Judaism: The Jewish Religion and Culture

What does it mean to be Jewish?

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”

• A “covenant relationship” between God and the Hebrew people

• A faith, a people, a way of life…

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

As a faith, Jews Believe…

• In one God, creator of the universe• 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 / Hasidic (Ultra Orthodox)

– Reformed Conservative – moderates, response to reform

Hasidic Jews circa 1940 in Europe

Hasidic Boy circa 1950s/1960s

• Side curls are called “payot”• This is a tradition that

comes from the Book of Leviticus which states that mean must not cut the “corners” of their head

• It is a literal interpretation that connects Jewish boys and men to their beliefs

1940s Hasidic Jews in New York

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”)

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!

LeChaim!

To Life!

To Life!

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

Jewish Symbols

From Living Judaism by Rabbi Wayne Dosick

Magen David

• Star of David• Was on the shields of David’s warriors• Symbol on the Flag of the state of Israel• Used throughout the world as a clear

and unique identifying symbol of Jews and Judaism

Menorah

• Seven (or nine) branched candleholder• One of the oldest Jewish symbols—one of the

ritual objects described in the Torah• Today the nine branched menorah is used in

celebration of Chanukah• The seven branched menorah is the authentic

ancient symbol (one for each of the 6 days of creation and 1 for sabbath)

Chai

• The Jewish symbol of life• Expresses the hope and prayer for life,

health and prosperity• Popular Jewish toast—L’chayim—To Life

Mazal Tov

• Means good luck or congratulations• Particularly used for significant life

events (ie. Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, birthdays, etc.)

Amen

• Literally “So be it”• Means I agree/affirm• After a blessing it is customary for those who

have heard the blessing to say Amen

Shalom

• Means hello/goodbye/peace• Comes from root word shalem

which means whole/complete– Peace comes when there is wholeness,

completeness, unity.• Pease is the eternal Jewish prayer—

world peace, peace between people, inner peace, harmony.

Modern Denominations

of Judaism

From Living Judaism by Rabbi Wayne Dosick

Orthodox Judaism

• Mainstream Judaism• Belief in the direct revelation of divine law which

was recorded in the Torah– It is eternal, unchanging, and the sole guide for life– Carefully and strictly observe the commandments as

the direct will of God – Ultra-Orthodox assert that complete separation from

secular society

Famous for their dress. From eastern Europe in the early 18th C. Emphasizes both contemplative meditation and fervent joy. Lubavitch Chasidism (Chabad) is contemporary American Chasidism

Chasidism—Sect of Orthodox

Reform Judaism

• Early 19th C. Germany• Assert authorship of Torah to Divinely

inspired human beings• Modern worship mostly in vernacular

Conservative Judaism

• Response to Reform mid to late 19th C. Europe• Agree that change was necessary but felt

Reform had eliminated too many basic Jewish practices

• Motto is “tradition and change”• Fiddler on the Roof

Reconstructionist Judaism

• Early 1920s in US by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan• Judaism is not merely a religion, but an

evolving religious civilization, a peoplehood, a culture, as well as a faith community

All of Judaism• To accept Torah and fulfill its mitzvot• To embrace the ethical mandate of Judaism• To regulate existence to Judaism’s rituals & observances• To support Jewish causes• To be a devoted member of the Jewish community• To maintain a bond and a sense of mutual interdependence with

the Jewish Land• To feel a connection to Jewish history• To be committed to the creative survival of the Jewish future

Jewish Literature

From Living Judaism by Rabbi Wayne Dosick

Torah

•Creation: God Created the Universe and everything in it, The covenant was created between God and Humanity (specifically between God and the Jewish people)

•Redemption: Israelites were saved from bondage in Egypt (in order to experience revelation)

•Revelation: God gave his 613 mitzvot as a standard for conduct and behavior▫Mixed with ritual practices this provides the

framework of lifestyle for all humanity.

Torah• Genesis (Bereshit): contains stories of creation, records the

establishment of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, tells of the lives of the patriarchs and matriarchs

• Exodus (Sh’mot): account of Israelites enslaved in Egypt, the exodus from Egypt, the receiving of the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai

• Leviticus (Vayikra): gives God’s ethical and ritual laws and specific instructions to priests on how to perform their duties

• Numbers (Bamidbar): recounts the of the Israelites through the desert and gives more of God’s ethical and ritual laws

• Deuteronony (Devarim): Moses reviews the laws and the people prepare to enter the promised land.

Nevi’im

• 2nd section of the Hebrew Bible, prophets• Not a soothsayer but rather a messenger of

God to the people• Prophets admonished the Jewish people for

forgetting and forsaking God’s commands• They called on the people to examine their

lives and their conduct• Nevi’im is divided in two sections: early and

latter prophets

Nevi’im

• Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel (2), Kings (2)

• Latter Prophets: – Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel– Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,

Jonah, Micah, Nachum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Ketuvim

• 3rd section of Hebrew Bible, writings• Contains wisdom literature, poetry, songs,

narrative, history, religious philosophy, and love hymns…12 books in total

• Books include: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nechemiah, Chronicles

Tenach / Tanakh

• Hebrew name for Hebrew Bible• Created by taking the first letter of each of the

three sections of the Bible and making a word out of those three letters.– T: for Torah– N: for Nevi’im– CH: for Ketuvim

Mishnah

• The first compilation of the Oral Law between 200 BCE and 200 CE

• Collects all of the Jewish legal material from the post-Torah era.

• Divided into 6 orders (or chapters)– Seeds, Festivals, Women, Damages, Holy Things,

Purifications

Gemara

• A compilation of the discussions, interpretations, explanations, and theological arguments about the Mishnah.

• New interpretations and new laws that arose after Mishnah from about 200-600 CE

• Contains both Jewish law and Jewish stories

Talmud• Is the combined Mishnah and Gemara•Largest compilation of post-biblical law•Remains the basic and central document of post-

biblical law•Talmud is studied: ▫For the practical application of its laws▫For its mind-expanding challenges in logic and

reasoning▫For its total immersion in Jewish concerns▫For its wisdom and insights into the human experience▫And for the simple love of learning and growing