Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 31, 2015

This web page is twenty years old. Here's what it looked like on 29 November, 1993. See more about my page for historical info.

The latest version of this page may be found at: http://shamash.org/trb/judaism.html

How I select the links. About this page. J&JR Scavenger Hunt. Jump past table of contents.

Machba (Merkaz haCHishuvim haBein-Universitai, the Israeli Interuniversity Computer Center) has an informative Israel Academic Network(ILAN) FAQ. The Israeli Internet Society is another good source of information.

Shamash The Jewish Network, a project of MyJewishLearning.com, includes texts of the tanach, divrei torah, kosher traveler's database, and email list newsletter archives. Shamash provides the web service that brings you this page.

The Virtual Jerusalem server in Israel includes Hebrew software, yeshiva information, divrei torah, holocaust information, and mailing list newsletter archives.

Maven provides an index of Jewish and Israeli web links. Maven supersedes Matthew Album's A-Z Index, formerly at ORT in London.

Walla is an Israeli web index fashioned after Yahoo, in Hebrew.

Jmerica Digital Jewish Life is a global Jewish web portal, based in Florida.

Localista is a free classified site (a la Craig's List) for Israelis around the world. Even better in Hebrew.

The United States Embassy, Israel, has a web site with information about US-Israel diplomatic relations.

The Internet Law Library (originally maintained by the U.S. House of Representatives) maintains an Israeli Law web page. Haim Ravia has a good survey of Israeli Law links.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem provides several Hebrew/English web servers. JewishNet - Global Jewish Information Server, formerly at HUJI, is now available at its own web site.

Janglo is the largest online community for English-speakers in Israel.

BeHadrei Haredim is a large online Haredi forum, hosted by Hyde Park Forums.

Morash is an Italian Jewish web portal. La porta dell'ebraismo italiano in rete.

TopJ and IsraelFR are Francophone Jewish web portals. Les pages francophones sur Isral et le Judasme.

Aurora is a web portal for the Spanish speaking Jewish world, with information in Spanish as well as English and Hebrew. Todo sobre Israel y el Judaismo en Espaol.

Bukhara.co.il is an Israeli web portal for Bukharan Jews.

Dianne Romm's Jewish Internet Guide is available on the web as well as in book form.

The Kopelman Foundation has put the entire 12-volume contents of the original 1906 edition of the Jewish Encyclopedia on the web.

Younger web surfers should check out the index of children's Jewish web sites.

Jewishnet has a comprehensive list of Jewish and Israeli Mailing Lists from around the net. Shamash has descriptions and archives of their lists.

Information about the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Israel Defense Forces have have information about their work and history, in Hebrew and English.

Kibbutz information for Artzi and Takam movements. HaKibbutz HaDati is the umbrella organization for orthodox Zionist kibbutzim.

The Project Oren Kibbutz Institutes have a web site for the Kibbutz Program Center, with information on work and ulpan programs during the school year or the summer.

The US Army Area Handbook on Israel is an in-depth document available from the Library of Congress.

Encyclopedia entry for Israel in the CIA World Factbook at the CIA.

Bezeq, Israel's telephone company, provides directory assistance, White Pages in Hebrew, and Yellow Pages in Hebrew and English.

Intellicast provides four-day weather forecasts for Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Information about the flags of Israel at the CRW Flags of the World web site.

Check out Live images from the Western Wall, brought to you by Aish HaTorah.

The Tel Aviv Guide promotes tourism to Tel Aviv.

The web site for the city of Karmiel, Gateway to the Galilee.

The web site for the Golan Heights with political information and pictures.

The Jewish Virtual Library has a good overview of the many Israeli political parties Some of Israel's political parties have web pages: Avoda-Meimad (Labor), Hadash (Communist), Hok Hateva, Yerukim (Green), Likud, Maavak (Socialist), Meretz, and Ale Yarok (Green Leaf).

IRIS: Information Regarding Israeli Security is an organization concerned with Israel's security needs.

The Women in Green have a web site with information about their political organization.

The Betar/Tagar web site has information on their Zionist organization.

The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University has a list of peace links.

The Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies is a research organization that advocates capitalist economic policy in Israel.

The Jerusalem Post has a web site with an extensive selection of stories from their Israeli daily English newspaper.

The Israeli daily newspaper Ha'Aretz has a web site with stories from its daily English edition, in association with the International Herald Tribune. They also publish daily in Hebrew. Maariv publishes as on the web as NRG daily in Hebrew. Yediot Achronot also publish daily on the web in Hebrew.

Globes is Israel's financial daily newspaper, in Hebrew and English.

Israel Internet News Agency provides news on controversial events from Israel in times of crisis.

Media Watch International's Honest Reporting service encourages accurate reporting of events in the Middle East.

The Middle East Media and Research Institute is an independent, non-profit organization providing translations of the Arab media and original analysis and research on developments in the Middle East.

DebkaFile provides daily reports and analysis on Middle East politics and international affairs, in English and Hebrew.

Kol Yisrael, the Israel Broadcast Authority, has a web site with information on its programming, networks, and rebroadcasters worldwide. You can listen to today's English news in RealAudio.

Several Israeli radio stations broadcast live over the web using RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, or streaming mp3 WinAmp

The Offshore Radio Guide has an overview of Israeli Offshore Radio.

The JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) is an international news service with a web site providing comprehensive coverage of Jewish and Israeli events. They also offer subscription services available by email or fax.

The Jewish Chronicle has a web site with stories from their British weekly newspaper. The Jewish Telegraph is Britain's regional Jewish newspaper.

The Israel Information Office in Scotland provides a daily news roundup.

Middle East news from 1st Headlines, BBC, NPR, the New York Times, Salon Time, UN, World News Network, and Yahoo.

Link TV Mosaic provides a daily roundup of TV news from the Arab press, in English translation (Apple QuickTime format).

Jewish Forward has a web site with sample stories from their American weekly newspaper.

The Jewish World Review publishes their magazine daily on the web.

Tikkun Magazine has articles from recent issues and information on their San Francisco synagogue, with a focus on Jewish Renewal.

Der Yiddisher Tam-Tam, a bi-monthly newsletter for Yiddish students, published in Paris, in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format. Note that it's in A4 format, so if you're printing on 8.5x11 paper, use a "shrink to fit" option.

