JuDAISM

Judaism is the religion of the J ewish people. For much

of their history, the J ews were forced to live in exile
from their homeland, making lives for themselves elsewhere
in the world and taking their faith with them. As a result,
today there are followers of Judaism in countries that
stretch far beyond the J ewish state of Israel.

he oldest of the three great
[I] monotheistic religions with
origins in the Middle East (the
others being Christianity and Islam),
Judaism has a history dating back to the
patriarchs, such as Abraham, who are
thought to have have lived around
2000BCE. One of these was Moses, who
led the J ews out of exile in Egypt back
to the "Promised Land" and received
the tablets of the law from God on
Mount Sinai. According to Moses and
his followers, the J ews were specially
chosen by God to receive his guidance
in the form of the Torah ("teaching"),
a term that can refer either to the
Pentateuch (the first five books of the
Hebrew Bible) or to all the J ewish laws.
From these earliest beginnings, the
Jews believed in one all-powerful,
all-knowing God, and that the Torah
is God's immutable revelation to Moses.
This Jewish man blows a shofar, an instrument
usually made from the horn of a ram and used
during some important Jewish rituals.
In the ensuing millennia, the J ews have
undergone many setbacks and disasters:
attacks from empires such as Babylon
and Rome; exile and diaspora in the
Middle Ages and later; massacres in
the 19th century; and the disaster of
the Holocaust in the 20th. But there
have also been successes, from the
development of Jewish philosophy
and faith by the early rabbis to the
foundation of the modern state of Israel
in May 1948. The faith's long history
has seen Judaism diversifY, but all
observantJews believe in one God, pray
regularly, and worship at a synagogue.
They also share a host of customs-
from observing dietary laws to holding
ceremonies, such as bar and bat
mitzvahs, when a boy or girl reaches
puberty. These practices unite the J ews
in a single community. Above all, J ews
believe in the primacy of the Torah,
which extolsJudaism's central values:
the sanctity of life, the importance of
justice, the ideal of generosity, and the
need for education.
 ORIGINS AND HISTORY

officials to rule the province of Judea,

ORIGINS AND HISTORY the J ews rebelled again, only to see their
forces crushed and the Second Temple
The story of Judaism begins long ago, at the start of the vast timespan
destroyed in 70cE. The Jews turned
covered by the H ebrew Bible. The faith is defined by its early history increasingly away from political
and the work of the early scholars and rabbis, but has been shaped by ambition toward learning, with groups
the more recent problems and tragedies faced by the J ewish people. such as the Pharisees producing many
notable scholars, including the famous
rivals Hillel, aJewish liberal, and
BEGINNINGS FOREIGN RULERS Shammai, who interpretedJewish
No one knows for sure exacdy Mter a period of self-rule The jordan River was crossed by the Israelites law in its strictest sense.
how or when Judaism under kings such as David following Joshua, and today forms a natural border
evolved, but the Bible tells and Solomon, in 586BCE the between modern Israel, Syria, and Jordan. JEWISH PERSECUTION
of two significant figures Jewish kingdom of Judah, the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE, the IN CHRISTIAN EUROPE
who were crucial to its in southern Canaan, Jews, led by Judas Maccabeus, staged In 392cE Christianity became the state
beginnings. The first was conquered by the a successful rebellion, which led to the religion of the Roman Empire. For
of these was Abraham Babylonians, under their rededication of the Second Temple in many centuries thereafter, the j ews
(see p.295), the founding king Nebuchadnezzar. The Jerusalem and the establishment of a were widely persecuted by the Christian
father or patriarch of the Babylonians destroyed the new Jewish ruling dynasty. H owever, communities. They were expelled from
Jews, who migrated from Temple in J erusalem, and in 63BCE this was overthrown by the many countries, forced to convert to
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) took manyJews into exile in Romans, who began by ruling through Christianity, and excluded from the
to the land of Canaan in the Babylon. Here, some began to Jewish client kings, including Herod the most well-paid jobs. Many lived in
eastern :Mediterranean. This ancient stone tablet shows write the early books of Great (37-4BCE). Herod rebuilt the closed communities (called ghettos) and
Famine drove Abraham's an Israelite man cutting corn the Bible to preseiVe their Second Temple in lavish style, but when became merchants and moneylenders,
descendants from there to using a simple hand·held sickle. history and traditions. the two jobs that they could take
the Romans installed their own
Egypt, where they lived as slaves, but The centuries following the
their leader, Moses (see p.297), later led Babylonian period saw the Jewish The Second Temple in Jerusalem
them back to Canaan, which God had people dominated by a series of foreign was completed in 516sCE, but later
destroyed by the Romans.
