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.

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat candle lighting times for your area.

MAY 1, 2026|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

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GOODWILL: PROVIDING volunteer massage therapy to soldiers at an IDF outpost in Samaria, March 12.

Parashat Emor: The social revolution

This portion is read during the days of the Counting of the Omer, when Judaism emphasizes mutual respect and love between people as preparation for receiving the Torah on the festival of Shavuot.

MAY 1, 2026|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Torah scroll 521

Jewish learning defines knowledge in a fragmented world - opinion

In an age of distraction, Jewish knowledge is no longer about knowing everything, but about engaging deeply with the core texts that shape understanding, practice, and meaning.

APRIL 30, 2026|ByMENI EVEN-ISRAEL

A child wearing a Kippah

Unabashedly proud of being Jewish: A stand against antisemitism in New York City - opinion

Jewish history, culture, and Jewish identity are intertwined with New York City.

APRIL 29, 2026|ByMICAH HALPERN

Understanding global criticism of Israel through historical, theological lenses - opinion

How history, religion, and ideology shape global views of Israel and Jewish sovereignty.

APRIL 28, 2026ByMOSHE DANN

An Israeli flag flutters, with Ma'aleh Adumim is visible in the background, in the West Bank, August 14, 2025.

What South Park and Dante get wrong about the Hebrew Bible’s Hell - study

A new academic essay argues that the fiery underworld familiar from Dante, TV, and pop culture replaced the Hebrew Bible’s older, quieter idea of Sheol.

APRIL 26, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle of Hell, 1823. Found in the Collection of Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. Artist Koch, Joseph Anton (1768-1839).

Love isn’t enough: Faith in humanity through the lens of the Torah

In a fractured world, Torah reminds us through Akiva, Hillel and Ben Azzai that every person carries dignity, meaning and divine image.

APRIL 26, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Hillel was not asking for perfect emotion.

Galilee Eco Center: regenerative agriculture, healing in the Galilee

The Galilee Eco Center aims to restore land, combining sustainable farming and science.

APRIL 26, 2026ByBEN BRESKY

(From L) Avi Freidman, Ariela Solomon, and Yael Maoz at the site of the future Galilee Eco Center, this year.

American Jewry is facing a shortage of rabbis – what can fix it? - opinion

What’s driving young Jews away from the rabbinate, and what comes next.

APRIL 26, 2026ByGARY PHILLIP ZOLA

The campus of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, January 21, 2019.

Promoting Diaspora aliyah will never succeed through anger - opinion

Strengthening Israel-Diaspora ties requires partnership, not accusations or threats to abandon engagement.

APRIL 26, 2026ByGAEL GRUNEWALD

American Jews [Illustrative]

Israel must break free from the dangerous status quo - opinion

What once felt like stability in Israel is now revealed as dangerous inertia with real costs across security, society, and faith.

APRIL 25, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN

Israeli soldiers guard near stickers of victims killed in the October 7 massacre and ongoing Iron Swords War at the Bental water reservoir near Kibbutz Merom Golan, in the Golan Heights, October 7, 2025.

From Passover to sirens: Why Jewish survival still demands action - opinion

In every single generation, there are those who would seek our destruction – but we are still here.

APRIL 25, 2026BySTEWART WEISS

PROF. YISRAEL AUMANN speaks at a Nov. 2005 news conference at the Hebrew University, after winning the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on conflict and cooperation through game theory analysis. He shares the prize with American economist Thomas Schelling.

Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: The promise of permanence

The covenant endures. The people have returned. And, as the Malbim teaches, we shall never again be cast out.

APRIL 24, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND

That mission is rooted in the fusion of the sacred and the everyday.

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat candle lighting times for your area.

APRIL 24, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles