Orthodox. This is the most traditional branch of Judaism. Orthodox Jews will go to temple every Saturday, and they tend to have a literal interpretation of the Bible. Just think of this as the most religious of the branches. Jewish men who wear yarmulkes are probably Orthodox.

Conservative. This is the group of Jews that most would call "pretty religious." Conservative temples conduct a lot of their services in Hebrew, and while their members won't necessarily go to every Friday night or Saturday morning service, they still tend to be pretty religious. Conservative Jews may keep kosher (not eating certain types of meat unless the animal was killed properly).

Reform. This branch has the largest number of members, and is considered to be the most religiously lenient of the four branches. Reform Judaism is generally seen to revolve around personal faith and belief, with less focus on the written words of the Torah. Most "High Holiday" Jews (Jews who only go to temple on the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) are Reform Jews. Reform temple services tend to be held mostly in English.

Reconstructionist. Reconstructionist Judaism is a fast growing branch, although it's the smallest (only about 3% of all Jews are Reconstructionist). It is probably the most liberal of the four branches, viewing Judaism as a constantly changing and evolving religion, and believing that these changes should be embraced. Reconstructionist faith especially differs from the other three branches in that it does not necessarily see Jews as "the chosen people."

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