Jewish Teaching on Social harmony

The Roles of Men and Women

Most Orthodox Jews take the Torah literally and believe that men and women have separate and different roles. A man must support the family and fulfil the mitzvot, God's commandments. The woman must support the family and obey those mitzvot that relate to the home. Some Orthodox Jews accept the idea of equal roles - BUT NOT in the synagogue, where men and women sit separately and only the men conduct and take part in the actual service.

Reform and Progressive Jews believe in completely equal roles for men and women. They worship together, there are women rabbis, the Bat Mitzvah is similar to the Bar Mitzvah. The Torah is understood in terms of modern society and the prevailing culture.

Racial Harmony

All Jews are against racism and racial discrimination. They themselves ahve suffered terrible persecution, not least in the Holocaust of the Second World War. The Torah forbids the mal-treatment of non-Jews. Many Jewish rabbis have taught that as we are all descended from a common ancestor, Adam, we are all brothers and, therefore, equal in God's sight.

Religious Harmony

Jews are very strong in their belief in religious freedom. They have suffered much through the centuries at the hands of the religiously intolerant.

Many Jews think that all religions are working towards God. If people believe in one God and if they follow the basic moral teachings contained in the Ten Commandments, then God will be favourable to them.

Most Jews do not try to convert people to Judaism and they do not think that other faiths have the right to try to convert them.