Judaism

Also called

Judaism

Origin

The ancient Near East, with the covenant between God and the people of Israel traced to Abraham and Moses.

Texts

The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible: Torah, Prophets, Writings) and the Talmud, with its commentary and law.

Place of worship

A synagogue, led by a rabbi; some have separate seating.

Main beliefs

• One God who made a covenant with the Jewish people and gave the Torah at Mount Sinai.
• The commandments (mitzvot) to be observed and the ethical teaching of the prophets: justice, charity and care for the stranger.
• Many Jews hold the hope for a messianic age; Reform, Conservative and Orthodox groups differ on practice.

Practice

Shabbat (the Sabbath) from Friday evening to Saturday night, with rest, prayer and meals; kosher food rules; study of the Torah; daily prayers; circumcision and bar and bat mitzvah.

Holy days and festivals

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover (Pesach) and Shavuot.

Visiting a place of worship

Cover your head in an Orthodox or Conservative service (men wear a kippah), dress modestly, and do not use phones or write on Shabbat.

A note

India has old Jewish communities (Cochin, Bene Israel, Baghdadi Jews and Bnei Menashe).

The other eleven faiths · Comparison table

Questions people ask

This is a short, neutral introduction written from widely agreed facts. Every faith has many traditions and its members may describe it differently; for a true account, ask a member of that faith. We state no figures and no dates of moveable festivals.