, a leading Rabbinical authority for Orthodox Jewry of the second half of the twentieth century.]]Orthodox Judaism is a Jewish denomination that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics canonized in the Talmudic texts ("Oral Torah") and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. Generally, Orthodox Judaism consists of two different streams, the Modern Orthodox and the Ultra Orthodox but actually is a wide spectrum of beliefs.

History

Orthodoxy is not a single movement or school of thought. There is no single rabbinic body to which all rabbis are expected to belong, or any one organization representing member congregations. In the United States, there are numerous Orthodox congregational organizations, such as Agudath Israel, the Orthodox Union, and the National Council of Young Israel; none of which can claim to represent a majority of all Orthodox congregations.

The exact forms of Judaism during the times of Moses or during the eras of the Mishnah and Talmud cannot be known today, but Orthodox Jews believe that contemporary Orthodox Judaism maintains the same basic philosophy and legal framework that existed throughout Jewish history, whereas the other denominations depart from it. Orthodox Judaism, as it exists today, is an outgrowth that claims to extend from the time of Moses, to the time of the Mishnah and Talmud, through the development of oral law and rabbinic literature, until the present time.

In response to The Age of Enlightenment, Jewish Emancipation, and Haskalah, elements within German Jewry sought to reform Jewish belief and practice in the early 19th century. They sought to modernize education in light of contemporary scholarship, they denied absolute divine authorship of the Torah, declaring that only those biblical laws concerning ethics to be binding, and stated that the rest of halakha (Jewish law) need no longer be viewed as normative for Jews in wider society. (see Reform Judaism).

In reaction to the emergence of Reform Judaism, a group of traditionalist German Jews emerged who supported some of the values of the Haskalah but who wanted to defend a conservative, traditional interpretation of Jewish law and tradition. This group was led by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Hirsch held that Judaism demands an application of Torah thought to the entire realm of human experience—including the secular disciplines. His approach was termed the Torah im Derech Eretz approach, or "neo-Orthodoxy." While insisting on strict adherence to Jewish beliefs and practices, he held that Jews should attempt to engage and influence the modern world, and encouraged those secular studies compatible with Torah thought. This pattern of religious and secular involvement has been evident at many times in Jewish history. Scholars believe it was characteristic of the Jews in Babylon during the Amoraic and Geonic periods, and likewise in early medieval Spain, shown by their engagement with both Muslim and Christian society. It appeared as the traditional response to cultural and scientific innovation.

Some scholars believe that Modern Orthodoxy arose from the religious and social realities of Western European Jewry. While most Jews consider Modern Orthodoxy traditional today, some within the Orthodox community groups to its right consider it of questionable validity. The neo-Orthodox movement holds that Hirsch's views are not accurately followed by Modern Orthodoxy. [See Torah im Derech Eretz and Torah Umadda "Relationship with Torah im Derech Eretz" for a more extensive listing.]

In the 20th century, a segment of the Orthodox population (notably as represented by the World Agudath Israel movement formally established in 1912) disagreed with Modern Orthodoxy and took a stricter approach. For some, the motto "recent is forbidden by Torah" was appealing, but they followed various routes of observance and practice. Such rabbis viewed innovations and modifications within Jewish law and customs with extreme care and caution. Some observers and scholars refer to this form of Judaism as "Haredi Judaism", or "Ultra-Orthodox Judaism". The latter term is controversial, and some consider the label "ultra-Orthodox" pejorative.

Several media entities refrain from using the term “ultra Orthodox”, including the Religion Newswriters Association; JTA, the global Jewish news service; and the Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper, according the New Jersey Press Association. New Jersey attorney Stephen E. Schwartz, Esq., convinced the Star-Ledger to become the first mainstream newspaper to drop the term. Several local Jewish papers, including Jewish Week in New York and Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia have also dropped use of the term. According to Rabbi Shammai Engelmayer, spiritual leader of Temple Israel Community Center in Cliffside Park and former executive editor of Jewish Week, this leaves “Orthodox” as “an umbrella term that designates a very widely disparate group of people very loosely tied together by some core beliefs.”

