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 Jewish holidays include both Biblical and Rabbinic observances. Biblical days include the weekly Shabbat, considered the most important such day. There are the Three Pilgrimage Festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Shemini Atzeret. The High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are times of repentance and prayer. Rosh Chodesh, the first day of each month, has some significance as well. Rabbinic enactments include Hanukkah and Purim, both celebrating religious and military victories. (Read more...) More featured articles... Did You Know? Did you know... ... that the Jewish Orphanage of Berlin-Pankow (pictured) was originally intended to be a home for refugee children who escaped pogroms after the assassination of Alexander II of Russia? ... that some of the most active parents in the Orthodox Jewish day school founded by Rabbi David Rebibo in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1965 were members of the local Reform temple? ... that Da-Don took the office of chief rabbi of Croatia in 1998, more than fifty years since the last office-holder? ... that Peter Feldmann is the first politician of the Jewish faith to be elected mayor of Frankfurt since World War II? ... that about 40 Jews live in Mauritius as of 2006? 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 History Article The Zagreb Synagogue was the main place of worship for the Jewish community of Zagreb in modern-day Croatia, from its construction in 1867 in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia within the Austrian Empire, until its demolition by the fascist authorities in 1941 in the Axis-aligned Independent State of Croatia. The Moorish Revival synagogue was located on modern-day Praška Street and has been the only purpose-built Jewish house of worship in the history of the city. It was one of the city's most prominent public buildings, as well as one of the most esteemed examples of synagogue architecture in the region. Since the 1980s, plans have been made to rebuild the synagogue in its original location, but due to various political circumstances, very limited progress has been made. The current major disagreements which inhibit the construction of a new synagogue concern the involvement of Jewish organizations in the reconstruction and the design and character of the new building. (Read more...) More history articles... 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 “ God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean. ” — Albert Einstein More quotations... 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