Exploring Judaism: An Ancient and Living Faith

Imagine you belong to a community with special stories, celebrations, and traditions that have been passed down for thousands of years. Those traditions help you know who you are, where you come from, and how to treat others. Many people around the world feel exactly this way about their faith. Today you are going to explore one of the world's oldest religions — Judaism.

Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It began more than 3,000 years ago in the region of the Middle East. People who follow Judaism are called Jews. Today, Jewish communities live all over the world. BELIEF IN ONE GOD The most important belief in Judaism is that there is one God — no more, no less. This idea is called monotheism (say: mon-oh-THEE-iz-um). Jews believe God made the world and cares about how people live. They also believe God made a special agreement, called a covenant, with a man named Abraham and later with the Jewish people. A covenant is a serious promise between two sides. THE HOLY BOOK The most sacred Jewish text is the Torah. The Torah contains the laws and teachings that Jews believe God gave to a leader called Moses. It is written in Hebrew, an ancient and still-used language. The Torah is kept on a special scroll — a long rolled-up piece of parchment — inside a cupboard in a synagogue called the Ark. WORSHIP AND PRACTICE Jews pray and read from the Torah in a place of worship called a synagogue. A religious leader who teaches and leads worship is called a rabbi. One of the most special times of the Jewish week is Shabbat (say: SHA-bat). Shabbat is a day of rest that begins at sunset on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday. Families light candles, share a meal, and rest together. CELEBRATIONS Judaism has many important festivals. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, a time for fresh starts. Yom Kippur is a solemn day when Jews say sorry for wrongs they have done. Hanukkah is a festival of lights celebrated in winter, when families light a special candle holder called a menorah for eight nights. KEY SYMBOLS The Star of David — a six-pointed star — is the most widely recognised symbol of Judaism. It appears on the flag of Israel, the Jewish homeland. The menorah, a seven-branched candle holder, is also an ancient symbol. The mezuzah is a small case containing a scroll with a prayer, fixed to the door frames of Jewish homes.