Judaism
Dylan WC7
All about Judaism
Followers of Judaism are called Jews. Their place of worship is called the synagogue. The leader is a Rabbi or teacher of Torah. Some of their central beliefs emphasize justice and that God considers all people to be equal.
The three largest Jewish religious movements (or sects) are Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. The main differences between these movements are their approaches to Jewish law, the authority of the Rabbinic tradition and the significance of the State of Israel.
They pray and study the Torah, which is their holy book. They believe in following God’s laws, including the Ten Commandments. In Judaism, when kids turn 13 they take the bar mitzvah. Some only eat Kosher foods-no pork, shellfish, or mixing of milk and meat products.
Some holidays that Jews celebrate are Rosh Hashanah, which is like our new year and last two days. YomKippur is the day of atonement and fasting. Chanukkah is the festival of lights commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after a successful revolt against the Seleucid Greeks. It celebrates the miracle of the one day supply of oil that lasted eight days. Passover celebrates the Jews' exodus from Egypt.
The Western Wall in Jerusalem is a place of pilgrimage for Jews and is the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. It is the closest permitted accessible site to their holiest place which is in the Temple Mount. A the wall, Jews pray, recite the Torah and leave written prayers in the crevices of the wall.
Judaism is one of the three monotheistic religions. A common figure among Judaism, Christianity and Islam is that Abraham. All three religions all believe in one God.