The various approaches have proved resilient. Some scholars estimate more Jews are studying in yeshivot (Talmudical schools) and Kollelim (post-graduate Talmudical colleges for married students) than at any other time in history. In 1915 Yeshiva College (later Yeshiva University) and its Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary was established in New York, New York for training in an Orthodox milieu. A school branch was established in Los Angeles, California. A number of other influential Orthodox seminaries, mostly Haredi, were established throughout the country, most notably in New York, Baltimore, Maryland; and Chicago, Illinois. Beth Medrash Govoha, the Haredi yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey is the largest Talmudic academy in the United States, with a student body of over 5,000 students.

Diversity within Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism's central belief is that Torah, including the Oral Law, was given directly from God to Moses and applies in all times and places. Haredi Judaism asserts that it may no longer be changed in any fashion. As a result, all Jews are required to live in accordance with the Commandments and Jewish law.

Since there is no one Orthodox body, there is no one canonical statement of principles of faith. Rather, each Orthodox group claims to be a non-exclusive heir to the received tradition of Jewish theology, while still affirming a literal acceptance of Maimonides' thirteen principles.

Given this (relative) philosophic flexibility, variant viewpoints are possible, particularly in areas not explicitly demarcated by the Halakha. The result is a relatively broad range of hashkafot (Sing. hashkafah - world view, Weltanschaung) within Orthodoxy. The greatest differences within strains of Orthodoxy are over:

*the degree to which an Orthodox Jew should integrate and/or disengage from secular society

based on varying interpretations of the Three Oaths, whether Zionism is part of Judaism or opposed to it, and defining the role of the modern State of Israel in Judaism

their spiritual approach to Torah such as the relative roles of mainstream Talmudic study and mysticism or ethics

the validity of secular knowledge including critical Jewish scholarship of Rabbinic literature and modern philosophical ideas

whether the Talmudic obligation to learn and practice a trade/profession applies in our times

the centrality of yeshivas as the place for personal Torah study

the validity of authoritative spiritual guidance in areas outside of Halakhic decision (Da'as Torah)

the importance of maintaining non-Halakhic customs, such as dress, language and music

the role of women in (religious) society

the nature of the relationship with non-Jews

Streams of Orthodoxy

The above differences are realised in the various subgroups of Orthodoxy, which maintain significant social differences, and differences in understanding Halakha. These groups, broadly, comprise Modern Orthodox Judaism and Haredi Judaism, with most Hasidic Jewish groups falling into the latter category.

Modern Orthodoxy comprises a fairly broad spectrum of movements, each drawing on several distinct, though related, philosophies, which in some combination provide the basis for all variations of the movement today. In general, Modern Orthodoxy holds that Jewish law is normative and binding, while simultaneously attaching a positive value to interaction with contemporary society. In this view, Orthodox Judaism can “be enriched” by its intersection with modernity; further, “modern society creates opportunities to be productive citizens engaged in the Divine work of transforming the world to benefit humanity”. At the same time, in order to preserve the integrity of halakha, any area of “powerful inconsistency and conflict” between Torah and modern culture must be avoided.

Modern Orthodoxy, additionally, assigns a central role to the "People of Israel". Modern Orthodoxy, in general, places a high national, as well as religious, significance on the State of Israel, and Modern Orthodox institutions and individuals are, typically, Zionist in orientation. It also practices involvement with non-orthodox Jews that extends beyond "outreach (Kiruv)" to continued institutional relations and cooperation; see further under Torah Umadda.

Haredi Judaism advocates segregation from non-Jewish culture, although not from non-Jewish society entirely. It is characterised by its focus on community-wide Torah study.

Haredi Orthodoxy's differences with Modern Orthodoxy usually lie in interpretation of the nature of traditional halakhic concepts and in acceptable application of these concepts. Thus, engaging in the commercial world is a legitimate means to achieving a livelihood, but individuals should participate in modern society as little as possible.

