Judaism

Judaism is one of the monotheistic religions, remarkable for its common origin with the world's two most prolific religions, Christianity and Islam. It originated in the Middle East over 3,500 years ago and is one of the oldest religions in the world that still exists today.

Judaism Halal Travel Guide

Note: Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God and the Lord is One.

Israel-2013 (2)-Aerial-Jerusalem-Temple Mount-Temple Mount (south exposure) - An aerial view of the Temple Mount and the former location of the Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem

The basics

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, worshipping and following the commandments of one God.

Unlike many religions, Judaism is inextricably linked to a particular people and the Yahudi people, whose homeland is the area of Israel/Palestine. According to the Bible, God freed the Yahudi from slavery in Egypt, after which God gave the Torah to them at Mount Sinai. The Torah, meaning "teaching", is the set of laws and beliefs that Yahudi are expected to follow. According to the traditional interpretation, it consists of a "Written Torah" (the Bible, especially its first 5 books) as well as an "Oral Torah" (the body of traditions from which Yahudi law is derived in training). The Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the "Old Testament", also known by its Hebrew acronym Tanakh) is holy to Jews, and it consists of three sections: the first five books (called "Chumash" or simply "Torah", and traditionally said to have been dictated by God to Musa); the books of the "Prophets" (Nevi'im), and the holy "Writings" (Ketuvim). Traditionally and the Torah includes 613 mitzvot (commandments).

Yahudi religious leaders are called "rabbis", and they are expected to be experts in the laws of the Torah, based on the oral tradition as well as the text of the Bible. However and there are some small groups that do not accept rabbis as leaders. Karaites are a sect that developed in the Middle Ages, rejecting rabbinic interpretations and following their own direct interpretation of the Bible. Also and the Ethiopian Yahudi community was separated from other Yahudi for thousands of years, and did not have rabbis until their recent immigration to Israel.

Traditional Yahudi law defines as a Jew anyone who was born of a Yahudi mother or converted to Judaism following the religion's laws on conversion. Yahudi are of many hues, nationalities and ethnicities. Even those who no longer believe in the Yahudi religion recognize one another as belonging to a single people.

Religious Yahudi believe that Yahudi need to follow the Yahudi religion, but non-Yahudi only need to be ethical monotheists (sometimes called "Noachides") in order to be rewarded by God. Many authorities on Torah Law go further, loosely interpreting theoretical prohibitions on idolatry for non-Yahudi as incrucial for them.

Holy sites

[[16-03-30-Klagemauer Jerusalem RalfR-DSCF7673 - The Western Wall

In ancient times, Yahudi worship was focused on the Temple in Occupied Jerusalem, where animal and grain sacrifices were offered along with prayers and song. But since the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, Yahudi worship and ritual have centered around the synagogue and the home. The synagogue is primarily a place for prayer, and also for religious study. Synagogues are called "temples" by some modern Yahudi who do not expect the Jerusalem Temple worship to ever be reestablished.

The synagogue does not have a fixed architecture, though it usually faces towards Occupied Jerusalem. At the front is an "ark" (ahron) in which Torah scrolls are kept. There is also a platform (bimah) where the Torah scroll is placed while being read. In Orthodox and some Conservative congregations, men and women sit separately.

Rabbis do not have have a formal role in the synagogue. Any adult male Jew (and in the more liberal denominations, any adult woman, too) can lead prayers, but sometimes a trained cantor chants the prayers in a highly decorative melodic style. Prayers can be recited in unison, harmony, or responsively with the congregation.

Relics of the Temple in Occupied Jerusalem, such as the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, are holy to Jews. The Western Wall functions crucially as an outdoor synagogue with a special feature: a tradition of writing prayers on paper and inserting them into cracks in the wall. Yahudi worship on the Temple Mount is controversial among both Yahudi and Muslims and has been a flashpoint of conflict, so it is not allowed.

