Judaism
Basic Beliefs of Judaism
Judaism is a monotheist religion that only believes in one god. They try to connect to their god using prayers. Jews also believe everything was created by their god and all Jews are uniquely connected to each other. Judaism has no formal set of beliefs, actions are far more important than beliefs. Judaism focuses on relationships between God and mankind. The most common religious figure is Abraham.
How do Jews Worship?
A Jewish religious leader is called a Rabbi, a teacher of Judaism. Jews worship in Synagogues, a place where people can connect with their god.
What Holy Text Do Jews Have?
The Tanakh, Talmud, and the Torah are some important papers of the Jews.
Tanakh
Sanhedrin, King Solomon, King David, and others wrote the Tanakh. The Tanakh is also known as the Jewish Bible. It contains similar books as the Christian Old Testament.
Talmud
The Talmud is a central component of the Yeshiva curriculum for those training to become Rabbis
Torah
There are 304,805 letters in a Torah Scroll. It is Composed off the 5 books of Moses and the 10 commandments. It is the Jews most sacred text.
Jewish Holidays
There are more than 5 Jewish Holidays like Rosh Hashana, Hanuka, and Yom Kippur.
Rosh Hashana
It is about the Jewish celebrating a new sweet year by eating apples and honey.
Hanukkah
The word Hanukkah means dedication. The name is a reminder of the re-dedication of the holy temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish Victory over the Syrians.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the holiest Jewish holiday. It is a day of atonement and repentance. It is also a day of fasting for 25 hours with intensive prayer in Synagogues.
Holy Places of Judaism
All Jews try to visit Jerusalem throughout the year. Jerusalem is the site of the original temple. The Mount of Olives is important as well as it is where Resurrection begins.
Traditions of Jews
On Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples and honey. It is also a Jewish tradition not to leave the dead alone. Jewish children usually celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah at the age of 12 or 13. Kids also love to find the Afikomen (matzo) on Passover.