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Judaism
Followers called: Jews
Sacred Writings: TeNaKh. 3 parts – Torah – law, Nevi’im –
history, and Ketuvim – writings and psalms
Key Beliefs: There is only one God. God created the world
and made man in his image. Canaan (Palestine) is the
Promised Land, All people are equal, one day the Messiah will
come, 10 Commandments, keep the Sabbath holy, Talmud –
oral law that God’s teachings are continuing. Chosen People –
Abraham’s descendants through son Isaac.
Goal: live a good life and carry on Jewish traditions.
Holy Sites: Jerusalem (Western / Wailing Wall – remnants
of Solomon’s Temple), Hebron – Tomb of Patriarchs
Practices & Rituals: Kashrut (kosher laws – dietary laws);
No pork, shellfish, and meat prepared with dairy products.
No work on Sabbath. Circumcision
Worship Service: Synagogue led by a Rabbi
Things to Know 613 laws
Symbol:
Star / Shield of David
Percentage: .23%
# Followers: 13.1 million
Where found: mostly Israel
Founder: Abraham / Moses
Observance Days: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement),
Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication
Deity: Monotheism, Adonai, Covenant with Abraham
Overview
Top 10 Largest National Jewish Populations
Rank
Nation
Number
1
USA
5,602,000
2
Israel
4,390,000
3
Russia
1,450,000
4
France
640,000
5
Canada
350,000
6
United Kingdom
320,000
7
Argentina
250,000
8
Brazil
150,000
9
Australia
92,000
10
South Africa
70,000
Judaism has about 13 million followers throughout the world, mostly in USA and Israel.
Judaism originated in the Middle East over 3500 years ago.
Moses was the main founder of Judaism, but Jews can trace their history back as far as
Abraham.
6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust in an attempt to wipe out Judaism.
Beliefs
Jews believe that there is only one God.
Jews believe they have a special agreement or covenant with God. In exchange for all the
good that God has done for them, Jewish people keep God's laws and try to bring holiness
into every aspect of their lives.
Judaism is a faith of action and Jews believe people should be judged not so much on what
they believe as on the way they live their faith - by how much they contribute to the
overall holiness of the world.
Holy Books
The most holy Jewish book is the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) which
was revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago.
The Torah, together with the Talmud (commentary on the Torah), give the Jewish people
rules for everyday life. Observing these rules is central to the Jewish religion.
The Talmud is the comprehensive written version of the Jewish oral law and the
subsequent commentaries on it. It originates from the 2nd century CE. The word Talmud is
derived from the Hebrew verb 'to teach', which can also be expressed as the verb 'to
learn'.
Worship
Jews worship in Synagogues
A Jewish Religious leader is called a Rabbi (literally 'teacher')
Shabbat (The Sabbath)
The family and community are very important within Jewish life.
The most important day of the week is Shabbat (the Sabbath). It is the day on which
Jews remember the seventh day of creation on which God rested. On Shabbat Jews stop
working and make time for God and family life.
Shabbat starts on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday.
Shabbat begins with the family sharing a meal.
During Shabbat, services are held at the synagogue, often led by a Rabbi.
How do you become a Jew?
Some Jews believe that you are Jewish if your mother is Jewish or you convert according
to the Orthodox tradition. Others believe that you are Jewish if either your mother or
father is Jewish, or you convert according to the Progressive tradition.
Prophets
Abraham
Jews regard Abraham (as he was later called) as the first Patriarch of the Jewish people.
Abraham was the first person to teach the idea that there was only one God; before then,
people believed in many gods.
Ironically, Abraham's father, Terach, had made his living selling idols of various gods.
Moses
One of Judaism's great figures is the man called Moshe Rabbenu ('Moses our teacher') in
Hebrew. The first five books of the Bible are traditionally ascribed to him. Moses is the
channel between God and the Hebrews, through whom the Hebrews received a basic
charter for living as God's people.
Sects of Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a form of traditional Judaism that falls halfway between
Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism. It is sometimes described as traditional Judaism
without fundamentalism.
Liberal Judaism, as the name suggests, is a progressive form of Judaism that aims to bring
Judaism and modernity together.
Holy Days
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish year.
At this time Jewish people remember how the children of Israel left slavery behind them
when they were led out of Egypt by Moses over 3000 years ago.
The story can be found in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 12 in the Hebrew Bible (the Torah).
Hashanah is the Jewish New Year festival. It lasts two days.
It commemorates the creation of the world.
Rosh Hashanah is also a judgment day, when Jews believe that God balances a person's
good deeds over the last year against their bad deeds, and decides what the next year will
be like for them.
Getting ready for Yom Kippur
During the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur everyone gets a chance to put
things right with other people before asking God's forgiveness. This period is called The
Days of Repentence or Days of Awe.
It's a time when Jews can make up for the wrongs of the past year and make a firm
commitment to not do the same bad thing or things again.
Major Beliefs & Practices
The relationship with God
Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom
every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.
They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.
The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many
good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People...

The Jews keep God's laws

The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives.
Judaism is the faith of a Community
Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an
example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.
Jewish life is very much the life of a community and there are many activities that Jews
must do as a community.
For example, the Jewish prayer book uses WE and OUR in prayers where some other

faiths would use I and MINE.
Jews also feel part of a global community with a close bond Jewish people all over the
world. A lot of Jewish religious life is based around the home and family activities.
Judaism is a family faith
Judaism is very much a family faith and the ceremonies start early, when a Jewish boy
baby is circumcised at eight days old, following the instructions that God gave to Abraham
around 4,000 years ago.
Many Jewish religious customs revolve around the home. One example is the Sabbath meal,
when families join together to welcome in the special day.
Who is a Jew?
Jews believe that a Jew is someone who is the child of a Jewish mother; although some
groups also accept children of Jewish fathers as Jewish. A Jew traditionally can't lose the
technical 'status' of being a Jew by adopting another faith, but they do lose the religious
element of their Jewish identity.
Someone who isn't born a Jew can convert to Judaism, but it is not easy to do so.
A summary of what Jews believe about God

God exists

There is only one God

There are no other gods

God can't be subdivided into different persons (unlike the Christian view of God)

Jews should worship only the one God

God is Transcendent:

God is above and beyond all earthly things.
God doesn't have a body

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Which means that God is neither female nor male.

God created the universe without help

God is omnipresent:

God is everywhere, all the time.
God is omnipotent:


God can do anything at all.
God is beyond time:


God has always existed

God will always exist.
God is just, but God is also merciful
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God punishes the bad

God rewards the good

God is forgiving towards those who mess things up.
God is personal and accessible.


God is interested in each individual

God listens to each individual

God sometimes speaks to individuals, but in unexpected ways.
Converting to Judaism
Converting to Judaism is not easy. It involves many lifestyle changes and about a year of
studying.
Becoming a Jew is not just a religious change: the convert not only accepts the Jewish
faith, but becomes a member of the Jewish People and embraces Jewish culture and
history.
Judaism and conversion
Judaism is not a missionary faith and so doesn't actively try to convert people (in many
countries anti-Jewish laws prohibited this for centuries).
Despite this, the modern Jewish community increasingly welcomes would-be converts.