Judaism is an Abrahamic religion that originated in the Middle East around 3500 years ago. Many people believe that Moses was the founder of Judaism, despite the fact that its history dates back to Abraham (as does Christianity and Islam). The Torah is the most important religious text in Judaism, and its laws are known as Halakhah. According to Judaism, there is only one God. The Hebrew bible is known as the Tanakh, and Jews are adherents of Judaism. The term Jew is derived from the name of people who lived in the ancient Kingdom of Judea (presently Israel). Eventually, the term Jew came to refer to adherents of the Jewish faith.
Yahweh is the name given to God by Jewish believers.
Jewish people strive to make every aspect of their lives holy in some way.
Rabbis are the spiritual leaders of Judaism.
Synagogues are Jewish places of worship.
The Torah is made up of the five books of Moses (Old Testament in Christianity).
Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher, wrote the 13 Articles of Faith, which summarized Jewish beliefs, in the 1100s.
Conservative Judaism, orthodox Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, and reformed Judaism are some of the sects that have developed over time within Judaism.
Jewish holidays commemorate significant historical events, times of the year, and events in people’s lives.
The Sabbath, Passover, the Day of Atonement, the Festival of Booths, the Jewish New Year, the Festival of Trees, Purim, and the Days of Awe, which last 10 days beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur, are all Jewish holidays.
Although Hanukkah is a significant Jewish holiday, it is not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures because it commemorates an event that occurred after the Scriptures were written. It commemorates the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian-Greek rulers of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE.
Following the 613 Commandments in the Law of Moses is the most important religious practice in Judaism.
Kittel (white, knee-length over-garment worn on High Holidays), kippah (brimless skullcap worn on many Jewish occasions and at all times by some men), tallit (prayer shawl) and tzitzit (tassels on the Tallit’s four corners), and tefellin are examples of special Jewish clothing (small square leather boxes worn during weekday morning prayers).
Today, there are approximately 14,000,000 Jews in the world.
During World War II, the Nazis murdered over 6 million Jews in an attempt to exterminate the race. It is known as the Holocaust.
According to traditional Jewish law, any child born to a Jewish mother is also a Jew.
In Judaism, there are three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
During Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights), Jewish families light eight candles over an eight-day period. They light one candle on the first day, two candles on the second day, and so on…
The Star of David is the religious symbol of Judaism.
Kosher food cannot contain pork because Jewish adherents do not consume pork.
When a Jewish boy or girl reaches the age of 13, or when a Jewish girl reaches the age of 12, they have a Bar Mitzvah. This is a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood.