The Yiddish Voice of Brookline, MA, has a web site with information on its radio programming, and pointers to other Yiddish resources on the net.

Large American Jewish weeklies include The Jewish Press and the Jewish Week in New York, the Jewish Journal in Los Angeles, the Florida Jewish Journal the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia, the Chicago Jewish News, J Weekly in San Francisco, the Jewish Advocate in Boston, and the Jewish Times in Baltimore.

The Jewish Post of New York has a web site with selections from their bimonthly newspaper.

The Jewish News of Greater Phoenix has a web site with Phoenix resources and content from their weekly newspaper.

B'tzedek, the journal of responsible Jewish commentary, has a web site with articles from their bimonthly magazine, published in Israel.

TV Radio World has information about all aspects of Israeli broadcast media.

The Dutch weekly Niew Israelitisch Weekblad has a web page with subscription information and Israeli links in Dutch.

Rabbi Nachum Shifren, the Surfing Rabbi of Jewish Surfers International, publishes Surf & Soul magazine for the Jewish surfer. And I don't mean web surfer, I mean surf's up, cowabunga, mamash!

Plotz the zine for the farklempt.

Heeb Magazine, the new Jew review. The kids your rabbis warned you about. From Jennifer Bleyer, former publisher of the zine Mazel-Tov Cocktail (Jew-Core).

JewSchool, Jewlicious, Mimaamakim, Bang It Out, Hasidic Rebel and Balagan are a few Jewish-flavored blogs. As a rule, bloggers point to other like-minded bloggers, so check them out. Netring has a list of Israeli blogs.

Jews With Questions (including FrumTeens) has discussions about life, thought, practice, and observance, for young orthodox Jews.

Jewish Heritage Online Magazine is published monthly, with articles on a variety of topics on a chosen theme.

See the "How to read Hebrew documents" section of this page for reading Hebrew News links and other Hebrew web pages.

The web services at Shamash, Virtual Jerusalem, and Chabad have large Jewish archives.

Eric Simon keeps a list of Torah study opportunities on the net at AishDas, with many pointers to Yeshivot and other organizations who provide Divrei Torah, including web sites and mailings lists.

Full Hebrew text of the Tanach, Talmud Bavli, and Talmud Yerushalmi is available from Snunit at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for web browsing.

The Talmud Bavli is available from Rabbi Dovid Kraus' E-Daf as browsable GIF images. Audio daf yomi shiurim (daily Talmud lessons) are available in Yiddish from Rav Avrohom Karp ZT"L of Montreal and English from Rav Grossman of LA. This site has a good list of other daf yomi links.

Psalms on Line has information on the Psalms, and promotes reciting them.

Partners in Torah is a free program that where you can find a partner to learn Jewish topics either in person or over the telephone.

Sacred-texts has various sacred Jewish texts on line, including much of M.L. Rodkinson's 1918 English translation of the Talmud.

The Society for the Preservation of Hebrew Books has scanned copies of over 1000 seforim, mostly from American rabbis, available for free, in PDF format. Seforim Online has also has scanned seforim, from many sources.

Mechon Mamre has all these texts, along with Mishna, Tosefta, and Rambam's Mishneh Torah, available for downloading with DOS browsing software in the free MTR package. They provide many of these on the web also, along with full text of the Tanach with vowels and punctuation, readable if you have a new-fangled web browser that can handle HTML 4.0 RTL (right to left support).

ORT has an extensive site called Navigating the Bible, with the full text of the Torah and Haftarah portions, in English, Russian, and Hebrew, including cantillation sound with Real Audio, usable by bar/bat mitzvah students.

There are several English translations of the Torah available on line. ORT provides the Torah in Hebrew with vowels and ta'amim, in hand-written-style script, transliterated into Roman letters, RealAudio cantillation, and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's Living Torah English translation and light commentary. Mnemtronix provides a search engine with the Metsudah English translation of the Torah. Breslov provides the whole Tanach, from the JPS 1917 English translation.

Ellie Wackerman has a web site that teaches Torah and Haftarah cantillation including those for the chagim, with music text and WAV and Real Audio sound files.

The Bar Ilan Responsa Project has a web site that describes their research, making the great well of Jewish knowledge and tradition available using computer tools.

Israel Science and Technology has a list of Israeli yeshivot and other study programs.

The Global Learning Network and Project Genesis at http://www.torah.org has a rich assortment of Divrei Torah online, including their Hypertext Halacha English translation of the Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Berurah.

The AishDas Society is committed to the promotion of more meaningful worship in the Orthodox Jewish community. The Aishdas Torahnet index links to hundreds of torah study sites around the web.

Search Divrei Torah at Shamash.

Ohr Somayach Yeshiva in Jerusalem offers weekly Divrei Torah and special publications like the excellent commentary on the Haggadah by Malbim (R. Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michael, Bucharest 1809-1879).

Aish Hatorah sponsors many programs around the world, including the Discovery seminars, and the Jerusalem Fellowships.

The OU/NCSY Israel Center publishes Torah Tidbits weekly, with divrei torah related information such as iconic pictures and statistics relating to the week's sedra.

Jewish America publishes weekly divrei torah, including comments from a women's perspective and dikduk studies.

Uncle Eli's Haggadah is a commentary on the seder in rhyme, for children, by Prof. Eliezer Segal at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Seuss after four glasses of wine. Professor Segal also has a web page with an image of a page of the Babylonian Talmud with hypertext links describing all the elements of page. Jacob's Special Sukkah Guest is a Sukkot story for children by Agnes Romer Segal.

Emily Sper writes, illustrates, and designs Jewish children's books and games.

Mordechai Torczyner's WebShas is a hypertext index to the Babylonian Talmud.

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Berger has an introductory web page illustrating and describing the form of the Hebrew alphabet used in writing STAM (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzot). Mordechai Pinchas has a site with discussion of soferut, including descriptions of letter forms and a diary of his learning experiences.

