Founder, Sacred Text & Branches
Abraham is considered the father of Judaism and lived around 2000 BCE. Judaism has no central leader or worldwide headquarters, although Jerusalem is considered its holiest and most significant city.
Sacred Texts
The Torah comprises the first five books of the Jewish Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Jewish Bible is known as the Tanakh and consists of twenty-four individual books. Other important texts include the Talmud and Mishna.
Branches
The three major branches of Judaism are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Orthodox Judaism follows traditional practice closely, Conservative Judaism blends traditional and contemporary practices, and Reform Judaism represents a more contemporary and liberal approach.
Core Beliefs of Judaism
Supreme Being
God exists as a single, supernatural being. God is the creator of the universe and is personal, eternal, invisible, and distinct from the world he created.
Nature of Man
Man was created by God in his image. A person is neither inherently good nor bad, but becomes what he or she does.
Reality
Reality consists of both the material and spiritual worlds. According to the Jewish Bible, the spiritual world includes God, Satan, and angels.
Humanity’s Main Problem
People have freedom to choose between right and wrong and have two impulses: one for good and one for evil.
Afterlife
Rabbinic teaching includes belief in the Garden of Eden and Gehenna, where the righteous live in the heavenly Garden of Eden and the wicked are sent to Gehenna for punishment.
Proposed Solution
Judaism emphasizes obedience to God, repentance, right conduct, prayer, and faithfulness to the covenant and commandments.
Place of Worship
The synagogue, also called a temple or shul, is the Jewish place of worship and serves as a central place for study, prayer, and community gatherings. The leader of a synagogue is called a rabbi.
Worship, Rituals & Holidays
Sabbath
The Jewish holy day of the week is the Sabbath, which starts at sundown on Friday and continues until sundown on Saturday. Worship services are held on Friday evening and/or Saturday morning.
Community Life
The synagogue functions as a place for worship, teaching, study, prayer, and community gatherings.
Major Holidays
- High Holy Days: A ten-day period of reflection and repentance beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur.
- Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year.
- Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, marked by personal reflection, repentance, and fasting.
- Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights, commemorating the purification of the Jewish Temple.
- Passover: A celebration of the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt, centered around the Seder meal.
Key Terms
Anti-Semitism
Prejudice against Jews.
Bar Mitzvah
A coming-of-age ritual for a Jewish boy who becomes responsible for keeping Jewish law at age 13.
Bat Mitzvah
A coming-of-age ritual for a Jewish girl who becomes responsible for keeping Jewish law at age 13.
Cantor
The song leader of a synagogue.
Diaspora
The dispersion of Jews to other countries after the Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in 70 CE.
Hebrew
The language in which the Hebrew Bible and Talmud were written, and the primary language of Israel.
Holocaust
The killing of six million Jews and six million non-Jews by German Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s.
Jerusalem
The capital of Israel and the location of the First and Second Temples.
Kosher
Jewish dietary laws prescribed in the Torah and Talmud.
Shofar
A ram’s horn blown on special occasions.
Ten Commandments
Rules given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Western Wall
A sacred wall in Jerusalem that remains from the Second Temple complex.
Yarmulke
A head-covering for Jewish males, also known as a kippah or skullcap.
Sources
Adherents.com — www.adherents.com
Ariel, David. What do Jews Believe. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.
Judaism 101 — www.jewfaq.org
Chabad.org — www.chabad.org