Judaism originated around 3,500 years ago and centers around beliefs and practices outlined in the Torah. There is no official Jewish creed, but most Jews believe in one God, the words of prophets, that God gave the law to Moses, the coming of the Messiah, and resurrection. Key practices include keeping kosher dietary laws, observing the Sabbath, and celebrating holy days like Passover which commemorates the Exodus from Egypt with a ritual meal called a Seder.

1. Judaism

2. • To distinguish the different
Jewish practices and beliefs
Learning Objective

3. • Knowledge of the different Jewish
practices and beliefs is key to
understanding this religion.
Key Understanding
• What are the different Jewish
practices and beliefs?
Key Question

4. • Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions,
originating around 3,500 years ago.
• Despite its relatively small population (with
respect to other religions) around the globe and
in the country, it has influenced Western
civilization.
• Jews believe that being Jewish defines an
important and critical part of their being; many
believe that Judaism tells them the meaning of
life and how to live it.
What is Judaism?

5. • If we ask what all Judaism identify in common,
they point to the Five Books of Moses (the
Torah).
• The Torah comes ‘in the beginning,’ and explains
‘where it all began’. This is important because it
forms the critical component of the holy writings
of Judaism; obviously, the Torah plays an
important role in Jewish religious life.
What is Judaism?

6. • In order to understand Judaic beliefs and
practices, it is important to begin with the story of
the Jewish people to see how their religion is
inseparable from their history.
• Much of Jewish history is recorded in the Hebrew
Bible (which is the “Old Testament” for
Christians), but we need to emphasize that these
texts were written by the Jews themselves in the
Promised Land.
What is Judaism?

7. • The Torah contains the early history of Judaism,
as well as the law and teaching ‘handed down’ to
Moses by Yahweh or God Himself.
• Genesis, the first book of the Torah--and of the
Hebrew Bible--which tells us the mythic origin
(Genesis means “origin”) of the entire world.
Torah

8. • The second book, Exodus, begins with the
Egyptians being threatened by the growing
population of the Hebrews in their land.
• The specific laws about the Passover and rituals
were given throughout the last three books
(Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
Torah

9. There is no official Jewish creed, only a set of
central beliefs formulated by the Jewish medieval
philosopher Moses Maimonides. They are:
 belief in a God that is one, formless, all-knowing,
creator and judge, both loving and just
 belief in the words of the prophets
 belief that God gave the law to Moses
 belief that the Messiah will come
 belief that there is a resurrection of the good in
“the world to come.”
Beliefs and Practices

10. Dietary Practices
• One of the areas of Jewish life heavily influenced by the
laws from Torah is their food. “Food consumption and
handling must be done according to religious laws”.
• Such laws were originally designed for those who serve
in the temple, but some rules also apply even for the
common people.
• There are also specific rules of how to slaughter, cook,
and serve animals. This is called kosher, which means
“ritually correct” and particularly refers to food
preparation and consumption.
Beliefs and Practices

11. Sabbath
• The veneration of the Sabbath day originates
with the Creation story; God rested in Sabbath. It
was also one of the Ten Commandments that
Moses received in Mt. Sinai: “Keep holy the
Sabbath Day.”
Beliefs and Practices

12. Messiah
• One of the most fundamental Jewish beliefs is that a
Messiah, or savior will come. During Jesus’ time, the
founder of Christianity, Jews believed that they were
living at the end of time.
• The belief in the coming of the Messiah is one of
those doctrines that has changed across different
versions of Judaism. Some believe that the Messiah
will be a political leader, who will rule Israel as a
model for the rest of the world. Others believe that
the Messiah will bring peace and love among the
nations, which may not necessarily originate from
Israel.
Beliefs and Practices

13. Passover
• The Jews have many Holy Days throughout the
year, but perhaps the most important for them is
the Feast of the Passover, which commemorates
the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt.
• The Jewish liturgical year begins with the month
of Nisan in spring, and the Passover begins on
the 15th of Nisan, celebrated for 8 days
(Démann,1961:92, 95).
Beliefs and Practices

14. Passover
• One of the parts of the Passover is the Seder, or
the Paschal meal shared by the family on the eve
of the first day of the feast. Traditionally, first born
sons fast on the day leading to the Seder to
commemorate the killing of the Egyptian first-born
(de Lange, 2000: 98).
• The primary food ingested during the Passover is
matzah, or unleavened bread, which was
consumed during the Exodus, when there was no
time to prepare decent bread. It symbolizes
freedom and liberation.
Beliefs and Practices

15. Passover
• In connection to this, all leavened items must be
removed, in preparation for the festival.
• Wine is also served, where all participants are
supposed to drink four glasses throughout the
ceremony.
• There is a table set for Elijah, whom the Jews
believe will come again to prepare the way of the
Messiah (de Lange, 2000: 99).
Beliefs and Practices