WORLD RELIGIONS
JUDAISM
7.5 Trace Islam’s historical connections to Judaism and Christianity.
B3,7
World Religions: Judaism
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
LEARNING TARGET
What is
religion?
I can compare
and contrast the
five major
world
religions.
A Few Introductory Facts
• Judaism is the world’s
oldest religion.
• It was the first religion to
teach belief in one God
(monotheism).
• The nation of Israel is the
homeland of the Jewish
people.
FOLLOWERS OF JUDAISM
• Followers of Judaism
are called Jews.
• There are over 18
million followers.
• There are four main
groups of Jews:
–
–
–
–
Orthodox
Hasidic
Conservative
Reform
B4.3
GOD OF JUDAISM
• Jews believe in the God (Yahweh) of the
Old Testament of the Bible.
• Jews believe God is the Creator of
everything and that He is eternal.
• Jews believe God will someday send a
Messiah to unite them and lead them in His
way.
SACRED BOOK OF JUDAISM
• The most sacred book of
Judaism is called the
Torah.
• The Torah is the first 5
books of the Old
Testament (Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and
Deuteronomy) and was
written by Moses in the
Hebrew language.
• The Talmud is a guide that
explains the laws of the
Torah.
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JEWISH HOUSE OF WORSHIP
• The Jewish house of
worship is called a
synagogue.
• The synagogue has 3
functions:
– House of Prayer
– House of Assembly
– House of Study
• Rabbis (give the sermon)
and cantors (lead music)
help lead Jewish services.
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JEWISH CUSTOMS & RITUALS
• A mezuzah is a
parchment inscribed
with religious texts
attached in a case to a
doorpost in a Jewish
home as a sign of
faith.
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JEWISH CUSTOMS & RITUALS
• Bar mitzvah is a ceremony
held when a Jewish boy is
13 and is therefore
considered old enough to
take responsibility for
himself and his obedience
to the Law. In Jewish
religious terms he is
considered an adult.
JEWISH CUSTOMS & RITUALS
• Yarmulkes (Yiddish)
or kippahs (Hebrew)
are the skull caps worn
by Jewish men to
demonstrate their
submission to God.
• The prayer shawl
worn during prayer
services is called a
tallit.
JERUSALEM
• Jerusalem is the capital of
Israel.
• It is the location of the
western wall of the
Temple.
• The western wall is known
as the Wailing Wall.
• This site is Judaism’s
holiest place on earth and
is a center of pilgrimage
and prayer for Jews.
BELIEFS ABOUT DEATH
• Judaism teaches that death is not the end and that
there is a world to come. (Precise details of the
afterlife are not part of the Jewish belief.)
• Bodies must be buried as soon as possible after
death (usually within 24 hours).
• A prayer known as the kaddish must be recited at
the synagogue every day for 11 months after the
death of a close relative.