According to most historians,

Judaism began when Abraham

made divine covenant with God.
Because of this, Abraham is
considered to be the Father of the
Semitic religions (Judaism,
Christianity and Islam).
Throughout Judaism history ,their
followers have been called many
names.

“Hebrews” refer to those

who accepted Yahweh as
their God and much of their
history is written in Hebrew
 Throughout Judaism history ,their
followers have been called many
names.

“Israelite”
Israelite refer to the
descendants of the Hebrews,
which originated from
Abraham.
His grandson , Jacob had 12 sons and
their descendants became known as
the 12 tribes of Israel.

“Jew” 　 comes 　 from 　 Yehudah

　 or 　 Judah 　 , 　 the 　 Southern
　 Kingdom 　 of 　 Israel. 　 Now 　 it
　 is 　 used 　 to 　 refer 　 someone
　 who practices 　 Judaism and takes
part in Jewish Culture.
 Jews do not believe that
Jesus was anything more
than a good and wise man
who lived and died 2000
years ago – Jews still await
their messiah
 Modern
Denominations
of Judaism
 Orthodox Judaism
• Mainstream Judaism
• Belief in the direct revelation of divine
law which was recorded in the Torah
– It is eternal, unchanging, and the sole
guide for life
– Carefully and strictly observe the
commandments as the direct will of God
– Ultra-Orthodox assert that complete
separation from secular society
 Orthodox Judaism
 Orthodox Judaism is the most
traditional expression of modern
Judaism.
 Orthodox Jews believe the entire
Torah - including "Written," the the
Pentateuch, and "Oral," the Talmud)
was given to Moses by God at Sinai
and remains authoritative for
modern life in its entirety.
 Reconstructionist Judaism
 Early 1920s in US by Rabbi Mordecai
Kaplan
 Judaism is not merely a religion, but
an evolving religious civilization, a
peoplehood, a culture, as well as a
faith community
 Reform Judaism
 Early 19th C. Germany
 Assert authorship of Torah to
Divinely inspired human beings
 Modern worship
 Reform Judaism
 Reform Judaism affirms the central
tenets of Judaism - God, Torah and
Israel - and embraces diverse beliefs
and practices. Reform Jews accept
the Torah as the foundation God's
ongoing revelation while learning
also from modern exploration of its
development.
 Conservative Judaism
 Agree that change was necessary but
felt Reform had eliminated too many
basic Jewish practices
 Motto is “tradition and change”
 Conservative Judaism
 ConservativeJudaism may be said to
be a moderate position between
Orthodox and Reform Judaism. It
seeks to conserve the traditional
elements of Judaism, while allowing
for modernization to a less radical
extent than Reform Judaism.
 Conservative Judaism
 Conservative Judaism maintains that the
ideas in the Torah come from God, but
were transmitted by humans and contain a
human component. Conservative Judaism
generally accepts the binding nature of
halakhah (Jewish Law), but believes that
the Law should adapt, absorbing aspects
of the predominant culture while
remaining true to Judaism's values.
Conservative Judaism
Defines the Jew as being born
of Jewish mother
Reform Judaism
Traces it to either a Jewish
father or mother.
 Sacred Texts
Torah,
Poetry,

Prophets,

Talmud,

Mishnah
 Sacred Texts
Tanakh –the Hebrew
Bible (called the Old
Testament by Christians)is
a collection of 24 books
divided into 3 parts:
 Tenach / Tanakh
 Hebrew name for Hebrew Bible
 Created by taking the first letter of
each of the three sections of the
Bible and making a word out of those
three letters.
– T: for Torah
– N: for Nevi’im
– CH: for Ketuvim
 1. TORAH
 The Torah, or Jewish
Written Law, consists of
the five books of the
Hebrew Bible - known
more commonly to non-
Jews as the "
Old Testament" - that
were given by G-d to
Moses on Mount Sinai .
 1. TORAH
 Torah comes in the
“beginning” and
explains “where it
all began”.
 Teachings or law

 Genesis,
Exodus,Leviticus,
numbers,
Deutoronomy
 1. TORAH
Torah contains the early
history of Judaism. We
begin with Genesis, the
first book of Torah-and of
the Hebrew Bible.
Genesis means “origin”.
 Torah
• Genesis (Bereshit): contains stories of
creation, records the establishment of the
covenant between God and the Jewish
people, tells of the lives of the patriarchs
and matriarchs
• Exodus (Sh’mot): account of Israelites
enslaved in Egypt, the exodus from Egypt,
the receiving of the 10 Commandments at
Mt. Sinai
• Leviticus (Vayikra): gives God’s ethical
and ritual laws and specific instructions to
priests on how to perform their duties
 Torah

