Judaism

Judaism is the worlds monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4.000 years.Followers if Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets.

• Jewish Religion –
  Most Jews (with exception of messianic Jews and few other groups) believe that their Messiah hasn’t come, but will one day. There are 14 million Jews around the world, most of them live in the US and Israel. Traditionally the person is called a Jew if his/her mother is Jewish
• The Torah – 
  The Jewish sacred text is called the  Tanakh or the “Hebrew Bible”. I t includes the same books as the old Testament in the Christian Bible, but they’re placed in a slightly different order.The Torah is the first five books of Tanakh, which is sometimes revealed to as Pentateuch. Jewish people worship in holy places known as synagogues, and their spiritual leaders are called rabbis. The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of Judaism.
• Jewish History – 
  Acc. to the text, God has revealed himself to a Hebrew man named Abraham, who became known as the founder of Judaism.They believe that God made a special covenant with Abraham, and that his descendants were chosen people who would create a great nation. More than  1.000 years after Abraham, the prophet Moses led to the Israelites out of Egypt after being enslaved for hundreds of years.
• The Temples –
  The first temple was built around 1000 B.C., which was built by the son of King David, Solomon, which became the central place of worship for Jews. When the kingdom fell apart around 931 B.C Jewish people split into 2 groups, Israel in the North,  Judah in the South. Around 587 B.C.  the first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. The 2nd temple was built around 516 B.C. but eventually destroyed by the Romans around 70 B.C. The destroyment of the 2nd temple was significant because Jewish people had no longer a primary place to gather, and shifted their focus to worshiping in local synagogues.
• Judaism and Persecution –
  Jewish people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs some of the well known are:
  – 1066 Granada Massacre – On December 30,1066 a Muslim mob stormed into the royal palace in Granada and killed more than 1.000 Jewish families, they also kidnapped and crucified Joseph Ibn Nagrela, the Jewish vizier to the Berber king.
  – The Spanish Expulsion – In 1942 Spain’s rulers issued a royal edict that declared all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity would be expelled from the country. Experts estimate about 200.000 people were ousted and tens of thousands died while trying to reach  safety.
  – The Holocaust – The holocaust is the most well known act of modern-day atrocities, the Nazis murdered more than 6 million Jews.
• Creation of Israel –
  During and after the Holocaust, many Jews returned to their homeland, Palestine, and embraced  Zionism, a movement for the creation of a Jewish nation that emerged in 19th century Europe.
  In 1948, Israel became officially an independent state.One of the leading promoters of the Jewish nation. David ben-Gurion, was given the title of prime minister. This event was a success for the Jewish people who had tirelessly  petitioned  for independent state in the homeland. However tensions between Arabs an Jews  escalated in the years since Israel became a state and are still on going today…
• Types of Judaism –
  Orthodox – Are known for their strict observance of traditional Jewish law and rituals Chabad is a well-known Orthodox Jewish, Hasidic movement.
  Reform  – Most Jews living in the US are reform Jews, it is considered a liberal category of the regional that values ethical traditions over  strict observance of Jewish laws.
  Conservative –  It is considered somewhere between Orthodox and Reform Judaism, they honor traditions of Judaism while allowing for some modernization
  Reconstructionist – Dates  back 1922 when Mordecai Kaplan founded the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. This sect believes that Judaism is a religious civilization that’s constantly evolving.
  Humanistic –  In 1963, Rabbi Sherwin Wine founded this denomination of Judaism in 1963. Humanistic Jews celebrate Jewish history and culture without an emphasis on God.
  Messianic – This modern movement combines the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity. Messianic Jews believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah but still follow Jewish traditions.
• Shabbat –
  Shabbat is recognized as a day of rest and prayer for Jews, it begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until night fall on Saturday. Orthodox and Conservative Jews amay refrain from performing any physical labor, using any electrical device or other prohibited  activities. Most observant Jews celebrate Shabbat by reading or discussing the Torah, attending a synagogue or socialized with other Jews at Shabbat meals.
• Jewish Holidays –
  1- Passover – lasts 7 or 8 days and celebrate Jewish freedom from slavery in Egypt.
  2- Rosh Hashanah– is the birth of the universe and humanity during this holiday, which also is the Jewish New York.
  3-Yom Kippur– “Day of Atonement” is considered the holiest day of the year for Jews who typically spend it fasting and praying.
  4- The Days of Awe– 10 days, , starts with the Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur, this is considered a time of repentance for Sewish people.
  5-Hanukahi– “Festival of Lights” lasts 8 days. It commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem   after the Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greeks over 2,000 years ago.
  6- Purim– This is a joyous and light holiday that celebrates a time when the Jewish people in Persia were saved from extermination.

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