The same outlook is applied with regard to obtaining degrees necessary to enter one's intended profession: where tolerated in the Haredi society, attending secular institutions of higher education is viewed as a necessary but inferior activity. Academic interest is instead to be directed toward the religious education found in the yeshiva. Both boys and girls attend school and may proceed to higher Torah study, starting anywhere between the ages of 13 and 18. A significant proportion of students, especially boys, remain in yeshiva until marriage (which is often arranged through facilitated dating. See shiduch), and many study in a kollel (Torah study institute for married men) for many years after marriage. Most Orthodox men, even those not in Kollel, will study Torah daily.

Hasidic Judaism originated in Eastern Europe (what is now Belarus and Ukraine) in the 18th century. Founded by Israel ben Eliezer, known as the Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), it originated in an age of persecution of the Jewish people, when a schism existed between scholarly and common European Jews. In addition to bridging this class gap, Hasidic teachings sought to reintroduce joy in the performance of the commandments and in prayer through the popularisation of Jewish mysticism. This joy had been suppressed in the intense intellectual study of the Talmud. The Ba'al Shem Tov sought to combine rigorous scholarship with more emotional mitzvah observance.

In practice

For guidance in practical application of Jewish law, the majority of Orthodox Jews appeal to the Shulchan Aruch ("Code of Jewish Law" composed in the 16th century by Rabbi Joseph Caro) together with its surrounding commentaries. Thus, at a general level, there is a large degree of uniformity amongst all Orthodox Jews. Concerning the details, however, there is often variance: decisions may be based on various of the standardized codes of Jewish Law that have been developed over the centuries, as well as on the various responsa. These codes and responsa may differ from each other as regards detail (and reflecting the above differences, on the weight assigned to various issues). By and large, however, the differences result from the historic dispersal of the Jews and the consequent development of differences among regions in their practices (see minhag).

*Mizrahi and Sephardic Orthodox Jews base their practice on the Shulchan Aruch. The recent works of Halakha, Kaf HaChaim, Ben Ish Chai and Yalkut Yosef are considered authoritative in many Sephardic communities. Thus Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews may choose to follow the opinion of the Ben Ish Chai when it conflicts with the Shulchan Aruch. Some of these practices are derived from the Kabbalistic school of Isaac Luria.

Ashkenazic Orthodox Jews have traditionally based most of their practices on the Rema, the gloss on the Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi Moses Isserles, reflecting differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardi custom. In the post-World War II period, the Mishnah Berurah has become authoritative. Ashkenazi Jews may choose to follow the Mishna Brurah instead of a particular detail of Jewish law as presented in the Shulchan Aruch.

Chabad Lubavitch Hasidim and many other Hasidic sects generally follow the rulings of Shneur Zalman of Liadi in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav.

Traditional Baladi and Dor Daim (Yemenite Jews) base most of their practices on the Mishneh Torah, the compendium by Maimonides of halakha, written several centuries before the Shulchan Aruch. The Talmidei haRambam also keep Jewish law as codified in the Mishneh Torah.

A smaller number, such as the Romaniote Jews, traditionally rule according to the Jerusalem Talmud over the Babylonian Talmud.

Spanish and Portuguese Jews consider the Shulchan Aruch as authoritative, but differ from other Sephardim by making less allowance for more recent authorities, in particular customs based on the Kabbalah. Some customs are based on Maimonides or the Arba'ah Turim.

(Note that Orthodox Jews demonstrate differing levels of observance as individuals. Thus there are those who would consider themselves "Orthodox" and yet may not be observant of, for example, the laws of family purity.)

Orthodox Judaism emphasizes practicing rules of Kashrut, Shabbat, Family Purity, and Tefilah (Prayer).

Externally, Orthodox Jews can often be identified by their manner of dress and family lifestyle. Orthodox women will traditionally dress modestly by keeping most of their skin covered. Additionally, most married women will cover their hair, usually in the form of hat, bandanna, or wig. Orthodox men traditionally wear a skullcap known as a kipa. Haredi men often grow beards, wear black hats and suits, indoors and outdoors.

Beliefs

Orthodox Judaism is composed of different groups with intertwining beliefs, practices and theologies, although in their core beliefs, all Orthodox movements share the same principles.