• Numbers (Bamidbar):
recounts the of the Israelites
through the desert and gives
more of God’s ethical and ritual
laws
• Deuteronony (Devarim):
Moses reviews the laws and the
people prepare to enter the
promised land.
 2. The Nevi’im
Means “prophets”.
Contains writings of God’s
messenger, who spoke His
word to the Hebrews. The
writing is the more literary
section of the Tanakh,
consisting of stories,
proverbs, psalms and
poetries.
 2. The Nevi’im
the second main division of
the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh
), between the Torah
(instruction) and Ketuvim
(writings).
 2. The Nevi’im
 Itcontains two sub-groups, the
Former Prophets, the narrative books
of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and
Kings) and the Latter Prophets, the
books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and
Ezekiel and The Twelve minor
prophets).
 Nevi’im

 Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges,

Samuel (2), Kings (2)
 Latter Prophets:

– Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah,

Ezekiel
– Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos,
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nachum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi
 3. Ketuvim
 is the third and final section
of the Tanakh (Hebrew
Bible), after Torah
(instruction) and Nevi'im
(prophets).
 In English translations of
the Hebrew Bible, this
section is usually entitled
"Writings".
 Ketuvim
 Contains wisdom literature, poetry,
songs, narrative, history, religious
philosophy, and love hymns…12
books in total
 Books include: Psalms, Proverbs,
Job, Songs, Ruth, Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra,
Nechemiah, Chronicles
 Talmud
The Talmud
(Hebrew for
“study”) is one of
the central works of
the Jewish people.
It is the record of
rabbinic teachings.
 Talmud
 TheTalmud is made up of two
separate works: the Mishnah,
primarily a compilation of Jewish
laws, written in Hebrew and edited
sometimes around 200 C.E. in
Israel; and the Gemara, the
rabbinic commentaries and
discussions on the Mishnah.
 Important Texts
 TheTalmud (a collection of stories,
laws, medical knowledge and so on)
– “Learning or Study”
 The Mishnah’s (Hebrew laws)
 The Gemara (a HUGE collection of
sayings from Rabbis)
 Mishnah
 The first compilation of the Oral Law
between 200 BCE and 200 CE
 Collects all of the Jewish legal
material from the post-Torah era.
 Divided into 6 orders (or chapters)

– Seeds, Festivals, Women, Damages,

Holy Things, Purifications
 Dietary Practices
 Food consumptions and handling must be
done according to religious laws.
 All blood must be drained before the meat
is cooked and eaten because blood,which
give life ,is sacred to God”.
 The Jews do not eat pork and shellfish
(see Leviticus 11), because these animals
are believed to be contaminated by what
they ate.
 Dietary Practices
Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables
and grains can be eaten with
either meat or dairy.
Utensils that have come into
contact with meat may not be
used with dairy, and vice
versa.
 Kosher Practices
 Kosher which means “ritually
correct” and particularly refers to
food preparations and consumptions.
 Anything in the water that has fins
and scales is acceptable. This
therefore excludes shellfish such as
lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and
crabs, all of which are forbidden.
 Rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and
insects are all forbidden.
Kosher Practices
 Sabbath
By Friday afternoon, he has
bathed, put on his Sabbath
garments, and set asided the
affairs of the week. At home,
his wife will have cleaned,
cooked and arranged her
finest table.
 Sabbath
The Sabbath comes
at sunset, and leaves
when three stars
appear Saturday
night.
 Sabbath
The Sabbath comes
at sunset, and leaves
when three stars
appear Saturday
night.
 Basic Jewish Beliefs cont.
 The Torah was given to Moses.
 There will be no other Torah.

 God knows the thoughts and deeds

of men.
 God will reward the good and punish
the wicked.
 The Messiah will come.

 The dead will be resurrected.

