An Introduction to Judaism

1. An Introduction to Judaism

2. The Jewish Tribe • Being Jewish means you’re a Member of the Tribe, started by Abraham and Sarah, about 4,000 years ago. • You can become a member of the Jewish tribe in two ways: • Being born to a Jewish mother • Joining through a series of rituals (converting)

3. Judaism • Judaism isn’t: • A race • A particular culture • An ethnic group • A nation • A religion • Judaism is: • A set of beliefs, practices, and ethics based on the Torah • You can practice Judaism and be Jewish, and you can be a Jew and not practice Judaism

4. What’s in a name? • The word “Jewish” does not come from the Bible • Hebrews (“Children of Israel”) • Escaped from slavery in Egypt (Book of Exodus) • Belonged to one of the 12 tribes of Israel • 10 of the 12 tribes were dispersed by the Assyrians (8th century BCE) • The tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin remained as the Southern Kingdom Judea

5. Judea fell to the Babylonians • People were exiled • Known as the Judah-ites (Yehudim), people of Judah • Yehudim = Jews (in Hebrew) • Their religion was Judah-ism, which became Judaism

6. Types of Jews • Most Jews identify with one of the two groups: • Ashkenazi and Sephardi • Ashkenazi • Descendants of Jews living in Europe • Primarily interacted with European Christian cultures, which strongly influenced the Ashkenazi culture • Majority of Jews

7. Sephardi • Descendants of Jews who lived in Spain • After expulsion in the fifteenth century, they traveled to North Africa, Italy, Turkey, and the Middle East • Over the past 500 years, the Sephardim primarily interacted with Muslims, especially African and Arab Muslims • Much of the Sephardi culture is based on those cultures

8. Analogy of the Tree • While Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices, there are many different beliefs and practices • Similar to a tree with many branches • Common trunk and root system • Each denomination is its own branch • Each synagogue is its own twig

9. Branches • Biggest branches of the tree: • Orthodox • Conservative • Reform • Non-Religious • Smaller branches: • Reconstructionist • Renewal • Secular Humanistic

10. Orthodox Jews see it differently: • Orthodoxy is the whole tree • What everyone else is doing is something else entirely • Maybe a whole other tree, but not one practicing Judaism • Biggest difference: • Orthodox Jews – the Torah was literally given by God to Moses, word for word • Liberal Jews – The Torah and the halakha/halachah (Jewish law) may have been divinely inspired, but were translated by humans influenced by their own time and place • Hold to elements that feel like Truth and principals that are affirmed as Truth • Search for other pieces that need to be involved

11. Orthodox Jews • All Orthodox Jews accept the Torah as the word of God • Orthodox = “correct belief” or “proper doctrine” • “Modern Orthodox” • Approve of many aspects of modern, secular culture (clothes, music, etc.) • “Ultra-Orthodox” • Tend to isolate themselves from modern culture

12. Clothing • Why do some Orthodox Jews wear all that black? • In mourning for the destruction of the Second Temple • Ultra-Orthodox Jews • Long black coats, black hats, white stockings, old-style shoes • Minimize contact with the outside world • No television, radios (unless set to religious programming), no movies, no internet • “Why even be tempted?”

13. Synagogues • Many Orthodox synagogues • Must walk to synagogue on Sabbath • Each congregation has its own culture, ideas, interpretations, and style • Ex. “Don’t round off the corner of your beard” • One rabbi says it means don’t cut the earlocks (the hair that grows to the side of the forehead) • Another rabbi says that means you can’t shave

14. Breakaway Denominations – Liberal Judaism • Traditional Jews avoid applying interpretations of Torah, Talmud, and halakha to modern issues • 19th century – • The sources aren’t actually Divine but human responses to Divine inspiration • If human creations, they should be inspected, judged, and understood to be affected by their time and place of creation • Some passages were more meaningful for that age than others • Responsibility to find out what is relevant in their own time

15. Reform Judaism • Largest Jewish group in America • Belief – Jews have the responsibility to educate themselves • Make decisions about their spiritual practice based on conscience rather than relying on external law • Social and ethical action based on the writings of the Prophets rather than ritual observance of the Torah and the halakha • Strip away what is unessential – the kernel of the tradition • Seat men and women together • Very few dietary laws • Instrumental music at Sabbath services • First Jewish movement to ordain women as rabbis

16. Conservative Judaism • Like the Goldilocks and the Three Bears • The Reform movement went too far in rejection of traditional observance • The Orthodox communities were unrealistic in restrictions regarding modern life • Respect Jewish laws, like keeping kosher, observing Sabbath and other religious holidays, performing daily prayers • Agree with Reform movement that halakha has its basis in history and should be reconsidered • Ex. Jews who live too far from a synagogue can drive there (but are encouraged to walk)