Orthodoxy collectively considers itself the only true heir to the Jewish tradition. The Orthodox Jewish movements generally consider all non-Orthodox Jewish movements to be unacceptable deviations from authentic Judaism; both because of other denominations' doubt concerning the verbal revelation of Written and Oral Torah, and because of their rejection of Halakhic precedent as binding. As such, most Orthodox groups characterise non-Orthodox forms of Judaism as heretical; see the article on Relationships between Jewish religious movements.

Orthodox Judaism affirms monotheism, or the belief in one God. Among the in-depth explanations of that belief are Maimonidean rationalism, Kabbalistic mysticism, and Chassidic Philosophy (Chassidut). A few affirm self-limited omniscience (the theology elucidated by Gersonides in "The Wars of the Lord".)

Orthodox Judaism maintains the historical understanding of Jewish identity. A Jew is someone who was born to a Jewish mother, or who converts to Judaism in accordance with Jewish law and tradition. Orthodoxy thus rejects patrilineal descent as a means of establishing Jewish national identity. Similarly, Orthodoxy strongly condemns intermarriage. Intermarriage is seen as a deliberate rejection of Judaism, and an intermarried person is effectively cut off from most of the Orthodox community. However, some Orthodox Jewish organizations do reach out to intermarried Jews.

Orthodox Judaism holds that the words of the Torah, including both the Written Law (Pentateuch) and those parts of the Oral Law which are halacha leMoshe m'Sinai, were dictated by God to Moses essentially as they exist today. The laws contained in the Written Torah were given along with detailed explanations as how to apply and interpret them, the Oral Law. Although Orthodox Jews believe that many elements of current religious law were decreed or added as "fences" around the law by the rabbis, all Orthodox Jews believe that there is an underlying core of Sinaitic law and that this core of the religious laws Orthodox Jews know today is thus directly derived from Sinai and directly reflects the Divine will. As such, Orthodox Jews believe that one must be extremely careful in changing or adapting Jewish law. Orthodox Judaism holds that, given Jewish law's Divine origin, no underlying principle may be compromised in accounting for changing political, social or economic conditions; in this sense, "creativity" and development in Jewish law is limited.

However, there is significant disagreement within Orthodox Judaism, particularly between Haredi Judaism and Modern Orthodox Judaism, about the extent and circumstances under which the proper application of Halakha should be re-examined as a result of changing realities. As a general rule, Haredi Jews believe that when at all possible the law should be maintained as it was understood by their authorities at the haskalah, believing that it had never changed. Modern Orthodox authorities are more willing to assume that under scrupulous examination, identical principles may lead to different applications in the context of modern life. To the Orthodox Jew, halakha is a guide, God's Law, governing the structure of daily life from the moment he or she wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep. It includes codes of behaviour applicable to a broad range of circumstances (and many hypothetical ones). There are though a number of meta-principles that guide the halakhic process and in an instance of opposition between a specific halakha and a meta-principle, the meta-principle often wins out. Examples of Halachic Meta-Principles are: Deracheha Darchei Noam-the ways of Torah are pleasant, Kavod Habriyot-basic respect for human beings, Pikuach Nefesh-the sanctity of human life.

Orthodox Judaism holds that on Mount Sinai the Written Law was transmitted along with an Oral Law. The words of the Torah (Pentateuch) were spoken to Moses by God; the laws contained in this Written Torah, the Mitzvot, were given along with detailed explanations in the oral tradition as to how to apply and interpret them. Furthermore, the Oral law includes principles designed to create new rules. The Oral law is held to be transmitted with an extremely high degree of accuracy. Jewish theologians, who choose to emphasize the more evolutionary nature of the Halacha point to a famous story in the Talmud, where Moses is magically transported to the House of Study of Rabbi Akiva and is clearly unable to follow the ensuing discussion.

According to Orthodox Judaism, Jewish law today is based on the commandments in the Torah, as viewed through the discussions and debates contained in classical rabbinic literature, especially the Mishnah and the Talmud. Orthodox Judaism thus holds that the halakha represents the "will of God", either directly, or as closely to directly as possible. The laws are from the word of God in the Torah, using a set of rules also revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and have been derived with the utmost accuracy and care, and thus the Oral Law is considered to be no less the word of God. If some of the details of Jewish law may have been lost over the millennia, they were reconstructed in accordance with internally consistent rules; see The 13 rules by which Jewish law was derived.

