Living Religions - Judaism

Judaism began over 4,000 years ago in the ancient land of Ur, in what is now Iraq.  Abraham was a shepherd who wrestled with the idea of one God.  God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to bless him and his wife, Sarah.  God led them to a faraway land called Canaan and from that day forward Abraham and his descendants believed in only one God, a God who enters every human life in a personal way.  This was a new idea and made Judaism different from all other religions of the time.  The descendants of Abraham and Sarah, the Israelistes, had to flee to Egypt during the famine.
   Moses was another leader of the Israelites and led them out of Egypt back to Canaan, the Promised Land.  You may recall how Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea so the people could cross safely.  The Children of Israel traveled for 40 years in the desert, during which time God gave Moses the Ten Commandants, which became the core of Judaism's holy book called the Tanach (Bible).  The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah, which means "teaching." The Torah contains some of humanity's greatest stories, including the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.  The nation of Israel was founded in 1948 amid great conflict from its neighbors.  Many Jews from around the world came to this new country to make it their home.
   The beliefs of Judaism have not changed for 4,000 years.  Since the 1800's Judaism has branched into three large groups:  Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Judaism. Saturday is the day of worship for the Jews and the temple and religious holidays are very important.  The Jewish lineage comes down from the mother.  When a young person comes of age at thirteen, he or she has a special ceremony to celebrate the rite of passage into adulthood. People of Judaism feel they are all one family no matter where they may go.  They are connected to God and to their history.