Summary of Judaism

Judaism is the World’s eleventh largest religion with around fourteen million people. Judaism is also one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths as it laid the groundwork for Christianity and Islam. Judaism is divided into three branches: Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, and Orthodox Judaism. Judaism is an Abrahamic religion like Christianity and Islam. Judaism has had a great impact on the World even though they are somewhat small compared to many other religions. Around 200 BCE God established a covenant with Abraham and the Israelites. Therefore, Judaism’s festivals, worship, sacred writings, and beliefs make Judaism one of the Worlds most prominent religions.

Judaism’s annual cycle of festivals and worship gives it its structure. There is a major and minor festival in almost every month of the year. The ‘Thirteen Principles of Faith’, created by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, help define Judaism and lie at the heart of the Jewish Prayer Book. The Jewish Prayer Book is the basis of Jewish worship. The three great themes that “underpin” the Jewish religion are creation, revelation, and redemption. The holiest object in Judaism is a scroll of the Law, which is called the Sefer Torah. The synagogue is important as a meeting place, a focus for prayer and a house of study. In Judaism, there is much effort put forth to involve children in the celebration of major festivals. For example, the children are given the best places in front of the lights of the menorah at the festival of Hanukkah. The three ‘pilgrim’ festivals in Judaism are the Shavuot, Sukkot, and the Pesach. These recall the three annual occasions when Jews made the journey to worship in Jerusalem. The New Year festival in Judaism is called Rosh Hashanah. This is a time to make resolutions regarding the future. The foods eaten on New Year’s Eve symbolize sweetness, blessings, and plenty. There is a morning service following New Year’s Eve, which can last up to six hours. The service consists of many prayers. The shofar, the ram’s horn, is regularly sounded through the service as it is considered to be ‘a wake up call’ to the people. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is the holiest day in the Jewish liturgical year. It is the day on which Jews review their behavior and face the New Year. Almost the whole day is spent in prayer, as synagogues are full to overflowing. Work is forbidden on Yom Kippur. The most popular of the minor festivals are Hanukkah, Purim, and Tu biShevat. Hanukkah, the most popular of the minor festivals, celebrates the rededication of the Temple in about 165 BCE after its defilement by the Greeks. On each of the eight nights of the festival, a light is lit to commemorate the ‘miracle of the oil’. Thus, Jewish festivals play a major part of Judaism.

The sacred texts of Judaism have been central to its life and culture. The three major texts of Judaism are the Tanakh, the Mishnah, and the Talmund. The Tanakh is the Torah. The term ‘torah’ is used in three different ways. It can be used as the first five books of the Scriptures, traditionally ascribed to Moses. It can also be used to refer to the written and oral Torah. The Mishnah is a collection of tractates consisting of halakhot, regulations that span