In this world view, the Mishnaic and Talmudic rabbis are closer to the Divine revelation; by corollary, one must be extremely conservative in changing or adapting Jewish law. Furthermore, Orthodox Judaism holds that, given Jewish law's Divine origin, no underlying principle may be compromised in accounting for changing political, social or economic conditions; in this sense, "creativity" and development in Jewish law is held to have been limited. Orthodox Jews will also study the Talmud for its own sake; this is considered to be the greatest mitzvah of all; see Torah study.

Haredi and Modern Orthodox Judaism vary somewhat in their view of the validity of Halakhic reconsideration. It is held virtually as a principle of belief among many Haredi Jews that halakhah never changes. Haredi Judaism thus views higher criticism of the Talmud as inappropriate, and almost certainly heretical. At the same time, many within Modern Orthodox Judaism do not have a problem with historical scholarship in this area. See the entry on historical analysis of the Talmud.

However, Haredi Jews, as a result of their belief that torah never changes, tend to interpret sources older than about 1815 as reflecting current halachic practice. Modern orthodox judaism would allege that this is a gross misinterpretation of tradition, while heredim assert that modern orthodox rabbis willfully misinterpret these sources in a fashion that is contrary to "accepted halach". An illustrative case would be siman 75 of Orech Chayim(a part of Shulchan Aruch). Heredim claim that it prohibits reading shema opposite any sort of exposed skin, modern orthodox rabbis counter that if so, why did Rav Karo(author of Shuchan Aruch) not simply quote the rambam who says this explicitly, a heredi rabbi would assert in return that he was coming to prohibit expising any of one's flesh. Frequently both sides see the other, at least tacitly, as having a quasi heretical approach to halacha.

Modern Orthodox Judaism is also somewhat more willing to consider revisiting questions of Jewish law through Talmudic arguments. Although in practice such instances are rare, they do exist. Notable examples include acceptance of rules permitting farming during the Shmita year and permitting the advanced religious education of women.

Orthodox movements, organizations and groups

in The Belz World Center]] Agudath Israel of America is the largest and most influential Haredi organization in America. Its roots go back to the establishment of the original founding of the Agudath Israel movement in 1912 in Katowitz, Prussia (now Katowice, Poland). The American Agudath Israel was founded in 1939. There is an Agudat Israel (Hasidic) in Israel, and also Degel HaTorah (non-Hasidic "Lithuanian"), as well as an Agudath Israel of Europe. These groups are loosely affiliated through the World Agudath Israel, which from time to time holds a major gathering in Israel called a knessia. Agudah unites many rabbinic leaders from the Hasidic Judaism wing with those of the non-Hasidic "yeshiva" world. It is generally non-nationalistic and ambivalent towards the modern State of Israel.

*The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, known as the Orthodox Union, or "OU", and the Rabbinical Council of America, "RCA" are organizations that represent Modern Orthodox Judaism, a large segment of Orthodoxy in the United States and Canada. These groups should not be confused with the similarly named Union of Orthodox Rabbis (described below).

*The National Council of Young Israel, and the Council of Young Israel Rabbis are smaller groups that were founded as Modern Orthodox organizations, are Zionistic, and are in the right wing of Modern Orthodox Judaism. Young Israel strongly supports and allies itself with the settlement movement in Israel. While the lay membership of synagogues affiliated with the NCYI are almost exclusively Modern Orthodox in orientation, the rabbinical leadership of the synagogues ranges from Modern Orthodox to Haredi.

*The Chief Rabbinate of Israel was founded with the intention of representing all of Judaism within the State of Israel, and has two chief rabbis: One is Ashkenazic (of the East European and Russian Jewish tradition) and one is Sephardic (of the Mediterranean, North African, Central Asian, Middle-Eastern and of Caucasus Jewish tradition.) The rabbinate has never been accepted by most Israeli Haredi groups. Since the 1960s the Chief rabbinate of Israel has moved somewhat closer to the positions of Haredi Judaism.

