JUDAISM

1
JUDAISM
2
How It Began
-It is said that God (Yahweh) made a covenant
(agreement) with Abraham -The covenant stated
that if Abraham were to do Gods will, then his
descendents would be Yahwehs chosen people -The
Exodus story (Moses) becomes one of the first and
most widely known story of Jewish
persecution -Since the founding of Judaism, the
religion has been of the most widely scrutinized
and most widely persecuted
3
What is Judaism
-Judaism serves as the backbone for other
religions such as Islam and Christianity -Jews
strictly adhere to a belief in the Exodus story,
the Ten Commandments and the writings of the
Torah -Jews believe Moses was the chief
prophet -Jews believe that Jesus was a
prophet -The Jewish Messiah is still to
come -Jews do not place an extraordinary emphasis
on conversion/recruitment
4
Who/What do Jews Look To?
-Jews depend on the Torah, the first five books
of the Old (Hebrew Bible) Testament for spiritual
guidance -Over 1/3 of all Jews live in Israel
today -Jerusalem is considered the holiest of
cities, Christians and Muslims share devotion to
this city -Shabbat, a weekly day of rest,
strictly forbids work -Yom Kippur, a day of
atonement or fasting -Passover, a day
celebrating Passover, i.e. the Exodus -Hanukkah,
celebrates a Jewish battle/victory (oil)
5
Jewish Life
-Devout Jews pray three times a day -Jews place
an extraordinary emphasis on learning -The
synagogue is the center of worship and study -Has
been dominated by the Diaspora (scattering) -Jewis
h men and women must cover their heads during
prayer within a synagogue orthodox Jewish women
must in many other public places -Seder, or
unleavened bread, is a symbol of the Exodus story