Types of Jews: Understanding the Different Jewish Groups

Types of Jews: It Is More Complicated Than You Think

People often ask me, "What kind of Jew are you?" and honestly, the answer depends on what they are really asking. Are they asking about my level of religious observance? My ethnic background? My specific community? Because Jewish identity has layers, and once you understand the basic categories, the whole landscape starts to make sense.

Let me walk you through it. I have been explaining this to my kids' friends for years, so I have had plenty of practice.

Two Different Questions: Denomination vs. Ethnicity

The first thing to understand is that there are two completely separate ways to categorize Jews:

1. Religious denomination — how observant are they, and what movement do they affiliate with?
2. Ethnic heritage — where did their ancestors come from?

These categories overlap and combine in every possible way. A Sephardic Jew can be Orthodox or secular. An Ashkenazi Jew can be Reform or Hasidic. Understanding this distinction is the key to making sense of the Jewish world.

The Religious Denominations

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was given by G-d at Mount Sinai and that Jewish law (Torah and rabbinic tradition">halacha) is binding and must be followed. This is the most traditional form of Judaism, and it is where I sit.

Within Orthodoxy, there is a wide spectrum:

Modern Orthodox — fully observant of halacha but engaged with the broader secular world. Modern Orthodox Jews typically attend college, pursue professional careers, and dress in contemporary clothing while keeping Shabbat, kosher, and all the mitzvot. They believe you can be fully committed to Torah and fully participating in modern society.

Yeshivish (Litvish) — sometimes called "black hat" communities. Yeshivish Jews place enormous emphasis on Torah study, particularly Talmud. The men often wear black hats and suits. They tend to be more insular than Modern Orthodox but less so than Hasidic communities. Many men study in yeshiva (Torah academy) for years before or instead of pursuing secular careers.

Hasidic — founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe by the Baal Shem Tov, Hasidism emphasizes joy in worship, mysticism, and devotion to a Rebbe (spiritual leader). Hasidic Jews are organized into distinct groups (called "courts" or dynasties) — Lubavitch, Satmar, Breslov, Ger, Bobov, and dozens more. Each has its own Rebbe, customs, and distinctive clothing. Hasidic communities are the most visually distinctive, with the men wearing shtreimels (fur hats), long coats, and payos (side curls).

The differences between these Orthodox groups can seem enormous from the inside, but from the outside, they share the same foundation: commitment to halacha, Shabbat, kosher, family purity, and Torah study.

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism emerged in the early 20th century as a middle ground between Orthodoxy and Reform. Conservative Jews believe in the binding nature of halacha but accept that Jewish law has always evolved and should continue to adapt to modern circumstances.

In practice, Conservative congregations keep kosher (though individual members may not), hold traditional prayer services with both Hebrew and English, and generally observe Shabbat — though their definition of what that means is more flexible than in Orthodoxy. Conservative Judaism ordains women as rabbis and cantors and has become increasingly egalitarian.

Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism, which began in 19th-century Germany, emphasizes personal autonomy in religious practice. Reform Jews believe that the ethical teachings of Judaism are central, but that ritual observances are optional and should be adapted to modern life.

Reform synagogues typically hold services that are mostly in English, with men and women sitting together. Many Reform Jews do not keep kosher or observe Shabbat in the traditional sense, though some do. Reform Judaism was the first movement to ordain women rabbis and has been at the forefront of progressive positions on social issues.

Reconstructionist Judaism

The smallest of the major denominations, Reconstructionist Judaism was founded by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan in the mid-20th century. It views Judaism as an evolving civilization rather than just a religion. Reconstructionist Jews tend to value community, culture, and ethics highly while taking a naturalistic approach to theology.

Secular and Cultural Jews

A significant number of Jews do not affiliate with any religious denomination but still identify strongly as Jewish. They may celebrate holidays as cultural traditions, feel connected to Jewish history and peoplehood, enjoy Jewish food and humor, and support Israel — all without any particular religious observance. In Israel, this is an especially large group. Being Jewish is not only about religion; it is an identity, a people, a civilization.

The Ethnic Groups

Now for the other side of the equation: where did your ancestors live after the Jewish people were dispersed from Israel?

Ashkenazi Jews

Ashkenazi Jews trace their ancestry to Central and Eastern Europe — Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, and surrounding areas. They make up the majority of Jews in the United States and were historically the dominant Jewish community in Europe.

Ashkenazi culture includes:

• Yiddish as a historical language
• Foods like gefilte fish, cholent, kugel, and matzo ball soup
• Distinctive prayer melodies and liturgical customs
• A particular tradition of Talmud study

When most Americans picture a "Jewish person," they are usually picturing an Ashkenazi Jew, simply because Ashkenazi Jews are the largest Jewish group in America.

Sephardic Jews

Sephardic Jews descend from the Jewish communities of Spain and Portugal. After the Spanish Inquisition expelled Jews in 1492, Sephardic Jews settled throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and the Americas.

Sephardic culture includes:

• Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) as a historical language
• Foods like bourekas, shakshuka, and biscochos
• Their own prayer traditions and melodies
• A distinctive approach to halachic rulings, generally following the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbi Yosef Karo

Mizrachi Jews

Mizrachi (meaning "Eastern") Jews come from the Middle East and North Africa — Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, and beyond. Some people group Mizrachi and Sephardic Jews together because they share certain halachic traditions, but their cultures, languages, and histories are quite different.

Mizrachi culture includes:

• Various historical languages including Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Persian, and others
• Rich culinary traditions (Yemenite jachnun, Iraqi kubbeh, Moroccan tagines)
• Distinctive prayer melodies and customs
• Strong traditions of poetry and piyyut (liturgical poetry)

Other Groups

There are also smaller but significant Jewish communities with their own unique traditions:

• Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) — an ancient community with distinctive practices
• Indian Jews (Bene Israel, Cochin Jews) — communities dating back centuries or possibly millennia
• Karaite Jews — who follow only the written Torah without the Oral Law
• Bukharan Jews — from Central Asia, with a rich and distinctive culture

How These Categories Interact

Here is where it gets interesting. In my Brooklyn neighborhood, I see all of these categories mixing and overlapping constantly.

My neighbor is a Moroccan (Mizrachi) woman married to a Lithuanian (Ashkenazi) man, and they are both Modern Orthodox. Down the block, there is a Syrian (Sephardic) family that is very traditional but would not call themselves "Orthodox" in the American denominational sense — they are just... Syrian Jewish. That is its own thing.

In Israel, the denominational labels work differently. Most Israeli Jews describe themselves as "secular" (chiloni), "traditional" (masorti), "religious" (dati), or "ultra-Orthodox" (charedi). The American categories of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox exist in Israel but are less central to how people identify.

Why Does This Matter?

Understanding the different types of Jews helps explain why two Jewish people can seem so different from each other. The Hasidic man in Williamsburg with his shtreimel and the secular Israeli tech entrepreneur in Tel Aviv are both Jewish, both part of the same people, both connected to the same history — but their daily lives look completely different.

It also helps explain why there is no single "Jewish position" on most issues. We are a diverse people with a long history of internal debate. As the old joke goes: two Jews, three opinions.

When my daughter asked me once why her friend's Jewish family eats bacon, I explained that Jewish people practice their Judaism in many different ways. Some follow every law strictly, some follow some laws, and some connect to their Jewishness through culture and identity rather than religious practice. All of them are Jewish. And that diversity, even when it creates tension, is part of what has kept the Jewish people vibrant for thousands of years.