Beliefs & Practices

The prohibition against non-Jewish practices, might relate to the practices of ancient Egypt, Canaan or the social and philosophical ways of non-Jews today.

Themes and Theology of the Jewish Body. The Jewish Body. Jewish Body Traditions.

Early Jewish texts affirmed the universal fraternity of humankind, while asserting the importance of Jewish distinctiveness.

Jewish law mandates a healthful lifestyle.

If it does not serve a legitimate medical purpose, cosmetic surgery is frowned upon by the Jewish legal tradition.

Rabbinic authorities have used different arguments to redress inequities in the way halakhah treats non-Jews.

At times, Jews have embraced large numbers of converts, but hostile relations with Gentile neighbors often led to suspicion of proselytes as well. 

Israel Shahak's theory that anti-Gentile traditions have influenced Israeli policy is well known in both Arab and anti-Semitic circles, but Jews have yet to properly confront it.

Jews pray in order to enrich our lives and seek comfort, to connect to the past and to others, to celebrate and develop a sense of the sacred, to serve God and help make ourselves Godlike.

In the Torah, women are absent at the covenantal moment; to make up for this, Jewish history must be reconstructed.

Because the evolution of Judaism is affected by social conditions, it can be actively developed to be gender sensitive.