University of Cordoba

Faculty of education and human sciences

Department of foreign languages

The Judaism

Rodrigo Olave
Yaren De La Vega Paez

COMUNICATION VI

September 19, 2022

Monteria-Cordoba
Judaism
The word Judaism comes from the Latin Iudaismus and this from the Greek
Ἰουδαϊσμός, composed of Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios = from Judea) and the suffix -ισμος
(- ism = quality, doctrine, system). The word Ἰουδαῖος comes from the Hebrew
‫( יהודה‬Ieúda), a region that covers parts of Israel and Palestine.
Judaism, monotheistic religion developed among the ancient Hebrews. Dating
back nearly 4,000 years. Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent
God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a
religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the
complex phenomenon of a total way of life for the Jewish people, comprising
theology, law, and innumerable cultural traditions.
Judaism Beliefs
Jewish people believe there’s only one God who has established a covenant—or
special agreement—with them. Their God communicates to believers through
prophets and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil.

The Judaism

According to the biblical account, Abram (“The Father [or God] Is Exalted”),
who is later named Abraham (“The Father of Many Nations”), a native of Ur in
Mesopotamia, is called by God (Yahweh) to leave his own country and people
and journey to an undesignated land, where he will become the founder of a new
nation. He obeys the call unquestioningly and (at 75 years of age) proceeds with
his barren wife, Sarai, later named Sarah (“Princess”), his nephew Lot, and other
companions to the land of Canaan (between Syria and Egypt).
There the childless septuagenarian receives repeated promises and a covenant
from God that his “seed” will inherit the land and become a numerous nation.
Eventually, he not only has a son, Ishmael, by his wife’s maidservant Hagar but
has, at 100 years of age, by Sarah, a legitimate son, Isaac, who is to be the heir of
the promise. Yet Abraham is ready to obey God’s command to sacrifice Isaac, a
test of his faith, which he is not required to consummate in the end because God
substitutes a ram.
According to this sacred text, Jacob "Israel" had 12 sons, and each of them in turn
was the head of a tribe within the ancient nation of Israel.
The origin of these tribes is described in the Bible and according to it, Jacob
(Israel) son of Isaac, who in turn was the son of Abraham, had twelve sons, all of
whom were recognized by their origin. For this reason, Joshua distributed the
land of Canaan or promised land among each of them after returning from Egypt.
The children of Israel are the name that all those descendants of Jacob acquire.
Location of Israel
Israel, Arabic Isrāʾīl, officially the State of Israel or Hebrew Medinat
Yisraʾel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by
Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and the west
by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the
proclaimed capital, although the
latter status has not received wide international recognition. The State of Israel
is the only Jewish nation in the modern period.

The Jewish Jesus

The belief that Jesus is God, the Son of God, or a person of the Trinity is
incompatible with Jewish theology. The Jews believe that Jesus did not fulfill the
messianic prophecies that formed the criteria for the coming of the Messiah.
Judaism does not accept Jesus as a divine being, an intermediary between humans
and God, a messiah, or a saint. Belief in the Trinity is also considered
incompatible with Judaism, as are other tenets of Christianity. In
Judaism, the idea of God as duality or trinity is heretical; even some polytheists
consider it. [7] According to Judaic beliefs, the Torah rules out a triune God in
Deuteronomy (6:4): "Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one."
Judaism teaches that it is heretical for any man to claim to be God, part of God, or
the literal son of God. The Jerusalem Talmud clearly states: "If a man claims to
be God, he is a liar."

GOD IS NOT BODILY Maimonides' 13 tenets of faith include the concept that
God has nobody and that physical concepts do not apply to him. [12] In the
"Yigdal" prayer, found towards the beginning of used prayer books used in
synagogues around the world, it is stated that "He has no bodily appearance nor is
He corporeal." It is a central tenet of Judaism that God does not have any
physical characteristics.

Types of Jews
 Orthodox Judaism: The Torah is the inexhaustible unit, binding authority
of all aspects of life. A large part of them is unaware of the State of Israel
as it is a secular state. And another part, prepare for the messianic era.

 Reform Judaism: Began in Germany at the end of the 19th century with the
idea of changing worship, ritual, and beliefs. It emphasizes experience, the
ethics of the prophets, and faith. Men and women sit together in the temple
and they do not cover their heads. In addition to working on Shabbat.
  Conservative Judaism: It arose against the radical reforms of Reform
Judaism. It allows adaptation to the modern world while preserving biblical
and Talmudic legislation. They retain Hebrew in the liturgy.

