Judaism is the oldest religion of the western world and has influenced Christianity and Islam. There are approximately fifteen million Jews throughout the world.

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Judaism
Judaism is the oldest religion of the western
world and has influenced Christianity and Islam.
There are approximately fifteen million Jews
throughout the world.
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Abraham
The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jewish
people and trace their ancestry to Abraham. He
left his home in Mesopotamian to settle in the
city of Cannan. He is believed to be the Father
of Judaism. The Hebrews were different from
others of their time because they were
monotheistic they believed in only one God. The
Hebrews believed they had a special relationship
with their God and that they were his chosen
people.
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According to the Torah, God promised Abraham that
his descendants would form a mighty nation. The
Hebrews established a nation they called Israel
on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
About 1300BCE, many Hebrews moved to Egypt to
escape a famine. At first, the Hebrews were
treated well in Egypt, but in time they were
enslaved by the Egyptians.
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According to Hebrew tradition, God sent ten
deadly plagues to Egypt when the Egyptians would
not release the Hebrew slaves. When the Hebrews
did escape, tradition states that Moses, the
leader of the Hebrews, parted the Red Sea for
just enough time to allow the Hebrews to pass.
Once the Hebrews reached the other side,
tradition states that the waters returned and the
Egyptian army drowned.
The Exodus
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The Jews believed that their escape from slavery
was a sign that God was protecting them. After
their escape across the Red Sea 1250BCE, God
revealed Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount
Sinai. The Ten Commandments formed the basis of
Mosaic Law and are the model for both Jewish and
Christian moral thought.
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When the Hebrews finally made it out of the
desert they needed to fight to regain control of
Israel. They grew rich through trade and
expanding their territory. King Solomon built a
great temple to God in Jerusalem.
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The Hebrews, also known as Jews, were conquered
by several other cultures that destroyed
Solomons Temple. In time, most of the Hebrews
were forced to leave Israel, beginning a period
known as the Diaspora. The Hebrews were forced to
live as minorities in many different lands
throughout the world.
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Over time the people that had conquered the Jews
were conquered themselves and slowly some Jews
returned to Israel.
For over one hundred years the Jews ruled
themselves and their land. King Herod even
rebuilt the temple on the ruins of the one that
had been destroyed.
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The Roman Empire spread to Israel and the Jews
were once again a conquered people. They tried
to rise up and revolt against the Romans who
destroyed their temple and killed or enslaved
most of Jerusalems population. Many of the Jews
fled, never to return to their homeland again.
The Romans
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Justice and Righteousness
Jewish Beliefs
Justice equals kindness and fairness towards
others. Righteousness means behaving properly
even when others around you are not. This is one
of the most important aspects of their religion.
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The Law
The Jews believe that The Ten Commandments are
the most important laws. They also believe that
Moses gave them the Mosaic laws which guide their
daily lives like how to pray and observe holy
days.
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The Torah
The Torah is the most sacred text of Judaism. It
includes their laws and the history of the people
through the death of Moses. It is also the name
given to the scrolls that are used in the temple
or synagogue.
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The Hebrew bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanach is made up of three
different parts. The first part is the Torah,
the second part is made up of eight different
books that reveal the messages of the Hebrew
prophets. The third and final part is made up of
eleven different books of poetry, songs and
history about the religion. The Hebrew Bible and
Protestant Old Testament have the same books
arranged in a different order. Additionally,
books that Christians divide into two parts
(Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, and Ezra-Nehemiah)
are only one book in the Hebrew Bible.
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Traditions and Holy days
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Hanukkah
Hanukkah, which falls in December, marks the
historical event of one days worth of candle oil
lasting eight days in celebration of the Jews
being allowed to keep their religion. It is
marked by lighting one of the candles in the
Menorah over an eight day period. Gifts are also
exchanged on these days.
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Passover
Even more important than Hanukkah is Passover for
it marks the Exodus, or Moses leading his people
out of slavery.
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High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah is the start of the Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year because
it is then that the Jews ask God to forgive them
of their sins.
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Judaism
The Jewish Religion is filled with a rich and
tragic history. Its followers are very proud and
rightly so of their ancestors and their struggles
to keep their religion alive.
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Judaism
Symbol Star of David Through the Jewish
people's long and often difficult history, we
have come to the realization that our only hope
is to place our trust in God. The six points of
the Star of David symbolize God's rule over the
universe in all six directions north, south,
east, west, up and down.
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Keeping Kosher
Kosher food is food that meets Jewish dietary
laws, or kashrut, which comes from the Hebrew
word for "fit" or "proper." Any food can be
called kosher food if it adheres to Jewish law,
or halacha.