Judaism Part five of the World Religions Series

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Judaism Part five of the World Religions
Series

• Presented by the
• A-B Tech Diversity Committee

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The Ark of the Covenant
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History

• Judaism traces its origins to the beginning of
  man, as told in the Old Testament. More
  specifically it began with Abraham and the
  Hebrews around 1300 BCE, who came from a town in
  Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq). Abraham was
  called by God to migrate to Canaan (what is
  roughly Israel and Lebanon today). Many years
  passed when a great famine occurred. The
  Hebrews, who were semi-nomadic, migrated to
  Egypt, where they were enslaved by the Pharaoh's
  command. The Prophet Moses, who was also Hebrew
  but was adopted by the Pharaoh's queen, was
  exiled for killing a slave-master after
  witnessing how the Hebrews were treated. Soon
  after, God called upon Moses to free his people.
  After they fled Egypt, they once again settled in
  Canaan.
• Jews have been persecuted throughout their
  history, including the time of the Holocaust,
  which took place during the 1930s and early
  1940s. Jews were forced to move from country to
  country, acquiring different aspects of cultures
  along the way. However, Jews have also
  experienced golden ages, acceptance, and
  cultural growth.
• It is recorded in the Hebrew Bible that God made
  the Jews his chosen people and promised Abraham
  that his descendants would become a great nation.

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The Western Wall, Israel
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Fast Facts

• Judaism was the religious foundation for
  Christianity and Islam.
• Jews have their own ethnicity and culture.
• History is the most important aspect of Judaism
  and is centered on historical narrative.
• Holidays are meant to connect Jews with their
  historical ancestors and traditions.
• The Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall)
  is Judaisms most sacred place on earth. It is
  what is left of The Temple of Jerusalem, where
  the Ark of the Covenant was stored (the Ark
  contained the commandments and many other laws
  sent by God).

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Major Sects

• Orthodox Designated as the most traditional form
  of the religion, Orthodox Jews believe in the
  Torah, which was revealed at Sinai and is
  concerned with oral and written versions of the
  law. Some religious holidays differ slightly
  from other affiliations. Households are very
  strict regarding food and utensils. Meat and
  dairy are never eaten together. The two food
  groups have separate storage areas and utensils,
  which are also washed separately. Segregation of
  women and men in synagogues is still continued.
• Hasidic Are considered to be ultra-Orthodox.
  This branch of the religion originated in Poland,
  led by Eliezer Baal Shem Tov (master of the Good
  Name), who stressed the study of Jewish
  literature. A Zaddik or righteous man was
  believed to have a direct line to God. They are
  recognized today by their distinct appearance
  men dressed completely in black with wide-brimmed
  hats, long coats, beards, and extended rope-like
  sideburns.

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Major Sects, cont.

• Conservative The Torah and Talmud are taught to
  be constant authorities but that historical and
  textual studies both could set apart cultural
  ideas from permanent religious laws. The Jewish
  Theological Seminary in New York City, is the
  leading institution for conservatives. Rabbis
  are trained there, along with women (Orthodoxy
  strictly prohibits this), who are also allowed to
  pray together with men. Jewish Conservatism
  upholds the importance of Jewish nationalism and
  stimulates the study of Hebrew and the support of
  Zionism (modern political movement that supports
  the creation of a Jewish state).
• Reform The main distinctions are that many
  beliefs, laws, and practices were either
  abandoned or modified from Orthodoxy. The central
  principle is that they have the right to decide
  which beliefs and practices to follow.
  Conversion to Judaism is also much simpler.
  Today, Reform Judaism is moving toward embracing
  more of the rituals and dietary laws as Orthodox
  and Conservative Jews do.

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Moses on Mt. Sinai
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Beliefs

• Ethics are the foundation of Judaism.
• The backbone of Judaism is the Five Books of
  Moses (Torah), which contain 613 commandments and
  should be read each Sabbath (shabbat).
• God is all powerful. The sacred name of God is
  YHWH (sometimes pronounced as Yahweh).
• The 13 Articles of Faith were created by a 12th
  century rabbi, Maimonides, and are accepted as a
  general summary of religious Judaism.