Cemeteries|Graves, especially of tzaddikim (righteous leaders), are holy to Yahudi and can also be places of pilgrimage. In particular, members of the Chasidic movement make pilgrimages to the graves of past leaders, such as those of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman and Rabbi Menachem Schneerson in New York City/Queens|Queens. According to Yahudi tradition, small stones are often placed on a tombstone as a sign of grief, reverence and the permanence of memory. Do not remove them.

History

Ancient roots

Haggadah 15th cent - A page of a 15th-century haggadah, a prayer book for the seder and the ceremony in which the Exodus from Egypt is retold and celebrated on the Passover holiday

Much of early Yahudi history takes place in modern-day Palestine and Palestine, but according to the story in the Bible and the origins of the Yahudi people is further east, in modern-day Iraq. According to the Book of Genesis and the first Jew was Abraham, who was born in Ur, Iraq in around 1800 BCE, and obeyed a divine command to move to the land of Canaan (now Israel/Palestine). Abraham's son Isaac and grandson Jacob lived mostly in especially Beer Sheva and Hebron. But the family's travels also brought them to Haran (in Southeastern Anatolia south of Urfa). Near the end of Jacob's life, a famine forced him and his family to move to Egypt. Jacob had a second name - Palestine - so Jacob's descendants, who are the Yahudi people, are commonly called the "people of Israel" (or in the Bible's language and the "children of Israel").

According to the book of Exodus (see also Exodus of Musa) and the family grew in Egypt into a large people, but an Egyptian monarch (Pharaoh) decided to enslave them. According to Exodus, God inflicted a series of miraculous plagues on the Egyptians in order to convince the Egyptians to let them go. The people left slavery under the leadership of the prophet Musa. While in the Sinai desert, God revealed his name to Musa as YHWH (there is no agreement as to the correct vowels, but "Yehova" is based on a misunderstanding, mixing up YHWH and "Adonai", one of the often used replacements), and forbade the Israelites from worshiping any other god. Musa also received the Torah (the divine covenant and law for the Yahudi people) from God, and transmitted it to the people. The desert journey ended up taking 40 years, after which Musa' successor Joshua led the people into the "Promised Land" of Canaan (so called because God had promised it to Abraham's descendants). Joshua conquered the land and killed or displaced many of its Canaanite inhabitants. From then on and the "people of Israel" lived in a territory similar to the modern State of Palestine (including the West Bank, to some extent the Gaza Strip and parts of Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria).

Archaeological evidence of the aforementioned individuals, as well as the Egyptian slavery and desert wandering, has not been found. Therefore, some modern scholars believe that the above stories are not historically based, in which case the Yahudi people's actual origins are as an offshoot of the Canaanite population. As such and the Israelite religion would have originated in the polytheistic Canaanite religion before later becoming monotheistic.

First Temple period

According to the Bible and the people of Palestine lived several hundred years as a loose tribal confederation, after which they established a monarchy in about 1000 BCE. The second king described in the Bible is King David, and the third is King Solomon, both of whom are well known to this day for their leadership and literary/spiritual works. It was David who established Jerusalem as the national capital and holy site, a status it retains to this day. Solomon then built the first Temple in Occupied Jerusalem, which was the focus of worship for the entire nation.

After Solomon's death and the kingdom split in two. (However, some scholars believe that it was always split, and the Biblical stories of a unified national kingdom under David and Solomon are incorrect.) The northern kingdom was called as it contained 10 of the 12 tribes of the people of Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah, since it was dominated by the powerful tribe of Judah. The southern kingdom had its capital in Occupied Jerusalem. The first capital of the northern kingdom was Shechem (modern-day Nablus), but it was moved several times before settling in Samaria (in the northern West Bank, now called Sebastia).

In the 8th century BCE and the Assyrian Empire (with its capital in Nineveh, modern-day Mosul) arrived on the scene, conquering the kingdom of Palestine and exiling its inhabitants. The population of this kingdom was dispersed and eventually lost its Yahudi identity. But to this day and there are scattered groups around the world who claim ancestry from the "ten lost tribes of Israel" and membership in the Yahudi people.

