Judaism misconceptions

JUDAISM MISCONCEPTIONS

1. What is judaism (definition, history)
2. Misconceptions

Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions and was founded over 3500 years ago in the Middle East.

Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.

Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.

They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.

The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People...

• The Jews keep God's laws
• The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives.

 THE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE JEWISH BIBLE.

-        It is based on the strange idea that Judaism simply stops at the end of the Old Testament period and Christianity simply takes over.

-       So by reading the Old Testament you can simply see what Jews believe.

-       So people think that the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament are different names for the same books.

-       In fact, Jewish readings of the Hebrew Bible are different from those of Christians and its structure is also different from the Christian Old Testament (its larger).

-       In terms of stories what really defines Judaism are the stories of the Rabbis (are one who studies Jewish law or a Jewish religious leader) and their interpretation of Biblical stories.

-       But of course the Biblical Judaism, with its focus on animal sacrifice, , its severe punishments is not the Judaism that it is practiced today.

-       Judaism is developing tradition that has evolved and adapted to meet new the  changing times.

-       There is always, of course, tension around how much Judaism should change, before it ends to be true to its origins.

• Jesus was Jewish and he would have had a Bar Mitzvah (is Hebrew for “son of commandment.” When a Jewish boy turns 13, he has all the rights and obligations of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah. (Chabad, 2018))

This is a misconception that is common in church schools when justifying why they are doing Judaism. In fact there were no Bar Mitzvahs until the tenth century – a thousand years after Jesus.  

• We teach about Passover to help us understand Easter. (The Passover is the Jewish celebration of God’s liberating the Israelites from Egyptian slavery in 1513 B.C.E. God commanded the Israelites to remember that important event each year on the 14th day of the Jewish month Abib, which was later called Nisan)

The word “Passover” refers to the time when God spared the Israelites from the calamity that killed every firstborn in Egypt. (Exodus 12:27;13:15) Before God carried out this devastating plague, he told the Israelites to splash the blood of a slaughtered lamb or goat on their doorways. (Exodus 12:21, 22, footnote) God would see this sign and “pass over” their homes and spare their firstborn.​—Exodus 12:​7, 13.

It cannot be denied that there is a link between Passover and Easter in the Christian mind but there is no such link in the Jewish mind – they don’t even fall on the same day (or not very often).

• Hanukah is the Jewish Christmas

No it isn’t! It is true that some Jews try to make Hanukah a substitute for Christmas so their children don’t feel left out but really it is a minor not a major festival. The festival of Hanukah really only happens in the evening when the candles are lit. There may be small presents for each day but there may not.  

And Jesus wouldn’t have celebrated Hanukah. It was revived by the Rabbis in the 5th Century but wasn’t kept by the Pharisees or early Christians.

• ALL JEWS FOLLOW THE JEWISH RELIGION

·      It is a misconception in the way that:

·      Jews are an ethnic group as well as a religious group. Therefore, you might identify yourself as Jewish but not religious. But, you couldn’t be considered religious Jewish unless you were ethnically Jewish or had become Jewish.

·           Jews have a large population of what are called secular Jews. Exà 42% of Israeli Jews consider themselves secular.

·           People who consider themselves Jewish but not religious or who don’t believe in God are Sometimes called “Atheist Jews”. This doesn’t mean they abandon Jewish practices completely.

·       Also, converting to Judaism is not an easy task. Because of this, Jews appear to be narrow and often reject people who wish to join in their faith. It will just take some work and you need to be accepted by the community as well.

·       Also in the Nazi Germany some misconceptions of Jews by the were created to degrade and humiliate them and it gave rise to racial theories that suggested a biological difference in them.

•  Man is what man eats. The word kosher is familiar and, at the same time, foreign. One may think of strict rules and religious regulations.Jews keep Kosher because it is healthier (Kosher: means suitable and/or “pure”, thus ensuring fitness for consumption. The laws of Kosher include a comprehensive legislation concerning permitted and forbidden foods) Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut (dietary law), primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

In terms of keeping kosher , it helps to be knowledgeable about the various levels of this practice found in different segments of the Jewish community. This can help you decide what kosher practices you want to observe and also help you communicate better with others about how to eat together. If you’re invited to a meal in someone else’s home, it’s always best to ask before making any assumptions about their kosher practices. And when you’re inviting someone else to your home for a meal, it’s entirely appropriate to be upfront and specific about how you keep kosher, so that your guests are able to decide for themselves if they’re comfortable eating at your house.

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