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Judaism and Jewish Resources - Andrew Tannenbaum

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Posted By admin on October 31, 2015

Confluence of Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, beginning of Muslim feast of sacrifice Eid al-Adha and visit by Pope Francis showcases religious side of New York City. MORE

Kehilath Jeshurun, synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side nearly destroyed by fire in 2011, reopens in time for Rosh Hashana; extensively reconstructed building, which is home to one of most wealthy and influential congregations in Manhattan, features new floors, classroom and chapel. MORE

New York City Board of Health repeals rule requiring parental consent forms for controversial circumcision ritual practiced by ultra-Orthodox Jews; risk of herpes transmission through ritual remains, but some board members who were previously in favor of forms have changed position due to city's strained relationship with Orthodox community. MORE

Jury recommends death penalty for Frazier Glenn Miller Jr, for 2014 murder of three people at Overland Park Jewish sites; judge will have the final say, but capital punishment has not been carried out in Kansas for decades. MORE

Spanish reggae festival Rototom Sunsplash reverses its decision to bar American Jewish musician Matisyahu from performing and issues apology; had blocked Matisyahu after he refused to detail his views on Palestinian statehood, prompting condemnations from Spanish government and Jewish organizations. MORE

Op-Ed article by Prof Oliver Sacks describes how his thoughts seem to stray to idea of Sabbath as he nears end of his life; notes he gave up on religious life around time when he confessed his homosexuality to his parents, but that idea of Sabbath, a time outside of time, has always held particular value for him. MORE

Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance confirms that it has granted Jewish Daily Forward, prominent newspaper among American Jews, 30-day visa; unusual step seems geared toward influencing American public opinion on nuclear deal. MORE

New York City Education Dept announces intention to examine whether 39 yeshivas in Brooklyn and Queens are providing appropriate level of education in secular subjects; investigation was prompted by letter from parents and former students and teachers, organized by Young Advocates for Fair Education, that brought up their concerns with education offered. MORE

David Azoulay, Israel's strictly Orthodox minister of religious services, says he does not consider Reform Jews to be Jewish; comment inflames tensions between Israel's Orthodox Jewish political body and American Jews, who fall mostly among more liberal Conservative and Reform Jewish strains. MORE

Israeli cabinet rejects liberal- and centrist-backed proposal to ease process of converting to Judaism, requirement of filing for citizenship; vote signals growing strength of ultra-Orthodox parties and leaves conversion under control of Chief Rabbinate. MORE

Eve M Kahn Antiques column; American Sephardi Federation at Center for Jewish History receives papers, drawings and personal letters documenting early career of retired engineer Sabi Asseo, Turkish native who immigrated to California in 1957; documents, dating back to 1950s and 1960s, offer glimpses into lives of Turkish-Jewish immigrants. MORE

Egyptian television series The Jewish Quarter has shocked many in country with its sympathetic portrayal of Egyptian Jews and its depiction of their strong anti-Zionism; show follows Jewish family living in Cairo in 1948. MORE

Spain's Parliament passes law that offers citizenship to thousands of Sephardic Jews whose ancestors were expelled in 1492; measure takes effect October 2015. MORE

Lawyer for Jonathan Rosenblatt, rabbi of Bronx synagogue Riverdale Jewish Center who has attracted attention for having taken boys and young men to a sauna naked, says he is discussing buyout and expects arrangement for Rosenblatt to step down soon. MORE

Eve M Kahn Antiques column; book The Archive Thief: The Man Who Salvaged French Jewish History in the Wake of the Holocaust by Lisa Moses Leff, analyzes what motivated Zosa Szajkowski to obsessively collect Nazi-government paperwork that became valuable trove of archival material for those studying Judaica. MORE

New York City's Board of Health votes to consider waving new rule that would require Orthodox Jewish parents to sign consent form before allowing circumcision ritual that can expose infants to herpes; plan had enraged Orthodox leaders; Mayor Bill de Blasio has urged more cooperative plan that would involve distributing brochures to educate parents on potential risks. MORE

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, having replaced some Board of Health members who were appointed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and filled vacant board positions with allies, prepares to present plan to ease restrictions on controversial circumcision ritual practiced by ultra-Orthodox rabbis. MORE

Bronx prosecutors are asking potential victims to come forward with information about Jonathan Rosenblatt, prominent rabbi of Riverdale Jewish Center who is said to have behaved inappropriately with young boys during long sauna chats in which they were fully naked; statute of limitations may long have past for all but most serious crimes, but district attorney's office still seeks to offer counseling and other services. MORE

Op-Ed article by Merryl H Tisch, New York State Board of Regents chancellor and David G Sciarra, Education Law Center executive director, holds board of education in East Ramapo, NY, has grossly mismanaged district's finances and educational programs; notes board, dominated by members of Orthodox Jewish community, has brutally cut staffing and programs at expense of African-American and Latino public school students while diverting money to largely Orthodox private schools; calls on legislators to approve plan that would appoint fiscal monitor. MORE

Michael Frank Cultured Traveler column on finding traces of once thriving Jewish communities in Fez, Casablanca, and Marrakesh, Morocco. MORE

Thousands of Sephardic Jews in Turkey who are of Spanish descent are applying for Spanish citizenship ahead of law granting nationality to Jews who were expelled during Inquisition in 1492; most are trying to flee what they view as rising anti-Semitism in Turkey. MORE

Bid to impose monitor on East Ramapo School District in Rockland County meets resistance in New York Legislature; New York State Education Dept had concluded that East Ramapo school board show favoritism to Orthodox Jewish students, drawing money from public schools to students in local yeshivas. MORE

Famed psychosexual therapist Dr Ruth Westheimer is honored by the New York City Council as part of Jewish Heritage Month. MORE

Brooklyn's dwindling population of Jewish veterans of Russian Red Army celebrates 70th anniversary of Allied victory over Nazi forces in World War II; tribute highlights role of soldiers whose importance has commonly been dwarfed by that of British and American forces. MORE

Samuel G Freedman On Religion column explores Jewish ritual of counting the omer, observance associated with pursuit of spiritual mindfulness by practicing introspection and study of religious texts. MORE

Exhibition 'Yiddish Fight Club' is opening at Yivo Institute of Jewish Research at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan; features professional fighters through 20th century who garnered large Jewish audience. MORE

Rachelle David, student at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in Great Neck, NY, will become first Orthodox yeshiva student, male or female, ever to attend West Point; values personal discipline, physical fitness and leadership and hopes to one day be Army general. MORE

