INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS

Chapter 4

Judaism

Welcome to the fourth module of the course “Introduction to World

Religions and Belief Systems.” For this lesson, we are going to study

Judaism.

It is important for you to get acquainted with the founders of this

religion are, its sacred texts, its basic doctrines, its concept of God, its

sects, and issues concerning it.

Profile

What is Judaism?

Judaism is the way of life of the Jewish people. Remember that the

word “Judaism” (like all the other names for the world religions we are

going to study in this course) was not coined by Jews themselves.

Judaism was a word invented by the English-speaking Western world

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 Chapter 4: Judaism

to generalize and put a label on what seems to be a “religion.” In fact

in the Hebrew language there are no equivalent words for “Judaism”

or “religion.” Therefore the word Judaism was created by outsiders not

insiders of the religious tradition. We use it in this course as outsiders

– religious scholars – studying a tradition without being part of it.

When we put ourselves in the position of Jews, we consider Judaism

as a “way of life” rather than simply a “religion” and it will begin to

include the social, cultural, and religious history of a diverse

community scattered all over the world.

In studying Judaism, please remember that it is best understood by the

interplay of three elements or points of references:

1. God – refers to the God of Israel, God of all creation, the one

God.

2. Torah – represents Judaism’s intellectual culture (study and

interpretation of sacred texts).

3. Peoplehood – customs, foods, arts, music, dance, and folkways.

There is not point of reference that is greater than the other. Their level

of importance in relation to one another changes across time and

space. Therefore it is wrong to conclude that all Jews are religious

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Jews. There are Jews who consider themselves only “culturally”

Jewish which means they lean towards Judaism’s element of

“peoplehood” but not God or the Torah.

In studying Judaism, it is also important for us to always remember

that Judaism is a historical tradition therefore an in depth study of the

history of the Jewish people is seminal to our understanding of past

and contemporary Judaism

Timeline

Below is the Timeline of Jewish History and Heritage. It was approved

by the state of Israel’s Ministry of Education. It is a good illustrative

tool that introduces you to the origins and contemporary events that

define Judaism. The image below is small so you may want to revisit a

bigger version of it at:

http://www.odyeda.com/en/attachments/20150118_Jewish_Timeline_

Odyeda_white.jpg

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 Chapter 4: Judaism

Required Reading

 For a historical and cultural backgrounder, please read:

“Judaism” at World Religions (7th Ed.) by Warren Matthews

(p. 245-286)

 For a profile that applies a cultural studies approach, please

read “Judaism” at: http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/files/hds-

rlp/files/judaism.pdf?m=1427827968

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Required Video

 Watch: Inside the Torah at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAJ6dBXbIvs

Forum Discussion

1. [On the Film] According to historical and archaeological proof,

why did Hebrews break away from the Canaanites?

2. [On the Reading] How did the Jews came up with the idea of

“One God”? Support your answers by concepts and evidences

mentioned in the book chapter.

3. Additional: Respond to at least one answer from your

classmates.

Activity

Accomplish the corresponding Activity Sheet for this module.

Quiz

Take the Quiz for this chapter.

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 Chapter 4: Judaism

Issue: Anti-Semitism And The Holocaust

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism refers to the age-old hatred against Jews that perpetuate

social tensions and acts of violence. It is central to the Jewish

experience both in the ancient world and in more modern times.

Here is a list of time periods and contexts when anti-semitism was

strong:

1. During the early Diaspora.

2. During the rise of Christianity.

3. During the European Enlightenment.

4. During the Post-Emancipation Period.

5. 19th century Dreyfus Affair in France

6. 19th century publication of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

7. During the rise of Nazism in Germany

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The Holocaust

Holocaust is an English word derived from a Greek word that means

“all-burned.” In relation to Jewish history, the Holocaust refers to the

genocide of over six million Jews in Europe by the Nazis during the

1930s until the end of World War II. The massacre occurred in

different places but most especially in Poland and Lithuania where a

systematic elimination of the Jews was carried through.

Different factors lead to the holocaust but anti-semtism was a strong

inspiration for such massive killing of human lives.

Required Reading

The following is a set of readings from the resource book “The Jews of

Poland” prepared by FacingHistory.Org. Each text represents an

important period from the development of anti-semitism until the

Holocaust.

 Historical Background of Anti-Semitism: “The Roots of

Religious Stereotyping” (p. 26-28)

 Beginnings of Anti-Semitic Measuers By Nazis: “Explosions

of Violence” (p. 108-110)

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 The Holocaust: “Treblinka Means Death” (p. 177-180)

 After The Holocaust: “The Persistence of Hatred” (p. 224-227)

Required Video

“History of European Antisemitism” by the United States Holocaust

Memorial Museum at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXrFeWUXEY

Forum Discussion

1. What is your reaction about anti-semitism and the holocaust?

2. How do you think can direct, structural, and cultural violence

perpetuated by religion be avoided?

3. Please respond to at least one classmate.

Lecture

Watch the accompanying video lecture to summarize this chapter.

Long Test

Take this chapter’s long test.

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References

Facing History and Ourselves. (1998). The Jews of Poland. Brookline,

MA: Facing History and Ourselves, Inc.

Matthews, W. (2013). World religions (7th ed.). Belmont, CA:

Wardsworth.

Odyeda. (n.d.) Jewish timeline: A brief history of the Jewish people on

one page. Retrieved from

http://www.odyeda.com/en/attachments/20150118_Jewish_Timeline_

Odyeda_white.jpg

Pluralism Project at Harvard University, Religious Literacy Project at

Harvard Divinity Shool. (2015). Judaism. Available online at:

http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/files/hds-

rlp/files/judaism.pdf?m=1427827968

ProudSephardic [Screen name]. (2011, November 2). Judaism: Inside

the Torah – National Geographic [Video file]. Retrived from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAJ6dBXbIvs

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 Chapter 4: Judaism

Abraham Lincoln [Screen name]. (2016, February 10). History of

European Antisemitism [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXrFeWUXEY

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