Judaism

Origins

Judaism is born on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea

The story of Judaism begins with Adam and Eve, the first people, and continues with Abraham, the patriarch of the Hebrew faith

Origins

The stories of Adam and Eve and Abraham are found in the Jewish Bible- the Tanakh

The Tanakh is divided into 3 parts:

The Torah- the law books

The Prophets (Nevi’im)- the writings of the former and latter prophets

The Writings (Kethuvim)- pieces of wisdom for God’s chosen people

Origins

While Adam and Eve were the first people created by God, the Jewish faith can be traced back to Abraham as the patriarch of the Hebrew faith

Abraham is also seen as a key founder in Christianity and Islam through his 2 sons

Ishmael, born to Hagar

Isaac, born to Sarah

Origins

In the book of Genesis in the Torah, Abraham receives instructions to leave his home for the Promised Land- a place God intended for his chosen people

The promise of land and a lineage signify the foundation of the covenant (agreement) that God made with the Hebrew people

Hebrew History

The Exodus:

Abraham and his descendants settled in Canaan (the promised land) until a drought hit the land and forced the Hebrew people to Egypt

Egypt became the first example of Jewish persecution as the Hebrews were enslaved until Moses, a young Hebrew boy, came to liberate them

Hebrew History

Moses’ liberation of the Hebrews is referred to as the Exodus and is depicted in the Torah in a book by the same name

The Exodus served as a reminder to the Hebrews of the covenant God has promised to them as the chosen people

Hebrew History

1. Water into blood

2. Frogs

3. Lice

4. Flies

5. Diseased livestock

6. Boils

7. Thunderstorm of hail and fire

8. Locusts

9. Darkness for 3 days

10. Death of the firstborn

Hebrew History

Judges and Kings:

While the Hebrews wandered after leaving Egypt, they were first led by a group of judges before establishing their first king

Kings: Saul David Solomon

The kings saw fighting and military victories including the conquest of Jerusalem

Hebrew History

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom broke up into two tribes- “Israel” and “Judah”

The breakup of the kingdom leads to the end of the era of kings and the beginning of multiple conquests from outside sources

Hebrew History

The Exile:

Hebrew independence is dramatically altered by Assyrian and Babylonian invaders who exiled the Hebrews from the land and destroyed Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem

This lasted for over 200 years until Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonians and set the Hebrews free

Hebrew History

Hebrews needed a new place to worship which caused the creation of synagogues- places for congregational worship

This was also the period that showed the emergence of rabbis- revered teachers who interpret scriptures for lay persons

At this point, scriptures start to refer to Hebrews as Jews and the religion as Judaism

Hebrew History

Other challenges:

Greek expansion: translation of the Bible to Greek and other Hellenistic influences

Maccabean revolt: dissatisfaction of Greek religious institutions caused a group to revolt and take back Jerusalem under Jewish influence

Hebrew History

Other challenges:

Roman conquest: Emperor Pompey enters Jerusalem to expand Roman Empire

Siege of Jerusalem: Roman/Jewish conflict destroys the city

Synagogues

Synagogues

Synagogues

The Torah Scroll

The Sefer Torah (the Torah scroll) contains the 5 books written by Moses written on parchment

A very sacred object as it contains the 10 commandments and other laws brought to the Hebrews from God

The Torah Scroll

Modernly, it is keep in the place of honour at the synagogue and read during services

The parchment cannot be touched

The Torah Scroll

Historically, the Torah was placed in the Ark of the Covenant

The ark was never supposed to be touched

Worship

Services:

When Jewish people pray together, a minyan is required- this is an assembly of 10 males over 13

3 daily worships are held in the evening, morning and afternoon

The Torah is central to worship services- it’s divided into 54 sections with 1 section read per week (2 weeks double up)

Worship

Blessings:

Berakhah means “blessings” and is the foundation to Jewish prayer

There are 3 types of blessings:

Recited to give thanks to God for the enjoyment of material pleasures

Recited before performing a mitzvah

Recited to praise and thank God at the beginning of special events

Worship

Kashruth:

An expression of promise to the commandments is through the practice of keeping kosher- these are the dietary laws

They serve a number of purposes:

They establish the Jews as an identifiable group

Food laws speak to the humanity and humility of the Jewish people through the killing of animals and effort of the preparation

Worship

Shabbat:

The Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is based in the creation story in Genesis

In the creation story, after creating everything God rested on the seventh day

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his

work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of

creating that he had done.”

