Key beliefs

• God


  • One Creator
  • Law-giver
  • Judge
• Judaism is a monotheistic religion
• Shema


  • Major Jewish prayer affirming belief in one God
  • Teaches how Jews should respect God
  • Opens with "Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• The Shema consists of three passages made up of verses from Numbers and Deuteronomy, the fourth and fifth books of the Torah
• Prayer is one of the ways that Jews can experience God's presence
• Mezuzah


  A small capsule containing a scroll with quotes from the Torah, attached to the doorposts of Jewish homes
• Inside a mezuzah are scrolls which have the Shema written on them
• God


  Jews believe in one God, who created the world
• Covenant


  Jews have a special relationship with God because of covenants they have made with him, which began with God's promise to Abraham
• Genesis, the first book of the Torah, explains Jewish religious teaching about how the world was created
• Creation story in Genesis

  1. God said 'There shall be light'

  2. God separated light and dark to make day and night

  3. God made men and women on the sixth day
• Creation story in Genesis

  • God gave humans dominion over his creation, meaning that humans have a special responsibility to lead creation and look after the earth
  • God commanded the first humans to reproduce and fill the earth with people
• Interpretations of the creation story in Genesis

  • Orthodox Jews and Haredi Jews read it literally
  • Other Jews see it as an allegory
• Orthodox Jews and Haredi Jews believe God created the world exactly as described in Genesis
• Other Jews who see Genesis as an allegory are able to accept scientific theories about creation such as the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution
• According to Genesis 1, God created human beings on the sixth day
• God


  Jews believe in one God, who created the world
• Covenant


  Jews believe they have a special relationship with God because of covenants they have made with him, which began with God's promise to Abraham
• Mitzvot


  Religious laws that help Jews live in a way that pleases God
• There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah that give Jewish people detailed instructions about many aspects of daily life
• Torah


  Law; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud
• The word 'Torah' means 'Law' in Hebrew
• Afterlife


  After they die, God will judge each person on how well they have kept his laws. Those who have followed God's laws will be rewarded but those who have not will be punished
• Ten Commandments


  Ten important rules for people to live by, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy
• The Ten Commandments


  • You shall have no other gods besides me
  • You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness
  • You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God
  • Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
  • Honour your father and mother
  • You shall not commit adultery
  • You shall not steal
  • You shall not commit murder
  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
  • You shall not covet
• The Ten Commandments are included in the 613 mitzvot found in the Torah
• Jewish people follow 613 commandments (mitzvot)
• Shekhinah


  Jews believe that God continues to work in the world today through his divine presence
• The word 'Shekhinah' does not appear in the Hebrew scriptures, but the Torah includes many descriptions where humans experience a divine presence
• Experiences of divine presence in the Torah

  • God's presence in Gan Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge
  • God's presence guiding Moses through the wilderness to the Promised Land
  • God's presence in the tabernacle where God could dwell among the Israelites
• Ways Jews can experience the presence of God today

  • Study
  • Worship
  • Prayer
• Study


  Jews believe they can connect with God by studying Jewish scripture, which they may do in a yeshiva or at home
• Worship


  Connecting with God through worshipping together began with the creation of the tabernacle. Nowadays, Jewish people worship together in the synagogue. The ner tamid burns continuously to show that God is always present.
• Prayer


  The Talmud states that when ten or more Jews are gathered in prayer, God is present. Jews refer to this group prayer as a minyan.
• Some Orthodox Jews refer to Shekhinah as a physical presence, and believe that God's presence can be felt at the Western Wall
• Some Reform Jews believe that the term Shekhinah refers to attributes of God that were traditionally thought of as feminine, such as being caring or loving
• Messiah


  The promised deliverer of the Hebrew nation at the end of times who will lead the world into an age of peace and understanding
• Mashiach


  The Hebrew word for Messiah, meaning 'anointed one'
• Characteristics of the Messiah

  • Descended from King David
  • A great leader
  • A political leader and judge
  • Will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
  • Will bring about the end of war so that everyone can live in peace
  • Will unite all people regardless of differences like religion or culture
  • Will bring a true awareness of God to all people
  • Will signal the end of the world
• Olam ha-ba


  The Hebrew name for the spiritual afterlife and the Messianic age