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Judaism

God, Torah, and Israel

Although definitions of “Judaism” as a religious tradition vary, they often involve a combination of commitments to monotheistic belief, sacred texts, and the social and cultural histories and traditions of Jewish people.... Read more about God, Torah, and Israel

God: Biblical Monotheism

In the ancient Near East, the Jewish theology of one singular, universal God represented a synthesis of existing beliefs and an influential innovation in the history of the world’s religions.... Read more about God: Biblical Monotheism

Torah: Covenant and Constitution

The Torah, the central Jewish scripture, provides Judaism with its history, theology, and a framework for ethics and practice. Torah technically refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). However, it colloquially refers to all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, also called the Tanakh. ... Read more about Torah: Covenant and Constitution

Israel: Jewish Nationhood

Israel has existed for Jews as a physical historical homeland and as a term that refers to the shared identity, history, and culture of the Jewish “tribe,” “family,” or “people.” The Jewish “nation,” whether metaphorical or literal, has provided some modern Jews with the opportunity to define Judaism as a shared history, culture, and religion.... Read more about Israel: Jewish Nationhood

Post-Biblical Religion

After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, Jewish rabbis developed a system of Jewish ethics (including laws of justice, dietary laws, and a yearly cycle of holidays) and refashioned Jewish practice to center on the synagogue, or “house of assembly,” and the home.... Read more about Post-Biblical Religion

Rabbinic Text

The Jewish commentaries and interpretations of the Bible, ranging from legal codes to rabbinic dialogues, from philosophical inquiry to folklore, collectively form the Talmud. The earliest commentary is called the Mishnah, while the later commentary on and elaboration of the Mishnah is called the Gemara, taken together these two commentaries make up the Talmud. Talmudic Midrash, another genre of rabbinic writing, also includes stories, philosophical explications, and historical writing.... Read more about Rabbinic Text

Kabbalah and Hasidism

Kabbalah, the mystical tradition within Judaism, includes the modern Hasidic movement, which emerged out of the charismatic Jewish communities of 18th century Eastern Europe. Kabbalistic practice concerns the potential involvement of God in the world through messianic figures and the spiritual reading of Jewish texts and laws.... Read more about Kabbalah and Hasidism

Diaspora Community

Throughout their history, Jews have been forced to flee from their homelands into galut, or exile, creating distinct and prominent communities in Babylonia, Germany, and Iberia. Diaspora, or dispersion, created Jewish communities such as the Ashkenazi (German) and Sephardic (Iberian) communities. These communities are still recognizable far afield and centuries after their creation, even in the United States.... Read more about Diaspora Community

Modern Jewish Culture

Judaism’s syncretic interaction with the European Enlightenment created the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment). From the Haskalah came the contemporary Jewish Reform, Conservative, and neo-Orthodox movements, as well as Zionism, a political form of Jewish expression that some considered “secular” (that is, divorced from theistic belief or Jewish practice).... Read more about Modern Jewish Culture

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