Judaism Overview: Key Concepts and Figures

Monotheism

Belief in one God

Judaism

God: Referred to by Jews as Hashem, Adonai, or Elohim
Jerusalem: Sacred city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims; site of the 1st and 2nd Temples
Abraham: Hebrew bible patriarch and father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Moses: Led the exodus of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt
Exile: Distance from God and distance from home; the central problem in Judaism
Return: The solution to the core problem of exile in Judaism
Exodus: Influential biblical story narrating the escape of Moses and the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land
Western Wall: Sole remnant of the second temple in Jerusalem and a sacred pilgrimage site for Jews
Ten Commandments: Laws given by God to Moses on Mt Sinai
Tikkun Olam: Repair the world
Messiah: Figure who will come at the end of times, restore the Jews to the promised land, rebuild the temple and inaugurate a peaceful and just world
Israelite Religion: Focused on priestly sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple
Synagogue: Jewish house of worship
Rabbinic Judaism: Text-oriented religious tradition of Jews today that developed around the time of the destruction of the second temple
Rabbi: Teacher, scholar, and religious leader in Judaism
Tanakh: Written Torah; acronym for its three parts, Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim
Torah: Sacred text containing the story of the Israelites; also called the five books of Moses
Talmud: Authoritative collection of Torah interpretation
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform: Three branches of Judaism
Kosher: Adhering to kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws
Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Ritual celebration marking the coming of age of a Jewish child, at which time the person takes on the religious responsibilities of an adult
Shabbat: Day of spiritual renewal and rest. Beginning at sunset on Friday and closing at nightfall on Saturday.
Kippah or Yarmulke: The skullcap head covering worn by Jewish men and some Jewish women
Yom Kippur: Jewish Day of Atonement
Shoah/Holocaust: A persecution and attempted genocide of Jews during World War II.
Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year
Israel: The Jewish nation-state formed in Palestine following WW2
Passover: Holiday commemorating the Exodus story
Hanukkah: Jewish festival of lights, which lasts eight days
Zionism: Movement to create a Jewish homeland in the holy land

Christianity

Atonement: The reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ
Sin: State of separation from God and an act of wrongdoing; said by Christians to be wiped away by the death of Jesus
Salvation: Liberation from sin, the Christian religious goal
Christ: The Greek term for 'Messiah.' It means 'the anointed one.'
Paul: Letter writer and early Christian missionary
Constantine: Roman Emperor who embraced Christianity and helped transform it into a world religion
Nicene Creed: A statement of beliefs upheld by most Christians, first established in the year 325
The Great Schism: The permanent split between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches
Protestant Reformation: Religious movement of the 16th century that criticized the authority of the Catholic Church, resulting in the creation of Protestant Christianity
Martin Luther: Catholic monk and Bible professor whose criticism launched the Protestant Reformation
Holy Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Islam

God: Allah
2nd Largest Religion: Islam
Muslims: People who practice Islam
Quran: Sacred text of Islam
Muhammad: The final Prophet of Islam, who received the Quran from the angel Gabriel
Pride: Major problem facing humanity that is addressed by Islam
Submission: The solution to the problem of pride, offered through Islam
Sunni & Shi'a: Two main branches within Islam which divided over questions of leadership
Sunni Islam: The larger of the two branches of Islam (approx. 90%), which emphasizes consensus and qualifications when choosing leaders
Shia Islam: Minority branch of Islam now dominant in Iran
Five Pillars: Five key Islamic practices:
- Shahada, or 'witnessing' that 'there is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God'
- five daily prayers
- almsgiving
- fasting during the month of Ramadan
- Hajj
Eid: Muslim festival coming at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
Mecca: Saudi Arabian city, the sacred center of the Muslim world, and the home of the Kaaba shrine around which the annual hajj revolves
Kaaba: The cubic House of God in Mecca toward which observant Muslims pray every day and around which pilgrims walk during the hajj. Typically covered in an ornate black cloth, it includes a sacred black stone said to have fallen from heaven.
The Six Articles of Faith: Six key Islamic beliefs, namely one God, angels, divine books, prophets, the Day of Judgement, and divine decree