Judaism Presentation
Slide1: introduction
Judaism is a religion in which the Jewish people subscribe to. It is considered one of the oldest religions in existence today
Slide 2: Relationship with God/Torah
Torah is the holy book in Judaism which is believed to have been revealed to Moses by God at Mount Sinai. This book contains several instructions from God to the children of Israel. There are a total of 613 commandments which are revealed in the book. But it is only 10 out of the 613 which are considered important essential to everyone. These are the Ten Commandments which are commonly known.
Slide 3: history of sacred texts
There are texts in the Jewish religion considered sacred based on particular symbolic events they represent. The dates may not be accurate but are an approximation of the time in which the events occurred. The first sacred text is found in the book of Genesis where God drives out Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after the sinning. This is believed to have occurred in 5000 BCE. The beginning of Jewish year count is also considered sacred and it is believed that counting for the Jewish year began in 4000 BCE. The story of Abraham occurred in 2000 BCE. The story of Moses and the liberation of Israelites from Egypt occurred between 1500 and 1350 BC. It is also believed that Torah was revealed to Moses in 1200 BC.
Slide 4: The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments are fundamental with regards to the Jewish way of life and worship to God. These commandments are essential and apply to all humanity due to their timeless and universal nature. They offer a standard of right and wrong which should be followed by anyone, be it Jews or gentiles. The Ten Commandments basically include orders to worship God only, observe the Sabbath, and prohibiting people against adultery, theft, idolatry, blasphemy, and coveting.
Slide 5: Jerusalem
The Jewish people still consider Jerusalem to the holiest city. Basically, it is the spiritual point and the focus of the Jews. The city is even mentioned in ritualistic prayers such as the Amidah prayer, grace after meal, and in thanks giving blessings. According to Judaism, Jerusalem will in the future become the spiritual capital and the center of worship in the world.
Slide 6: the nation of Israel
Israel is the land in which God promised Abraham in the book of genesis. It is central to Judaism and Jewish people. Jerusalem is the capital city and it contains various places of worship
Slide 7: Different sects of Judaism
Judaism has 3 major sects; this includes: orthodox, conservatives, and reformed. Orthodox believes that both oral and written aspect of Torah was revealed to Moses by God. Conservatives believe that Torah has some human element in it and it is not entirely from God while the reformed believe that Torah was written by men.
Slide 8: The holocaust
Since the holocaust affected Jews, it generated various views and beliefs with regards to God. Some people believed that the holocaust was a form punishment in which the Jews of that generation received. Since God is the supreme judge of all mankind he has the right to judge humans how he wants.
Slide 9: Holidays in Judaism
The Jews celebrate various days in remembrance of events that occurred in the past. They celebrate the Passover to remember liberation from slavery in Egypt. Their New Year celebration is called Rosh Hashanah, which is done in remembrance of God’s creation. Yom Kippur is celebrated at the close of days of repentance. This is a very important and sacred day in the Jewish world. They also celebrate Yom Kashoa in commemoration of the holocaust.
Slide 10: sacred practices
There are numerous rituals performed in Judaism. Some of the common ones include throwing bread into water to symbolize throwing of one’s sins. They also eat apple and honey on the New Year as a sweet and nice way of starting the New Year. With regards to food, they only eat kosher food which is said to conform to the laws of Judaism.
Slide 11: Judaism today
Historically, it was believed that God established covenants with the children of Israel. Initially, the laws and covenants were believed to have been revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai. However, due to the existence of several sects and sub groups in the religion, different perceptions and opinions with regards to torah emerged. Today, the religion is divided into various sects and movements which have already been mentioned.
References
Barron, S. (2002). Moses and Judaism (Great Religious Leaders). North Mankato: Smart Apple Media
Basic Beliefs of Judaism." Minnesota State University, Mankato. Retrieved from <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/judaism/beliefs.html>.
Penney, S (1997). Judisam: Discovering Religons. Austin, Texas: Raintree steck- Vaughn.
Stein, H. (1984) The Holocaust, the Uncanny, and the Jewish Sense of History. Political Psychology,5(1) 5-35
