Judaism is commonly understood as both the cultural identity and religion of the Hebrew people. The Jewish faith itself is routed in the covenantal relationship between God and the children of Israel. God revealed his commandments to Abraham on Mount Sinai, which have been recorded in the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses. The Torah is included as the first book of the Tanak, which is considered the Hebrew bible. Many of the guidelines emphasized ritual purity and celebrating identity in monotheistic religion.  

Sects

There are three major Jewish sects: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Orthodox Jews are considered to be the most conservative, and continue to follow all traditional rituals and practices. In contrast, Reformed Jews take a liberal approach to Jewish beliefs and practices.  Conservative Judaism lies in the middle and adopts a moderate approach. 

Practices

Eight days after birth, baby boys are circumcised. At the age of 12 or 13, boys and girls become Bar /Bat Mitzvahs (Sons/ Daughters of the Commandments) and enter into Jewish adulthood. On this occasion the young adult reads the Torah publicly for the first time in the synagogue. In addition,  Jews observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

Spiritual Leaders: Rabbi

Place of Worship: Synagogue

Language of Origin: Hebrew

By The Numbers:

            2.6 million in U.S.

            14 million worldwide

For a comprehensive list of Jewish organizations, direct service providers and community centers throughout Virginia, visit this directory.

There are countless Jewish civic organizations in the U.S. A comprehensive list can be found here. Some of the largest are highlighted below:  

Hillel - The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life:

The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of regional centers, campus Foundations and Hillel student organizations. Click here to find Hillel on a college campus near you.  

  World Jewish Congress – United States: 

An affiliate of the WJC in the United States of America. Its main focus is on facilitating American Jewish input into the WJC's global deliberations; encouraging American efforts to fight international anti-Semitism and promote tolerance; and reaching out to a new generation of Jewish leaders in the United States. 

 Jewish Council on Public Affairs: 

The mission of the Council is to serve as the representative voice of the organized American Jewish community in addressing the principal mandate of the Jewish community relations field. 

For additional information and book recommendations about Judaism, check out these sites:

http://urj.org/learning/my/books/

Jewish Book Council 2010 National Jewish Book Award Winners