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Maimonides
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The 13 Articles of Faith

• 1. God exists.
• 2. God is one and unique.
• 3. God is incorporeal.
• 4. God is eternal.
• 5. Prayer is to God only.
• 6. The prophets spoke truth.
• 7. Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
• 8. The Written and Oral Torah were given to
  Moses.
• 9. There will be no other Torah.
• 10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men.
• 11. God will reward the good and punish the
  wicked.
• 12. The Messiah will come.
• 13. The dead will be resurrected.

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Mezuzahs
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Rituals Practices

• Most Jews have a mezuzah (parchment inscribed
  with religious texts attached in a case) on every
  door post in their home, that reminds them to
  keep Gods laws.
• Circumcision (brit milah) takes place on the 8th
  day after a boys birth. This custom is written
  in the Torah and said to be the fulfillment of
  the covenant between God and Abraham. The ritual
  is performed by a mohel (specially trained in
  Jewish law and surgical techniques).
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah All 13/12 year-old boys and
  girls are considered to be of marriageable age
  (today it is almost unheard of that children
  marry this early) and must obey Jewish laws
  (children are not held to Jewish laws up until
  this age). A ritual is not needed in order to
  signify their new status. It is only recently
  that these elaborate ceremonies were invented.

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Torah Scrolls
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Sacred Texts

• Torah (also known as the Pentateuch or the Five
  Books of Moses) Most important section of the
  Jewish Bible (Tanakh). It consists of narratives
  and laws that have been recorded, in historical
  order, the beginning of the world all the way
  through to the death of Moses. To study the
  Torah is considered to be an act of worship. The
  five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
  Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
• Talmud (means study or learning) A reference to
  the interpretations of the Torah. It is the
  ultimate authority of law and is used mostly by
  rabbis. It uses the rules of Torah and describes
  how to apply them to different circumstances.
• Tanakh (acronym for Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim)
  The Hebrew Bible is the same as the Christian Old
  Testament and consists of the historic writings
  of rabbis. The books are arranged in a slightly
  different order along with other minor variations
  from the Christian version. The Tanakh consists
  of the Torah, Nevi'im (law) and Ketuvim
  (writings).

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Hurvah Synagogue, Jerusalem
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Worship

• Jews gather at synagogues (center of Jewish
  community life) for worship. There are three
  traditional functions of a synagogue
  
  -House of Prayer (where services are held
  on the Sabbath and festival days)
  
  -House
  of Study (where the Torah and Talmud are studied)
  
  -House of Assembly
  (people can meet for any purpose)
• Synagogues were developed after the destruction
  of The Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, when the
  Jews dispersed all over the Roman Empire.
• A rabbi (teacher) runs the synagogue and helps
  settle disputes regarding Jewish law, although
  they can be run without one.
• In traditional Judaism, Jews recite prayers three
  times a day. Although private praying is
  accepted, it is ideal if praying takes place in a
  synagogue with a minyan (quorum of 10 adult
  males).

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Symbolism

• The Menorah (candelabrum) One of the oldest
  symbols of the Jewish faith. Menorahs in
  synagogues and homes represent the eternal lamp
  that was left burning in front of the Ark of the
  Covenant.
• The Jewish Star (magen david) This six-pointed
  star appeared around the 1600s (roughly) and was
  first used to adorn synagogues. The Zionists
  adopted the symbol in the 19th century, it became
  popular among the Jewish culture. Today it is
  part of the flag of Israel.
• Chai Consists of two Hebrew letters chet (life)
  and yud (living), which represents the value that
  Judaism places on life. This symbol is mainly
  used in jewelry.