The Appraisal column; New York State attorney general's office is reviewing allegations that $13 million sale of synagogue-owned nursing home Home of the Sages in Lower East Side to apartment developer will largely benefit its president, Samuel Aschkenazi, and further diminish Jewish identity of the neighborhood. MORE

Neighborhood Joint column; Sarah Chanie Benarroch-Brafman operates Space yoga studio and Gymies Gym out of brownstone in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood; endeavors cater to women and children of Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community. MORE

Mark Oppenheimer Beliefs column examines increasingly common phenomenon of married couples, both pastors, sharing ministry duties within a single congregation; observes that in branches of many Christian religions, and in most streams of Judaism, women make up increasing number of seminarians, leading to increasing numbers of both heterosexual and homosexual pastor couples. MORE

Conflicts are increasing between ultra-Orthodox Jewish men refusing to sit next to female airline passengers, sometimes delaying or disrupting flights; men are trying to follow their faith by avoiding all contact with women who are not their wives; situation always existed but stories of such skirmishes seem to be on the rise because ultra-Orthodox communities are growing due to high birth rates. MORE

David Brooks Op-Ed column submits story of Exodus, read by Jews as part of Passover Seder, offers means of overcoming fear; holds storytelling presents way of naming and understanding fear, and of moving past it; says instead of urging blunt confrontation of fear, Exodus narrative takes more sophisticated approach of dealing with it through love, storytelling and song. MORE

New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust plans to announce partnership with National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene; leaders hope Folksbiene will help shore up flagging attendance at the museum, and say partnership could emerge as full merger by 2017. MORE

Argentine court dismisses case against Pres Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her supporters that accused them of conspiring to cover up Iran's involvement in 1994 bombing of Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. MORE

Grief, shock and sense of urgency affect large Orthodox Jewish community of Midwood, Brooklyn, in wake of fire that killed seven children after family's hot plate was left on overnight; safety of Sabbath ritual is re-examined and many smoke detectors are sold. MORE

New York City officials warn about dangers of leaving hot plates or stove burners on overnight to warm food, common practice among Orthodox Jews to avoid violating prohibition of work on the Sabbath; malfunctioning hot plate was responsible for blaze that killed seven Orthodox children in Midwood, Brooklyn. MORE

Fire that killed seven siblings in Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Midwood, Brooklyn, has raised concerns over common practice of leaving meal warming overnight on hotplate ahead of Sabbath as means of skirting day's restrictions on work; fire was begun by malfunctioning hotplate. MORE

New-York Historical Society exhibition Lincoln and the Jews features letters, photographs and other artifacts that document Pres Abraham Lincoln's interactions with growing religious minority. MORE

Denise L Eger will be installed as first openly gay president of Central Conference of American Rabbis, which is the rabbinical arm of Reform Judaism. MORE

Dating app called JSwipe is exclusively for Jewish singles looking for romance and is as proficient as Tinder. MORE

Lisa Schwarzbaum travel article on Danube River cruise that highlights Jewish heritage at it travels from Budapest to city of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. MORE

Rachel Beyda, student at University of California, Los Angeles, endures pointed questions about her Jewish identity during confirmation hearing on her nomination to student council's Judicial Board; debate centers on Beyda's affiliation with Jewish organizations and how it might subject her to bias; Jewish leaders say discussion echoes anti-Semitic tropes that have plagued Jews for centuries. MORE

French authorities report they have identified all three suspects that carried out 1982 attack on Jewish deli in Marais district of Paris, killing six people, including two Americans, and wounding 22 others; identifications of suspects, associates of Palestinian radical Abu Nidal, have been made in large part due to tireless efforts of investigating judge Marc Trevidic. MORE

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has undertaken unofficial campaign to more closely ally himself with city's Jewish voters and to become a sort of international spokesman for Jewish concerns; has taken strong stand against rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, loosened regulations on ultra-Orthdox circumcision ritual and made plans to undertake his first state visit to Israel. MORE

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Jews - News - Times Topics - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on October 31, 2015

Sunday will be the 12th of Cheshvan, a grim anniversary: 20 years since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. He was shot on a Saturday night after the worlds synagogues read the Torah portion Lech Lecha, the first night of the week looking toward the next reading, VaYera, the binding of Isaac.

But in real life, unlike in the biblical story of human sacrifice, no angel narrowly averted the disaster.

Twenty years after this horrible crime, amid a new wave of Palestinian terrorism and Israeli reprisals that seems like the beginning of the beginning of the third intifada, its time for reflection. Weve all seen too many analyses of the long road from Oslo to Wye River to Camp David, from disengagement to hilltop caravans, from Jenin to Lebanon to Gaza to Gaza to Gaza. We too rarely ask what is happening to our religion. How is this endless, pitiless conflict shaping Judaism?

I feel ashamed, appalled and heartsick, watching religious Judaism slouch toward Bethlehem. Yigal Amir was not the first fanatic in whom Torah teachings nurtured a murderous hatred. But he represents an early bellwether of Judaism transforming before our eyes, from an ennobling path of wisdom, devotion and ethics to an angry, bloody weapon.

I fear we are becoming a religion of hatred.

After all, it is Judaism a warped version, sure, but nonetheless an interpretation of Torah that motivated Israelis who keep the Sabbath, pray and study to execute hundreds of price tag attacks on Palestinians. Those who firebombed the Dawabshe familys house in Duma, near Nablus, on July 31, killing an 18-month-old and his parents, revealed this beyond all doubt when they spray-painted the burned home with the words revenge and long live King Messiah. Did they forget Isaiahs prophecy about wolf and lamb, that none shall do harm in all my holy mountain? Does any religious Jew imagine that redemption comes from the burning of toddlers?

And it is Judaism and it must be admitted considerable Torah learning that inspired those sages who produced the tract Torat HaMelech, which justifies killing Arab children who one fears could become terrorists. Yes, we can offer replies to that ugly work. But when people start quoting sacred texts to support the murder of children, its time for everyone to wake up. When people who allegedly love the Torah and love the land of Israel destroy other peoples olive trees and give a halachic rationale for it, you know weve all been kidnapped to hell and the Torah has been kidnapped along with us.