 Progressive (Liberal) Judaism: Developed in Europe and America,

incorporates
different aspects in beliefs and practice, is an heir to Reform Judaism.

 Reconstructionist Judaism: Emphasizes Judaism as an evolved religious

civilization. Philosophy, theology and sociology are combined,
disappearing supernatural theism or the Torah as divine and immutable
revelation. The belief in God refers to a sense of dependence on the powers
of the universe.

 Messianic Judaism: Those Jews who come to faith in Jesus, whom they call
Yeshua, have this faith specifically as Jews and reject the assimilation of
gentile Christianity. That is, they defy the received Christian consensus that
when they come to faith, they stop being Jews and become Christians
instead.

Torah
Torah (‫ )תורה‬in Hebrew can mean teaching, direction, guidance and law. The
most prominent meaning for Jews is that the Torah constitutes the first five books
of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
(Also called the Pentateuch, ‘five books’ in Greek), traditionally thought to have
been composed by Moses. These sacred texts are written on a scroll and kept in a
synagogue. Sometimes the word Torah is used to refer to the whole Hebrew
Bible (or Tanakh) which
additionally contains Nevi'im (‫)נביאים‬, which means Prophets, and Ketuvim (
‫ )כתובים‬meaning Writings. Torah can also refer to wider scriptural commentaries
(Talmud) and even all Jewish religious knowledge. It is in this sense that Jews
will often speak of the importance of living a life guided by Torah.

Talmud
The Talmud (Hebrew: ‫[ ַּת ְלמּוד‬talmūd], "instruction, teaching") is a work that
mainly collects rabbinic discussions of Jewish laws, traditions, customs,
narrations, sayings, parables, stories and legends. It is an immense civil and
religious code, drawn up between the 3rd and 5th centuries by Hebrew scholars
from Babylon and the Land of Israel.
There are two known versions of the Talmud: the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud
Yerushalmi), which was written in the then newly created Roman province called
Philistia, and the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bablí), which was written in the
region of Babylon, in Mesopotamia. Both versions were written over many
centuries by generations of scholars drawn from many established rabbinic
academies since ancient times.

Rabbi
rabbi, (Hebrew: “my teacher” or “my master”) in Judaism, a person qualified by
academic studies of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to act as spiritual leader
and religious teacher of a Jewish community or congregation.
In the Jewish community, a rabbi is viewed not only as a spiritual leader but as a
counselor, a role model and an educator. Education of the young is, in fact, the
principal role of a rabbi. The rabbi may also lead spiritual services, such as
Shabbat services and High Holy Day services on Rosh HaShanah and Yom
Kippur. He or she will also officiate at life-cycle events such as Bar Mitzvahs and
Bat Mitzvahs, baby naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals. However, unlike
the leaders of other religious denominations, many Jewish ceremonies can take
place without the presence of a rabbi. The rabbi does not hold the kind of ritual
authority granted clerics in other religions, but serves a more important role as
revered leader, advisor and educator.

Jewish Holidays
Passover
Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ or Pesach, in Judaism, holiday commemorating the
Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of
destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote
the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus. Passover begins with the 15th and
ends with the 21st (or, outside of Israel and among Reform Jews, the 22nd) day of
the month of Nisan (March or April). On these seven (or eight) days, all leaven,
whether in bread or other mixture, is prohibited, and only unleavened bread,
called matzo, may be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the Hebrews’ suffering
while in bondage and the haste with which they left Egypt in the course of the
Exodus. Passover is also sometimes called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
Passover is celebrated from Saturday, April 16 to Saturday, April 23 in 2022.

Rosh Hashana
Rosh Hashana, (Hebrew: “Beginning of the Year”), Hashana also spelled
Hashanah or Ha-shanah, also called Day of Judgment or Day of Remembrance; is
one of Judaism’s holiest days. Meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” a
major Jewish observance now accepted as inaugurating the religious New Year
on Tishri 1 the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which falls during
September or October. Because the New Year ushers in a 10-day period of self-
examination and penitence, Rosh Hashana is also called the annual Day of
Judgment; during this period each Jew reviews his relationship with God, the
Supreme Judge. A distinctive feature of the liturgy is the blowing of the ram’s
horn (shofar) as prescribed in Numbers 29:1; the notes of the shofar call the
Jewish people to a spiritual awakening associated with the revelation to Moses on
Mount Sinai. During the Additional Service in the synagogue, the shofar is
sounded after the recital of each of three groups of prayers.

