Download The Religion of Judaism

The Religion of Judaism
By: Alex K., Tar-U-Way B., Michael M., Ricky R., Kevin K.
1st Block, AP Human Geography, Mrs. Moore
Religion distribution Map
There are about 14 million jews in the world.
Most of the jews live in either the United States
or Israel. Israel has over 6 million jews and
America has about 5.5 million jews. In Europe
there are about 1.5 million jews, a third of them
in france. 400,000 are in Latin America and
400,000 in Canada. There are less than 75,000
in africa, 90% of which are in South Africa. There
are 125,000 in Australia and New Zealand
combined, and 40,000 in Asia, half of which are
in former soviet union countries.
Religion diffusion map
Over years of religious persecution,
there has been forced migration of
Jews all over the world. The diffusion
of Judaism can mainly be
characterized as movement to more
developed countries, where religious
freedom would be prominent.
Core Beliefs - Part I Sacred Holidays
Rituals/Sacraments/Holidays - Shabbat, the weekly day of rest from sundown on Friday night, lasting until sundown on
the following saturday.
-Passover, A week long holiday beginning on the evening of the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. It is
celebrated for 8 days, and it is related to the barley harvest.
-Shavout, The celebration of the revolution of the Torah to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai. It involves all-night studying
marathons called Tikkun Leil Shavout.
-Rosh Hashanah, The Jewish New Year, although it falls on the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.
-Yom Kippur, The holiest day of the Jewish year. Know as the day of fasting and praying for forgiveness, observant
Jews spend the whole day in the synagogue.
-Purim, A joyous holiday that remembers the deliverance of the Persian Jews from the plot of Haman, who wanted to
exterminate them.
Core Beliefs - Part II Monotheistic
- Hannukah, an 8 day celebration that starts on the 25th day of the Hebrew
month of Kislev. Marks the rededication of the Temple after its desecration by
Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
The sacred texts of Judaism are the Torah, which is part of the larger Tanahk,
or the Hebrew Bible.
Judaism is monotheistic, meaning they only worship one god, the God of
Abraham.
Core Beliefs - Part III Center of Faith
The Jews believe that there is a single god, the God of Abraham, with whom
every Jew can have an individual relationship with. They also believe that god
works in the world, affecting everything that people do. The Jews have a
covenant with God, in exchange for everything God has done and will continue
to do for the Jewish people. They believe that the Jews were appointed by God
to be the chosen people in order to set an example and lead a life of holiness.
Origin and Hearth
The origin of Judaism is found in the Middle East in the country of Israel over 4,000 years ago. The
history began with the covenant made between God and Abraham. Abraham is the founder of this
religion, and is revered as the father of the Jewish People. God, also known as Yahweh, bestowed
upon Abraham and his relatives the land known as Canaan, and in return Abraham would only worship
him.
Branches
Orthodox-religious Judaism which subscribes tradition of mass revelation and
adheres to the laws and ethics of the Torah. Accounts for merely 10% of the
Jewish population.
Reform-emphasizes the evolving nature of the religion/ believing in a
continuous revelation centered on the theophany at Mount Sinai. Makes up the
largest percentage of Jews; nearly 45%.
Conservative Lines-form of judaism that tries to preserve Jewish tradition, and
has a more laidback approach on the laws of Judaism. Makes up 40%-45% of
Symbols
The symbols of judaism has had a detrimental effect on cultural landscape. As
you drive along some places of the earth, you see Synagogues in many places.
Another big symbol of judaism is Jerusalem, which is a major symbol that
affects the cultural landscape. It was a sources of sacredness before Jesus
was born, and it still remains a sacred place today.
Work Cited
Stillman, Norman (1979). The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America.
Lewis, Bernard (1999). Semites and Anti-Semites: An Inquiry into Conflict and Prejudice. W. W. Norton & Co.
Encyclopaedia Judaica, Keter Publishing
A History of the Jews. Paul Johnson, HarperCollins, 1988
Philosophies of Judaism. Julius Guttmann, trans. by David Silverman, JPS. 1964
"BBC - Religions - Judaism: Jewish Beliefs." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.
"Judaism 101: Jewish Population." Judaism 101: Jewish Population. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.