Judaism

A Brief Overview
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Judaism
It’s history

 It is the first and oldest of the monotheists

faiths (the other two are Christianity and
Islam)
 Judaism originated in the Middle East 3500
years ago
 It was founded by Moses, but Jews trace
their history back to Abraham
 6 million Jews were murdered in the
Holocaust in an attempt to wipe out
Judaism
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Judaism
Beliefs

 Jews believe there is only one God with

whom they have a covenant
 They keep God’s laws and attempt to bring
holiness into every aspect of their life in
exchange for the good that God has done
for Jews
 Traditional Jews observe dietary laws from
the book of Leviticus – it’s called eating
Kosher, you will learn more at another
station
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Judaism
Abraham- the first patriarch of
the Jewish people

 Abram (later to be called Abraham) was a nomad

leader who God promised would become the leader
of a great people if he did what God asked of him
 The book of Genesis details the many tests of faith
God put Abraham through
 Abraham is the first person to teach the idea that
there is only one god, previously people believed
and worshipped many gods
 Abraham is included and important in the three
monotheists religions (Judaism, Islam and
Christianity)
and it is often thought that through him these three
religions could be united
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Judaism
The Holocaust

 Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regimes

persecution and murder of approximately
six million Jews, whom they believed were
an inferior race
 Jews were initially forced to live in ghettos
under the control of the Gestapo, later they
were moved to concentration camps
 Many died from starvation, harsh
conditions and diseases in these camps
 Many were also killed by the Nazis in an
attempt to eliminate Judaism
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Judaism
Religious Text
Place of Worship
Spiritual Leaders

 The most important religious document is

the Torah (the first five chapters of the
bible)
 A synagogue is the place of worship for
Jews- it can also be used as a place to
study or as a community center
 Services are led by a Rabbi, a Jewish
spiritual leader, but can also be led by a
member of the congregation
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Judaism

There are approximately 12 million

Jewish people in the world today, mostly
in the USA and Israel