Throughout Jewish history, differences have existed between Jews in terms of their degree of religiosity and traditionalism. In recent centuries, however, these differences have increased. In contemporary Judaism, three broad categories or movements are normally identified (Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative).

The most traditional Jews are referred to as Orthodox Jews. Orthodox Judaism holds that the Torah (oral and written) was given by God to Moses. Consequently, they hold that the laws of the Torah must be strictly observed. As a result, Orthodox Jews follow all the dietary laws, observe all the holidays, and enforce the segregation of the sexes in prayer. The term Orthodox Judaism is, in fact, an umbrella term which only really came into being with the development of less traditional movements. A great variety of groups are categorized as being Orthodox Judaism. Among these is the Hasidic movement (Hasidism) which emerged in the eighteenth century Poland and which is heavily based on Jewish mysticism. Hasidic men typically wear black robes, have beards, and ostracize themselves from modern secular life. In contrast, Jews of the Modern Orthodox persuasion embrace modern life while, at the same time, strictly observe Jewish law.

The least traditional movement is Reform Judaism. Reform Judaism began in Germany in the early nineteenth century. In contrast to Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews do not believe that the Torah was given to the Jewish people by God. Rather, they hold that it was written by divinely inspired men. While the Torah is considered sacred, its laws are not strictly observed by those in the Reform movement. Reform Jews typically do not observe the dietary laws, which they see as being outdated. In addition, Reform Judaism does not require its participants to refrain from working on Jewish holiday. In Reform synagogues (often referred to as temples) Jewish men and women sit together and Jewish men are not required to wear either tallit or kippot. Rather than being in Hebrew, most of the service is conducted in the language of the respective country. Today, Reform Judaism is the most popular movement in the United States and is becoming increasingly popular in Canada.

In terms of traditionalism and degree of religiosity, Conservative Judaism falls in the middle between the Orthodox and Reform Movements. Conservative Judaism emerged in the United States in the late nineteenth century as a result of the dissatisfaction which many Jews felt concerning Reform and Orthodox Judaism. Conservative Judaism holds that while the Torah may have been divinely inspired it was not literally given by God. Conservative Jews believe that Torah is sacred but assert that certain laws and customs can be adapted to the modern world. The synagogue service is conducted in Hebrew and men and women usually (but not always) sit together.

Reconstuctionism is a rather unique religious movement which emerged in the United States during the early twentieth century. According to the Reconstructionists, Judaism is not merely a religion but is a religious civilization. Consequently, the Reconstructionists assert that a Jewish person must be able to identify with all aspects of Jewish life. Among others, these include music, religion, art, literature, and communal organization. Currently, the Reconstructionist movement is much smaller than the other three movements discussed and is currently based primarily in the United States and (to a lesser extent) Canada.

The above discussion is not intended as a comprehension examination of modern Judaism. Rather, it is meant to serve to orient the user to the broad categories of movements. Consequently, many important Jewish groups have not been mentioned. In producing Judaic Art in Context, the project team has tried to avoid demonstrating a bias towards any particular movement. As the objects examined in this project are from a Reform synagogue, however, some bias towards this movement may be apparent.

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