Shabbat
Shabbat or the day of rest, also called Shabbos (Yiddish: ‫ )שבת‬by Ashkenazim, is
the day of rest in Judaism on the seventh day of the week, that is, Saturday. On
this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories that describe the creation of
heaven and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus
from Egypt, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Since the Jewish
religious calendar counts the days from sundown to sundown, Shabbat begins in
the afternoon of what is Friday in the civil calendar. ") during the Shabbat meal
(Saturday after morning services in the synagogue) in very traditional Jewish
homes, especially among the Orthodox.
Shabbat observance involves refraining from work activities, often with great
rigor, and engaging in leisure activities to honor the day.
According to halakhah (Jewish religious law), Shabbat is observed from a few
minutes before sunset on Friday night until the appearance of three stars in the
sky on Saturday night. Shabbat begins by lighting candles and reciting a blessing.

Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, Hebrew Yom Ha-Kippurim, Day of Atonement, most solemn of
Jewish religious holidays, observed on the 10th day of the lunar month of Tishri
(in the course of September and October), when Jews seek to expiate their sins
and achieve reconciliation with God. A day devoted to self–examination, and the
chance to begin the New Year with a clean slate. At the end of Yom Kippur, the
shofar is blown to mark the end of the fast. Some people tend to make a light
dinner, generally dairy or Miljik (Brunch Type) with Bagels, salmon, Hering,
Cheese Burekas, Sambusak, Blintzes, Knishes, eggs, coffee with milk, tea, juices.

Hanukkah
Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or
Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the
Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December,
according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah
reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication
of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the
festival. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be
widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious
observances.
Purim
Purim, which literally means "lots" and is sometimes known as the Festival of
Lots, is the Jewish holiday in which Jews commemorate being saved from
persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. According to the Book of Esther in the
Torah, the Jewish people of the city of Shushan were threatened by the villainous
Haman, a prime minister who convinces King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews
(because the Jewish Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman). Haman casts lots
(hence the name of the festival). in these parties they usually eat a typical sweet
called the "Haman ears" This small triangular sweet very similar to a cookie can
be filled with chocolate, jam, dates, dulce de leche, some fruit and even cheese

THE MOST IMPORTANT SYMBOLS

 The Star of David

The Star of David is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and
Judaism. Shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.

A derivation of the Seal of Solomon, which was used for decorative and mystical
purposes by Muslims and Kabbalistic Jews, its adoption as a distinctive symbol
for the Jewish people and their religion dates back to 17th-
century Prague. In the 19th century, the symbol began to be widely used among
the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, ultimately coming to be used to
represent Jewish identity or religious beliefs. It became representative of Zionism
after it was chosen as the central symbol for a Jewish national flag at the First
Zionist Congress in 1897

Jewish clothing

Clothing worn by Jews usually varies according to which denomination of

Judaism they adhere to.

Orthodox Jewish men always cover their heads by wearing a skullcap known in
Hebrew as a kippah or in Yiddish as a yarmulke. Liberal or Reform Jews see the
covering of the head as optional. Most Jews will cover their heads when praying,
attending the synagogue or at a religious event or festival. Wearing a skullcap is
seen as a sign of devoutness. Women also cover their heads by wearing a scarf or
a hat. The most common reason (for covering the head) is a sign of respect and
fear of God. It is also felt that this separates God and human, by wearing a hat
you are recognizing that God is above all mankind.

A kippah (skullcap or yarmulke, pronounced “yamaka”) is a small hat or

headcovering. In traditional Jewish communities only, men wear kippot (the
plural of kippah) and they are worn at all times (except when sleeping and
bathing). In non- Orthodox communities some women also wear kippot, and
people have different customs about when to wear a kippah — when eating,
praying, studying Jewish texts, or entering a sacred space such as a synagogue or
cemetery.

• phylactery

phylactery, Hebrew tefillin, also spelled tephillin or tfillin, in Jewish religious

practice, one of two small black leather cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts
written on parchment, which, in accordance with Deuteronomy 6:8 (and similar
statements in Deuteronomy 11:18 and Exodus 13:9, 16), are to be worn by male
Jews 13 years of age and older as reminders of God and of the obligation to keep
the Law during daily life. The name phylactery is derived from the Greek
phylakterion, meaning amulet.

According to rabbinic regulations, one of the phylacteries is worn on the arm (the
left arm if one is right-handed, the right arm if one is left-handed) facing the heart
and the other on the forehead at the morning service (except on the Sabbath and
festivals) and at the afternoon service on the Ninth of Av.