Jews must recognize that there are places in the Palestinian territories that are basically Mississippi in 1963 places where the powerful may kill the powerless without fear of prosecution. (No one has been arrested yet in the Duma attack, although the authorities say they know who perpetrated it.)

Lest you think I am getting all hysterical and anti-Zionist on you, I assure you I am not. The scope of the problem was aptly described by former Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin in September, in an essay noting that dozens of messianic ultra-nationalists attack Palestinians every day, and that they and their hundreds of supporters have come to set the tone for mainstream religious Zionism. And I urge Hebrew readers to consult the searing Tisha BAv dirge by Dov Halbertal, a Haredi attorney who bewailed the Duma attack among other dark trends, like the 100,000 votes in the last election that were cast for Baruch Marzel, the Kahanist thug who openly advocates expelling Arabs. How have we reached this stage, Halbertal wrote, when religious and Haredi Judaism is becoming more and more violent? And it is not just a marginal fringe, but a large minority.

I will remain a liberal Zionist until my dying day, even if I am the last one. In my humble view, given the events of the past 150 years, there is no credible alternative to Jews having power and learning to wield it responsibly. Im just not sure were passing that test.

I know very well that the price tag perpetrators are not interested in what a liberal rabbi from Manhattan has to say. But since, as the Talmud states, every Jew is responsible for every other Jew, I am not free to ignore them. I remain responsible for the Torah. Jews of spirit and ethics must offer an alternative.

We are told that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinat hinam, abundant, pointless hatred. Now, the remarkable Jewish society created in our ancestral homeland might likewise be destroyed by hatred the kind found in the souls of those who hate Arabs and want to burn their homes, and those who hate secular Jews and want to destroy their values and sometimes their bodies (remember the murderous madness at the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade).

As the senior Rabbi Kook taught, the only plausible response to abundant hatred is abundant love, ahavat hinam.

American Jews think love is a Christian idea. So be it. Its still a good idea. In the words of an ancient Pharisee, who once called himself Rabbi Saul of Tarsus:

That is Corinthians 13, in the Christian Bible. Its a good Jewish teaching. The word love in this passage is an English translation of the Greek word agape, meaning selfless devotion to others. It translates to the Hebrew chesed, which is the name of my synagogue, Ansche Chesed, or people of agape.

The apostle Paul didnt invent this mitzvah. He derived agape from the Torahs command, Love your neighbor as yourself. How does Jewish tradition understand this mitzvah?

Nachmanides saw it as the imperative of beneficence: The Torah commands that there be no jealous stinginess in your heart. The same best wishes you have for yourself, you should have for your neighbor. There is no withholding in love.

Maimonides defined it as a group of deeds: Speak your fellows praises. Care for his property as you care for your own. Visit the sick. Comfort the mourners. Bury the dead. Escort the bride. These are the immeasurable deeds of kindness.

Amid too much Jewish hatred, the mitzvah of the hour is to love. Love your fellow Jew, even those you dont understand. Beyond that, demonstrate our capacity to love our own people, with special duties to our comrades, without hating those beyond our boundaries, even those with whom we clash deeply.

Before our very eyes, Judaism and the Torah are increasingly captured by those with hatred in their hearts and blood on their hands. What we need above all is a religion of chesed, of agape, of love. The Torah of Israel depends on it.

Jeremy Kalmanofsky is a rabbi at Ansche Chesed in Manhattan.

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How the Middle East Conflict Is Warping Judaism - Opinion ...

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Posted By admin on October 31, 2015

Sacred-texts home Journal Articles: Judaism ORCT: Judaism Jewish Date Samaritans Buy CD-ROM Buy books about Judaism Tanakh Talmud Haggada Kabbalah Midrash Haggadah Prayer Books (Siddur) Ancient/Medieval Modern Links Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible, the quintessential sacred text. The first five books of this comprise the Torah (or Pentateuch), the core sacred writings of the ancient Jews, traditionally written by Moses under divine inspiration.

Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Unicode with vowels.

The Babylonian Talmud Translated by M.L. Rodkinson [1918] A massive ten volume abridgement of the Talmud, the Jewish compendium of law and tradition, the only extensive public domain translation. Presented for the first time anywhere on the Internet at sacred-texts.com.

Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna by D. A. Sola and M. J. Raphall [1843] One of the first English translations of a substantial portion of the Mishna, the treasure-house of Jewish law and tradition.

The Wisdom of the Talmud by Ben Zion Bokser [1951] A great introduction to the Talmud for contemporary readers.

The Talmud by Joseph Barclay [1878] Seventeen representative tracts from the Talmud.

The Talmud: Selections by H. Polano [1876] A Talmud miscellany.

The Babylonian Talmud in Selection by Leo Auerbach [1944] An original mid-20th century translation of selections from the Talmud.

Sayings of the Jewish Fathers (Pirqe Aboth) tr. by Charles Taylor [1897] A beautiful extract from the Talmud, which has been used as liturgy. Devoted to ethics with some mystical touches, the Pirqe Aboth is distinguished for its transparency and simplicity. This was one of the first English translations in modern times of any portion of the Talmud.

Hebraic Literature Edited by Maurice Harris [1901] Extracts from the Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah.

The Wisdom of Israel by Edwin Collins [1910] A short look at Jewish wisdom literature from the Talmud and Midrash.

Tractate Sanhedrin, Mishnah and Tosefta by Herbert Danby [1919] A key portion of the Mishna dealing with crime and punishment.

Tractate Berakoth by A. Lukyn Williams [1921] The Mishna about prayer.

Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg [1909]. A huge collection of traditional stories which have grown up around the Bible narrative.

The Kabbalah Unveiled S.L. MacGregor Mathers, Translator. [1912] An extensive introduction to the Kabbalah. Includes translations of three texts from branch of the Kabbalah known as the Zohar: The Book of Concealed Mystery, The Greater Holy Assembly, and The Lesser Holy Assembly.

Sepher Yezirah translated by Isidor Kalisch [1877] Includes English translation and pointed Hebrew for this key text of the Kabbalah.

Kabbalah - Sepher Yetzirah W.W. Westcot tr. [1887] 26,374 bytes

The Cabala by Bernhard Pick [1913] A short critical introduction to the Kabbalah.

