JUDAISM

JUDAISM
Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic
religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years.
Followers of Judaism believe in one God who
revealed himself through ancient prophets. The
history of Judaism is essential to understanding
the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of
law, culture and tradition.
Judaism Beliefs
Jewish people believe there’s only one God who has established a covenant—
or special agreement—with them. Their God communicates to believers through
prophets and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil.
Most Jews (with the exception of a few groups) believe that their Messiah
hasn’t yet come—but will one day.
Jewish people worship in holy places known as synagogues, and their spiritual
leaders are called rabbis. The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of Judaism.
Today, there are about 14 million Jews worldwide. Most of them live in the
United States and Israel. Traditionally, a person is considered Jewish if his or her
mother is Jewish.
The Star of David
 It is recognized as the symbol of
Jewish Community and is named
.
after King David of ancient Israel.
Jews started to use the symbol in
the Middle Ages
Torah
The Jewish sacred text is called the Tanakh or the
“Hebrew Bible.” It includes the same books as the
Old Testament in the Christian Bible, but they’re
placed in a slightly different order.
The Torah—the first five books of the Tanakh—
outlines laws for Jews to follow. It’s sometimes also
referred to as the Pentateuch.
 Founder of Judaism
The origins of Jewish faith are explained throughout the Torah. According to the text, God
first revealed himself to a Hebrew man named Abraham, who became known as the founder
of Judaism.
Jews believe that God made a special covenant with Abraham and that he and his
descendants were chosen people who would create a great nation.
 Abraham’s son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob, also became central figures in ancient Jewish
history. Jacob took the name Israel, and his children and future generations became known
as Israelites.
More than 1,000 years after Abraham, the prophet Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt
after being enslaved for hundreds of years.
According to scriptures, God revealed his laws, known as the Ten Commandments, to Moses
at Mt. Sinai.
Jewish Temples
Around 1000 B.C., King David ruled the Jewish people. His son Solomon built the
first holy Temple in Jerusalem, which became the central place of worship for Jews.
The kingdom fell apart around 931 B.C., and the Jewish people split into two groups:
Israel in the North and Judah in the South.
Sometime around 587 B.C., the Babylonians destroyed the first Temple and sent
many Jews into exile.
A second Temple was built in about 516 B.C. but was eventually destroyed by the
Romans in A.D. 70.
The destruction of the second Temple was significant because Jewish people no
longer had a primary place to gather, so they shifted their focus to worshipping in
local synagogues.
Jewish Holy Books
While the Tanakh (which includes the Torah) is considered
the sacred text of Judaism, many other important
manuscripts were composed in later years. These offered
insights into how the Tanakh should be interpreted and
documented oral laws that were previously not written
down.
Around A.D. 200, scholars compiled the Mishnah—a text
that describes and explains the Jewish code of law that was
previously orally communicated.
Talmud, Shabbat
Later, the Talmud, a collection of teachings and commentaries on Jewish law, was created. The Talmud
contains the Mishnah and another text known as the Gemara (which examines the Mishnah). It includes the
interpretations of thousands of rabbis and outlines the importance of 613 commandments of Jewish law.
The first version of the Talmud was finalized around the 3rd century A.D. The second form was completed
during the 5th century A.D.
Judaism embraces several other written texts and commentaries. One example is the 13 Articles of Faith,
which was written by a Jewish philosopher named Maimonides.
Shabbat is recognized as a day of rest and prayer for Jews. It typically begins at sunset on Friday and lasts
until nightfall on Saturday.
Observing Shabbat can take many forms, depending on the type of Judaism that a Jewish family may follow.
Orthodox and Conservative Jews, for example, may refrain from performing any physical labor, using any
electrical device or other prohibited activities.
Most observant Jews celebrate Shabbat by reading or discussing the Torah, attending a synagogue or
socializing with other Jews at Shabbat meals.