 Messiah
One of the most
fundamental Jewish
belief is that a Messiah
or savior will come.
 What do Jews believe about
the messiah?
 God’s ‘anointed one’
 Called God’s son

 Bring blessings from God

 Establish God’s kingdom on earth

 Destroy Israel’s enemies

 Rule the whole world

 Passover
 The Feast of Passover which
commemorates the liberation of
the Hebrews from Egypt.
 The Jewish liturgical years begins
with the month of Nisan in spring
and the Passover begins on the
15th of Nissan, celebrated for 8
days.
 Passover
 One of the parts of the Pasover
is the Seder, or the Paschal meal
shared by the family on the eve
of the first day of the feast.
Traditionally, first-born sons fast
on the day leading to the Seder
to commemorate the killing of
the Egyptian first-born.
 Passover
The primary food ingested
during the Passover is
matzah or unleavened bread,
which was consumed during
the Exodus,when there no
one to prepare decent bread.
 Passover
It symbolizes freedom
and liberation.
In connection with this,
all leavened items must
be removed.
 Passover
Wine is also served,
where all participants
are supposed to drink
four glasses throughout
the ceremony.
 The Ten Commandments
1. “You shall have no other gods
before me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself an
image in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below”.
3.  
“You shall not misuse the name of
the LORD your God, for
the LORDwill not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name”.
 The Ten Commandments
4. Remember the Sabbath day
by keeping it holy.
5. “Honor your father and your
mother, so that you may live
long in the
land the LORD your God is
giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
 The Ten Commandments
7. You shall not commit
adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not give false
testimony against your
neighbor
10.“You shall not covet your
neighbor’s house.
 God in Judaism
 God in Judaism is understood to be
the absolute one, indivisible, and
incomparable being who is the ultimate
cause of all existence.
 Judaism holds that Yahweh, the god
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and
the national god of the Israelites,
delivered the Israelites from slavery in
Egypt, and gave them the Law of
Moses at biblical Mount Sinai as described
in the Torah.
 God in Judaism
God has a proper name,
written YHWH in
the Hebrew Bible
 JEWS DO NOT ACCEPT
JESUS AS THE MESSIAH
BECAUSE:
 What exactly is the Messiah
 The word “Messiah” is an English
rendering of the Hebrew word “Mashiach”,
which means “Anointed.” It usually refers
to a person initiated into God’s service by
being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, I
Kings 1:39, II Kings 9:3)
 Since every King and High Priest was
anointed with oil, each may be referred to
as “an anointed one” (a Mashiach or a
Messiah).
1) JESUS DID NOT FULFILL THE
MESSIANIC PROPHECIES
 What is the Messiah supposed to
accomplish? The Bible says that he
will:
 A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel
37:26-28).
 B. Gather all Jews back to the Land
of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
 What exactly is the Messiah
 C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end
all hatred, oppression, suffering and
disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall man
learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
 D. Spread universal knowledge of the God
of Israel, which will unite humanity as one.
As it says: "God will be King over all the
world—on that day, God will be One and
His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).
What exactly is the Messiah
The historical fact is that
Jesus fulfilled none of
these messianic
prophecies.
 2. JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF
MESSIAH
 A. MESSIAH AS PROPHET
 Jesus was not a prophet. Prophecy can only exist
in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority
of world Jewry. During the time of Ezra (circa 300
BCE), when the majority of Jews refused to move
from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the
death of the last prophets—Haggai, Zechariah
and Malachi.
 Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350
years after prophecy had ended.
 2. JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF
MESSIAH
 B. DESCENDENT OF DAVID
 According to Jewish sources, the
Messiah will be born of human
parents and possess normal
physical attributes like other
people. He will not be a demi-
god, nor will he possess
supernatural qualities.
 2. JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF
MESSIAH
 B. DESCENDENT OF DAVID
 The Messiah must be descended on his
father’s side from King David (see Genesis
49:10 and Isaiah 11:1). According to the
Christian claim that Jesus was the product
of a virgin birth, he had no father—and
thus could not have possibly fulfilled the
messianic requirement of being descended
on his father’s side from King David!
 2. JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF
MESSIAH
 C. TORAH OBSERVANCE
 The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to
full Torah observance. The Torah states
that all mitzvot (commandments) remain
binding forever, and anyone coming to
change the Torah is immediately identified
as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)
 2. JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF
MESSIAH
 C. TORAH OBSERVANCE
 Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts
the Torah and states that its commandments are
no longer applicable. (see John 1:45 and 9:16,
Acts 3:22 and 7:37) For example, John 9:14
records that Jesus made a paste in violation of
Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say
(verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!
 is immediately identified as a false prophet.
(Deut. 13:1-4)
 3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES
"REFERRING" TO JESUS
 A. VIRGIN BIRTH

 TheChristian idea of a virgin birth is

derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14
describing an "alma" as giving birth.
The word "alma" has always meant a
young woman, but Christian
theologians came centuries later and
translated it as "virgin."
 3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES
"REFERRING" TO JESUS
 B.CRUCIFIXION

