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JUDAISM
How It Began
-It is said that God (Yahweh) made a covenant
(agreement) with Abraham
-The covenant stated that if Abraham were to do God’s
will, then his descendents would be Yahweh’s chosen
people
-The Exodus story (Moses) becomes one of the first
and most widely known story of Jewish persecution
-Since the founding of Judaism, the religion has been
of the most widely scrutinized and most widely
persecuted
What is Judaism
-Judaism serves as the backbone for other religions
such as Islam and Christianity
-Jews strictly adhere to a belief in the Exodus story,
the Ten Commandments and the writings of the Torah
-Jews believe Moses was the chief prophet
-Jews believe that Jesus was a prophet
-The Jewish Messiah is still to come
-Jews do not place an extraordinary emphasis on
conversion/recruitment
Who/What do Jews Look To?
-Jews depend on the Torah, the first five books of the
Old (Hebrew Bible) Testament for spiritual guidance
-Over 1/3 of all Jews live in Israel today
-Jerusalem is considered the holiest of cities,
Christians and Muslims share devotion to this city
-Shabbat, a weekly day of rest, strictly forbids work
-Yom Kippur, a day of “atonement” or fasting
-Passover, a day celebrating Passover, i.e. the Exodus
-Hanukkah, celebrates a Jewish battle/victory (oil)
Jewish Life
-Devout Jews pray three times a day
-Jews place an extraordinary emphasis on learning
-The synagogue is the center of worship and study
-Has been dominated by the Diaspora (scattering)
-Jewish men and women must cover their heads
during prayer within a synagogue— orthodox Jewish
women must in many other public places
-Seder, or unleavened bread, is a symbol of the Exodus
story