Portal:Judaism

Welcome to the Judaism Portal! Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה, Yehudah, "Judah") is the religion of the Jewish people, based on the principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), as further explored and explained in the Talmud. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still practiced today and is considered one of the world's first monotheistic faiths. At the core of Judaism is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. In 2007, the world Jewish population was estimated to be 13.2 million people—41 percent in Israel and the other 59 percent in the diaspora. The traditional criterion for membership in Judaism or the Jewish people has been being born to a Jewish mother or taking the path of conversion. Jewish tradition maintains that the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (c. 1800 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. According to the traditional Jewish belief, God also created another covenant with the Israelites (the ancestors of the Jewish people), and revealed his laws and commandments (Mitzvot) to them on Mount Sinai in the form of the Written Torah. Traditional Judaism also maintains that an Oral Torah was revealed at the same time and, after being passed down verbally for generations, was later transcribed in the Talmud. Laws, traditions, and learned Rabbis who interpret these texts and their numerous commentaries comprise the modern authority on Jewish tradition. While each Jew's level of observance varies greatly, the traditional practice of Judaism revolves around the study and observance of God's Mitzvot. More about Judaism... Selected Article A Kohen (plural: Kohanim) is a direct patrilineal descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses. In the times of the Temple, Kohanim performed nearly all of the services there, where they were divided into twenty-four family groups, and led by the Kohen Gadol. They also recite the Priestly Blessing to the congregation in synagogues. Kohanim receive twenty-four gifts, only a few of which apply today. They are given precedence in many matters, including the reading of the Torah. Kohanim are also subject to a few prohibitions, including marrying a divorcee and entering a cemetery. (Read more...) More featured articles... Did You Know? Did you know... ... that in the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations (pictured), names of the Holocaust rescuers are engraved on Walls of Honor according to country? ... that Rabbi Akiva Ehrenfeld, founder of Kiryat Mattersdorf, Jerusalem, was the guest of honor at an official reception hosted by the President of Austria in Vienna's Hofburg Palace in 1995? ... that Steve Pestka resigned his judgeship to run the real estate business his father developed after surviving the Holocaust? ... that the daughter of Candice Cohen-Ahnine is a Jewish-Saudi princess whom French President Nicolas Sarkozy attempted to bring to France, but failed? ... that 1930 Wimbledon Championships mixed doubles runner-up Daniel Prenn was of Jewish origin and thus got expelled from the Germany Davis Cup team and subsequently moved from Nazi Germany to England? More... Related Categories Jews Judaism Jewish history Jews and Judaism by region Jews and Judaism by country Jews and Judaism by city Jewish ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews topics Sephardi Jews topics Romaniote Jews topics Land of Israel Jewish nationalism Zionism Jewish society Jewish languages Jewish organizations Jewish education Jewish culture Category Secular Jewish culture not found Judaism-related controversies Antisemitism Jewish portrayals in media Judaic studies Jewish images Featured Articles A Rugrats Chanukah Acra (fortress) Anne Frank Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes Congregation Beth Elohim :David Lewis (politician) First Roumanian-American congregation Georg Cantor Issy Smith Joel Brand Mawza Exile Moe Berg Night (memoir) Rhodes blood libel Rudolf Vrba Sandy Koufax Temple Israel (Memphis, Tennessee) Temple Sinai (Oakland, California) Trembling Before G-d Related Portals Picture of the Week A mezuzah case Credit: Gryffindor (talk) More pictures... In the News Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth and member of the House of Lords, dies (7 November 2020) The Pittsburgher Rebbe, Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer dies of COVID-19 A peace agreement is reached between Israel and the UAE (13 August 2020) Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz dies, editor of the Steinsaltz Talmud (7 August 2020) Contribute... Featured Quote “ People often avoid making decisions out of fear of making a mistake. Actually, the failure to make decisions is one of life’s biggest mistakes. ” — Rabbi Noah Weinberg More quotations... Related WikiProjects Judaism Jewish History Israel Things You Can Do Contribute to this portal, especially the News section. Announce new articles related to Judaism. Explore, edit, and improve articles in Category:Judaism. Join WikiProject Judaism or WikiProject Israel. Explore and help out Portal:Israel and Portal:Kabbalah. Weekly Torah Portion Topics Wikimedia Portals