promised the J ews during Abraham's rulers. In 538BCE, the Persians, who had
time. On the way, Moses received the conquered Babylon, allowed those J ews
tablets of the law from God on Mount who wanted to, to return home. Under
Sinai. This event, which is thought to
have taken place in the 13th century BCE,
marked the beginning of the covenant,
or special relationship with God, that
lies at the heart of Judaism.

STAR OF DAVID
In the 18th century, the Jews adopted the
Star of David, a six-pointed star made up
of two intersecting triangles, as a means
of identification. Its origins are obscure.
Some say that its shape represents the
shield carried by David, the second king
of Israel; others that its triangles refer to
the Hebrew letter daleth, the first letter
of David's name. A common
interpretation is that the six outer
triangles represent the days
of the working week, while
the inner hexagon symbolizes
the Sabbath. the day of rest.
 JUDAISM
Sabbath after her birth, or at a special
naming ceremony. A baby boy's name is They are given a grounding in Hebrew so that during
announced at his circumcision, which
takes place on the eighth day after he is At the end of life, funeral customs vary
born. The circumcision is a sign of the
covenant between God and mankind,
and is known as B'rit Milah, or seal of
the covenant. Traditionally, a trained
official, a mohel, performs the operation, the Kaddish, a prayer in praise of God.
although it may be done by a doctor.
When a boy reaches the age of 13 he FESTIVALS AND HOLY DAYS
is considered to be bar mitzvah, "son of
the commandment." This means that
he is responsible for observing all the
"THE LORD BLESS YOU
AND KEEP YOU. "
Numbers 6:24
commandments and rites of the
religion and can be counted as part of
the mirryan in the synagogue. Jews hold
a bar mitzvah ceremony to mark this
coming of age, during which the boy
is called to read from the Torah in the
synagogue, and may also give a speech.
Many congregations also hold bat
mitzvah ceremonies for girls, who come
of age when they are 12.
jewish boys prepare carefully for their bar mitzvah.
the ceremony they can read from the Torah.
- although burial is traditional, many
Jews today are cremated. There is
traditionally a seven-day mourning
period, during which mourners recite
The J ewish year is punctuated with
various festivals and solemn holy days.
that remember important events in
Jewish history, emphasize key beliefs,
and bring Jews together in a round of
celebration. During Rosh Hashanah
(New Year), J ews remember God's
creation and celebrate the renewal of
God's covenant with Israel. It is marked
with a special service when the shqfor
(ram's horn) is blown. Ten days into the
new year is Yom Kippur, the solemn
Day of Atonement. Jews fast and seek
PRACTICES AND FESTIVALS 79
forgiveness for their sins. Pesach
assover) remembers the time when
Moses led the J ews out of captivity in
gypt. J ews eat a celebratory meal and
read the story of the Exodus from a
book called the Haggadah. Sukkot (the
Feast of Tabernacles) commemorates
the journey from Egypt to the Promised
Land, when the J ews had to live in
sukkot (temporary booths, huts, or
tabernacles). Today, people build their
own sukkot and either eat their meals in
them or sleep there for seven days.
Straight after Sukkot comes Simchat
Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah), when
the Torah scrolls are taken from the Ark
and paraded around the synagogue or
streets and a new cycle of Torah The ketuboh is a Judaic marriage document. Jewish
readings begins. Shavuot (the Festival weddings can take place anywhere (at home, in the
synagogue, or outdoors) and a rabbi officiates.
of Weeks) is the J ewish harvest festival,
held seven weeks after Pesach. Jews celebrates a J ewish victory over
decorate both their homes and their the Seleucids (rulers of Syria and
synagogues, eat summer fruits, and its neighors) in 170BCE. J ews
make special readings from the Torah. commemorate this event by saying
Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights) blessings, singing special songs, and
lighting one candle of the eight-
Apious young jewish man examines an etrog
(citron fruit) for imperfections. The fruit must be
branched menorah on each night of the
unblemished for use in religious celebrations. festival until all eight candles are lit.