Tales and Maxims from the Midrash by Samuel Rapaport [1907] A popular Midrash compilation. This is the (unattributed) source for the next two entries' Midrash extracts. This book has the references for each of the passages quoted lacking in the texts below, which makes it the best source if you wish to quote some of this material.

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Vol. IV: Medieval Hebrew [1917] Some sizeable extracts from the Midrash, medieval collections of Jewish Biblical lore and legend.

Midrash Tanhuma 60,529 bytes

The Union Haggadah ed. by The Central Conference of American Rabbis, illus. Isidore Lipton [1923] A guide to the celebration of Passover.

Haggada For Pesach According To Chabad-Lubavitch Custom 66,858 bytes

The Standard Prayer Book by Simeon Singer [1915] Complete English translation of a Jewish Prayer Book, or Siddur, including prayers, holidays, ceremonies, and important texts.

The Works of Flavius Josephus by Josephus, tr. by William Whiston [1737] Josephus was a Jewish historian, soldier and scholar who lived in the first century [37-100 C.E.]. His works are primary historical sources of information about the doomed Jewish revolt of 66-9 C.E.

The Kitab al Khazari of Judah Hallevi, translated by Hartwig Hirschfeld [1905] A classic of Medieval Jewish philosophy, set in a legendary (but historical) central Asian kingdom.

The Guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides, M. Freidlnder, tr. (2nd Ed.) [1904] Maimonides' masterful summation of theology, natural philosophy and divine law.

Selected Religious Poems of Solomon ibn Gabirol by Solomon ibn Gabirol, tr. by Israel Zangwill [1923] A key medieval Jewish Spanish poet and philosopher's devotional poetry, some of which was adopted into liturgy.

The Fountain of Life by Solomon ibn Gabirol, tr. by Harry E. Wedeck [1962] An extract from the Jewish writer Solomon ibn Gabirol's philosophical treatise on the First Cause, misattributed for centuries to an Islamic or Christian author named Avicebron.

Original Hebrew of a Portion of Ecclesiasticus by A.E. Cowley and A. Neubauer [1897] Includes the Alphabet of Ben Sira.

The Duties of the Heart by Rabbi Bachye, tr. by Edwin Collins [1909] A 12th Century Spanish Rabbi's systematic treatment of Ethics as a universal. Ancient Jewish Proverbs by Abraham Cohen [1911] A treasury of Jewish proverbs from the Mishna and Talmud. Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion by Joshua Trachtenberg [1939] A comprehensive study of medieval Jewish folk magic, a primary source of modern ceremonial magic. A Rabbi's Impressions of the Oberammergau Passion Play by Joseph Krauskopf [1901] A Rabbi examines the tangled narrative of the Crucifixion, and the roots of anti-Semitism in the early Church.

Reform Judaism - 1885 Pittsburgh Conference 4,588 bytes Articles of Faith from the Jewish Encyclopedia 29,628 bytes The Columbus Platform: The Guiding Principles Of Reform Judaism [1937] 8,706 bytes Reform Judaism - A Centenary Perspective 11,054 bytes Maimonides: Ani Maamin - I believe... 34,307 bytes Solomon Schechter - Studies in Judaism - The Dogmas of Judaism 64,107 bytes The Thirteen Wants by Mordecai M. Kaplan 2,127 bytes

Jewish Virtual Library [External Site]

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Texts of Judaism

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Judaism reveres the spiritual beings known as angels, who worship God and act as His messengers toward people. God has created a tremendous amount of angels -- more than people can count. The Torah uses the figure of speech thousands (meaning a huge number) to describe the innumerable amount of angels that the prophet Daniel sees in a vision of God in heaven: "Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him (Daniel 7:10).

How do you begin to comprehend the vast amount of angels who exist? It helps to start by understanding how God has organized them. Three major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have set up hierarchies of angels. Heres a look at whos who among Jewish angels:

Rabbi, Torah scholar, and Jewish philosopher Moshe ben Maimon, (also known as Maimonides) described 10 different levels of angels in a hierarchy that he detailed in his book Mishneh Torah (circa 1180).

Maimonides ranked the angels from highest to lowest:

The first and highest type of angels are called chayot ha kodesh. They are known for their enlightenment, and theyre responsible for holding up Gods throne, and also for holding Earth in its proper position in space. The chayot ha kodesh emanate such powerful light that they often appear fiery. The famous archangel Metatron leads the chayot ha kodesh, according to mystical branch of Judaism known as Kabbalah.

Members of the ophanim rank of angels never sleep, because theyre constantly busy guarding Gods throne in heaven. They are known for their wisdom. Their name comes from the Hebrew word ophan, which means wheel, due to the Torahs description of them in Ezekiel chapter 1 as having their spirits encased inside wheels that moved along with them wherever they went.

In Kabbalah, the famous archangel Raziel leads the ophanim.

These angels are known for their courage and understanding. The famous archangel Tzaphkiel leads the erelim, in Kabbalah.

The hashmallim are known for their love, kindness, and grace. The famous archangel Zadkiel leads this angelic rank, according to Kabbalah.

Zadkiel is thought to be the "angel of the Lord" who shows merciful kindness in Genesis chapter 22 of the Torah when the prophet Abraham is preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Seraphim angels are known for their work for justice. Kabbalah says that the famous archangel Chamuel leads the seraphim. The Torah records a vision that the prophet Isaiah had of seraphim angels near God in heaven: Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:2-3).

Members of the malakhim rank of angels are known for their beauty and mercy. In Kabbalah, famous archangel Raphael leads this class of angels.

Angels within the elohim are known for their commitment to the victory of good over evil. The famous archangel Haniel leads the elohim, according to Kabbalah.

The bene elohim focus their work on giving glory to God. Kabbalah says that the famous archangel Michael leads this angelic rank. Michael is mentioned in major religious texts more than any other named angel, and he is often shown as a warrior who fights for whats right to bring glory to God. Daniel 12:21 of the Torah describes Michael as the great prince who will protect Gods people even during the struggle between good and evil at the end of the world.

