RELIGION PROJECT

JUDAISM

JUDAISM

"the religion developed among the ancient Hebrews that stresses belief in God and faithfulness to the laws of the Torah : the religion of the Jewish people" -Merriam-Webster Dictionary

JUDAISM

OVERVIEW

• Judaism is believed to be the one religion that brought forth both Christianity and Islam.
• Jewish people believe in one God; a higher supreme being who created all things.
• The prophet Abraham is an especially sacred person in the Jewish religion, as they believe he was the first man to see the true God.

BIOGRAPHY

BIOGRAPHY

• Judaism focuses completely on God. In fact, the basic principle of their religion is to have belief in one God.
• Jewish people believe that Abraham saw the true God, and that, later, Moses received their sacred text, the Torah.

In Judaism, Jewish people follow the 13 Principles of Faith. They were created by Rabam Moses Maimonides.

13 PRINCIPLES OF FAITH

• God created all things
• There is only one God
• God has no bodily form
• God is eternal
• We must pray only to God
• All the words of the prophets are true
• Moses was the greatest of the prophets
• The Torah we have is the same that was given to Moses
• The Torah will never be changed

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• God knows human deeds and thoughts
• God rewards good and punishes evil
• The Messiah will come to redeem Israel and the world
• There will be a resurrection of the dead

Like Christianity, the Jewish people believe in the first five books of the Old Testament, the Books of Moses. However, they do not believe in the rest of the bible.

Also like Christianity, Jewish people also trace their lineage back to Isaac and Abraham. But the largest difference is that, in Judaism, they do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Savior of the world.

SACRED TEXT

The Jewish sacred text is the Torah. The Torah itself is split into two parts. The Oral Torah is believed to have been given to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai. However, the written Torah consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

In Hebrew, the name Torah means 'teachings'.

SACRED SITE

The most sacred site in Judaism is the city of Jerusalem. Jewish people believe that Jerusalem is the holiest of all cities.

A special place in Jerusalem is the remaining wall of their holy temple. After war, that was the only part of their temple that still stood.

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SACRED SYMBOL

THE STAR OF DAVID

• Judaism's sacred symbol is known as Magen David or the Star of David.
• Compared to other religions, this symbol is relatively new and modern.
• The shape is created by overlapping two equilateral triangles.
• The star was made to look like the shield used by the second king of Israel.

SPECIAL DAYS

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

There are 6 main special days that are marked on the Jewish Calendar.

This is Matzah. It is a type of unleavened bread (bread with no yeast, so that it doesn't rise when heated).

• The holiday Passover, is stretched over a period of eight days and honors the deliverance of the enslaved Israelites in Egypt.
• The first two nights feature different foods that symbolize the "bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom" -National Board of Jewish Education.
• Matzah, an unleavened bread, is the main dish.

Passover is then followed by Shavuot, only seven weeks later. On this day, Jewish people celebrate the day that Moses was given the Torah.

ROSH HASHANAH

Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year.

And, only 10 days after that, they recognize the Day of the Atonement. On this holiday they fast for a whole 25 hours!

Another one of the most well-known holidays of the Judaism religion is Hanukkah.

Hanukkah symbolizes the re-dedication of their sacred temple in Jerusalem.

And last, but not least, their 6th holiday is Sukkot. For this holiday, they remember the journey to the Promised Land.

WORKS CITED

• National Board of Jewish Education Website (http://www.bje.org.au)
• http://www.jewfaq.org/m/index.shtml
• http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism
• World Geography Book