judaismin

Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions, tracing its origins to the covenant between the God of Israel and the ancient people of Israel, traditionally dated to the Bronze Age. Jews, the followers, regard the Hebrew Bible, especially the Torah, as sacred; rabbinic literature like the Mishnah and Talmud interprets and expands these laws. Central beliefs include belief in one God, a chosen relationship with the Jewish people, and living according to commandments (mitzvot) that govern ritual, ethical conduct, and daily life.

Practice centers include synagogues, study houses, and family life. Core observances include Shabbat (the weekly day of rest), kashrut dietary laws, and lifecycle events such as brit milah and bar/bat mitzvah. Major festivals mark historical events: Passover celebrates liberation from Egypt; Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, and Purim.

Historically, Rabbinic Judaism emerged after the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE), emphasizing Torah study and communal worship on the Sabbath. Over two millennia, Judaism diversified into movements such as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist, with global communities rooted in Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi traditions.

In the modern era, Judaism has been shaped by the state of Israel, the Holocaust, and diasporic communities that maintain religious, cultural, and linguistic ties through Hebrew and Yiddish and other languages. The religion emphasizes ethics, learning, and continuity of Jewish communal life across generations.