 The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads:

"Like a lion, they are at my hands
and feet." The Hebrew word ki-ari
(like a lion) is grammatically similar
to the word "gouged." Thus
Christianity reads the verse as a
reference to crucifixion: "They
pierced my hands and feet."
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY

A. GOD AS THREE?
 The Catholic idea of Trinity breaks God into three
separate beings: The Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).
 Contrast this to the Shema, the basis of Jewish
belief: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord
is ONE" (Deut. 6:4). Jews declare the Shema
every day, while writing it on doorposts
(Mezuzah), and binding it to the hand and head
(Tefillin). This statement of God’s One-ness is the
first words a Jewish child is taught to say, and
the last words uttered before a Jew dies.
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY

. GOD AS THREE?
A

 In Jewish law, worship of a three-

part god is considered idolatry—one
of the three cardinal sins that a Jew
should rather give up his life than
transgress. This explains why during
the Inquisitions and throughout
history, Jews gave up their lives
rather than convert.
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 B. MAN AS GOD?
 Roman Catholics believe that God came down to
earth in human form, as Jesus said: "I and the
Father are one" (John 10:30).
 Maimonides devotes most of the "Guide for the
Perplexed" to the fundamental idea that God is
incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no
physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He 
is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, 
and cannot die. Saying that God assumes
human form makes God small, diminishing both
His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: 
"God is not a mortal" (Numbers 23:19).
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 B. MAN AS GOD?
 Judaism says that the Messiah will be born
of human parents, and possess normal
physical attributes like other people. He
will not be a demi-god, and will not
possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an
individual is alive in every generation with
the capacity to step into the role of the
Messiah. (see Maimonides - Laws of Kings
11:3)
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?
 The Catholic belief is that prayer
must be directed through an
intermediary—i.e. confessing one’s
sins to a priest. Jesus himself is an
intermediary, as Jesus said: "No man
cometh unto the Father but by me."
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?
 In Judaism, prayer is a totally private
matter, between each individual and God.
As the Bible says: "God is near to all who
call unto Him" (Psalms 145:18). Further,
the Ten Commandments state: "You shall
have no other gods BEFORE ME," meaning
that it is forbidden to set up a mediator
between God and man. (see Maimonides -
Laws of Idolatry ch. 1)
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD
 Catholic doctrine often treats the physical world
as an evil to be avoided. Mary, the holiest
woman, is portrayed as a virgin. Priests and nuns
are celibate. And monasteries are in remote,
secluded locations.
 By contrast, Judaism believes that God created
the physical world not to frustrate us, but for our
pleasure. Jewish spirituality comes through
grappling with the mundane world in a way that
uplifts and elevates. Sex in the proper context is
one of the holiest acts we can perform.
 4) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS
JEWISH THEOLOGY
 D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD
 The Talmud says if a person has the
opportunity to taste a new fruit and
refuses to do so, he will have to
account for that in the World to
Come. Jewish rabbinical schools
teach how to live amidst the bustle
of commercial activity. Jews don’t
retreat from life, we elevate it.
Jewish Symbols
 Magen David
• Star of David
• Was on the shields of David’s warriors
• Symbol on the Flag of the state of Israel
• Used throughout the world as a clear and
unique identifying symbol of Jews and
Judaism
 Menorah

• Seven (or nine) branched candleholder

• One of the oldest Jewish symbols—one of the
ritual objects described in the Torah
• Today the nine branched menorah is used in
celebration of Chanukah
• The seven branched menorah is the authentic
ancient symbol (one for each of the 6 days of
creation and 1 for sabbath)
 Chai
 The Jewish symbol of life
 Expresses the hope and
prayer for life, health and
prosperity
 Popular Jewish toast—
L’chayim—To Life
 Mazal Tov
• Means good luck or congratulations
• Particularly used for significant life
events (ie. Bar Mitzvahs, weddings,
birthdays, etc.)
 Amen
 Literally“So be it”
 Means I agree/affirm

 After a blessing it is customary for

those who have heard the blessing to
say Amen
 Shalom

• Means hello/goodbye/peace
• Comes from root word shalem which
means whole/complete
– Peace comes when there is wholeness,
completeness, unity.
• Pease is the eternal Jewish prayer—world
peace, peace between people, inner
peace, harmony.
 Jewish leadership
 Rabbi
– Services
– Education
– Beth din
 Cantor
– Singing
 Scribe
– Torah scrolls
 Shochet
– Slaughterer
 Mohel
– Circumcision
 Rabbi
Aperson who is trained to
make decision about what is
lawful in Judaism,to perform
Jewish ceremonies or to lead
a Jewish congregation.
 Bar mitzvah

 Meaning: son of the

commandment
 13 years old - becomes an
adult
 Read Torah in public

 Father’s blessing

 Celebratory meal
 Brit millah (circumcision)
 Sign of the covenant
– Prayer before circumcision
 “Praisedbe Thou, O Lord our G-d, ruling spirit of the
universe who has commanded us to enter into the
covenant of our father Abraham.”
– Prayer after circumcision:
 “Ashe entered the covenant, so may he enter into
the love of the Torah, into the marriage canopy and
into the life of good deeds.”
 Rosh Hashanah
 Jewish New Year
 Birthday of the world and Adam
 Day of Judgement
– 1st of 10 days of repentance
– 3 books opened to righteous, wicked and in-
between
– Prayer, apologies, fasting, hesed, self-
reflection
 Shofar blown 100 times
– Repentance
– Coronation of God
 Creator of the world
 Yom Kippur
 Day of Atonement
– Process of causing act to
be forgiven
– 25 hour fast and prayer in
synagogue
 No eating and drinking
 No wearing of leather
shoes
 No bathing or washing
 No anointing oneself with
perfumes or lotions
 No marital relations
 No dealing with money
 Person’s fate for the year
sealed
 Hanukkah

 Celebrate the Everlasting

Light burning for 8 days
- Menorah

165 BCE
 Judah the Maccabee and
Antiochus Epiphanes
 Family festival

– Food cooked in oil

Hannukiah
– Presents exchanged
 Pesach (Passover)
 Remember and relive
the Exodus
 Family festival
– House cleaned
– Remove leaven
– Seder meal
 Haggadah
 4 glasses wine
 Symbolic foods
 4 questions
 Songs and fun
 “Next year in
Jerusalem”
 Questions
 IfGod knows the thoughts and deeds
of men then why do bad things
happen?
 Why do some deeds go unpunished?

 What divisions are apparent between

Christianity and Judaism?
 Synagogues
 Synagogues are led by
Rabbis (teachers well
educated in Jewish law and
thought)
 Temples…the temple is
in Jerusalem.
 The temple was the
only place a sacrifice
could be administered.
 The temple in
Jerusalem was
destroyed.
Baltimore, Maryland
 The Rabbi
 Earned by passing extensive
examinations on the Torah and Talmud.
 Study at a yeshiva, or holy school, like
a seminary program.
 He is not required to wear a particular
uniform, and he can dress just like any
other Jew.
 Permitted to Marry.
 May have children.
 Neighborhood counselor.
 Inspire community members to become
better people.
All people of the Jewish faith
worship on Saturday, follow
strict discipline…the laws set
forth in the Torah, regular
attendance at Synagogue.
 Passage into Adulthood
 Childrenare ushered
into adulthood with a
big ceremony
– usually around age 13
 Bar Mitzvah for boys
 Bat Mitzvah for girls
 Liberal Denominations
 Reform Judaism
– Torah was written by humans, not God, but
later combined (liberal).
– Does not accept binding nature of Jewish law
(halakhah).
 Reconstructionist Judaism
– “evolving religious civilization”
– Jews are not the chosen people by God (less
liberal).
– Can observe Jewish Law is they choose to
because it is a cultural remnant.
 Conservative Denominations
 Conservative Judaism
– Torah comes from God, transmitted by
humans, and contains a human component.
– Accepts binding nature of Jewish Law but it
adapts.
 Orthodox Judaism
– God gave Moses the entire Torah, written (first
5 books of the bible) and oral at Mount Sinai.
– Strictly observe Jewish Law.
– 613 mitzvot (commandments)
– Chasidic Jews do not assimilate.
 Important Jewish Holidays:
 Passover – Celebrates the
birth of the Jewish nation
 Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New
Year
 Yom Kippur – Day of
Atonement," is the holiest day
of the Jewish year
 Sukkoth – Harvest festival
 Hanukkah – Rededication of
the holy temple in Jerusalem
after a military victory
 Purim – Queen Esther saved
the Jews of Persia from
annihilation.
 Shavout – Commemorates
the giving of the Ten
Commandments to the Jewish
People on Mount Sinai.
 Review
 Thistext is the “teaching or
instruction” of the Old Testament…
 Torah

A collection of stories, “learning or

study”
 Talmud

 The words of the prophets are…

 true

 Can Rabbis marry and have children?

 Yes