Judaism

Judaism originated after Abraham migrated to Canaan, the land chosen by God for his people. The Hebrews never built their own Empire, however they were conquered and lived under many of emerging Mesopotamian empires including the Babylonian, Achaemenid, Seleucid, Alexandrian, and Roman empires. When the empires tried to force the Jews to worship their emperors gods, the monotheistic Jews, who worship one god, Yahweh, refused and tensions escalated between the Jews and the ruling empires. The Romans especially fought the Jews - ultimately the Jewish resistance failed. (Stephanie S) (corrected by Justin D.
 * ORIGIN**


 * GODS**

It is true that Judaism and Christianity have the same God, Yahweh. However, one of the few difference between Christianity and Judaism is that followers of Judaism do not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Though they acknowledge Jesus as a historical figure, Jewish people do not agree that Jesus was the savior sent by god. Therefore, Jewish people do not celebrate Christmas or Easter and do not acknowledge the New Testament as a holy book. (Nani Kim)(Corrected by Rachel Hecht) (corrected by Justin D.)


 * PERSECUTION**

Jews were persecuted in their homelands. This was mainly attributed to the fact that they did not acknowledge their emperors as divine leaders since they were monotheistic. The Jews sometimes refused to pay taxes or rebelled against authorities physically, this led to the formation of a ground know as the **Essenes**. The Essenes formed their community in Palestine during the first century BCE. This main goal was to find a savior to deliver them from their prosecution; many sects developed around ideals like this about this time. The formation of these groups led to widespread desire for a savoir which was one of the main reasons why many Jews accepted Jesus as their savoir with open arms and converted from Judaism to Christianity. (Laura Firey)


 * HOLY BOOKS**

//The Torah// is the holy book for jews; it consists of the first five books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These 5 books are considered Yahweh's rules or guidelines for life and worship. The Torah becaome the most improtant document in Judaism during the destruction of Jerusalem. This destruction caused a great crisis and many sought to purify their religion. To do this, they turned to the Torah. The Torah is the first five books of the old Testament to the Christian Bible. It documented the events from the creation of the world, the leaving of the holy land by Moses, and the rules about ceremonies and building the faith. The Torah is a scroll and is written in Hebrew. It is read for Bar and Bat mitzvahs. Many Jews read a portion of the Torah every week, completing it in one year, when they start over again. (Julie, Sarah Polchow, and Jacob)

(Sam)


 * PRINCIPLES**

Judaism is based on the principals of the Torah and the Talmud. According to traditional Jewish belief, the God (called Yahweh) who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites and revealed his laws to Moses to form the Torah. It also influenced other religions like Christianity and Islam. (Jatinder Singh) Adding, the special relationship between their god Yahweh and the jews is predicated on obedience. (Eddie C.)

//Some basic principles:// 1. God exists, is one, unique, incorporeal, and eternal 2. The words of the prophets are true; Moses' prophecies are true and Moses was the greatest of all prophets 3. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah were both given to Moses. 4. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men; God will reward the good and punish the wicked. 5. The dead will be resurrected. [Sam]


 * Practicing Religion:

//__Major Holidays:__//** 1. __Rosh Hashanah__: The Jewish New Year; it is celebrated celebrated on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishri. * 2. __Yom Kippur__: "day of atonement”; it is celebrated for only one day. The day is observed by fasting and prayer and by rededication to a religious life.* 3. __Sukkot:__ also known as the Feast of Tabernacles; it's a harvest festival and is celebrated for eight days. 4.__Shemini Atzeret:__ "The eighth [day] of Assembly"; In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated [the Simchat Torah]. However, in Israel and Reform Judaism, the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are combined into a single day and the names are used interchangeably. 5. __Simchat Torah:__ "Rejoicing in the Torah"; falls at the end of the Sukkot festival. 6. __Hanukkah/ Chanukah:__ "Dedication"; celebrated for eight successive days; it is also known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, and Feast of the Maccabees. 7. __Tu B'Shevat:__ New Year for Trees 8. __Purim:__ commemorates the deliverance of the Persian Jews; it is celebrated by feasting and merriment, almsgiving, sending food to neighbors and friends, and chanting the text of the Esther. 9. __Pesach (Passover):__ the important Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and their safe flight across the Red Sea 10. __Shabuoth/Shavuoth:__ also known as the Feast of Weeks; observances include the reading of the Book of Ruth. 11.__Tisha B'Av:__ The Fast of the Ninth of Av; day of mourning to commemorate the many tradegies that have befallen the Jewish people
 * These are known as High Holy Days [Sam]


 * Important Celebrations**

1. __Brit Milah__ - ceremony to welcome Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel occuring eight days after birth (unless there is a medical reason preventing this). Otherwise known as circumcision. In some cultures, boys do not recieve their name until this event. 2. __Bar/Bat Mitzvah__- coming of age ceremony (Bat for girls, and Bar for boys). This occurs when a boy turns 13 and a girl turns 12. In a Bar Mitzvah, a boy will recite a blessing for the Torah, read from the Torah and Haftara. In a Bat Mitzvah, a girl will read from the Torah and lead a sermon as well. A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is not required, as it does not make one any less of a Jew if they do not have one, and it is usually followed with a large feast/party, in which the recipient is given gifts, and the recipient also gives the guests presents and money. 3. __Shidduch__ - process in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another, in hopes of finding a life mate. The families pick the significant other based on character, intelligence, level of learning, financial status, family, health, appearance, and level of religious observance. Parents and relatives can also enlist the help of a shadchan, or a professional matchmaker. 4. __Marriage__- the ideal state of personal existence. A man or woman is considered incomplete without a spouse. 5. __Niddah__ - the time span when a woman is aware that she is bleeding from the womb. During niddah, a woman is prohibited from all sexual activity with a spouse. This applies for 7 days after the beginning of menstruation, and in some cultures it can last for up to 7 days after the end of menstruation. 6. __Naming (Zeved habat)__ - ritual for naming infant Jewish girls. This celebration consists of a communal welcoming, a naming over glasses of wine, accompianied by several appropriate readings from the Bible, and traditional blessings as well. 7. __Pidyon HaBen__- ritual where the first born son is released by Kohen (priest) in order to release himself from obligations to the temple. In this ceremony, the father of the child tells the priest that this is the first born son, and that would rather have his child, as opposed to money, which he must pay to the Kohen. The child is then blessed and returned to his family. This event is accompianied by a large meal. In order for this to take place, the first born must be a boy, not delivered by caesarian section, a miscarraige must not have taken place before the birth of this child, and neither parent can be a Kohen or a Levi (priest). The Pidyon HaBen takes place in about 1 of every 50 births. 8. __Bereavement__- posthumous ritual for the deceased. The body is washed (rechitzah), ritually purified (taharah), and dressed (halbashah). In taharah, the body is uncovered, washed carefully, purified with water, dressed in traditional burial clothing, the coffin is prepared, and the body is placed in the coffin, when finally, the coffin is closed. Blessings, prayers, and scriptures from the Torah, Psalms, and other scriptures accompiany these steps. {Toni M.}

The menorah is a seven branched candelabrum lit by olive oil. It is said to symbolize the burning bush as seen by Moses. It is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish people and is usually associated with holiday Hanukkah. (Sydney Z.)