*Mizrachi, and political parties such as Mafdal and National Union (Israel) all represent certain sectors within the Religious Zionist movement, both in diaspora and Israel. Gush Emunim, Meimad, Tzohar, Hazit and other movements represent over competing divisions within the sector. They firmly believe in the 'Land Of Israel for the People of Israel according to the principles Torah of Israel.', although Meimad are pragmatic about such programme. Gush Emunim are the settlement wing of National Union (Israel) and support widespread kiruv as well, through such institutions as Machon Meir, Merkaz HaRav and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner. Another sector includes the Hardal faction, which tends to be unallied to the Government and quite centristic.

*Chabad Lubavitch is a branch of Hasidic Judaism widely known for its emphasis on outreach and education. The organization has been in existence for 200 years, and especially after the Second World War, it began sending out emissaries (shluchim) who have as a mission the bringing back of disaffected Jews to a level of observance consistent with authentic and proper norms (i.e., Orthodox Judaism). They are major players in what is known as the Baal Teshuva movement. Their mandate is to make nonobservant Jews more observant. Certain beliefs regarding the status of their past leader, and several of their outreach tactics and theology make them controversial in other orthodox groups.

*In Israel although it shares a similar agenda with the Sephardic Shas political party, Shas is more bipartisan when it comes to its own issues and non-nationalistic-based with a huge emphasis on Sephardi and Mizrahi Judaism. Shas has its own positions and plays a more prominent role in the government of the State, usually having something to say about almost every Jewish issue. It is usually in fierce contention with Agudat Yisrael in Israel.

*The Agudath HaRabbonim, also known as the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, is a small Haredi-leaning organization founded in 1902. It should not be confused with "The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America" (see above) which is a separate organization. While at one time influential within Orthodox Judaism, the Agudath HaRabbonim in the last several decades has progressively moved further to the right; its membership has been dropping and it has been relatively inactive. Some of its members are rabbis from Chabad Lubavitch; some are also members of the RCA (see above). It is currently most famous for its 1997 declaration (citing Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog and Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik) that the Conservative and Reform movements are "not Judaism at all."

*The Central Rabbinical Congress of the United States and Canada (CRC) was established in 1952. It is an anti-Zionist, Haredi organization, closely aligned with the Satmar Hasidic group, which has about 100,000 adherents (an unknown number of which are rabbis), and like-minded Haredi groups.

*The left-wing Modern Orthodox advocacy group, Edah, formed from United States Modern Orthodox rabbis. Most of its membership came from synagogues affiliated with the Union of Orthodox Congregations and RCA (above). Their motto was, "The courage to be Modern and Orthodox". Edah ceased operations in 2007 and merged some of its programs into the left-wing Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.

*The Beis Yaakov educational movement, begun in 1917, introduced the concept of formal Judaic schooling for Orthodox women.

See also

Orthodox Diversity:

Jewish denominations

Torah Judaism

Haredi Judaism

Lithuanian Judaism

Hasidic Judaism

Sephardi Judaism

Modern Orthodox Judaism

Religious Zionism

Baal teshuva movement

Topics:

Rabbinic Judaism

Rabbinic literature

Jewish principles of faith

Jewish philosophy

Kabbalah

Divine Providence in Orthodox thought

List of Orthodox rabbis

List of Baalei teshuva

References

External links

Your Complete Guide to Brochos

Origins of Orthodox Judaism

The different Orthodox Jewish groups

The State of Orthodox Judaism Today

Orthodox Judaism in Israel

Orthodox Jewish population growth and political changes

The unique lifestyle and culture of Orthodox Jews

Category:Jewish denominations

Name	Mayim Bialik
Caption	Bialik at the rehearsal for the 1989 Academy Awards
Birth name	Mayim Hoya Bialik
Birth date	December 12, 1975
Birth place	San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Spouse	Michael Stone (2003-Present) 2 Children
Years active	1986–present

Mayim Hoya Bialik (born December 12, 1975) is an American actress and neuroscientist. She is best known for her lead role as Blossom Russo in the early-1990s NBC sitcom Blossom.

