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Judaism
The first monotheistic religion.
Sinai Peninsula
Where are Jews Located Today?
Founding Fathers
Abraham ~ 2000 BCE
Considered the first Hebrew.
First person to believe in one God.
Moses ~1300 BCE
Ten Commandments were revealed to him on
Mt Sinai.
Moses was the man who led his people out of Egypt.
This movement is known as the Exodus.
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments given to Moses are these:
1. You shall have no other Gods before me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. You shall honor the Sabbath.
5. You shall honor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not commit perjury.
10. You shall not covet.
Who is the Jewish God?
Jews believe in a single, omniscient (all
knowing), omnipotent (all powerful),
omnipresent (in all places at all times),
benevolent God who created the universe and
continues to be involved in its governance.
This God is just and merciful and has no form or
representation.
Creation Story
Jews believe it took God six days to create the
world and everything in it.
On the seventh day God rested.
The Creation of the Heavens
Michelangelo
Sacred Text ~ Torah
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible
which presents the Mosaic law and moral
codes.
Torah comes from the Hebrew word for
“instruction.”
Always written in Hebrew
613 Commandments
Rules for moral conduct: Ten Commandments
Who is a Jew?
Traditional Jewish Law: a Jew is anyone
born of a Jewish mother or converted in
accordance with Jewish Law.
Judaism maintains that a Jew, whether by birth
or conversion, is a Jew forever.
All Jews consider themselves to be descendants
of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Holy Days
Passover-Spring
Rosh Hashanah-Creation of the World
Yom Kippur-Day of Atonement-most important
Marked by Jews in several ways:
They abstain from food or drink for 25 hours
They do not wear perfume
They don't have sex
They don't wash
They don't wear leather shoes
Painting by Maurycy Gottlieb, 1878, depicting Ashkenazi Jews praying in
the synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Rituals
Sabbath
The weekly holy day-sundown Friday to
sundown Saturday-reserved for worship and
attention to family and community.
Rituals
Bar Mitzvah & Bat Mitzvah
Respectively mean “son” and “daughter” of the
Commandment.
Religious rites of passage for thirteen-year-old boys
and twelve-year-old girls.
After the ceremony, they are fully
responsible in the eyes of God
and are seen as adult members
of the congregation.
Kosher
Kashruth (kashroot)
Very specific dietary laws regarding food
restrictions as well as proper animal slaughter.
Where Do Jews Pray?
Synagogue
Central place for worship and the place where
customs, religious practice and faith are
maintained
Dress
Yarmulke
Covering the head is regarded more as a
custom rather than a commandment. It is a
common pious practice to cover the head at all
times, it is not religiously mandatory
Diaspora
The Jews who live outside of Israel in other
countries around the world
A phenomenon originating when Jews were sent
out of Palestine into exile under Babylonian
rule.
Major Branches of Judaism
Orthodox:
Original and only form of Judaism until the
1800’s.
Named Orthodox in reaction to the advent of
Reform Judaism.
Most observant.
Major Branches of Judaism
Reform
Founded by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise in 1873 in
rebellion against the binding traditions of
orthodoxy.
Most flexible about observance of Jewish laws.
Largest Jewish movement in North America.
Major Branches of Judaism
Conservative
Organized by Dr. Solomon Schechter in 1913 as
a reaction to Reform Judaism's liberalism.
Philosophically stands between Orthodox and
Reform.
Symbols
Star of David
Other beliefs of the Jewish People
Jews believe the Messiah will be a person
(not a god), from the family of King David,
who will lead the world to unity and peace.
Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jews do recognize that in his time, Jesus was an
influential Jewish teacher who lived and died
as a Jew, with no thought of creating a separate
religion.