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Judaism
The religion of the Jewish people
13 million Jews in the world today
6 million which live in the U.S.
Founding: Abraham
 Abraham- founding father and all Jews are descendents of him
 4,000 years ago
 Believed in only one God- those around him worshiped many
 God told him to leave his home and move to Canaan
 God’s promise- he would be the father of a great nation (The Jewish people)
Important Beliefs
 Monotheism- believe in one God
 Covenant- an agreement
 God made a covenant with Abraham- promised to give him many descendants
who would be the chosen people.
 Shalom- an important prayer
 “Hear O Israel”: The Lord is our God, the Lord Alone. You shall love the Lord,
your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might.”
 Ark of the Covenant- stone tables containing the 10 Commandments and Israelite
objects
 10 Commandments- rules given to Moses by God
 Torah (Tanakh)- three parts
Torah- first five books of the bible: Creation of the world
Nevi’im- writings of the prophets and of Israel.
Ketuvim- writings of the people of Israel- Psalms, Proverbs and Job.
Jewish Teaching and Laws: The Oral Torah:
 Written in:
 Mishnah- “to repeat, to study,”
Shabbat and other festivals
Marriage, divorce, sacrifice
 Talmud- collection of ideas to teach how to live, also how laws applied to new
problems.
Where Worship takes place:
 Synagogue-meeting place
 The Western Wall- great temple in Jerusalem- Ark of the Covenant
 Jerusalem- symbolic center for Jews
Important People
 Rabbi- a leader of the Jews
 Abraham- Father of the religion
 Prophets- people chosen by God to speak on his behalf
 Moses- 10 Commandments, led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt
 Messiah- a king sent from God at the end of the time.
Yarmulke
 Symbol of the connection with God
 Pride in being a Jew
 Symbol similar to a wedding ring
Kosher
 Laws about food
 “kosher”- clear, pure, and fit
 Animal kosher- cloven hooves and digest its food through four stomachs
 EX- Cows, sheep, goats, and deer.
 Fish are kosher if they have fins and scales
 Birds that are not prey birds are kosher
 Fruits and veggies are kosher
 Eggs and milk are kosher if from kosher animal
Becoming A Jew
 Traditionally- either born of a Jewish mother or converted
 Most are accepting of converts
 Liberal sects- children born from either a Jewish mother or father to be Jewish as
long as the child is raised with a Jewish identity.
Shabbat (Sabbath)
 Sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday
 Remember that God rested on the 7th day after creating the world
 No work
 Relax with family
Bar Mitzvah
 Means “son of the commandment”
 Boy is recongnized as a member of the Jewish Community
 Promises to follow the Torah’s Laws
Yom Kippur
 “The Day of Atonement”
 Come to peace with God, Ask for forgiveness and realize what they need to
change
 Holiest day of the year
Hanukkah
 “The Festival Of Lights”
 Last for eight days
 Reminder of the miracle that happened over 2,000 years ago
 Only enough oil for one day that lasted for eight days.
Passover
 Remember how God led the Jews out of slaver in Egypt to the promise land.