Download introduction to judaism

INTRODUCTION TO
JUDAISM
HISTORY
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Listen to the following descriptions of
famous Jewish people.
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How many can you identify?
Who’s Who?
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smallest of the major world religions
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14 million people practice
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major contributions to Western religious
thought
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roots of Christianity and Islam
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most persecuted because of religious beliefs.
Why Study Judaism?
What do you know about Judaism?
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1. There is only one God.
This belief differs from other ancient religions, which believed in
many gods. God dictates what is right and wrong and people
have an obligation to do what is right.
2. Treat others well.
The Hebrew Bible contains broad principles such as “Be kind
to strangers” and “Love your neighbor.The Talmud states,
“Charity is equal in importance to all other commandments
combined.”
 Since the Hebrew Bible states that all people are created in
the image of God, Jews believe that every individual is
important and deserves to be treated with respect.
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www.icsresources.org/edmaterials
Jewish Key Teachings
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3. Honour the Sabbath
Judaism teaches that Jews should spend one day a week, the
Sabbath, focusing on things other than work and material
concerns. This is the origin of the idea of a weekly day of rest
that is part of many religions and is widely followed in many parts
of the world.
4. Pray
Judaism teaches that people can communicate with God through
prayer. Traditionally observant Jews have daily prayers in the
morning, afternoon, and evening, and also pray before and after
meals, before beginning a journey, when they see a natural
wonder, and at other times when they need help or want to
express thanks.
www.icsresources.org/edmaterials
Jewish Key Teachings
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5. Study
Judaism teaches that studying the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish
texts leads to wisdom and good deeds, so Jewish culture emphasizes
the importance of learning.
Throughout the centuries, Jews greatly respected scholars and
depended on them to determine how to apply Jewish teachings to
new situations.
6. The Land of Israel is Judaism’s most
important spiritual center.
Most of the events in sacred Jewish scripture occurred there.
Judaism’s most sacred sites are there, including Jerusalem,
 which is its holiest city and the site where the Jewish Temple
once stood.
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www.icsresources.org/edmaterials
Jewish Key Teachings
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Categories are human constructs that help us talk about and make sense of the
world.
However, some things, such as the Jewish people, do not fit neatly into our
preexisting categories (such as religious group or ethnic group).
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Jews, even the most traditionally religious Jews, consider someone with Jewish
parents who does not practice any element of Judaism to be Jewish. Conversely,
Jews also consider a convert with no Jewish ancestry whatsoever to be as Jewish as
any other Jew. This dichotomy illustrates how Jews don’t fit into our usual categories
and have elements of both religious and ethnic groups.
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Jewish life encompasses more than religion. For example, expressions of
peoplehood, remembrances of historical experiences, connections to the Land of
Israel, and cultural elements such as music, art, language, and food are also parts of
Jewish life.
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There are Jews of almost every background including Jews of African descent,
Indian descent, European descent, Middle Eastern descent, Southeast Asian descent,
and Hispanic descent.
Are Jews a religious group or
ethnic group?
www.icsresources.org/edmaterials
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Most Jews object to describing Jews as a racial group not only
because of the diverse backgrounds of the Jewish community, but
also because the language of race conjures memories of the
Holocaust when the Nazis used racial terminology to justify their
attempt to annihilate the Jewish people.
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In traditional Judaism, a Jew is a child of a Jewish mother or is
someone who converted to Judaism; anyone with a Jewish
mother, regardless of whether they practice Judaism, is a Jew and
anyone who converts to Judaism, regardless of their ancestry, is a
Jew. Today, some branches of Judaism teach that a person can
also be a Jew if he or she has a Jewish father and identifies as a
Jew.
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Most Jews feel connected through Jewish history, traditions,
family ties, and the religion of their ancestors - even if they are
not religiously observant themselves.
Are Jews a religious group or
ethnic group?
www.icsresources.org/edmaterials
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Judaism is the oldest
of the three great
monotheistic religions:
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JUDAISM,
CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM
Birthplace of Monotheistic
Religions
Hebrew means: “From across”
-name given to Abraham and his followers
Israelites: Abraham’s grandson Jacob
renamed Israel which means “he who has
wrestled with God”. His descendants were
called “Israelites” .
