Judaism

• Began in a region known as the Southern Levant (modern Palestine, Israel, and Jordan)

• around 4000 years ago

  • Abraham was given a promise by God

    • bless his descendants

• ethnic religion of the Jewish ethnicity

  • story of Judaism is deeply tied with the history of the Israelites

    • aka Hebrews - descendants of Jacob (Isaac’s son)

      • went down to Egypt to avoid famine in Canaan, believed to be where promise is fulfilled

      • forced to do hard labor

      • deliverance by Moses; EXODUS

      • conquering of Canaan via Joshua (leader after Moses)

        • Canaan aka Israel

    • Antisemitism

      • prejudice towards Jews

      • blamed for the ff:

        • the black death

        • pogrms/genocide in the Russian empire

        • Holocaust

      • caused diaspora

Aspects of Judaism

1. Sacred Texts

   • Torah

     • collection of 3 books

       1. Torah

          • aka pentateuch; first 5 books in the OT

       2. Nevi’im

          • book of prophets

       3. Ketuvim

          • poems, liturgical writings, etc

2. Beliefs

   • no singular creed

   • core beliefs

     1. Only one God

        • formless, all-knowing, eternal, creator, judge, loving, just

     2. Word is given via Prophets

        • direct contact with God and speak on behalf of him

     3. God gave law to Moses

        • aka Aseret Hadibrot

          • 10 Statements

     4. Messiah will come some day

        • concept was not universally agreed upon

        • past = literally

        • present = metaphor

     5. Resurrection

        • interpreted as ways of acting virtuously in our world

        • created in God’s image

          • ability to reason, speak, create, care, etc.

3. Important figures

   • Abraham

     • jews and prophets are descended from him via Isaac

   • Prophets

     • stories about those who succeeded Abraham and foretold prophecies are found in the Torah/Bible

     • people in direct contact with God

4. Sacred Places

   • Jerusalem

     • sacred place of the Jews

     • Historically and biblically, capital of the Kingdom of Israel

     • relevant to Christians and Muslims

     • sacred place inside Jerusalem knows as the Dome of Rock

       • mosque for Muslims

   • Synagogue

     • where Jews gather and pray

     • house of study and prayer; worship

     • for orthodox Jews: 2 floors

       • 1 is for men, and 1 is for women

         • tradition states that they should be separated

5. Sacred Items

   • Menorah

     • candlestick

     • for Hannukah, there are 8 branches

     • temple and ritual practices = 6 branches

     • only the middle is lit traditionally on a daily basis

   • Yarmulke

     • skullcap worn by Jewish males

     • traditional headdress used for ceremonies and prayer

6. Traditions and Customs

   • Kosher

     • dietary restrictions

       • outlined in Leviticus

       • pork cannot be eaten

       • for some communities that follow a type of kosher = no chicken eggs

   • Sabbath

     • weeks begin on SUNDAY, not Monday

     • often associated with rest and relaxation

   • Bar/Bat Mitzvah

     • coming-of-age ritual for Jewish youth/teens

     • reserved for prayers and activities

     • signifies becoming an adult

     • Jewish Males: bar mitzvahs @ 13

     • Jewish females: bat mitzvahs @ 12 (for Reformist Judaism)

7. Events

   • Rosh Hashanah

     • Jewish new year

     • beginning of a new world

     • 10-day period of introspection and repentance

     • celebration of beginning of the harvest cycle

     • leads to Sukkot

   • Sukkot

     • week-long holiday celebrating the gathering of the harvest and the lifestyle of jews during exodus

     • huts known as Sukkah are made from light materials

       • put up during the festival and to spend much time inside them as much as possible

   • Hannukah

     • Feast of Lights

       • commemoration of the ransacking of Jerusalem

       • sacred oil for 1 day only lasted for 8

         • Hannukah is 8 joyous days

   • Yom HaShoah

     • Holocaust Remembrance Day

       • memorialized in Judaism due to the grief of losing millions of jews

       • long period of prayer and in silence

Demographics

1. Orthodox Judaism

   • closest interpretation to original Judaism

     • believes that they retain practices in the Torah as much as possible

     • beliefs are the ff:

       • synagogues must be separated by gender

       • services are in Hebrew and by male rabbis

       • males keep their heads covered

       • hair of the beard and in front of the ears is sometimes left uncut

2. Conservative Judaism

   • Germany, late 19th century but strong roots in the US

     • in light of modern understanding

     • laws can be changed, but gradually

     • Torah must be studied but not through the eyes of their ancestors

3. Reformist Judaism

   • 18th century Germany out of a desire of some Jews to leave ghetto life and enter mainstream Euro culture

   • believes in religious tolerance for Judaism to survive

   • believes that:

     • men and women can sit adjacently

     • women can be rabbis

     • Bat Mitzvah for girls = reading of Torah

4. Reconstructionist Judaism

   • newest and smallest branch of Judaism originated in early 20th century America

     • influenced by ideals of democracy and practicality

   • Judaism is the evolving religious civilization of the Jews

     • Judaism now is the product of struggles in the past

   • Rabbis and scholars work together with the lay members to formulate guides to Jewish practice

   • some beliefs:

     • laity can decide; not just rabbis

     • Torah was formed in the historical context of the time

     • positions are open to all genders