Judaism is…
 “A 4000 year old tradition with ideas
about what it means to be human and
how to make the world a holy place”
(Rabbi Harold Kushner, To Life)
 A “covenant relationship” between
God and the Hebrew people
 A celebration and sanctification of
life
 A faith, a people, a way of life…
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The Origins of Judaism
2000 B.C.
1300 B.C.
Abraham:
Father of
Jewish
people
Moses:
Led
Hebrews
out of
slavery
1200 B.C.
1020-922 B.C.
Deborah:
A
prominent
judge
Saul, David,
Solomon:
Kings under whom
Hebrews united
continued . . .
The Early Hebrews
The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jews, and most of what we
know, including the laws and requirements of their religion, Judaism,
comes from their later writings.
Hebrew Fathers
Moses and Exodus
Promised Land
• The Torah
• Slaves in Egypt
• Israelites in desert
• Abraham, father of
the Hebrews
• Moses
• Canaan
• Pharaoh, plagues
• God’s covenant
• Exodus
• Land of “milk and
honey”
• 12 Tribes of Israel
• Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob were
patriarchs
• Israelites in Egypt
– Israelites out of
Egypt
• Israelites battled for
land
– Passover
• Canaan = Israel
• The Ten
Commandments
The Kingdom of Israel
The Period of the Judges
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Scattered communities
No central government
Judges enforce laws
Prophets keep Israelites focused on faith
Saul, David, Solomon
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Israelites united against Philistines
Saul, first Israelite king
Never won full support
David, second king
Strong king, gifted poet
Solomon, David’s son
Israel reached height of wealth
Division and Conquest
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Conflict after Solomon’s death
Two kingdoms, Israel and Judah
722 BC, Israel fell to Assyrians
586 BC, Judah fell to Chaldeans
Chaldeans enslaved Jews
Diaspora = scattering of Jews
Persians conquered Chaldeans
A 4000 year old tradition…
 The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
(“Israel”) – origins of the Hebrew people
(more than 3800 years ago)
 Enslaved in ancient Egypt and freed by
Moses (more than 3300 years ago)
 Hebrew monarchy in the “Promised Land”
(The Land of Israel), ends 6th century
BCE
*NOTES*
JUDAISM- major world religion founded by the Hebrews in
1400 B.C. which became the first monotheistic belief
system. (monotheism-ONE GOD)
IMPORTANT FIGURES:
1. Abraham- first Hebrew to make a covenant
with God; father of monotheism
2. Moses- messenger of God (prophet) who
led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and
was given the Ten Commandments
3. King David & his son Solomon- created a
Jewish empire and built the city of Jerusalem
*NOTES*
Torah- holy book
Monotheism
- 1 God
Synagogue or
temple- house of
worship
Important days:
Hannukah,
Passover, Yom
Kippur, Rosh
Hashanah
JUDAISM
Orthodox,
Conservative or
Reformed
Ten
Commandmentslaw code
Sabbathholy day is
Saturday
Kosher food
(no pork or
shellfish)
The Teachings of Judaism
Religion the foundation of Hebrew and Jewish societies
• Belief in One God
– Monotheism
• Justice and Righteousness
– Kindness, fairness, code of ethics
• Obedience to the Law
– Ten Commandments, Mosaic Law
• Jewish Sacred Texts
– Torah, Talmud
As a faith, Jews Believe…
 In one God, creator of the universe, personal
but non-corporeal
 In prophets of old – especially Moses, through
whom Torah was revealed to the Hebrew
people
 In Torah (first five books of the Bible),
containing religious, moral and social law which
guides the life of a Jew

the Hebrew Bible does not include the New
Testament
As a people, Jews are…
 A nation in Diaspora (dispersed)
 15 – 16 million in worldwide population
 United by a common heritage (an “ethnic”
religion), divided in contemporary practice:
 Orthodox:
Modern
 Chasidic (Ultra Orthodox)

 Reformed (18th century Germany)
 Conservative – moderates, response to
reform

Reconstructionalism (20th century America)
As a way of life, Judaism is
based on…
 613 commandments found in Torah (“Written Law”)
 Talmud (“Oral Law”) – commentary of ancient rabbis
that elaborates on how to apply God’s Law in
everyday life through:
 Dietary rules (Kashrut/Kosher)
 Dress and other symbols
 Prayer and devotion to the one God
 The Temple and Temple rites
 Observance of Holy days
 Proper social relations between male and female, in
business, judicial rulings, etc.
 Thus sanctifying life, blessing it in every way
How does Judaism sanctify
life?
Life cycle celebrations:
 Bris – ritual circumcision, sign of the covenant
 Bar/Bat Mitzvah – full adult status and
responsibility within the religion
 Marriage - "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen.
