Judaism
Highlights for Early Childhood Teachers
How old is Judaism? About 4,000 years old
Where did it originate? In the land of Ur, in what is now Iraq
Where is Judaism practiced today? The largest Jewish populations are in North America, France, Russia, Great Britain, and Israel.
How many Jews are there worldwide? 13 million
How many Jews are there in the United States? Close to 6 million
Where do Jewish people worship? Synagogues are the center of Jewish community life. The Sabbath is celebrated in most Jewish homes on Friday night, as are many holidays.
What are some of the important Jewish writings? The Tanach, or Old Testament of the Bible, and the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, tell the history of the Jewish people and give guidance for everyday life. The Torah is written on scrolls. The Talmud is a collection of stories, laws and writings about morality and faith.
Who are the major deities or prophets in this religion? Jews believe in one God. There are many prophets, such as Deborah, Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha.
What are some of the important beliefs and values of Judaism?
The most basic Jewish belief is that there is one, all-powerful God who created all that exists.
The Ten Commandments form the core of Jewish values.
What are some important traditions and practices?
There are three main branches of Judaism, each with somewhat differing practices.
Orthodox Jews uphold traditional Jewish practices, such as following kosher laws, rules developed from the Torah, about what foods they can and cannot eat. Men cover their heads with a yarmulke. Men and women sit separately in synagogue and say prayers in Hebrew. Orthodox Jews also believe that God gave the Torah directly to Moses and that it has come to them unchanged. The whole Torah includes both the written Torah and the oral tradition of interpreting the passages. Approximately 7% of American Jews are Orthodox.
Conservative Jews are somewhere between Reform and Orthodox Jews in their beliefs. They believe Jewish writings came from God, but were transmitted by people and contain human elements. It is primarily an American form of Judaism, in which people generally follow traditional laws, but have made some modifications based on modern conveniences. There is great variation among conservative groups.
Jews follow a lunar calendar, adding a thirteenth month periodically, to coincide with the solar calendar. Jews have rituals to celebrate birth, marriage, death, and coming of age. When girls turn 12 they celebrate bat mitzvah and boys celebrate bar mitzvah at 13. There is a special service at the synagogue, including readings and chants in Hebrew from the Torah.
What are some important holidays, holy days, or festivals?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. During Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah, Jews prepare by examining and reflecting on their actions of the past year. Rosh Hashanah includes ten days of repentance.
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when Jews ask to be forgiven for wrongs they have done during the year.
Passover or Pesach, is the celebration of the Jews deliverance from slavery with the help of God. Passover lasts eight days in the spring, with the highpoint being the Seder meal. At this meal certain ritual foods are eaten and the youngest child in the group asks several questions. The answers tell the story of the Israelites escape from slavery.
Hanukah is a winter holiday that commemorates the ancient story of the rededication of a Jewish Temple. The small amount of oil in the temple burned for eight days. Today Jews light eight candles on a menorah to represent the miracle of the oil.
Are there any dietary restrictions?
Orthodox Jews do not eat pork or shellfish. Meat must be slaughtered and prepared in a certain way, and meat and dairy are not to be eaten during the same meal.
Are their practices or beliefs that might not coincide with early childhood or public school functions and routines?
Holy day celebrations do not fall at the same time as traditional American school breaks.
Orthodox Jewish children do not eat pork or shellfish. Meat and dairy at the same meal is forbidden. During Passover Jews do not eat products made with yeast.
Some Orthodox Jews dress conservatively, not allowing girls to wear shorts or pants, even for sports activities.
A few children’s books on Judaism:
Chwast, S. (2005). Had Gadya: A Passover song. Brookfield, Connecticut: Roaring Brook Press.
Cooper, I. (2002). Jewish holidays all year round. New York: Henry Holt.
Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (2000). Celebrating Passover. New York: Holiday House.
Musleah, R. (2000). Why on this night? A Passover Haggadah for Family Celebration. NY: Brown.
Oberman, S. (1994). The always prayer shawl. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press.
Polacco, P. (1996). The trees of the dancing goats. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.