Are Orthodox Jews Like the Amish? Similarities and Differences

I will be honest — I completely understand why people ask this question. You see a man in a black coat and hat walking through Brooklyn and you think, "That looks a lot like the Amish." There are distinctive clothes, large families, a community that seems set apart from mainstream culture. From the outside, the resemblance is real.

From the inside, we could not be more different. But the comparison is worth exploring, because the places where we are actually similar — and the places where we are not — tell you something interesting about both communities.

Where We Look Similar

Distinctive clothing. Both communities dress in ways that set them apart. Hasidic men wear black coats, hats, and beards. Amish men wear plain clothing, suspenders, and beards. Orthodox women dress modestly with covered hair. Amish women dress plainly with covered hair. In both cases, the clothing says "I belong to this community, and I am not trying to blend in."

Large families. Orthodox families — particularly Hasidic and Yeshivish families — tend to be large. Five, eight, twelve children is common. Amish families are similarly large. In both communities, children are considered a blessing, and big families are the norm rather than the exception. The reasons overlap: religious values that emphasize family, community support structures that make large families feasible, and a genuine love of having a full, chaotic, noisy house.

Tight-knit communities. Both groups live in close community networks where everyone knows everyone, where mutual aid is a way of life, and where community norms carry real weight. If I need something — a ride, a meal, a loan, a babysitter at 10 PM — I can call any of fifteen neighbors and someone will say yes. From what I understand, the same is true in Amish communities.

Some caution about technology. Both communities have a more intentional relationship with technology than mainstream society. Orthodox Jews and the internet is a nuanced story, but it is true that many Orthodox communities filter or restrict internet access rather than embracing it without limits. The Amish similarly restrict technology, though far more broadly.

Marriage within the community. Both communities strongly prefer marriage within the faith. Orthodox dating is structured and intentional, often involving a shadchan (matchmaker). Amish courtship is also community-oriented.

Where We Are Completely Different

Now here is where the comparison falls apart, and it falls apart fast.

Urban vs. rural. This is the most obvious difference. Orthodox Jews are overwhelmingly urban. Boro Park, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, the Five Towns, Teaneck, Lakewood — these are cities and suburbs. We live in apartment buildings and row houses. We take the subway. We walk on concrete. The idea of moving to a farm in Pennsylvania is as foreign to me as moving to Mars. The Amish are agrarian and rural. That alone changes almost everything about daily life.

Education. Orthodox Jews are among the most education-focused communities in America. Yeshiva education involves intensive study of Talmud and Jewish law — a rigorous intellectual tradition that has been running for thousands of years. Many Modern Orthodox Jews attend Ivy League universities, medical schools, and law schools. The Orthodox education system produces lawyers, doctors, accountants, tech entrepreneurs, professors. The Amish typically end formal education at eighth grade.

Professional careers. Orthodox Jews work in every professional field. We are doctors, lawyers, real estate developers, software engineers, hedge fund managers, professors, therapists, accountants. You probably interact with Orthodox Jewish professionals regularly without realizing it — many do not wear the distinctive Hasidic clothing. Orthodox Jews and money is actually a surprisingly interesting topic. The Amish primarily work in farming, construction, and cottage industries.

Engagement with the outside world. This is where the comparison really breaks down. Orthodox Jews engage intensively with the broader world. We vote (and argue passionately about politics). We follow current events. We pay close attention to American law and policy, especially where it affects religious liberty. We run businesses that serve the general public. We have opinions about everything. The Amish deliberately separate from the wider culture.

Technology. Despite varying approaches to the internet, Orthodox Jews use modern technology extensively. We drive cars. We fly on airplanes. We use electricity (except on shabbat">Shabbat). We use smartphones (often filtered, but still smartphones). We have modern kitchens, washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioning. The Amish reject most modern technology, including electricity from the grid.

Theological framework. The underlying religious systems are entirely different. Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions, built on the torah">Torah, talmud">Talmud, and thousands of years of rabbinical scholarship. Amish faith is a form of Anabaptist Christianity, emerging from the Protestant Reformation in the 1690s. The two traditions share essentially no theological DNA.

Diversity within the community. "Orthodox" spans an enormous range — from Modern Orthodox professionals who watch Netflix to Hasidic families who speak Yiddish at home. The Amish also have internal diversity (Old Order, New Order, Amish Mennonite), but the overall range is narrower than what exists under the Orthodox Jewish umbrella.

The Deeper Difference

Here is what I really want you to understand: the reasons behind our practices are fundamentally different, even where the practices look similar.

The Amish dress plainly as a rejection of worldly pride. Orthodox Jews dress distinctively as a fulfillment of specific commandments and community identity — but fashion, style, and personal expression within those guidelines are embraced enthusiastically. Go to Boro Park and look at the women's clothing. It is modest, yes. It is also expensive, coordinated, and often designer-inspired. We are not rejecting beauty. We are channeling it.

The Amish limit technology to preserve simplicity. Orthodox Jews filter technology to preserve spiritual focus and family time — but we enthusiastically adopt technology that serves those goals. We have kosher-filtered smartphones, Jewish learning apps, WhatsApp community groups, and online Torah study platforms. Technology is a tool to be used wisely, not an inherent evil.

The Amish separate from the world. Orthodox Jews engage with the world while maintaining distinct identity. We are in the city, part of the economy, engaged with culture — while living by a different set of rules. That balance is the defining challenge and the defining beauty of Orthodox life.

Common Questions

Do Orthodox Jews have a "Rumspringa" like the Amish? No. There is no sanctioned period of exploring the outside world. Orthodox education exposes young people to secular knowledge (to varying degrees depending on the community), and adults make their own choices about observance — but there is no formal "taste the outside world" tradition.

Do both communities practice shunning? The Amish practice formal shunning (Meidung). Orthodox communities do not have an equivalent formal process, but social pressure is real, and someone who leaves observance may experience strained family relationships. The dynamics are different — it is more complex and less institutionalized than Amish shunning.

Which community is growing faster? Both. Orthodox Judaism and the Amish are among the fastest-growing religious communities in America, largely driven by high birth rates. Current data suggests the Orthodox community doubles roughly every 20 years.

Would an Amish person and an Orthodox Jew get along? I have never met an Amish person, so I cannot say from personal experience. But I suspect we would find surprising common ground — on the importance of family, community, living by deeply held values, and not being fully swept up in mainstream culture. We would also have a lot to disagree about. Which, frankly, sounds like a great conversation.