Judaism

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.

Tisha B'Av reminds us that rebuilding Israel begins with education - opinion

Perhaps the rebuilding of Jerusalem begins when we become what Isaiah called repairers of the breach, and every act of education becomes another stone in that rebuilding.

JULY 19, 2026|ByOFEK MEIR

A MODEL OF the Second Temple of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Bikur Cholim hospital in Jerusalem closes due to lack of money. November 30, 2010.

Jerusalem's Bikur Cholim hospital battle puts city's pluralism to the test

“If the hassidim take control of the eastern building, it will no longer be open to the public, and the gate will be locked,” warned Jerusalem's Deputy Mayor Yosef Havilio.

JULY 19, 2026|ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

RALLYING IN JERUSALEM for the Bnei Anusim.

Latin American Jewish converts caught between communal bans and Israel’s Law of Return

The Nascent Sanhedrin is urging Israeli authorities to recognize Orthodox converts from Latin America and reopen a path long blocked by communal policy.

JULY 18, 2026|ByRIVKAH LAMBERT ADLER

Circa 700 BC, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Esekiel, three prophets of the Old Testament.

Your Investments: Lessons from Tisha B'Av on reflecting for a better future

Every setback contains the potential for growth if we are willing to learn from it. Sometimes you need to destroy in order to build.

JULY 17, 2026|ByAARON KATSMAN

Shavuot 2026: The festival's Jewish mission to elevate the world

Judaism calls on people not to flee the physical world, but to elevate it through Torah and mitzvot.

MAY 21, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND

Judaism seeks to bridge the divide between spiritual and physical.

Grapevine, May 21, 2026: New face on the diplomatic circuit

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

MAY 21, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN

President Isaac Herzog shakes hands with Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, after receiving his credentials at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, May 18, 2026.

My Word: Shavuot's striking legacy of Jewish pain, historic success - opinion

Shavuot is celebrated as a harvest festival with a conflicting history of both attacks on Jews in the past and historical military success.

MAY 21, 2026ByLIAT COLLINS

Children from the Toldot Aharon Talmud Torah march through the Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem ahead of the Shavuot holiday. May 19, 2026.

How Shavuot was rescued by the Torah, and brought home by Israel - opinion

Beyond cheesecake and tradition, Shavuot carries a layered identity that links Sinai, agriculture, and Jewish history from exile to return.

MAY 21, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN

CHILDREN MARCH through the Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem ahead of the Shavuot holiday.

Shavuot, Shabbat candle-lighting times for Israel and US

See Shavuot and Shabbat times for your area.

MAY 21, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles

Shavuot 2026: Why the Torah still matters in the age of AI and technology

One of the fundamental principles of Jewish faith is that the Torah is eternal and will never be replaced.

MAY 21, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

TECHNOLOGY KNOWS how to make life easier, but it does not know how to make a person better.

Editor's Notes: Why some Jews are scrubbing themselves from the internet - comment

The writer who asks for anonymity has not abandoned the Jewish people. He is covering, trying to stay employable and safe in a world that has quietly decided his affiliation is a liability.

MAY 21, 2026ByZVIKA KLEIN

The real Jerry Seinfeld was never the assimilated man his show implied. Seinfeld during his visit to Israel, December 2023.

What do Apple, Nike, and Mount Sinai have in common? - opinion

What brands understand about experience, memory, and identity – and why it matters for Jewish education.

MAY 20, 2026ByNAOMI KOVITZ

Europe, Israel should launch commission with Trump’s help - opinion

President Trump ended eight conflicts, and the EU should ask him to lead a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that would halt the over 2,000-year-old European-Israeli conflict.

MAY 20, 2026ByGOL KALEV

The Simon of Trent blood libel: Illustration in Hartmann Schedel’s Weltchronik, 1493

Wine accessories take center stage in Israeli homes despite global decline in consumption

The younger generation tends to drink more moderately, with their wine consumption a choice rather than just another drink.

MAY 20, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The Pauker Red made in memory of winemaker Gideon Pauker, murdered on Oct. 7, 2023.