Religion of Jews who adhere strictly to traditional beliefs and practices; the official form of Judaism in Israel.
Orthodox Jews hold that both the written law ( Torah ) and the oral law (codified in the Mishna and interpreted in the Talmud ) are immutably fixed and remain the sole norm of religious observance. Orthodox Judaism has held fast to such practices as daily worship, dietary laws, intensive study of the Torah, and separation of men and women in the synagogue. It also enjoins strict observance of the Sabbath and does not permit instrumental music during communal services. A leading center of Orthodoxy in the U.S. is New York's Yeshiva Univ.