodox movement is far smaller than either its Reform or Conservative counterparts.REFORM JUDAISMReform Judaism had its beginnings in Germany in the early nineteenth century. Almost immediately, it met with stiff political resistance from the traditional establishment that enjoyed the support of the German government. Though the number of Reform synagogues grew steadily in Europe, its success there was limited compared to its success among Jews in the United States, where there was no connection between the organized Jewish community and the government.Born in a time when scientific and critical study began to triumph over superstition and entrenched thinking, Reform Jews believe that the Torah was written and e...