The cherubim angels are known for their work helping people deal with sin that separates them from God so they can draw closer to God. The famous archangel Gabriel leads the cherubim, according to Kabbalah. Cherubim angels appear in the Torahs account of what happened after humans brought sin into the world while in the Garden of Eden: After he [God] drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24).

The ishim rank of angels is the closest level to human beings. Members of the ishim focus on building Gods kingdom on Earth. In Kabbalah, their leader is the famous archangel Sandalphon.

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Angel Types In Judaism - About.com Religion & Spirituality

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Christianity Christians 2 billion Europe, North and South America, Africa Bible (Hebrew Bible + New Testament) Canon Law priests, ministers, pastors, bishops church or chapel Sunday 1st century CE ancient Palestine under Roman rule Aramaic and Greek within 60 years, churches in major cities in Palestine, Turkey, Greece and Rome; entire Roman Empire by end of 4th cent. Catholic-Orthodox (1054); Catholic-Protestant (1500s) Trinitarian monotheism Son of God, God incarnate, Word of God, Messiah, savior of the world virgin birth normal death plus spiritual suffering affirmed prophets; Jesus (as God incarnate); Bible inspired by God; some believe inerrant in original languages created good but all inherit "original sin" from Adam, causing a tendency to evil correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (Protestants emphasize faith alone) eternal Heaven eternal Hell (most denominations) Islam Muslims 1.3 billion Middle East, Southeast Asia Qur'an (sacred text); Hadith (tradition) Sharia imams mosque Friday 622 CE Arabia Arabic within 12 years, entire Arabian peninsula; within 100 years, Muslim world stretched from the Atlantic to China Shia-Sunni (c. 650 CE) strict monotheim true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted virgin birth did not die; ascended into heaven during crucifixion affirmed earlier prophets (message corrupted); Prophet Muhammad as recorded perfectly in Qur'an inspired, literal word of God; inerrant in original language born with equal ability to do good or evil correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars Paradise Hell Judaism Jews 14 million Israel, Europe, USA Hebrew Bible (Tanakh); Talmud Halakhah rabbis synagogue or temple Saturday c. 7th century BCE ancient Palestine Hebrew little expansion; mostly confined to Palestine area throughout history Reform-Orthodox (1800s CE) strict monotheism false prophet normal birth normal death denied prophets, recorded in Hebrew Bible views vary two equal impulses, one good and one bad belief in God, good deeds views vary: either heaven or no afterlife views vary: either eternal Gehenna, reincarnation, or no afterlife

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Christianity vs. Islam vs. Judaism - ReligionFacts

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Posted on: October 30th, 2015

The struggle of living both in the spiritual & physical worlds is our mission & potential greatness

Posted on: October 30th, 2015

Both portions deal with Gods promises to Avraham; Lech Lecha is nationalistic, Vayeira is universal

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What does the odd bargaining session between Abraham & God mean? What does it teach about Abraham?

Posted on: October 29th, 2015

The Shita Mekubetzes there asks why the Gemara did not cite a source to permit the consumption of milk from a pasuk in this weeks parsha.

Posted on: October 29th, 2015

Avraham spent his life emulating Hashem. Every waking moment of his existence was focused on making himself as much like Hashem as humanly possible.

Posted on: October 29th, 2015

Perhaps G-ds approval of Abraham's emphasis of kavod habriyot can be found in the subsequent verses (Genesis 18:19).

Posted on: October 29th, 2015

When David returned, he apologized to Moshe and offered to pay for replacement of the fender.

Posted on: October 29th, 2015

A Hot Air Blower Whoever Eats Bread Without Wiping His Hands (Sotah 4b)

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Question: When a stranger approaches a congregant in shul asking for tzedakah, should the congregant verify that the persons need is genuine? Furthermore, what constitutes tzedakah? Is a donation to a synagogue, yeshiva, or hospital considered tzedakah? Zvi Kirschner (Via E-Mail)

Posted on: October 28th, 2015

In this week's parsha, what do we learn about the intense power Abraham had to influence others?

Posted on: October 28th, 2015

Professors and fellow students have poisoned many young Jewish minds against their faith and Israel.

Posted on: October 28th, 2015

HaShem waited while Abraham attended to his visitors before discussing with him the fate of Sodom.

Posted on: October 23rd, 2015

When one is able to serve G-d and feel connected with Him on an emotional level, it is far greater than one who merely has an intellectual and rational connection.

Posted on: October 23rd, 2015

Avraham Avinu is the first Jew and the first human being to take moral responsibility for himself and his surroundings.

Posted on: October 23rd, 2015

The 1st commandment given to proto-Israelite nation, through our patriarch Abraham, is circumcision

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It is important to appreciate Terah, the foundation from which the patriarchs and matriarchs emerged

Posted on: October 22nd, 2015

"I stated from the beginning, 'For a friend like you we're willing to rent.' If he's no longer a friend, the agreement is no longer binding!"

Posted on: October 22nd, 2015

It seems that in an attempt to portray gedolim as great, we have made them non-human angels just barely wearing human form.

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The Jewish Press Judaism

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The Star of David Jewish symbol

The term "G-d" is used in this essay to respect the Jewish prohibition against spelling the name or title of the deity in full. Dates listed which are prior to the 4th century BCE are approximate.

Circa 2000 BCE, the G-d of the ancient Israelites established a divine covenant with Abraham, making him the patriarch of many nations. The term Abrahamic Religions is derived from his name. These are the three or four major religions which trace their roots back to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i faith is often not included among the Abramic religions. Also, smaller non-Jewish groups such as Falashas, Karaits, Mandaeanism, Rastafarians, Samaritans, etc. trace their spiritual roots back to Abraham.

The book of Genesis describes the events surrounding the lives of the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Joseph, who is recognized as a fourth patriarch by Christians is not considered one by Jews). Moses was the next major leader of the ancient Israelites. He led his people out of captivity in Egypt, and received the Mosaic Law from G-d. After decades of wandering through wilderness, Joshua led the tribes into the promised land, driving out the Canaanites through a series of military battles.

The original tribal organization was converted into a kingdom by Samuel; its first king was Saul. The second king, David, established Jerusalem as the religious and political center. The third king, Solomon built the first temple there.