1:22)
 Death – funerals, mourning (sitting “Shiva”),
and memorials (“Yartzeits”)
THE SYNAGOGUE
The Synagogue Sanctuary
Contains the
scrolls
The reading
desk.
Inside the Synagogue
The layout of the building is rectangular, with seats arranged on three sides.
The fourth side is the most important, it holds the Ark.
Almost in the centre of the Synagogue is a raised platform called the Bimah.
At the foot of the Bimah is a group of seats reserved for elders of the synagogue.
The Bimah is used by the Rabbi to
read the Torah scrolls from. It is
raised so that the congregation can
see the Rabbi and he can see them.
The scrolls have crowns covering the top of the rollers and a metal
plate, called a breastplate hanging around the crowns.
Covering the Torah scroll is a decorated cover called a mantle.
This is usually embroidered with a crown, representing King David.
Torah Scroll
What is a Torah scroll?
The Torah contains the Five Books of Moses, whose English and Hebrew
names are:
English
Hebrew
Genesis
Beraishit
Exodus
Shemot
Leviticus
Vayikra
Numbers
B'midbar
Deuteronomy
Devarim
Chapter 28 of Exodus describes
the garb of the high priest, based
off of this the priest’s clothing
includes:
-A tunic (the Torah mantle)
-A belt (the sash around the
Torah)
-A Mitre (the crown of the Torah)
-A Breastplate
These have all been reproduced in
some fashion for the dressing and
decorating of the Sefer Torah.
Responsibilities of the Rabbi:
(Rabbi means “teacher”)
-Preaching from the pulpit
-Teaching classes
-Individual counseling
Some prayers are said by
everyone, and some are recited
aloud by the shaliach tzibbur, to
which the congregation responds
"Amen.“
The chazzan (cantor) is specially
trained in the art of Jewish music
and liturgy for this role.
Tallit - Before beginning to worship or pray the devout Jew will
often put on a prayer shawl.
The fringes on the shawl remind him of the many commandments
(613) of the Torah.
He will first cover his head completely with the Tallit.
The Tallit is a prayer shawl, worn around the neck during
the service.
You can see the tassels or fringes hanging down.
Each one represents the laws Jews must follow in their
lives. This comes from a commandment in the Torah:
The Tephillin are two small boxes with leather straps
attached to them.
You can see them in the picture next to the Siddur,
the Jewish prayer book.
The tephillin contain a small portion of scripture
from the Torah, called the Shema
Phylacteries or Tefillin - Phylacteries are small leather boxes
that have long straps attached that are worn on the left forearm
and on the forehead.
Inside the boxes are passages from the scriptures, including the
Shema.
Kippur or Yarmulke - On their heads
the devout Jew always wears the
Yarmulke, a small skull cap, which
reminds them that they are always
duty bound to follow the laws of God
at all times and in all places.
The Menorah : The Menorah is
the seven branched candlestick
which was placed in the temple
in Jerusalem, each home has a
Menorah to remind them of the
temple and of their hope that
one day it will be built again
The Mezuzah : The Mezuzah is a small box fixed to
the doorpost on your house, according to the
command in scripture.
If you look at a Jewish house there will be a small
box fixed to the right hand side of the doorpost.
Inside the Mezuzah is a small piece of parchment
with the words of Deuteronomy 13-21 written upon it..
The Magen David : The Magen David is the
star of David, this is the representation of the
state of Israel.
It is more a political than a religious statement.
The state of Israel was recreated by the United
Nations in 1948.
Kosher foods
Goat
Turkey
All fish (as long as
they have scales)
Cow
Sheep
Duck
Chicken
Non-Kosher foods
Rabbit
Pig
Camel
Octopus
Eel
Horse
Most birds especially
birds of prey
Insects
Lev. 11:13-19 : These you shall regard as detestable among the
birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle,
the vulture, the osprey, the buzzard, the kite of any kind; every
raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the
hawk of any kind; the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the
water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron
of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
Kosher Animals
Animals are kosher if:
1. Their hooves are completely parted
at the bottom to form 2 horny pads
2. If it chews the cud
In order for the animal to be Kosher, they must
do BOTH.
(For example, pigs are not Kosher because they
do not chew the cud)
• All Vegetables and fruit are kosher, but they must be carefully
checked for non-kosher foods like insects.
• All dairy products are kosher (Must be bloodless), but it must be
checked that the product does not contain any meat based
products
• (for example many cheeses contain rennet which is made from
the stomach of pigs or cows and thus breaks two of the kosher
rules (i) that meat and dairy must be separate and (ii) that
products from the pig are treyfah).
• Also the kosher Jew must to sure that the milk is only from
kosher animals (some farmers made a practice of topping up
cow's milk with pig's milk - this would make the milk treyfah)
• All shellfish is treyfah.
Boys :
•After a boy child has been born a blessing is said and eight days
later the child will be presented for the ceremony of circumcision.
