1. Judaism

2. Its Roots
A tribe called the Israelites or Hebrews began practicing this in the Middle East about 3,000 years ago
One of the oldest Monotheistic religions
Believed to be God’s Chosen People descended from Abraham
Even 3000 years ago, the Israelites were referred to as Jews or Jewish from rival tribes, hence where we get the name. Judaism is as much an ethnic identity as a religious one. Jews believe that “Jewishness” is passed down from the mother, so if your mom was Jewish but your dad wasn’t, your still a Jew. But if your dad is Jewish and your mom isn’t, you’re not technically a Jew unless you go through the process of Jewish Legal Conversion with a Rabbi. Once you are a Jew, you are always a Jew, even if you renounce your faith or claim to be an atheist. The Nazis used this to exploit, persecute, and exterminate the Jews during WWII
Abraham is considered the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

3. Basic Facts Holy text is the Torah
Written in Hebrew
Israelites spent much of their history travelling because other tribes wouldn’t let them settle down or in slavery
“Wandering Jew”
Rabbi is their spiritual leader
Believe art should be limited to things that are functional or educational
Place of worship is called a synagogue
Hebrew is considered the language of God for the Jews. They speak this language only when dealing with religious matters. There is another language, Yiddish, that most Jews also speak. This is a more informal style of Hebrew that can be used for day-to-day business. The Torah is comprised of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Christian Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
A common theme in Jewish literature, art, etc. is the idea of a wandering Jew. The nation of Israel wasn’t created until 1949, and there is still a ton of tension where that is concerned even today. The Jews have a history of persecution that started long before the Nazis. Part of their ethnic identity is knowing that they belong in their holy land, Israel, but having many obstacles in their way that prevent them from living and worshipping there.
The word Rabbi means teacher of Torah. It falls to the Rabbi of the community to read and interpret the Torah. He teaches his followers right from wrong according to the Torah, but he also makes legal decisions and solves disputes using his knowledge of Torah. His second in command is called a Mashpia.
Art should be merely functional or educational because anything else distracts from the worship of God. The art that comes from Jewish artists typically shows biblical scenes, religious iconography, or the Rabbi.

4. The 10 Commandments There is one God Do not worship any other but God
Do not speak the Lord’s name in vain
Honor the Sabbath
Honor your mother and father
Do not kill
Do not commit adultery
Do not lie or bear false witness
Do not steal
Do not covet your neighbor’s goods
In the Bible, the Jews were slaves to the Egyptians. Moses, a Jew whose mother tried to save his life by sending him down the river in a basket, was rescued by Egyptian nobility and grew to rise up in the ranks of power. Eventually, he freed his people from slavery. Then they wandered in the desert for 40 years until they were able to settle down in Israel. During their time in the desert, God spoke to Moses and gave him the 10 commandments which were carved into stone tablets and then brought to the others. While there are many more commandments in Judaism, these 10 form the basic foundation of faith for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.
For Jews, the Sabbath falls on Saturday. Each week, they celebrate something called Shabbos which goes from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. This is intended to be a time of prayer and reflection and a day of rest. Orthodox Jews take this very seriously—they aren’t even allowed to flip a light switch on and off during Shabbos.
To covet means that you want or envy something that isn’t yours.

5. Customs and Traditions
Dietary restrictions—must eat kosher
A person becomes an adult at age 13—Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah
Many religious holidays focus on self reflection and prayer
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukah, Pesach
Star of David is a symbol of Jewish identity
A person must wear certain clothing as he worships:
Ritual fringes, Payos, Scull Cap, and Prayer Shawl
Jews are not allowed to eat pork or shellfish. Also, there is a commandment that says an animal must not be cooked in its mother’s milk, so dairy and meat must be cooked and eaten separately. The meat that they eat must go through the process of becoming Kosher which begins with a ritual butcher, a Shochet, who kills the animal and drains it of its blood. Then soaks the animal fpr at least half an hour and then salts the meat to remove any excess blood.
Bar Mitzvah for boys, Bat Mitzvah for Girls
this happens at the age of 13 when they are considered responsible for their actions
They must read and study Torah, agree to follow the 613 Jewish commandments, and follow the other guidelines of the community
Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year; falls in September or October
Celebrated in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, Tishrei. This is the month God created the world
During this time, Jews must examine and assess their lives from an ethical and religious perspective.
Yom Kippur:
Also celebrated in Tishrei.
Similar function to Rosh Hashanah, reexamining one’s life religiously and ethically
Hanukah:
Celebrated in the ninth month of the Jewish Calendar, Kislev
Syrians in 167 B.C.E. invaded a Jewish Temple and desecrated it. As part of the purification process, the Jews wanted to burn uncontaminated olive oil; however, they only found on container of untainted oil good only for one day.
The Jews feared that they would need eight days to prepare more oil. Miraculously, when they lit this small bit of oil, it burned for eight days and nights thus giving them the time they needed to create more oil and purify their temple
Pesach:
Celebrates God freeing Jewish slaves from Egypt
Also celebrates the beginning of Jewish nationhood (Israel)
Most widely observed Jewish holiday in the world
Star of David is a six pointed star that shows the fusion between man and God, spiritual and physical
Payos: The Torah states that men should not round off their payos or sideburns. This means that they cannot be shaved off or removed with tweezers. The Torah does not restrict men from cutting their payos short, but many choose to grow out their hair to emphasize their piety and devotion to Torah. Skull Caps: a small, platter-shaped hat that fixes to the back of the skull for men. There is some debate about the meaning of the Torah. Some believe that a skull cap should be worn at all times to honor the commandment that men should have their heads covered at all times; others believe that it is only necessary during prayer Ritual Fringes: Specially knotted lengths of string attached to the four corners of the prayer shawl and the everyday undergarment. It’s purpose is to remind Jews of their religious obligations at all times and the wearing of it is in the commandments. Prayer Shawls: worn in the synagogue and wrapped over the shoulders of the wearer. It is designed to remind the wearer of their obligations to God

6. Judaism versus Christianity
Believes in one God
God’s name cannot be written: G_D or Yahweh
Waiting for the Messiah to come
Study only the first five books of the bible
Have dietary restrictions
Men must be circumcised
Sabbath is on Saturday
Emphasis on right conduct and following the commandments
Believes in the holy trinity
God’s name can be written as either God or Lord
The Messiah has come and will again
Study both Old and New Testament
No dietary restrictions
Men don’t have to be circumcised
Sabbath is on Sunday
Emphasis on salvation from sin through repentance and acceptance of Jesus
Jesus was a Jew. The Jews see him as a prophet and the Christians see him as the Son of God. This fundamental difference in their point of view is really what spawned the Christian religion. People were more attracted to Christianity because it preached compassion and love and forgiveness. The Old Testament, or the God of the Jews, is often described as wrathful and vengeful which is why Jews spend a lot of time communing with God to make sure they don’t upset him and why Judaism never attracted the number of followers Christianity has. Christainity is much less about following the rules than it is about following your heart and doing what God tells you to do.