Early life

Bialik was born in San Diego, California, the daughter of Barbara, a nursery school director, and John Bialik, a high school drama teacher. Her grandparents emigrated in the late 1930s from Poland and Czechoslovakia/Hungary. Bialik was raised in Reform Judaism. Her given name means water in Hebrew.

Career

Bialik started her career as a child actress in the late 1980s. Her early roles included the horror film Pumpkinhead, her first acting job; and guest appearances on The Facts of Life and Beauty and the Beast. She appeared in three episodes of MacGyver as Lisa Woodman. In 1988, she appeared in Beaches (1988), playing Bette Midler's character as a young girl. She was also featured in the video clip of Liberian Girl by Michael Jackson.

In 1990, Bialik was tied to two television pilots, Fox's Molloy and NBC's Blossom. Molloy at first produced six episodes for a tryout run, followed by the shooting of the pilot special for Blossom. The latter actually aired two weeks before Bialik's Fox series, and ultimately garnered higher ratings than it. When Molloy folded after its six episodes, Blossom was pursued as a regular series. The actress' greatest success to date came in 1991 when Blossom joined NBC's Monday night lineup following The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Both shows enjoyed popularity, especially among younger viewers, for the first couple of years of their respective runs. Blossom aired until 1995.

Between 1995 and 2005, Bialik mostly did voice work for cartoons, such as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, and Recess.

She appeared in the feature film Kalamazoo? released in late 2005. She appeared in three episodes of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm as Jodi Funkhouser, the lesbian daughter of a friend of Larry David. Bialik also made guest appearances as a fictionalized version of herself in the series Fat Actress. Bialik had a guest appearance as a Hasidic Jew in an episode of Saving Grace. She has a recurring role as the high school guidance counselor in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She also had an appearance on the Fox TV show 'Til Death in which she has a reunion of sorts with two of her Blossom costars- Jenna von Oÿ – who played Blossom’s quirky best-friend Six – and Michael Stoyanov – who played Blossom’s older brother Anthony. She has optioned the Rashi's Daughters books.

It was announced on July 14, 2010, that Bialik will be writing her first book, to be called Intuitive Parenting. Also in 2010 she joined the cast of The Big Bang Theory as Amy Farrah Fowler. Her first appearance was in the finale of the third season of the show, where she was cast as a potential girlfriend for the character Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons. In the fourth season of the show, she started out as a recurring character playing Sheldon's "friend that's a girl, but not a girlfriend". Beginning with episode 8 of the 4th season, she became part of the main cast.

Personal life

At the end of Blossom, she chose to attend UCLA, despite having been accepted at both Harvard and Yale. She stated that she wanted to stay close to her parents and did not want to move to the East Coast. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2000 in neuroscience, Hebrew, and Jewish studies, and went on to the PhD program in neuroscience. A 2002 interview stated that Bialik is now involved in Conservadox Judaism.

She took a break from studies in 2005 to return to acting. Bialik completed her PhD in 2008, but is not pursuing an academic career in the near future; her dissertation was an investigation of Prader-Willi syndrome.

She married Michael Stone on August 31, 2003, in a Victorian-themed ceremony with traditional Jewish customs. They have two sons together; Miles Roosevelt Bialik Stone was born on October 10, 2005, and Frederick Heschel Bialik Stone was born on August 15, 2008. She is a celebrity spokesperson for the Holistic Moms Network.