17. Famous Jews! • Comics: Joe Siegel and Jerry Shuster – invented Superman; Stan Lee – invented Spiderman; Jack Kirby – invented The Hulk and The X-Men; Bob Kane – invented Batman • Musicians: Neal Diamond, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel • Gangsters: Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, and Lee Harvey Oswald’s killer Jack Ruby • Authors: Al Franken, Franz Kafka, Ayn Rand • Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Goldie Hawn, Kirk Douglas, Adam Sandler • Athletes: Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz, baseball star Sandy Koufax • Famous mime Marcel Marceau; escape artist Harry Houdini; communist Leo Trostsky, cosmologist Carl Sagan

18. Judaism and God • First tradition to teach monotheism • Only one God • First of the 10 Commandments • One unknowable, universal, image-less Being, who, because the universe is framed in love, requires justice of human beings

19. A Religion of Deed • Focuses on the way in which you practice and live in the world • The only way to keep the Covenant is to live by the laws set out by God • Belief is not enough • Belief is most significant in light of the actions motivated by that belief

20. Arguing with God • Question in order to learn more deeply • Ex. Abraham argued with God for the sake of the righteous citizens in Sodom and Gomorrah • Israel = “One who wrestles with God” • Explore their own personal relationship with God

21. Names of God • More than a mere distinguishing title • Each name of God refers to an aspect or quality of the Divine. The name defines the ways humans experience God rather than limiting God’s unity. • Most traditional Jews won’t write out the word “God,” so many Jewish books and periodicals print it “G-d” • It ensures that a name of God won’t be defaced if the paper is ripped up, soiled, or thrown away

22. The Divine Name • Tetragrammaton, the name of four letters • YHVH • Occurrs most frequently (6,823 times) • Hebrew Bible – no vowels • Unknown pronunciation • Jehovah • Yahweh • Means “He is,” “He will be,” or “He lives” • He is the living God, as opposed to the lifeless gods of the heathen, and he is the source and author of life • Considered to be too sacred to be uttered • Replaced with “Adonai” (my Lord) or “Ha-Shem” (the Name)

23. Elohim • Second most frequently used name • Plural form of the noun • Eloah = God • Elohim ≠ Gods, always refers to the singular “One” and takes verbs and adjectives meant for a singular noun • To be explained as the plural of majesty or excellence, expressing high dignity or greatness • Refers to the Immanent, the Spark of Divinity which awakens within each and every expression of the One Being • Reminds people that what they see as lots of individual forms (people, animals, plants, etc.) are all part of the One

24. Used chiefly in poetry and prophetic discourse, rarely in prose, and then usually with some epithet attached, as "a jealous God." Other examples of its use with some attribute are: El 'Elyon - "most high God" El Shaddai - "God Almighty" El 'Olam - "everlasting God" El Ḥai - "living God” El Ro'i - "God of seeing" El Elohe Israel - "God, the God of Israel" El Gibbor "Hero God" El

25. Beyond the Name • Any attempt to know God is bound to fail, but people try • The God of the philosophers • Different in degree and essence from humankind • Prime mover, the “Uncaused Cause,” the God of reason and intellect • The God of the mystics • Complementary relationship with humankind • Interrelationship between God and person, affecting each other • The God of the believer (generations of Jews who contributed to the continuity and expansion of Judaism) • The One who Creates, the One who Reveals, the One who Redeems

26. God who Creates • Two versions: • God started the Big Bang and then walked away from the universe, letting it unfold like a scientist watching an experiment • God is a more careful Creator. When God decided to create the world, He opened the Torah scroll and read the beginning of Genesis as though the Torah were an instruction manual or set of blueprints

27. God Reveals • Each Jew is responsible for his or her own interpretations, even if it means arguing with God • It’s important interpret – or reinterpret – the words of the Torah • Revelation is the channel through which a human being “hears” the Divine word • Always happening, waiting for humans to be sensitive enough to receive and understand the message

28. God Redeems • Redemption is different from the Christian idea of salvation from sin • Christians tend to see it as a result of right belief rather than acts • Key redemptive event: exodus from Egypt • God redeemed the Children of Israel from the great hardships of enslavement, celebrated every year during Passover • Essential journey of a People in quest of their God • People have a responsibility for following godly paths and living in accord with principles of justice and compassion, in service to the One God • Path to redemption: healing of the world through a lifelong series of socially responsible actions and intentional blessings

29. Types of Redemption • Metaphor for personal redemption from exile/slavery (addictive behavior, bad habits, anger, fear, etc.) • Redemption will come all at once to the entire People of Israel, or the entire world • Redemption of humankind brought by a Jewish king called the Messiah • All Jews will return to the ways of the Torah and be led out of exile to return to the land of Israel