Judaism

Where did Judaism begin approximately 4000 years ago?

In the Southern Levant, modern Palestine, Israel, and Jordan.

Who was promised by God to bless his descendants?

Abraham.

What is the ethnic religion of the Jewish ethnicity?

Judaism.

What significant event led the Israelites to Egypt?

Famine in Canaan.

What is the journey of deliverance from Egypt called?

Exodus.

Who conquered Canaan after Moses?

Joshua.

What is the name for prejudice towards Jews?

Antisemitism.

What major catastrophic events were Jews blamed for during history?

The Black Death, pogroms/genocide in the Russian Empire, and the Holocaust.

What are the three collections of the sacred texts in Judaism?

Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.

What are the first five books of the Old Testament called?

Torah or Pentateuch.

Who are considered the key figures in direct contact with God in Judaism?

Prophets.

What is the sacred place of the Jews, historically and biblically identified as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel?

Jerusalem.

What is the term for the coming-of-age ritual in Judaism?

Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

What does the dietary law Kosher outline?

Dietary restrictions, including prohibition of pork.

What is the Jewish New Year called?

Rosh Hashanah.

What is celebrated during the holiday of Sukkot?

The gathering of the harvest and the lifestyle of Jews during the Exodus.

What is the significance of Hanukkah?

It commemorates the ransacking of Jerusalem and the miracle of sacred oil lasting eight days.

What does Yom HaShoah commemorate?

Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of millions of lost Jews.

What characterizes Orthodox Judaism?

The closest interpretation to original Judaism, retaining practices in the Torah as much as possible.

What does Conservative Judaism believe regarding the laws?

Laws can be changed gradually in light of modern understanding.

What sparked the emergence of Reformist Judaism?

A desire for Jews to leave ghetto life and enter mainstream European culture.

What is a notable feature of Reconstructionist Judaism?

Judaism is seen as an evolving religious civilization of the Jews.