Hayim Nahman Bialik, Israel's national poet, was Mayim Bialik's great-great-grandfather's uncle. She also has a very low Erdős–Bacon number of 7.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | rowspan=2|1988 || Beaches || young Cecilia 'CC' Carol Bloom || |- | Pumpkinhead || Wallace kid || |- | 2005 || Kalamazoo? || Maggie Goldman || |- |-align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television - Live Action |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1987 || Beauty and the Beast || Ellie || Episode: "No Way Down" |- | 1988 || The Facts of Life || Jennifer Cole || Episodes: "The Beginning of the Beginning", "The Beginning of the End" |- | 1988–1989 || Webster || Frieda || eight episodes |- | rowspan=2|1989–1990 || Empty Nest || Laurie Kincaid || Episodes: "The R.N. Who Came to Dinner", "Harry Knows Bestro" |- | MacGyver || Lisa Woodman || Episodes: "Cease Fire", "Twenty Questions", "Hearts of Steel" |- | rowspan=3|1990 || Doogie Howser, M.D. || Candace || Episode: "Ask Dr. Doogie" |- | Molloy || Molloy Martin || Episodes: "Pilot", "Surprise" |- | Murphy Brown || Natalie || Episode: "I Want My FYI" |- | 1990–1995 || Blossom || Blossom Russo || 114 episodes |- | 1991 || Sea World's Mother Earth Celebration (on Nickelodeon) || Herself || Played a mall-a-holic who knows little about animals and nature until she hears about friends' experiences. Her neighborhood mysteriously "flies off" to Sea World where she's able to use her new knowledge and learn more facts. |- | 1993 || The Hidden Room || Jillie || Episode: "Jillie" |- | 1994 || Don't Drink the Water || Susan Hollander || Woody Allen's TV remake |- | 1994–1995 || The John Larroquette Show || Rachel || Episodes: "The Book of Rachel", "Rachel and Ton", "Rachel Redux" |- | 1998 || Welcome to Paradox || Rita || Episode: "Alien Jane" |- | rowspan=2|2005 || Fat Actress || Herself || Episodes: "The Koi Effect", "Holy Lesbo Batman" |- | 7th Heaven || Cathy || Episode: "Dick" |- | 2005, 2007 || Curb Your Enthusiasm|| Jodi Funkhauser|| Episodes: "The Bowtie", "The TiVo Guy", "The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial" |- | rowspan=3|2009 || Saving Grace || Esther || Episode: "Mooooooooo" |- | What Not To Wear || Herself || Nominated by former "Blossom" co-star, Jenna von Oy. |- | Bones || Genie Gormon || Episode: "The Cinderella in the Cardboard" |- | rowspan=3|2010 || The Secret Life of the American Teenager || Dr. Wilameena Bink || Episodes: "You Don’t Know What You’ve Got...", "Just Say Me", "Let's Try That Again", "The Rhythm of Life" |- | 'Til Death || Herself || Episodes: "The Break-Up", "Merit Play", "Baby Steps" |- | The Big Bang Theory || Amy Farrah Fowler || Episodes: "The Lunar Excitation", "The Robotic Manipulation", "The Zazzy Subsitution", "The Desperation Emanation", "The 21-Second Excitation", "The Alien Parasite Hypothesis" |}

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television - voice |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1992 || The Kingdom Chums: Original Top Ten || Petey || |- | 1995, 1996 || The Adventures of Hyperman || Brittany Bright || Episodes: #1.1 and "Oceans a Leavin'" |- | rowspan=2|1996 || rowspan=2|The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest || Lucy || Episode: "The Alchemist" |- | Julia/French Woman || Episode: "Assault on Questworld: |- | 1996, 1999 || Hey Arnold! || Maria || Episodes: "6th Grade Girls/The Baseball", "Dinner for Four/Phoebe Skips" |- | rowspan=2|1997 || Johnny Bravo || Tour Guide || Episode: "Going Batty/Berry the Butler/Red Faced in the White House" |- | Extreme Ghostbusters || Girl in Future || Episode: "Ghost Apocalyptic Future" |- | 1997, 1998, 2000 || Recess || Kirsten Kurst || Episodes: "The Break-In", "The Girl Was Trouble", "The Ratings Game" |- | 2003 || || Bush Pilot, May Deuce || video game |- | 2003, 2004 || Kim Possible || Justine Flanner || Episodes: "The Secret Files", "Partners" |- | 2005 || Katbot || Paula || never aired |- |}

References

External links

UCLA famous alumni

Category:1975 births Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American Jews Category:American television actors Category:American vegans Category:American voice actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Living people Category:People from San Diego, California Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni