What is a Jew?
A Jew is someone who fulfils
one or more of the following criteria:
- Practices the religion of Judaism
- Was born of a Jewish mother
- Is descended from Abraham's son,
Isaac
Exactly what the requirements
are will vary depending on who you ask.
Scripture
The Jewish scripture
(holy writings) basically consists of two basic parts:
The Tanakh is the Jewish
equivalent of the Christian bible. The Talmud consists of explanations
of and commentaries on the Tanakh. It is a large body of Jewish
scriptural writings that governs the minutiae of everyday life for
some Jews.
Basic Beliefs - more
details
In addition to the Ten
Commandments, Maimonides Thirteen Principles of Faith gives an Orthodox
interpretation of Judaism.
Founding and History -
more
details
For Orthodox Jews, Judaism
was 'founded' by Abraham - the first man on Earth to adhere to monotheism
- and the history of the Jews (up to the end of Biblical times)
is to be found in the Tanakh.
Festivals - more
details
There are around 20 festivals
in Judaism
The Synagogue - more
details
The Synagogue is the
Jewish place of worship.
Culture
Jewish culture is varied
and depends heavily on where a particular community is living and
where its members and their ancestors have lived before. Jewish
culture is, therefore, basically made up of a number of parts -
the religion itself, what people have absorbed of their host culture,
what they have brought with from previous host cultures and what
Movement they adhere to. Despite this broad variation, there is
a common thread running through all the variations - but it is very
difficult to put one's finger on it.
The Symbols of Judaism
The most well known
symbol of Judaism is probably that shown on the right - the Magen
Dovid, the Star of David. It is now incorporated in the national
flag of the State of Israel.
The Hebrew Language
Anybody who has seen
Hebrew writing will know that it looks completely different from
western writing, which is based on the Roman alphabet. Hebrew has
its own alphabet, a grammar that is very different from most western
languages and is written from right to left.
The Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar is
based on Lunar months but solar years. A lunar month is the time
between successive new moons.
Jewish Sects - more
details
The existence of sects
in Judaism is not well known - even amongst Jews, the word is rarely
used - but there are many bodies in Judaism that can fairly be described
as sects.
Food
Jews cannot eat whatever
they like - there are strict rules on what is permitted and what
is prohibited. The set of rules is generally known as 'Kashrut'
which is Hebrew for 'fitness', implying that food which is in accordance
with these rules is fit to eat - or 'Kosher'.
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Today