Judaism and Persecution
Throughout history, Jewish people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. Some
well-known events include:
1066 Granada Massacre: On December 30, 1066, a Muslim mob stormed the royal
palace in Granada and killed more than 1,000 Jewish families. The group also kidnapped
and crucified Joseph ibn Naghrela, the Jewish vizier to the Berber king.
The First Crusade: In the first of the Crusades—a series of medieval holy wars involving
Christians and Muslims—thousands of Jews were killed, and many were forced to
convert to Christianity.
The Spanish Expulsion: In 1492, Spain’s rulers issued a royal edict that declared all Jews
who refused to convert to Christianity would be expelled from the country. Experts
estimate about 200,000 people were ousted and tens of thousands died while trying to
reach safety.
Judaism and Persecution
 The Holocaust: In the Holocaust, the most infamous of modern-day atrocities, the Nazis
murdered more than 6 million Jews.
The Creation of Israel
During and after the Holocaust, many Jews returned to their homeland (in
the Middle East region known as Palestine) and embraced Zionism, a
movement for the creation of a Jewish state that emerged in 19th-century
Europe.
In 1948, Israel officially became an independent nation. David Ben-Gurion,
one of the leading promoters of a Jewish nation state, was given the title of
prime minister.
This event was considered a success for the Jewish people who had
tirelessly petitioned for an independent state in their homeland. However,
tensions between Jews and Arabs living in Palestine escalated in the years
since Israel became a state and are still ongoing today.
Types of Judaism
There are several sects in Judaism, which include:
Orthodox Judaism: Orthodox Jews are typically known for their strict observance of traditional Jewish
law and rituals. For instance, most believe Shabbat shouldn’t involve working, driving or handling
money.
Orthodox Judaism is a diverse sect that includes several subgroups, including Hasidic Jews. This form
started in the 18th century in Eastern Europe and holds different values than traditional or ultra-
Orthodox Judaism. Hasidic Jews emphasize a mystical experience with God that involves direct
communion through prayer and worship. Chabad is a well-known Orthodox Jewish, Hasidic movement.
Reform Judaism: Reform Judaism is considered a liberal category of the religion that values ethical
traditions over strict observance of Jewish laws. Followers promote progressive ideas and adaptation.
Most of the Jews living in the United States follow Reform Judaic traditions.
Conservative Judaism: Many people consider this form of Judaism somewhere in between Orthodox
and Reform Judaism. Typically, conservative Jews honor the traditions of Judaism while allowing for
some modernization.
Types of Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism: Reconstructionism dates back to 1922
when Mordecai Kaplan founded the Society for the Advancement of
Judaism. This sect believes that Judaism is a religious civilization that’s
constantly evolving.
Humanistic Judaism: Rabbi Sherwin Wine founded this denomination
of Judaism in 1963. Humanistic Jews celebrate Jewish history and
culture without an emphasis on God.
While there are various denominations of Judaism, many Jews don’t
identify with a particular classification and simply refer to themselves
as Jewish.
 Jewish Holidays
Jewish people observe several important days and events in history, such as:
Passover: This holiday lasts seven or eight days and celebrates Jewish freedom from slavery in Egypt. Specifically,
Passover refers to the biblical story of when the Hebrew God “passed over” houses of Jewish families and saved their
children during a plague that was said to have killed all other first-born babies in Egypt.
Rosh Hashanah: Jews celebrate the birth of the universe and humanity during this holiday, which is also known as the
Jewish New Year.
Yom Kippur: This “Day of Atonement” is considered the holiest day of the year for Jews who typically spend it fasting
and praying.
High Holy Days: The 10 days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are also known as the High
Holidays, the Days of Awe or Yamim Noraim. The High Holy Days are considered a time of repentance for Jewish people.
Hanukkah: This Jewish celebration, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” lasts eight days. Hanukkah commemorates
the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greeks over 2,000 years
ago.
Purim: This is a joyous holiday that celebrates a time when the Jewish people in Persia were saved from extermination.
REFERENCE
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