So JUDAISM
BRANCHES OF
JUDAISM
Persecution and hardship, especially in the 19th and 20th
centuries, have led Jews to reinterpret their faith in several ways.
Varieties of Judaism range from the mystical Hasidism to Reform
Judaism, which attempts to adaptJewish law to the modern world.
ORTHODOX JUDAISM
JU Canaan :iii: ca. 13th century BCE fi 3 million
The Orthodox J ews- who often refer to
themselves as "observantJews"- have
the richest traditions of all the branches
of.Judaism. At the root of their faith is
the belief that the Torah (see pp.68- 69)
contains the actual words of God.
PEOPLE OF THE TORAH
Orthodox.Judaism was most deeply
rooted in eastern Europe, especially
in Poland and Russia, but repeated
persecution there meant that many Jews
moved to the US. Later they went to
Israel, too, and OrthodoxJudaism is
Israel's official religion.
Orthodox Jews prepare for the Sukkot festival, which
remembers the journey of the Jews from Egypt to the
Promised Land when they rested i n shelters.
Orthodox judaism emphasizes traditional practices
of judaism, including the use of prayer shawl, shofar
(ram's horn), and siddur (prayer book).
Orthodox J ews look to the Torah for
instructions about how to live their
lives. This text affects how they dress
and what they eat, their family life, and
their inheritance laws. A close focus on
the Torah gives Orthodox J ews the rich
traditions that set them apart from
other communities. This is especially
true of those "Eastern Orthodox" Jews
whose roots lie in eastern Europe and
whose men wear black clothes and, in
accordance with an instruction in the
Bible's Book of Leviticus, let their
sideburns and beards grow long. In past
centuries in Europe, Eastern Orthodox
Jews found themselves excluded from
the rest of society. Today, still resistant
to change, their lifestyle contrasts
greatly with the lives of both non:Jews
and other Jews around them, but they
choose to stay separate, in order to live
in a way that accords with God's law.
BRANCHES OF JUDAISM 81
HASIDISM
JU Mezhbizh (now in Ukraine) :iii: ca.1740 fi 4.5 million
outsiders to grasp, but the visceral,
The word hasid means "pious one"
and Hasidic Judaism is a branch of God-centered nature of this branch
rthodox J udaism that stresses a of Judaism is unmistakable. Adherents
spend time meditating, they sway while
mystical relation hip with God.
Hasidic Jews believe that the Torah praying, and their worship sometimes
is made up of words that are in some includes dancing. Even sexual
sense realignments of the name of intercourse is seen to bring people
God, YHWH. A true Hasid cuts closer to God, as it allows mystical
himself off from the world, togetherness with the divine.
meditates, and studies the
Torah to understand
these realignments and
become a Baal Shem
("Master of the Name").
A core belief of Hasidism
is that God is both the
center of the cosmos and
infinite. These concepts
may be difficult for
Children read aloud from the
Talmud (see pp.68-69) at a
religious school in a Hasidic
Jewish neighborhood of New York.
NEO-ORTHODOX JUDAISM
JU Germany :iii: Late 19th century fi 300,000
The Nco-Orthodox movement emerged have some engagement with non:Jewish
as a result of the persecution of Jews in peoples. Some of the roots of
the West. While some J ews kept to their Nco-Orthodoxy are in the Lubavitch
Orthodox communities and others Movement, a movement within
renounced them and absorbed Hasidism (see above) that began in Russia
themselves in the culture of the place in the 18th century and later moved to
in which they lived, eo-Orthodoxy New York. The most influential recent
provided a middle path. Adherents leader of this movement, the seventh
could follow the teachings of the Lubavichcr Rabbi, Menahem Mendel
Torah, while at the same time Schneer on (1902-1994), extended
ccommodating or adapting to the its religious work throughout the
demands of the modern world. worldwideJ e\o\,j_sh community. Working
Followers of eo-OrthodoxJudaism fervently until his death, chneerson
sec it as vital that J ews act as an established educational projects and a
example to the rest of the world, publishing house in an effort to convert
meaning that it is essential that they secular Jews to observant Judaism.