Jews: named after Jacob’s son Judah,
ancient father of tribe of King David’s dynasty
Name Changers
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Abraham
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Moses
Patriarchs of Judaism
Jacob
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Nomadic tribes wander
looking for food & water
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Tribe led by Abram
wanders East (from
modern day Iraq) in about
1900 B.C.E to location of
present day
Israel/Palestine
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Mesopotamian society is
polytheistic
◦ Tribes worship different Gods
for protection and good
fortune
Israel’s History
Patriarch
Entered into covenant with God to worship only
Him
 Name was changed from Abram to Abraham
showing his new role as father of a great nation
 God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to
sacrifice Isaac….
 He was ready to do so, showing his fear and faith
in God, but an angel stopped him and promised
him many descendants
 Connection to Christianity and Islam
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Why is Abraham so important to
the Jewish faith?
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What is a covenant?
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As used in the bible, a solemn and binding
agreement between God and humanity.
Reminder!
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The stories of Abraham and Sarah,
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Their son Isaac,
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And his son Jacob
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Are integral to the Jewish people
The Patriarchs
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Israelites moved from Caanan to Egypt,
where food was easier to come by
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Eventually, they were forced into slavery
and this set the stage for the Exodus and
Revelation on Mount Sinai
Moses is the central figure
 sent by God to liberate Jews
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Exodus and Revelation- c.1280BCE
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God’s Law (10
commandments)
◦ The divine law from God
◦ Most sacred event in Jewish
history
◦ The 10 commandments bounds
God’s covenant with the Jews
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Specified how:
◦ YHWH was to be worshipped
(no other God but YWWH)
◦ How worshippers should be
treated
◦ 613 commandments
Moses
The second book of the Torah
 A mass departure
 Story of how God freed Hebrews from
slavery in Egypt and led them back to
Caanan
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What does Exodus refer to?
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Area of Caanan that the Hebrews believed
was promised to them by God.
Promised Land
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Moses received the laws from God on
Mount Sinai
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Renewed the covenant
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People knew how to keep the covenantby keeping the laws
10 Commandments
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King David conquered many lands,
including Jerusalem which he made
capital
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King Solomon (David’s son) built the
temple in Jerusalem that became the
centre of Israelite worship
Monarchy of David and Solomon c.
1000-922 BCE
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At the end of Solomon’s reign, the united
monarchy was divided.
Northern kingdom (Israel) fell to the
Assyrians
The southern kingdom (Judah), was
conquered by the Babylonians led by their
king Nebuchadnezzar.
They destroyed the temple and sent many
leading citizens into exile
Many Jews returned to Judea and rebuilt
the temple in 515BCE.
Babylonian Exile 587-538BCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flCM1DUDClw
When the Greeks under Alexander the
Great conquered Palestine, some Jews
embraced the Greek influence
 Others did not
 Many groups emerged during this timethe Pharisees focused on the Torah
(written and oral)
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Greek Conquest of Palestine 332
BCE
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The Romans conquered Palestine in 63
BCE and their rule was harsh.
Think, the crucifixion of Jesus of
Nazareth.
In AD the Romans destroyed the temple
for the second time.
It was a HUGE loss, removing the physical
centre of the religion….
But the Pharisees focused on the
Torah…so the religion stayed in tact.
Destruction of the Second Temple
Jews lived in threat of political opression
by the Romans
 After a failed revolt in 135 CE, the Jews
were forced to live in exile
 Many lived under Christian, then Muslim
rule
 Jews who lived away from home but kept
their religious identity are known as the
Diaspora
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Classical Judaism
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Being so spread out, without a central
temple, Jewish people needed a new way
to honour God- synagogues were created
Worship
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A place for congregational worship that
emerged during Exile.
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Synagogues are the central place of
worship for Jews today.
synagogue
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A Jewish scholar or teacher, especially of
the law
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A person appointed as a Jewish leader
Rabbi