Judaism

1
Judaism

• Brief Overview

2
Origins

• God established covenant with Abraham
• Divine promise to Abraham that his descendants
  would enjoy Gods blessing
• In turn, they were obligated to obey the divine
  word
• Hebrews embraced Judaism
• Monotheism
• Ethical behavior

3

• Torah 1st 5 books of the Hebrew Bible received
  by Moses
• Core sacred text of Judaism from about 3,500
  years ago
• Essence of a way of life devotion to God,
  life-long learning, reason, wisdom, ethical
  conduct
• Talmud 60 books of rabbis thinking decisions
  between 300 and 500
• 70 (year) Rome conquered Middle East
• Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed
• Ancient Jewish state of Israel became a province
  of the Roman Empire
• Jewish Diaspora dispersion of Jewish
  communities throughout W. E. Europe, N. Africa,
  E. Mediterranean

4
Some Core Beliefs

• Flexibility in belief no hierarchical religious
  authority codifies enforces religious precepts
• Rabbi interpretations of sacred texts
• Ethical practice moral action more important
  than conformity to abstract theological or ritual
  rules
• People are created in Gods image are uniquely
  capable of performing good deeds mitzvah
  (righteous acts)

5
Some Core Beliefs

• Gods creation is an unending process, always
  unfolding in the virtuous actions of people
• Land of Israel God commanded Abraham to settle
  in Israel
• Returning to the Promised Land coming of the
  messiah, ending 2000 yrs. of exile
• 1948 modern state of Israel
• Longing for the homeland expressed in prayers

6
Some Core Beliefs

• chosen people covenant placed
  responsibilities on Jewish people to demonstrate
  by their own actions the universal truth of Gods
  commandments
• Jews were to guide others in living morally
  ethically
• NOT an ethnocentric sense of superiority or
  entitlement
• Human nature people are self-determining can
  choose to act righteously or sinfully

7
Some Core Beliefs

• Judaism Focuses on this world
• Heaven hell vaguely mentioned in Jewish
  writings not distinct places where divinity
  dispenses rewards punishments for behavior on
  earth
• Heaven hell are experienced in this life as
  rewards punishments for human actions

8
Different traditions of Judaism

• Orthodox Judaism Torah was literally bestowed
  by God on Moses the Jewish people is
  therefore sacred and beyond challenge
• Ultra-orthodox Hasidic Judaism 1700s in
  Poland, mystical Judaism that finds divine
  presence in all places rabbis are charismatic
  leaders with special powers to perform miracles
  (Jews lived in segregated ghettos)

9

• Reform Judaism
• 1800s in Germany
• Western Europe began to tolerate Jews granted
  citizenship civil rights
• Process of social political liberalization
  extended to Judaism
• Emphasized aspects consistent with rationality
  modern thought
• Rejected ancient rules beliefs dietary laws
  (kosher) use of spoken languages in place of
  Hebrew seating segregation by gender

10

• Conservative Judaism
• Distinctly US American branch
• Some adaptation of Jewish law to contemporary
  life
• Not as far as Reform Jews in updating ancient
  tradition
• Ex. Ordination of Conservative women rabbis is
  still controversial
• Reconstructionism
• Small offshoot of Conservative
• Emphasizes Jewish peoplehood, common culture
• Like Reform, willing to question the most
  fundamental tenets of the faith, such as the
  nature of God role of sacred texts in modern
  life