Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world, having originated in the Middle East more than 3,000 years ago with patriarch Abraham.
As the first Abrahamic religion, Judaism has played a major role in shaping the history of the world, having greatly influenced the development of Christianity and Islam, despite having always had a relatively small amount of adherents by comparison.
The religion itself is built off of the "written Torah" of the Bible, known in Judaism as the Tanach, and the "oral Torah" of the Mishna, Talmud and other great works of leading rabbis throughout history.
Judaism itself has no single leading figure, and is divided into multiple streams, such as the ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Further differences also exist along the lines of historic Diasporic communities, such as Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewry.
Today, the largest concentration of adherents of Judaism can be found in Israel, with the US having the second-largest.
A new doc sheds light on Shyne and where he’s been, including the former rapper’s response to the sex-trafficking scandal from his mentor Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Michael Kagan played a role in transforming the state through his varied ventures as a scientist, entrepreneur, poet, documentarian, playwright, teacher, and more.
The continued erosion of trust in the rabbinate risks polarizing and marginalizing Judaism within Israeli society even further. The new chief rabbis have a historic opportunity to reverse this trend.
There is a way to respect the sanctity of life of those with a terminal diagnosis while withholding or removing impediments to a peaceful death.
There is an umbilical cord connecting the communities. When Israel aches, so too does Diaspora Jewry.
The movie recently made its US debut in New York City and Los Angeles and is now opening in theaters across the country.
Each person saw the value in the other person’s path, and adopted elements of the other’s ethos.
Jews do not accept the world that is. They challenge it in the name of the world that ought to be. Walk ahead. Take personal responsibility. Judaism is God’s call to responsibility.
No spiritual experience, no matter how lofty, takes precedence over simple acts of kindness, such as welcoming guests, visiting the sick.
JPOST Digital Library
