Judaism. By: Maddie, Ben, and Kate

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1 Judaism By: Maddie, Ben, and Kate

2 Rambam s 13 Core Beliefs G-d exists G-d is one and unique G-d is incorporeal G-d is eternal Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other The words of the prophets are true Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets

3 Rambam s 13 Core Beliefs contd. The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah were given to Moses There will be no other Torah G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of mankind G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked The Messiah will come The dead will be resurrected

4 Who is a Jew? A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.

5 Branches of Judaism Orthodox most conservative branch of Judaism, Torah-true Conservative respects scientific and historical textual analysis Reform study not limited by Talmud and Torah, particularly nationalistic Reconstructionist most radical denomination, rejects notion of Jews as chosen people

6 Other Names Anther names used for the people is Children of Israel or Israelites The word "Jew" (in Hebrew, "Yehudi") is derived from Judah, name of one of Jacob's twelve sons. The original name for the people we now call Jews was Hebrews.

7 Other Jews Ashkenazi Jews are the Jews of France, Germany, and Eastern Europe and their descendants Sephardic Jews are the Jews of Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East and their descendants Sephardic Jews are often subdivided into Sephardim and Mizrachim

8 Women In traditional Judaism, women are for the most part seen as separate but equal. Miriam is considered one of the liberators of the Children of Israel, along with her brothers Moses and Aaron. Seven of the 55 prophets of the Bible were women (they are included in the list of biblical prophets).

9 Rabbis A rabbi is simply a teacher, a person sufficiently educated in halakhah (Jewish law) and tradition Instruct the community answer questions and resolve disputes regarding halakhah. When a person has completed the necessary course of study, he is given a written document known as a semikhah.

10 Chazzan A chazzan (cantor) is the person who leads the congregation in prayer. Any person with good moral character and thorough knowledge of the prayers and melodies can lead the prayer services

11 Spiritual Leaders A gabbai is a lay person who volunteers to perform various duties in connection with Torah readings at religious services. Rebbe is the term for the spiritual master and guide of a Chasidic community. The word tzaddik literally means righteous one, somebody who is held to high esteem in the community

12 Jewish Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, known as the Patriarchs, are both the physical and spiritual ancestors of Judaism. They founded the religion now known as Judaism, and their descendants are the Jewish people. Technically, it is incorrect to refer to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as Jews, because the terms "Jew" and "Judaism" were not used generally to refer to this nation until hundreds of years after their time. The history of the patriarchs is derived from written Torah, Talmud, Midrash and other sources.

13 Abraham Abraham, born Abram in about 1800 BCE, lived in Ur in Babylonia. (Present-day Iraq, remember?) The most important event in Abram s life was the formation of the covenant: if Abram would leave his home and his family, then G-d would make him a great nation and bless him. Abram accepted this offer, and the b'rit (covenant) between G-d and the Jewish people was established. (Gen. 12) The idea of the covenant (b'rit) is fundamental to traditional Judaism: they have a contract with G-d which involves rights and obligations on both sides. Jews have certain obligations to G-d, and G-d has certain obligations to Jews. The terms of this b'rit became more explicit over time, until the time of the Giving of the Torah.

14 Abraham contd. Abraham s wife, Sarah, gave birth to Isaac Abraham s slave woman, Hagar, gave birth to Ishmael Muslims are descendants of Ishmael Abraham as father of Semetic religions

15 Isaac and Jacob Isaac, son of Abraham, was the subject of the tenth and most difficult test of Abraham's faith: G- d commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. Jacob tricked his father, Isaac, into receiving his brother s blessing: the name "Israel" (Yisrael), meaning "the one who wrestled with G-d" or "the Champion of G-d." The Jewish people are generally referred to as the Children of Israel, signifying their descent from Jacob.

16 Moses Greatest prophet, leader and teacher that Judaism has ever known G-d revealed the entire Torah, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), to Moses. Given the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai Brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, origin of Passover Successor was Joshua

17 The Promised Land The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham G-d tells him to leave his homeland, promising Abraham and his descendants a new home in the land of Canaan. This is the land now known as Israel The land is often referred to as the Promised Land because of G-d's repeated promise

18 Jewish and Arab states according to the 1947 UN plan

19 Zionism The name "Zionism" comes from the word "Zion," which was the name of a stronghold in Jerusalem. Over time, the term "Zion" came to be applied to Jerusalem in general, and later to the Jewish idea of utopia. Zionism was not a religious movement; it was a primarily political. The early Zionists sought to establish a secular state of Israel, recognized by the world, through purely legal means.

20 Israel Today Today, approximately 5 million Jews, more than 1/3 of the world's Jewish population, live in the land of Israel. Jews make up more than 80% of the population of the land Jews are in political control of the land, though non-jews who become citizens of Israel have the same legal rights as Jewish citizens of Israel. Under Israel's Law of Return, any Jew who has not renounced the Jewish faith can automatically become an Israeli citizen, Israel also has a president, elected by the government (Knesset), and a Prime Minister, formerly elected directly but this system is in flux.

21 Temples The Orthodox and Chasidim typically use the word "shul," which is Yiddish, and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a place of study. Conservative Jews usually use the word "synagogue," which is actually a Greek translation It is the place where Jews come together for community prayer services. Reform Jews use the word "temple"

22 Ritual Items Inside the Temple Probably the most important feature of the sanctuary is the Ark, a cabinet or recession in the wall that holds the Torah scrolls. The Ark is generally placed in the front of the room; that is, on the side towards Jerusalem In front of and slightly above the Ark, you will find the nertamid, the Eternal Lamp. In Orthodox synagogues, you will also find a separate section where the women sit.

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24 Other Items used by Jews Mezuzah: constant reminder of G-d's presence and G-d's mitzvot The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage Tallit: The Torah commands us to wear tzitzit (fringes) at the corners of our garments as a reminder of the mitzvot.

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26 Other Items used by Jews contd. Tefillin: Like the mezuzah, tefillin are meant to remind us of G-d's mitzvot. We bind them to our head and our arm, committing both our intellect and our physical strength to the fulfillment of the mitzvot. Menorah: One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a sevenbranched candelabrum used in the Temple. Yarmulke: It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer. Star of David: King David's shield

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29 Attitude towards Non-Jews Judaism maintains that the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come. Judaism generally recognizes that Christians and Muslims worship the same G-d Conversion: In general, Jews do not try to convert non-jews to Judaism. In fact, according to halakhah (Jewish Law), rabbis are supposed to make three vigorous attempts to dissuade a person who wants to convert to Judaism.

30 Bar or Bat Mitzvahs Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah coming of age ceremony Performed for boys at age 13 and girls, 12 Learn a portion of the Torah and the recite it during the ceremony Read directly from the Torah

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