Worship

Shabbat:

At sunset on Fridays, Jews go to the synagogue to light a candle that signifies the first light

Sabbath becomes a day of rest which ends at sundown with a service that separates that day from the rest of the week

Symbols and Places

Star of David:

Also known as the Magen David, this six pointed star is thought to be the shape of King David’s shield

The image was adopted by the Zionists (a Jewish sect) in the 19th century as a symbol of pride

Symbols and Places

Menorah:

The creation of the menorah is depicted in the Torah from God as a physical and spiritual symbol of light and guidance

It has 7 branches to represent the 7 days of creation (including the Sabbath)

Symbols and Places

The Western Wall:

Also called the Wailing Wall, it is the only remaining part of the temple in Jerusalem after the Roman siege

It is believed to be the site where Abraham built the alter to sacrifice his son Isaac, and the location of Solomon’s temple

Symbols and Places

The Western Wall:

Since the temple’s destruction in 70 CE, the Western Wall has stood as a symbol of the indestructibility of the Jewish people

It is an important site for pilgrimages and for prayer- prayers are written on pieces of paper and placed between the stones of the wall

Symbols and Places

Branches of Judaism

Judaism throughout the ages has developed into different denominations

By the end of the 18th century, Jews in Europe were associating with Gentiles (non-Jews) more and more

Some Jews felt like during this period that they must assimilate into European society better

Branches of Judaism

For Jews, there seemed 3 possibilities:

Keep the old ways

Assimilate fully

Introduce changes and bring Judaism into the modern world

The old ways were in conflict with the new world and many people disagreed on how to adapt while keeping their Jewish identity – thus the division between groups

Milestones

Birth/Naming the Child:

Along with their conventional name, a child is often given a Hebrew name in memory of ancestors

Jewish boys are circumcised on the 8th day after birth- this is done to set apart the boys as Jews from birth

Milestones

Coming of Age:

When a boy turns 13, he celebrates his bar mitzvah, and a girl at 12 celebrates her bat mitzvah

This term means “son/daughter of the commandment”

The child spends the months before studying the Torah to be recited on the day of the celebration

Festivals

Rosh Hashanah:

The Jewish New Year which usually falls in September or early October

It begins a 10 day period of repentance ending with the festival of Yom Kippur

The 10 day period concentrates on an assessment of conduct and behaviour in the previous year

Festivals

Yom Kippur:

Rosh Hashanah ends with the Day of Atonement(also known as Yom Kippur) and is the most solemn day in the Jewish year

The day is marked with a 25 hour fast and prayers of repentance

Regular activities and signs of luxury are avoided on this important day to show importance of the act

Festivals

Hanukkah:

The festival of dedication, also called the festival of lights

This 8 day period falls in December and celebrates the events of the Maccabean revolt against the Greeks

A candle is lit for each of the 8 days that oil in a lamp lasted in the temple in Jerusalem

Festivals

Pesach:

The feast of Passover is usually held in April over 7 or 8 days

This holiday commemorates the freeing of the Hebrews from slavery- the Exodus with Moses

During this period, Jews do not eat anything leavened to remember the haste in which the Hebrews fled from Egypt

Festivals

Pesach:

To remember the first born sons who died during the Passover, many families will have their first born son fast for 24 hours

The Seder is performed at homes, which is a worship service including songs, special food and blessings to mark the end of the Passover

Anti-Semitism

Jewish history is marked by many periods of persecution, but they have always prevailed

As Jews were forced out of their Promised Land, the Jews began facing more hatred and prejudice across Europe

Anti-Semitism

Why?

Jews were outsiders

Different religious customs and clothing

Some Christians blamed them for the murder of Jesus

Lack of a homeland meant many Jews never settled in one spot

Jews became a scapegoat during periods of turmoil

When Jews gained more liberties, their success were viewed upon with jealousy

Anti-Semitism

In 1896, an group of Jews came together to fight to reclaim the Promised Land- Zionism is the idea and dream of that return

The 20th century would see the beginning of this dream come true, but not before facing the horrors of the Holocaust

Anti-Semitism

The Holocaust, also called Shoah in Hebrew, marks the persecution Jews faced across Europe

The term “crimes against humanity” was created to describe the horrors of the concentration camps

The end of WWII marked the creation of the State of Israel in 1948- the Zionist dream come true