The Menorah
The "Menorah" was the seven-branched candelabrum made of solid gold and
whose design was revealed by God to Moses, as the book of Exodus tells it, to be
placed in the First Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed under the orders of
the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 B.C.
The importance of this oil lamp is such that it is considered a Jewish national
symbol." The 'menorah' represents the light of God that extends towards
Humanity through the flame that shines and is lit by the priests", illustrated Rabbi
Riccardo Di Segni. The past of the "menorah" is closely linked to Rome, as it was
moved from Jerusalem to the eternal city, and also Rome was the last known
place of the existence of this sacred candlestick. In the year 70 AD, the troops of
Emperor Titus besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem,
and sacked the Second Temple in that city. In the assault, they stole various
valuables from the temple that were later transferred to Rome, including the solid
gold "menorah" That episode, which is still mourned by the Jews during their
annual Tisha b'Av festival, was immortalized in carved relief on the Arch of
Titus, built shortly after the emperor's death.

The Magen
The Magen David, which is commonly referred to as the star of David, is the
symbol most frequently associated with Judaism.
The Magen David star is believed to be a representation of the shield of King
David, who was the first king of Jerusalem.
The Magen David is in the shape of a hexagram made up of two equilateral
triangles. It is believed to be a fairly modern symbol and began to be displayed
outside synagogues during the 17th century. It became a popular symbol of
Judaism and was adopted as the emblem in 1897.
During the Holocaust, Jews were required to display the Magen David to identify
themselves.

The mezuzah
The mezuzah is a piece of parchment scroll with the Shema prayer inscribed on it
which is kept in a small case. The Shema prayer is important to Jews because the
words describe God asking Jews to remember his commands in both their heads
and hearts. The words will have been written by a sofer, who is a person who is
trained to write the Torah. The parchment that it is written on must be on the skin
of a kosher animal.
The purpose of the mezuzah is to act as a constant reminder of God’s presence.
Jews will often touch the mezuzah as they go through the door. The instruction
for this comes from the Torah.

Brit Milah- Circumcision

Brit Milah means 'the Covenant of Circumcision. Circumcision makes the boy
part of the covenant with Abraham and the Jewish community. It represents a
physical commitment to God and to obeying God's laws.

 Features of the Brit Milah

On the eighth day following birth, a male or female friend or relative will act as a
messenger, or a matter The female latter will hand the baby to the male kvatter
who will be wearing a tallith. He will carry the boy into a room where the males
of the family are gathered. The baby is put on the knee of the sandek who is often
the grandfather.

 The mohel recites a blessing. The baby is circumcised.

The mohel then blesses a cup of wine and announces the baby's name in Hebrew
and English. A drop of wine is placed on the baby's tongue.

Girls will have a naming ceremony that takes place in the synagogue. During this
ceremony, the baby girl's name is announced by her father, and a section from the
Torah is read.

Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah

At puberty (13 years old for a boy and 12 years old for a girl) a Jewish boy or girl
becomes responsible for living by the Jewish Law. She or he has to accept the law
and its obligations in full, take part in synagogue services and set a good example.

The boy is now counted as part of the minyan and may lead part of the services.
According to Jewish law, he or she is also now eligible to own property and to get
married.

Before his 13th birthday, a Jewish boy will attend lessons, usually at the
synagogue, in Hebrew on how to read the Torah aloud.

On the Sabbath nearest to his 13th birthday, the boy will become Bar Mitzvah.
During the Sabbath service, the boy will read aloud part of the Torah or a section
of the Prophets. He will wear the tefillin for the first time.

The rabbi will address part of his talk to the boy and the boy might give a talk to
the rest of the assembly. The boy's father will then recite a prayer of thanks for his
son's coming of age.

After the service, there will usually be a party to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah.

A girl from a Liberal Jewish community will prepare for her Bat Mitzvah in a
similar way to a boy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, but she will do this around
the time of her 12th birthday. However, during the Bat Mitzvah ceremony itself,
the girl will not wear the tefillin.

Orthodox Jews do not accept Bat Mitzvah and do not allow girls to count as part
of the minyan or to lead services.

THE WESTERN WALL

Or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.
Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, it is the western support wall of the Temple
Mount. Thousands of people journey to the wall every year to visit and recite
prayers. These prayers are either spoken or written down and placed in the cracks
of the wall. The wall splits into two sections, one area for males and the other for
females. It is one of the major highlights of any tour of the Old City.

