Judaism
Judaism: An Introduction
• One of the oldest religions
• Christianity and Islam developed from Judaism
• First religion to teach the belief in one God
• Started in Israel
History of Judaism
• Began in the Middle East 3,500 years ago
• Founded by Abraham and Moses
• Eastern European Jews immigrated between 1881 and 1924 to the USA
• 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust
Timeline • 1900 BCE – Abraham, the founder of Judaism, rejects polytheism and
begins the tradition of monotheism.
• 1410-1050 BCE- The Jews settle in the land of Israel.
• 1933- The Nazi party takes power in Germany. The Jews are blamed for the country's misfortunes and are placed in concentration camps.
• 1939-1945 - The Second World War rages. Hitler implemented "The Final Solution," the extermination of all Jews. In the Nazi concentration camps, more than six million Jews were tortured, gassed, starved or otherwise killed. The Nazis conquered most of Europe, destroying 1/3 of the Jewish population in the world.
• 1948 - The State of Israel is established.
Judaism: What Followers Believe
• One God• Jewish people are
specially chosen by God• Worship in Synagogues• Spiritual leaders are
called Rabbis• Jewish Holy Book is the
TORAH
Jewish Observances
• Prayers3 main daily prayer
servicesPrayers of
thanksgiving, praise, and prayers to ask for things
Tallit (Jewish prayer shawl is worn)
Yarmulke is worn on the heads of Jewish men
Important Holy Days
• Sabbath: The Holy Day Weekly day of rest Sundown on Friday night to
sundown on Saturday night
• High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New
Year Festival Days of Awe: 10 days
between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur: most sacred and solemn day
Passover Other Festivals: Hanukkah: Festival of Lights
Special Occasions
• Bar Mitzvah/Bat MitzvahBoys age 13, girls age
12Read from the Torah &
observe commandments
• ConfirmationHigh school Signifies acceptance
of faith
Jewish Dietary Law
• The Bible commands that Jewish people follow certain dietary rules
• Food is called Kosher
• Purpose of this food is for purity, holiness and health
• Do not eat pork or shellfish
• Do not mix meat and milk
Jewish Calendar
• Festivals move from year to year
• Start each day in the evening because God started each day in the evening when He created the world
Subdivisions of Judaism
• Humanistic Judaism
• Liberal Judaism
• Orthodox Judaism
• Reform Judaism
• Reconstructionist
Judaism
Judaism Today
• 15 million followers worldwide, mostly in the USA and Israel
• 6.5 million followers in the USA
• Majority of Jewish people in the USA reside in the Northeast
• New Jersey has the second largest Jewish population after New York
• 6% of New Jersey residents are Jewish (504,861 people)
