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Introduction to Judaism

Judaism is the oldest of the world's four great monotheistic religions. It's also the smallest, with only about 12 million followers around the world.

Being Jewish

The essence of being Jewish is that one is part of a Jewish community, and lives one's life according to Jewish law and traditions. So Judaism is a way of life inextricably entwined with a system of beliefs.

The fundamental beliefs of Judaism are:

  • There is a single, all-powerful God, who created the universe and everything in it.
  • God has a special relationship with the Jewish people, cemented by the covenant that God made with Moses on Mount Sinai , 3500 years ago.

The Jewish place of worship is called a Synagogue.

The religious leader of a Jewish community is called a Rabbi.

The Jewish holy day, or Sabbath, starts at sunset on Friday and continues until sunset on Saturday. During the Sabbath, observant Jews will do nothing that might be counted as work.

Holy Books

  • The Torah or Hebrew Bible (which Christians call the Old Testament), and particularly the first 5 books.
  • At least one copy of the Torah, in Hebrew, is kept in every synagogue in the form of a hand-written parchment scroll.
  • The Talmud, a compendium of the Oral Law and commentary on the Torah applying it to life

The symbol of Judaism is the Magen (shield) of David, which is often called the Star of David.

Many people regard themselves as being Jewish without taking part in many religious practices, or even accepting the core beliefs of Judaism, because they identify themselves with the Jewish People, and follow the general customs of Jewish life. Different denominations of practicing Judaism include:

Orthodox - adhere to the all encompassing system of Jewish Law - Halacha, and see the Torah as divinely given.

Massorti - recognizes the importance of Halacha but doesn't claim total divine origins of the Torah. Massorti is characterised by making more lenient Halachic decisions than Orthodox.

Progressive (Reform and Liberal movements) - Sees the Torah as divinely inspired , and sees Judaism as an evolving entity, open to change with modern society.

 

'My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.'
The Dalai Lama

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