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Everything You Need to Know About Orthodox Jews. Orthodox-Jews. http://www.orthodoxjews.com/#axzz4PARYun0

Orthodox Judaism. Pathos Library.
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Orthodox-Judaism

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I wish that I had known about all of the dietary rules. I had no idea that they were that extensive. This will definitely be helpful when planning class events that involve food. I also wish I has thought more about absences for religious reasons. I don't believe those absences should count against you when it comes to awards day. This may sound like a tiny issue, but awards day is very important to many students.

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1. Absences
Students may be absent because of religious holidays or holy days. You should discuss with your administration if there should be some leeway with these students when determining awards for attendance.
2. Physical Education Uniforms
Many administrators are concerned that if they allow one student to wear different clothes, this will open the door to other student requests. We need to be open to the family's needs.
3. Religious Holidays Celebrated at School
Have an open-dialogue with the family to understand their own beliefs and opinions. This dialogue will need to continue throughout the course of the year. Just because you may know some information about the religion, does not mean you know that family's school expectations. Never assume, always ask.

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1. Belief in God
2. Prohibition of Improper Worship
3. Prohibition of Oaths
4. Observance of Sacred Times
5. Respect for Parents and Teachers
6. Prohibition of Physically Harming a Person
7. Prohibition of Sexual Immorality
8. Prohibition of Theft
9. Prohibition of Harming a Person through Speech
10. Prohibition of Coveting

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Misconceptions

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DISCLAIMER: There are exceptions to everything I write. I can't speak for every Orthodox Jew in the world, but this is how Orthodox Jews look from my vantage point.

4. You're a woman, so you don't work, right?

Actually, I do. And most of us do. I once literally had a fight with a reporter from a major news outlet about this because she wouldn't believe me. She had no real knowledge of the Orthodox community, yet she INSISTED that Orthodox women don't (and can't) work. She noted at one point that "maybe my secular bias is getting in the way." (Ya think?!) When she finally conceded that Orthodox women could work, she asked, "Well, what do they do - run shops?" *Eye roll.* "Well," I began, "Some run shops, and some run companies" (like Rickie Freeman, CEO of Teri Jon). "And some run hospital departments" (like Dr. Laurel Steinherz, director of pediatric cardiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering.) "And some run legal cases at major law firms" (like Lydia Kess, a Hasidic Jew who was the first *female* partner at Davis Polk - one of the most prestigious law firms in the country). And frankly, there's more Orthodox Jewish woman - from all walks of Orthodox life - excelling in so many more professions than I even have space to mention.

8. You keep kosher - oh, so your food was blessed by a rabbi, right?

Image via Joy of Kosher

We're at this park with my kids and I see an ice cream stand. "Excuse me, sir," I begin, "do you know if your ice cream is kosher?"

"No," the ice cream man retorts, "The rabbi never came to bless it."

*Eye roll.* Of course the rabbi never came to bless it! Because kosher has nothing to do with blessing. It has everything to do with preventing non-kosher things from getting in. And any Sabbath observant Jew can supervise food for this purpose - it need not be a rabbi. Also, kosher food is not healthier. We don't eat it for physical benefits: We eat it for spiritual benefits. A product that's kosher simply means that it was supervised by someone who made sure nothing non-kosher got in.

10. All you men are rabbis, right?

This one is confusing. You're used to a "rabbi" having a beard and wearing a black hat, but for many Orthodox Jewish men, that's how they look no matter WHAT their profession. Like, for instance, my in-laws were visiting, and my father-in-law is Lubavitch, which means that on Shabbos, he wears a black hat, a long black coat, and he's got a long, white beard. And so my neighbors saw him and asked, "Who's the rabbi staying with you?"

"He's not," I replied. "My father-in-law works in computers!" Not all rabbis have beards and black hats (some just wear yarmulkes and are clean-shaven.) And not all blacks hats and beards equal rabbis. The guy in the picture above is not Hasidic, nor a rabbi - he's in the nonprofit world!

11. Oh, so then you're a rock-throwing, gay-bashing, judgmental child-molester supporter, right?

Image via Haaretz

Oy, this one is tough. The aforementioned list exists in the Orthodox world. But there are many, many of us who are disgusted by everything on that list. We believe in observing the Sabbath, but not throwing rocks at those who don't. We believe that the Torah - even those challenging verses in Leviticus - still applies in this day and age, but we also believe, as our sages teach, that we shouldn't judge another person until we've been in his place. And we believe that the essence of the Torah is loving your neighbor as yourself. We insist that criminals are immediately reported to the police, as it is a Torah principle to "not stand idly by your neighbor's blood." There are some people in the Orthodox community not living up to the standards that Judaism asks us to, but please don't assume we're all like that.

12. So you eat lots of gefilte fish, borscht, and other sub-par foods because you're kosher, right?

Image via Nobo Wine and Grill

The kosher aisle in supermarkets (outside of major Jewishly populated cities) would lead a person to believe that kosher eaters subsist on matzoh and gefilte fish. The truth, though, is that kosher food and wine has gotten super-duper gourmet. That's not to say that all kosher restaurants are at this level, but trendy cooking techniques (like sous-vide and ceviche) are happening at upscale kosher restaurants, and the kosher consumer has more options in terms of products with kosher supervision than ever before. (Some Polly-O cheese products will be certified OU kosher starting in April!)

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13 Annoying Things Most People Assume About Orthodox Jews

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DISCLAIMER: There are exceptions to everything I write. I can't speak for every Orthodox Jew in the world, but this is how Orthodox Jews look from my vantage point. This post was created by a member of BuzzFeed Community, where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz!

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1. Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.

2. Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.

3. All blood must be drained from meat and poultry or broiled out of it before it is eaten.

4. Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.

5. Fruits and vegetables are permitted, but must be inspected for bugs (which cannot be eaten)

6. Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).

7. Utensils (including pots and pans and other cooking surfaces) that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.

8. Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.

9. There are a few other rules that are not universal.

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The roots of Orthodox Judaism can be traced to the late 18th or early 19th century. Many Jews in Germany rejected claims of the absolute divine authorship of the Torah, declaring only biblical laws concerning ethics to be binding, and stated that the rest of halakha (Jewish law) need not be viewed as normative for Jews in wider society. In response to Reform Judaism, a group of traditionalist German Jews emerged to support the values of the Haskalah, also know as the Jewish Enlightenment.
It was the modern 'progressive' Jews who first applied this name to 'old', 'backward' Jews as a derogatory term. This name was at first resented by 'old' Jews. And rightly so.

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Orthodox Judaism is the approach to religious Judaism which follows and applies the laws of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts.
As of 2001, Orthodox Jews and Jews affiliated with an Orthodox synagogue accounted for approximately 50% of British Jews (150,000), 26.5% of Israeli Jews (1,500,000), and 13% of American Jews. (529,000) Orthodox Judaism is considered by its adherents to be the only true expression of Jewish tradition. Observing Jewish law is far more important to Orthodox Jews than to other Jews. In fact, nearly eight-in-ten Orthodox Jews (79%) say observing Jewish law is “essential” to what being Jewish means to them, compared with just 19% among Jews overall.