•This may take place in the synagogue or in the home, or at the
hospital.
•This is a very important ceremony and the only reason for
delaying it is if the child is ill.
•The boy will be placed on the lap of the sandek (A bit like a
Christian godparent).
•it is a great honour to be asked to perform this service.
•The circumcision is performed by the mohel , who may be a
doctor but does not have to be.
•The circumcision of boys is a sign of the covenant that God
agreed with Abraham (more about Abraham).
The ceremony of the Bar
Mitzvah is a very important
occasion for the young Jewish
male. The ceremony, is normally
held on the first Shabbat after
his 13th birthday.
There are three main reasons why the Bar Mitzvah is so important
for every Jewish male:
•The boy who has come of age is given the full religious
responsibilities of the adult male. He is allowed to wear the
ritual clothes the Tallit and the Tefillin, he can make up the
minimum 10 males who must be present for a service to
take place (the minyan), and he can take part fully in the
worship in the synagogue.
•At any time in the future he can be called upon to read
from the Torah. All Jews consider this to be a great
privilege.
•In many synagogues this is seen as a serious statement
of faith by the young adult. They acknowledge their faith
and acknowledge that the responsibility for their spiritual
life now passes from their parents to them.
. The Chuppah : The whole of the wedding service
takes place under the Chuppah.
This is usually a canopy supported by four poles
and normally decorated with fringes and flowers.
The chuppah is a symbol of the home that the
couple will set up together after the marriage.
. Signing the KETUBAH : Before the bride enters the
synagogue the bridegroom will sign the Ketubah, thus
signifying the terms of the contract for the marriage.
The Ketubah is a "bill of rights" for the woman since it
sets out the responsibilities of the husband, the
wording of the document is about 2000 years old.
The groom now waits for his bride under the chuppah, at a signal
the bride enters in procession.
The bride will come with a collection of close relatives and friends
who take their place on either side of the chuppah. As the bride
enters a special blessing is sung.
The betrothal blessing is recited over a goblet of wine and God is
praised for guiding humanity by giving laws about marriage.
The couple then drink from the goblet and the groom places a ring
on the right index finger of the bride.
The seven blessings of marriage are then recited.
These are called the SHEVA BARACHOTH
After the Sheva Baracoth a cup of wine is then
drunk.
The bridegroom then symbolically breaks a glass
under his foot
The priestly blessing is then said over the couple the
couple leave to sign the registers.
When someone dies the family does something
which non-Jewish observers would find very
strange they take hold of a garment that they are
wearing and tear it.
This is an ancient Jewish customs and helps to
vent the anger that they are feeling at the death of
a loved one.
•A candle is lit and placed at the head of the bed.
•One of the sons remains with the body and quietly recites some
of the psalms
•. From now until the burial, the body would not be left alone.
•Arrangements are made for the funeral, for it is the tradition for
the Jews to bury the body, if at all possible within 24 hours of
death.
• The undertaker provides a simple coffin.
How does Judaism sanctify
time?
The Jewish Holidays:
 High Holidays:
 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
 Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
 Sukkot, the “Festival of Booths” (fall
harvest festival)
 Simchat Torah – celebrating Torah
 Chanukah, the “Festival of Lights”
More Holy Days…
 Purim (“Lots”) – a carnival (commemorates
events told in book of Esther)
 Pesach (“Passover”) – commemorates the
exodus from Egypt (events told in Exodus)
 Shavuot (“weeks,” Pentecost) –
commemorates receipt of Torah at Sinai
 Other, minor festivals
 Shabbat (Sabbath, 7th day, on Saturday) –
the “Day of Rest”
How is Judaism related to
Christianity?
 Judaism predates Christianity – it is the foundation




of Christianity but is not a part of it
Jesus was Jewish, as were his followers and the
Apostles
Jews do not believe that Jesus was anything more
than a good and wise man who lived and died 2000
years ago – Jews still await their messiah
The Jewish messiah would not be divine. He would
be a political figure who restores the Hebrew
monarchy and causes peace to reign on Earth
Jews are not concerned about salvation and the
“world to come”
What are Jews really
concerned about?
 Tikkun Olam - “repairing this world” through
justice and righteousness; through “deed, not
creed”
 The heart of Judaism is in the home and family,
social responsibility and doing Mitzvot (“good
deeds” based on God’s commandments)
 Through education and hard work we make our
lives, the lives of others, and the world, what
God intended it to be – Holy!
To Life!
To Life!
LeChaim!
Web resources
 Judaism 101: http://jewfaq.org/
”an online encyclopedia of Judaism, covering Jewish
beliefs, people, places, things, language, scripture,
holidays, practices and customs”
 ReligiousTolerance.org on Judaism:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/judaism.htm
 This P0werpoint presentation available at:
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/Rel232/resource/judaism.ppt