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Abraham

 Judaism began with the covenant (agreement) between
God and Abraham (2000 BCE). He is considered the
patriarch (father) of the Jewish people and was married to
Sarah.
 Abraham had a son, Ishmael, with Hagar (Egyptian
maidservant).
 One year later, Abraham had a son, Isaac, with Sarah.
Beyond Abraham

 Around 1600 BC, as a result of famine, many Jews
(Hebrews) migrated to Egypt, where they were
eventually held in slavery until Moses led them out of
Egypt and established a homeland in
present-day Israel.
 According to Jewish belief, God revealed his laws and
commandments to Moses and they are written in the
Torah.
 King David unified the Jewish kingdom and ruled
from Jerusalem. His reign symbolized a united Jewish
people.
Beyond Abraham

 Several times in history, empires conquered the region and
drove many Jews from the area. As they spread out around
the world, Judaism spread with them.
 The scattering of Jews outside the Holy Land is called the
Diaspora.
Judaism

 Major Leader: Abraham and Moses
 Symbol: Star of David (Magen
David~Shield of David)
 Secondary Symbol: Menorah used
in the temple
Judaism’s Sacred Texts

 Tanakh: The Hebrew Bible
 Torah, or Pentateuch (five
books of Moses): Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy
 Nevi’i,m, or prophets
 Ketuvim, or writings
Judaism’s Secondary Texts

Mishnah: written compilation of
the oral law.
Talmud: Instructional text
(scholarly writings) with
discussions on Jewish history,
customs, culture, and law.
Midrash: ‘search’ ‘investigation’
Divisions in Judaism

Orthodox Judaism ~ strict
observance of religious laws
and commandments.
 Conservative Judaism ~ the laws
may be interpreted to reflect
modern situations.
Divisions in Judaism

Reform Judaism ~
individual Jews
determine for
themselves how laws
should be observed.
Clothing ~ Judaism

A “kippah” (or yarmulke) is a round skullcap worn
by most Jewish men while praying or studying
Jewish religious texts
Among Jews, the practice of covering the head is a
way to show reverence.
Clothing ~ Judaism

 A prayer shawl (“tallis”) is
worn by Jewish men
and some Jewish women
during a prayer service.
Beliefs ~ Judaism

 Monotheistic
 God is creator of the whole universe and has given
them special responsibilities.
 Live holy lives by treating others well and
pursuing justice.
Beliefs ~ Judaism

 Phylacteries (or tefillin) are two small
black leather boxes worn on the left arm
and forehead by observant adult male
Jews. These contain scrolls of certain
Torah passages, taken from Exodus and
Deuteronomy.
“And you shall bind them as a sign
on your arm, and they shall be as
frontlets on your head between your
eyes.”
~Deuteronomy 6:8
The Synagogue

 The Holy Ark (Aron Kodesh),
where the Torah Scrolls are
kept, is situated in the front of
the synagogue. The Ark is the
holiest place in the Synagogue.
In most synagogues the Holy
Ark is on the Eastern wall, so
that when they face the ark,
they are facing the holy city of
Jerusalem, where the Holy
Temple once stood.
Synagogues in OKC

Emmanuel Synagogue
NW 47th Street
Temple B’nai Israel
Penn & NW Expwy
Synagogues are Jewish houses of prayer and
study.
Holy Sites of Judaism

 Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
~ the remaining wall of the
courtyard that surrounded
the ancient Temple.
 Temple Mount ~ site where
God chose the divine rest and
where Abraham bound Isaac.
Celebrations ~ Judaism

 Rosh Hashanah (“first of the year”)
 Yom Kippur (“Day of Atonement”)
 Sukkot (“booths”) ~ harvest festival
 Chanukkah ~ the Jewish festival of rededication, also
known as the festival of lights
 Pesach, known in English as Passover
Celebrations ~ Judaism

 Bar mitzvah (boys) and Bat
mitzvah (girls)- This marks
the passage from childhood
to adulthood.
 This is often commemorated
by having the new adults
lead the congregation in
prayer and publicly read a
"portion” of the Torah in
Hebrew.
Jewish Population