 J UDAISM
REFORM JUDAISM
11' Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania iii 1885 ft 1.1 million
Especially popular in the fast-changing
societies of the West, Reform J udaism
has its origins in efforts to update
liturgy and worship in Europe. In the
19th century, there were various moves,
especially in Germany, Britain, and the
US, to reform the J ewish liturgy and to
reconcile Jewish thought with new
advances in philosophy and science.
After the development of Reform
synagogues in western Europe, the
decisive step came in 1885 in Pittsburgh,
when Reform rabbis set out their
agenda: that Judaism is a progressive
religion that is in accordance with
reason and that recognizes only those
moral laws that "elevate and sanctifY
our lives," rejecting those that "are
not adapted to the views and habits
of modern civilization."
So Reform J ews take account of
modern scientific discoveries and
lifestyles and are generally less strict in
their observances than O rthodox J ews.
They are likely to see the Torah not as
God's actual words, but as written by a
A female rabbi lights devotional candles with
a young Jewish girt. Reform Judaism promotes
gender equality in religious office.
A Reform Judaism synagogue in Little Rock,
Arkansas. Though th e movement began
in Europe, it took root and flourished in the US.
number of different writers who may
have been inspired by God. Reform
Jews have a bandoned many of the
old dietary laws and have adopted
new traditions, such as the ordination
of women rabbis. They have also
dropped certain old-fashioned parts
of the liturgy, such as the prayer that
looks forward to the restoration of
animal sacrifice in the Temple. In short,
they tend to place more emphasis on
individ ual moral choices and less
on literal interpretation of the Torah.
BRANCHES OF J U DAI SM
CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM
11' New York City iii 1887 ft 900,000
When the Reform movement arose with the laws of their faith and so
in the late 19th century (see facing page), offers ways in which the laws can
many Jews felt that it went too far in adapt, with every generation adding
rejecting the traditional tenets of their their views. It also offers a way of
faith. So, in 1887, a number of rabbis enabling j ews to keep hold of their
founded the J cwish Theological Jewish roots while also adapting to
Seminary in order to foster a branch of changing Western ways, and of placing
the faith that preserved the knowledge more emphasis on Biblical authority
of historical Judaism as exemplified than on the individual moral choice
in the Bible and Talmud. stressed in Refor mJudaism.
Many of the rulings of Conservative
TRAD ITIONAL VALUES rabbis have been rejected by Orthodox
This form of .Judaism, now known as Jews (see p.BO), but the movement has
Conservative J udaism, accepts human proved popular, especially in the US,
progress, but also upholds Biblical laws. where around one-third of practicing
It identifies the .Jewish people closely Jews belong to Conservative synagogues.
RECONSTRUCTION 1ST
11' New York C ity iii 1920s-1 940s ft 120,000
The Rcconstructionist movement was Reconstructionism tries to work for
founded by Mordecai Kaplan (1881- a better world and for better people.
1983), a Lithuanian-born American Its viewpoint has been described both
who began as an Orthodox rabbi as human istic and, in its striving for
before his views changed to those of progress, as particularly American.
Conservative .Judaism (see entry above),
and finally took on a newer direction.
Kaplan and his Reconstructionist
followers emphasize the peoplehood of
the j ews. They see the laws of the
Torah as only useful if they have some
clear purpose for the J ewish people or
for humanity as a whole. According to
Reconstructionists, therefore, the laws
require continuous reinterpretation.
Some of the changes effected in
Reconstructionist.Judaism are quite
radical. The Reconstructionist Sabbath
Prayer Book, for example, includes no
notion of the "chosen" nature of the
Jewish people, and does not look
Professor Mordecai Kaplan (center) was the leader
forward to the coming of a personal of the Reconstructionist Judaism movement in the
Messiah. Instead of doctrines like these, US, and founder of the Jewish Theological Seminary.