Church and the Laity Among Jews

Judaism is an ethnic church with all born Jews who have not converted to another religion having equal religious rights whatever the extent of their commitment to Judaism. A distinctive religious configuration in the Jewish community results from this fact as well as from the lack of separation in Jewish tradition between the obligations of laity and clergy. While membership in the household of Israel and in its religion is a hereditary right and obligation, membership in a particular congregation is an act of conscious affiliation. Congregations have become increasingly influential in the Jewish community as they have ceased to limit their concerns to religious worship and study by adults of Jewish sacred texts. Contemporary congregational programs include a wide variety of activities with special emphasis on religious education for children. One manifestation of the expansion of the synagogue is its greater utilization in the fund-raising drives for general Jewish causes. The impact of congregational affiliation and activity upon the congregant, especially upon the level of religiosity and ritual observance, is yet to be measured. It is apparent that both in Reform, in Conservatism, and in Orthodoxy the attitudes and life patterns of the laity depart markedly from ideal norms.