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Current Events

• Dutch Government Acknowledges Failure To Protect
  Jews
• Lag B'Omer Merriment

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"Intelligent people know of what they speak
fools speak of what they know.
-Minchas Shabbos Pirkei Avos 318 /

-Ethics of The Fathers
(Talmud)
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Available for Check out in Holly Library

• Atlas of the Jewish world / by Nicholas de Lange.
• The Quest for Utopia Jewish political ideas and
  institutions through the ages / edited by Zvi
  Gitelman.
• Jew and Gentile in the ancient world attitudes
  and interactions from Alexander to Justinian /
  Louis H. Feldman.
• Judaism sound recording / script by Geoffrey
  Wigoder edited by Walter Harrelson and Mike
  Hassell.
• An introduction to early Judaism / James C.
  VanderKam.
• Yentl DVD Barbara Streisand
• The gifts of the Jews how a tribe of desert
  nomads changed the way everyone thinks and feels
  / Thomas Cahill.

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Bibliography

• Couliano, I Eliade, C. Wiesner, H. (1991). The
  Harpercollins Concise Guide to World Religion.
  Harpercollins Publications
• Pollock, Robert (2002). The Everything Worlds
  Religions Book Discover the Beliefs,Traditions,
  and Cultures of Ancient and Modern Religions. F
  W Publications, Inc.
• Bank, Richard D. (2001). The Everything Judaism
  Book A Complete Primer to the Jewish Faith- From
  Holidays to Traditions and Culture. Adams Media
  Corporation.
• Cohn-Sherbok, Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. (1997).
  Judaism A Short Introduction. One World
  Publications.
• Fishbane, Michael A. (1987). Judaism Revelation
  and Traditions. Harpercollins Publishers.
• Religionfacts website (www.religionfacts.com)

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Image Resources

• Slide 2 http//www.electricscotland.com/thomson/im
  ages/14.2120ark_covenant.jpg
• Slide 4 http//www.travel-images.com/israel103.jpg
  
• Slide 6 http//scrapetv.com/News/News20Pages/us
  a/images-3/orthodox-jew.jpg
• Slide 8 http//www.religionfacts.com/judaism/image
  s/people/hasidim-jerusalem-cc-premasagar.jpg
• Slide 10 http//people.westminstercollege.edu/facu
  lty/mmarkowski/212/2/Moses-Firenza.jpg
• Slide 12 http//www.religionfacts.com/judaism/imag
  es/people/maimonides-autograph-200.jpg
• Slide 14 http//www.mezuzahshop.com/images/mezuzah
  -2012-01.jpg http//trustearthpulse.com/blog/wp-co
  ntent/uploads/2009/04/297px-mezuzah2c_taken_by_tam
  ara11.jpg
• Slide 16 http//paulhill.files.wordpress.com/2009/
  10/torah1.jpg
• Slide 18 http//www.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp
  //blog.bibleplaces.com/uploaded_images/Hurvah_Syna
  gogue_arch,_tb010200207-794097.jpgimgrefurlhttp
  //blog.bibleplaces.com/2006/11/jewish-quarter-exca
  vations.htmlusg__xvY9V81H3HmbAtkiZq0g2-rzvOwh
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• Slide 20 http//www.santaandthemrs.com/Hanukkah/me
  norah_titus_mncr.jpg chai http//www.judaic.com/je
  wish-jewelry/chai-pendants/chai-pendant-images/cha
  i-pendant-S100C-L.jpg star http//spiritual-fashio
  ns.com/images/categories/jewish20star.jpg
• Slide 22 http//lubavitch.com/news/article/2028965
  /Dutch-Government-Acknowledges-Failure-To-Protect-
  Jews.html http//lubavitch.com/news/article/202617
  2/Lag-BOmer-Of-Mystics-and-Merriment.html
• Slide 24 http//www.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp
  //4.bp.blogspot.com/_hD5SOh3qDP0/SxPobv2YHwI/AAAAA
  AAAATA/hPcRcUkB9_0/s1600/100_2631.JPGimgrefurlht
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• Slide 26 http//www.tocqueville.culture.fr/images/
  voyages/juives_2.jpg http//www.ynetnews.com/PicSe
  rver2/01082004/555378/jude_wa.jpg
  http//clouddragon.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/jew
  ish-woman-uzbekistan.jpg

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Other Religions Coming SoonIf you would like
to see previous parts of the series please visit
the following website http//www.abtech.edu/lr/
World20Religions20Series.htm