Division into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah occurred shortly after the death of Solomon in 922 BCE. Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BCE; Judah fell to the Babylonians in 587 BCE. The temple was destroyed. Some Jews returned from captivity under the Babylonians and started to restore the temple in 536 BCE. (Orthodox Jews date the Babylonian exile from 422 to 352 BCE). Alexander the Great invaded the area in 332 BCE. From circa 300 to 63 BCE, Greek became the language of commerce, and Greek culture had a major influence on Judaism. In 63 BCE, the Roman Empire took control of Judea and Israel.

About 24 religious sects had formed by the 1st century CE of which the largest were the Basusim, Essenes, Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots. Many anticipated the arrival of the Messiah, a religious-political-military leader who was expected to drive out the Roman invaders and restore independence.

Christianity was established initially as a Jewish sect, centered in Jerusalem. The group followed the teachings of Yeshua of Nazareth, who is now commonly referred to by Christians as Jesus Christ. The group was led by James, one of Jesus' four brothers. They are generally referred to as Jewish Christians. Paul broke with this tradition, created an alternative belief system of Pauline Christianity and spread the religion to the Gentiles (non-Jews) in much of the Roman Empire. A third religion, Gnosticism, emerged in a number of forms, such as Christian and Jewish Gnosticism.

Many mini-revolts led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 CE. The Jewish Christians were mostly wiped out and a few were scattered at this time. However, the movement started by Paul flourished and quickly evolved into the religion of Christianity. Jews were scattered throughout the known world. Their religion was no longer centered in Jerusalem; By the middle of the second century CE, Jews were prohibited from setting foot there. Judaism became decentralized and stopped seeking converts. The local synagogue became the new center of Jewish life. Animal sacrifice was abandoned. Authority shifted from the centralized priesthood to local scholars and teachers, giving rise to Rabbinic Judaism.

The period from the destruction of the temple onward give rise to heavy persecution by Christians throughout Europe and Russia. Many groundless stories were spread, accusing Jews of ritual murder, the desecration of the Catholic host, and continuing responsibility for the execution of Jesus. Unsubstantiated rumors continue to be circulated today. In the 1930s and 1940s, Adolph Hitler and the German Nazi party drew on centuries of Christian-based anti-Semitism, and upon their own psychotic beliefs in racial purity. They organized the Holocaust, the attempted extermination of all Jews in Europe. About 6 million were killed in one of the world's largest examples of religious and racial intolerance.

The Zionist movement was a response within all Jewish traditions to centuries of Christian persecution. Their initial goal was create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The state of Israel was formed on 1948-MAY-18.

There are currently about 18 million Jews throughout the world. They are mainly concentrated in North America (about 7 million) and Israel (about 4.5 million).

The Tanakh corresponds to the Jewish Scriptures, (often referred to as the Old Testament by Christians). It is composed of three groups of books:

The Talmud contains stories, laws, medical knowledge, debates about moral choices, etc. It is composed of material which comes mainly from two sources:

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Description of Judaism

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Judaism is the oldest religion of the western world and has influenced Christianity and Islam. The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jewish people. The Hebrews were different from others of their time because the Hebrews were monotheistic; they believed in only one God.

The Hebrews believed they had a special relationship with their God and that they were God's chosen people.

The Hebrews trace their ancestry to Abraham. Hebraic tradition says that Abraham left his home in the Mesopotamian city of Ur about 2200BCE. Abraham's grandson, Jacob, established a nation called Israel on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. About 1300BCE, many Hebrews moved to Egypt to escape a famine. A famine is a great hunger. At first, the Hebrews were treated well in Egypt, but in time the Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians. According to Hebraic tradition, God sent ten deadly plagues to Egypt when the Egyptians would not release the Hebrew slaves. When the Hebrews did escape, tradition states that Moses, the leader of the Hebrews, parted the Red Sea for just enough time to allow the Hebrews to pass. Once the Hebrews reached the other side of the Red Sea, tradition states that the waters returned and the Egyptian army drowned. After their escape across the Red Sea about 1250BCE, God revealed Ten Commandments to Moses. The Ten Commandments formed the basis of Mosaic Law and are the model for both Jewish and Christian moral thought.

The Hebrews returned to Israel, but they were conquered by Babylon in 586BCE and were exiled, or forced from their home. The Hebrews were able to return to Israel, but the Romans conquered Israel and in 66BCE, the Romans forced the Hebrews into exile once again. The Hebrews were then forced to live as minorities in many different lands in a period known as the Diaspora. The Diaspora ended with the creation of the modern nation of Israel in 1948.

Jewish people have often faced severe mistreatment. European Jews were exiled from Spain in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella. The Jews also faced organized massacres called pogroms in many nations, particularly in Eastern Europe. In the last century, as many as six million Jews were murdered in what we now call the Holocaust, where the Nazi party in Germany attempted genocide. Genocide is the planned killing of a whole group of people because of their religion or nationality.

A rabbi guides the members of the Jewish community he serves.

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Introduction to Judaism-Western Religions-mrdowling.com

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Background Judaism is the oldest known monotheistic religion still practiced in the world today. Its fundamental teachings have been influential and are the basis for more recently developed religions such as Christianity and Islam.

The Basics Founder-Abraham is generally recognized as the founder of Judaism due to his covenant with God. However, Moses is also considered a founder due to his role in the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, and his delivery of the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai sometime around 2000 BCE. Geographic Origin-Developed in the Middle East in and around the area that is currently Israel. Currently Practiced-Worldwide, but the greatest majority of Jews reside in Israel, the United States, and the former Soviet Union. Significant Writings-Torah and Talmud. Places of Worship-Jews worship in temples called synagogues. Significant Religious People-Rabbis are Jewish scholars charged with conducting religious services, ensuring that Jewish laws are observed, and serving as a spiritual guide for the community.

Teachings and Beliefs Judaism teaches that there is one God who is the creator of all things. After the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, many Hebrews began to lose their faith in God. During this time, Moses went atop Mount Sinai and returned with two stone tablets containing laws that all Hebrews needed to follow. These laws, recorded in Exodus 20:3-17, became known as the Ten Commandments and include:

Web Resources The Geography of Judaism (Morehead University) Judaism (Ontario Consultants)

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[Regents Prep Global History] World Belief Systems: Judaism

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