Judaism
 “In
spite of everything, I
still believe that people are
really good at heart.”
- who’s quoted here?
The Hebrew Bible
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Torah ( teachings)
– The most Sacred core
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Nevi’im (prophets)
– Spoke for God
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Ketuvim (writings)
– Imaginative literature
Biblical History
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Creation Story
– 7 days
– Man and woman
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The great flood
– God’s judgment
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Tower of Babel
These stories demonstrate the power of myth?
Patriarchs and Matriarchs
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Abraham and Sarah
– Covenant/contract with God
– Isaac story
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Jacob becomes Israel
– Joseph and brothers move to Egypt
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Moses
– Hope of freedom from Egypt
Moses found…
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Found and raised by Egyptian
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Fled to the desert
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Found by God in the desert
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Returned to Egypt
The Passover

‘The Moment’ in Jewish history
– Passover

Leave Egypt
– Parting of Red Sea

Spent 40 years in the desert
– Food and water from God
A Conquering and
conquered people
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Judges and kings ruled
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Prophets warned the people
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Exiled to other lands
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Temples destroyed
Cultural Conflict

Contrast with Hellenistic culture
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Historical Factions within Judaism
– Sadducees
– Pharisees
– Zealots
– Essenes
Temple destroyed

Diaspora
– Jews outside Israel

Rabbinical Judaism
– Focus on scripture and its interpretation
– Cannon set (Hebrew Scripture)
– Talmud created
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Kabbalah (mystical Judaism)
Persecution

Christians suspicious of Jews
– Couldn’t own land
– Blamed for Black plague

Holocaust happened
– Hitler blamed, many others ‘silent’

Creation of state of Israel (1948)
– Two main centers Israel and US
Jewish Belief

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God is one…
Belief in words of prophets
God is lawgiver through Moses
Messiah will come some day
– Jesus of Nazareth not him
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Will be a resurrection of the good
Human beings made in God’s image with
special role – care for creation
Among peoples, Jews have special role
Religious practice

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10 commandments
Sabbath keeping
– Orthodoxy OR orthopraxy

Holy days
– Rosh Hashana (new Year)
– Yom kippur
– Hanukkah
– Passover
Other practices

Keeping kosher

Prayers
– Dawn, noon, dusk, bedtime
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Male circumcision
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
Divisions

Orthodox

Conservative

Reformed

Reconstructionist
Concluding questions

What is essential to being a Jew?
This question is still being asked and answered in
different ways…
– Have Jewish mother
– May convert
– Ethnic diversity accepted
Terms to know
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Covenant
Diaspora
Holocaust
Kabbalah
Kosher
Passover
Prophet
Rabbi
Rosh Hashanah
Sabbath
Talmud
Torah
Yom kippur
Zealots
Judaism today
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Contributions
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Challenges
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The future of Judaism