Details on Jewish Beard Customs

The halacha (Jewish law) that a man is forbidden from shaving the “corners of
the head” refers to shaving his hair at the temples so that the hairline is a straight
line from behind the ears to the forehead, and this is where payot or payos (side
curls) come from (Babylonian Talmud, Makoto 20b).
Within the prohibition of shaving the “corners of the beard,” there is a
complicated understanding that evolved into five points (Shebu'ot 3b and Makkot
20a, b). These five points could be on the cheek near the temples, the point of the
chin, and a point at the end of the cheekbone near the center of the face or it may
be that there are two points on the mustache area, two on the cheek, and one at the
point of the chin. There is plenty of disagreement about the specifics, so the
Shulchan Aruch prohibits the shaving of the entire beard and mustache.

Men’s beard rules apply immediately when a teenager starts to grow facial hair.

THE HOLOCAUST
The word “Holocaust,” from the Greek words “holos” (whole) and “autos”
(burned), was historically used to describe a sacrificial offering burned on an
altar. Since 1945, the word has taken on a new and horrible meaning: the
ideological and systematic state-sponsored persecution and mass murder of
millions of European Jews (as well as millions of others, including Romani
people, the intellectually disabled, dissidents and homosexuals) by the German
Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945.
To the anti-Semitic Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Jews were an inferior race, an alien
threat to German racial purity and community. After years of Nazi rule in
Germany, during which Jews were consistently persecuted, Hitler’s “final
solution”—now known as the Holocaust—came to fruition under the cover of
World War II, with mass killing centers constructed in the concentration camps of
occupied Poland. Approximately six million Jews and some 5 million others,
targeted for racial, political, ideological, and behavioral reasons, died in the
Holocaust. More than one million of those who perished were children.

DISTRIBUTION OF JEWS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Although Jews exist in almost every country in the world, the vast majority are
concentrated in two countries: Israel and the United States. With more than 6.9
million Jewish citizens (2021 estimate), Israel is home to more Jews than any
other country in the world. 74.2% of Israel’s population is Jewish. The historic
homeland of the Jews, Israel is home to the holy city of Jerusalem, which is of
great importance to those of the Jewish faith. The United States has the world's
second-largest Jewish population, with around 6 million Jews. More Jews live in
New York City than in any other city in the world. The New York Metropolitan
area is home to 1,728,000 Jews, roughly 10% of its total population. The borough
of Brooklyn alone has nearly 800,000 Jews, which accounts for more than a third
of its population.

The next eight countries with the largest Jewish populations were estimated to
have between 446,000 and 91,500 Jews in 2021. First comes France with
446,000, followed by Canada with 393,500, and the United Kingdom with
292,000. Argentina, Russia, Germany, Australia, and Brazil all have significant
Jewish populations as well.
Questions

1. Do you remember the name of the main Jewish sacred text?

2. What are the names of the first 5 books of the torah?
3. What name is given to the person who acts as a spiritual leader and
religious teacher?
4. Why was Jesus not accepted as messiah for the Jews?
5. Why do jews believe only in God
6. Why is circumcision important in the Jewish tradition?
7. Who performs the circumcision?
8. what is the wailing wall?
9. At what age is the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah performed?
10.What does Abraham represent in Jewish culture?
11.Who was king David?
12.What does holocaust mean?

Glossary

Brit Milah: means 'the Covenant of Circumcision

Hanukkah: Festival of Lights.

Hamosí Plegaria with which the Yom Kippur festival begins.

Holocaust: Massive killing of people, especially to exterminate a social group for

reasons of race, religion, or politics.

halacha: (Jewish law) prohibiting a man from shaving the “corners of the head”

Synagogues: Jewish prayer temple.

Trinity: Mystery and dogma of faith of the Christian religion according to which
there are three distinct persons in God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The mezuzah: The mezuzah is a piece of parchment with the Shema prayer
inscribed on it that is kept in a small box.

the Shema: prayer where God asks the Jews to remember his commandments
both in mind and in heart

Kippah small hat or headcovering.

Biography-references

https://www.history.com/topics/religion/judaism

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-a-rabbi-2076767

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Passover

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yom-Kippur

https://toriavey.com/what-is-purim/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/customs/yarmulke.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kippah/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-clothing/

https://blog.contrarymagazine.com/2014/04/jesus-for-jews-a-love-story/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-kosher#animal-products

https://www.touristisrael.com/western-wall/15946/

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/526875/jewish/The-
JewishCalendar-Year.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshua

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/znwhfg8/articles/zh77vk7