Introducing the Jewish Faith
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Starting Point
There is a saying that "each word of Torah speaks with 70 tongues" (quoted from teaching
world religions, p.59). What this means is that there is not just one from of Judaism and all
Jews do this or that or believe this or that. The Torah is the sacred teaching or law important
for Jews. In this introduction you will find a starting point for trying to understand the views,
practices and beliefs expressed by Jews. There is a Jewish joke which says that where you
get two Jews you have three points of view. Before we begin our investigation we must
remember - not all Jews do or believe all the same things just as not all Christians do or
believe the same things.
What is Judaism?
Judaism is more than a set of beliefs. It is a way of life and being a Jew is being part of a
special family. The way of life and family are very ancient going back perhaps as far as three
thousand years.
For the Jewish faith the Temple in the city of Jerusalem in Israel has an important place and
although now it is a ruin with only one wall standing, many Jews visit it to pray. In ancient
times the temple was the most important religious center and Jews today remember this.
The land of Israel is seen by many Jews as the promised land given to the Israelites as they
escaped from slavery, led by Moses. There is a feeling for Jews to return to this land and
many Jews feel attached to it while living in different countries. Jewish festivals reflect the
agricultural cycle of Israel today so.
The Jewish faith is a historical faith. There are many stories of things which have happened
recorded in the holy books which are to be remembered and reverred, such as the Exodus
from slavery, and this is reflected in the many holy days and festivals which Jewish people
celebrate.
The Jewish Identity is very important. They are the chosen people of God. Some Jews wear
distinctive clothes and eat a special diet.
Torah is the cornerstone of Jewish faith, a collection of knowledge and central to the Jewish
faith. Rabbi Hillel, an ancient Jewish teacher living in Roman times, summarised it as "Do not
do to others what you would not have done to yourself."
Diversity and Population
There are 17 million Jews world wide, approximately 300,000 living in Britain (figure from
Davies religion in Britain) making it the fifth largest Jewish population. Jews fist came to
Britain following the conquest of England by William the Conqueror making them the second
oldest organised religious community in the UK or third if you include pre-Christian religion.
Jews fall into different kinds partly because over time they have become dispersed
throughout the world The Northern and Eastern European Jews, the Ashenazim, developed
the Yiddish language and were the group most affected during the Holocaust. Most British
and American Jews are descended from this group. Sephardim are southern European,
North African, middle eastern and far eastern in culture and origin. Most are found in France
and Israel although some have lived in Britain for many generations.
Orthodox Jews (such as Hassidim) give authority to tradition while progressive Jews (Reform
and Liberal) do not. In between these two groups are Conservative or Masorti Jews.
Not all Jews claim to be religious. Secular Jews make up a large proportion of British Jews.
They have many cultural practices to which they do not attach religious significance.
Test yourself
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Which city is especially important for Jews?
Why is it important?
What is known as the promised land?
How can the Torah be summarised?
How many Jews are living in Britain?
When did Jews first come to Britain?
Write a sentence about the following key terms: Torah, Jerusalem, Temple, Israel,
Moses, Rabbi.
Write about one thing which you would like to know more about Jewish people and
their faith.
Learn more from the WWW
Links in this column are to other websites related the topic on this page. They do not
necessarily express the views of RE-Net.
Judaism 101 answers the question Who is a Jew and gives more information about the
Jewish population
Lazar's Talmud Torah gives you the Jewish Basics and asks What is a Jew?
The Being Jewish site answers the question What is Being Jewish? in more detail.
Who is a Jew
30 questions and answers about this question according to this website.