Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world, having originated in the Middle East more than 3,000 years ago with patriarch Abraham.
As the first Abrahamic religion, Judaism has played a major role in shaping the history of the world, having greatly influenced the development of Christianity and Islam, despite having always had a relatively small amount of adherents by comparison.
The religion itself is built off of the "written Torah" of the Bible, known in Judaism as the Tanach, and the "oral Torah" of the Mishna, Talmud and other great works of leading rabbis throughout history.
Judaism itself has no single leading figure, and is divided into multiple streams, such as the ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Further differences also exist along the lines of historic Diasporic communities, such as Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewry.
Today, the largest concentration of adherents of Judaism can be found in Israel, with the US having the second-largest.
PM Netanyahu approved the renovations and maintenance work after months of internal government discussions.
Footage filmed by a Syrian Jew showed that the pit was filled with sand and covered with cement.
When living outside of Israel, one can only understand Israel’s challenges in theory. Living here, one sees the soldiers and security forces all around.
The singer's publicist announced that she had died in a fire in her Minneapolis home.
On the heels of Remembrance Day and Independence Day, we are reminded that redemption is forged not only in the batei midrash but also in the trenches of war, in hospitals, and in homes.
Just as a bad word can destroy, a good word can build – and that, after all, is the purpose of creation: “The world will be built with kindness.”
As we move this week from Remembrance Day – when we risk drowning in sorrow – to Independence Day – when we soar in celebration – we carry both the tears and the triumphs with us.
Rabbi Deborah Waxman said this week that she will retire in next summer, opening the top job at a movement that has been rocked by tension over a growing strain of anti-Zionism.
The local Likud party branch in Ra'anana organized a demonstration against the Remembrance Day event.
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