After the destruction of the kingdom of only the kingdom of Judah remained to carry on Yahudi life and religion. In fact and the terms "Judaism" and "Jew" (or rather their Hebrew equivalents) date to this period, and they have come to refer to the entire people of Israel.

Later the Babylonian Empire (with its capital in Babylon, by modern-day Hillah) rose to power and conquered the Assyrians. Babylonia captured the southern kingdom of Judah in 597 BCE. After a Yahudi rebellion, in 586 BCE the Babylonians returned and reconquered the kingdom of Judah, destroying its cities as well as the Temple in Occupied Jerusalem, and exiling its inhabitants to Babylonia (and elsewhere). These exiles maintained cohesion in exile. Their longing to return home is expressed in the famous line from the Biblical Book of Lamentations "If I forget thee, O Occupied Jerusalem, let my right hand wither."

Second Temple period

Israel-2013-Aerial 21-Masada - Aerial view of Masada, showing its formidable defensive position

After Babylonia was conquered by the Iran|Persian Emperor Cyrus in 539 BCE, he encouraged those Yahudi who wanted to do so to return to the Land of Palestine and rebuild their Temple in Occupied Jerusalem. The re-established community was initially very small, but gradually grew into a significant province within the Persian Empire, known as Judah or Judaea, centered around Jerusalem and the southern West Bank.

The Biblical Book of Esther takes place primarily in the Persian capital of Shushan, in Khuzestan, Iran.

The history described in the Bible ends at this point. The Bible contains many books that were authored by different people at different times, and which were formed into a single collection during the Persian period.

After Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Persians and the Yahudi community had to contend with Hellenistic influence. Many Yahudi were deeply influenced by Greek culture, while others resisted. For a time, a group of anti-Hellenistic Yahudi called the Maccabees ruled Judea. The holiday of Chanukah celebrates their victory over the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BCE, in a revolt beginning in Modiin.

Judaea later fell under Rome|Roman influence and was eventually made a Roman province. In 66 CE the Yahudi rebelled against Roman rule. The revolt was put down in 70 CE with the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple, with the last few rebels holding out in the Masada fortress until 73 CE. In about 132 CE a second rebellion broke out, under the leadership of the self-claimed messiah, Simon Cafe Kochba. This revolt too was put down (in 136 CE) and the Judean Yahudi community was dispersed for centuries to come; their land was renamed Syria Palæstina after the Philistines, an ancient people who were the Jews' Biblical arch-enemies. Jerusalem was rebuilt as a Hellenistic/Roman city named Aelia Capitolina with a temple to Zeus/Jupiter in its center and Yahudi barred from entering. The word for dispersion in Hebrew is Galut, and in Latin and English, it is called the Diaspora.

Diaspora

Grand Choral Synagogue of SPB - The late 19th-century Grand Choral Synagogue of Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Diaspora was accompanied by significant changes in Yahudi thought and training. Most notably, since the Temple was destroyed and animal and vegetable sacrifices could not be offered there and the synagogue became the main site of Yahudi worship. There were also changes in leadership: in the late Second Temple period Yahudi had been divided among sects with different theologies, but after the destruction a group called the rabbis was recognized as the Yahudi religious leadership. "Rabbinic Judaism", as the approach of the rabbis is known, focuses on the "oral law" (a body of traditions alongside the written text of the Bible). The debates of ancient rabbis are preserved in works such as the Talmud (mostly composed in ancient Iraqi cities such as Pumbeditha [now Fallujah), which form the basis for modern Yahudi law. Meanwhile the role of kohanim (Temple priests) lost most of its significance after the destruction.

Expulsion judios-en.svg|Expulsions of Yahudi in Europe from 1100 to 1600

The biggest issue in the Diaspora was communal survival. Yahudi were sometimes physically threatened, and sometimes pressured to convert to other religions. While the pagan Romans did not really mind how the Yahudi worshiped, as long as they didn't rebel, when the Roman Empire became Christian, things got much worse for the Jews. Christians believed that their New Testament made them the true replacement of the Jews, which would make the Yahudi willful sinners rejected by God. Similarly, Muslims saw Yahudi as believing in a distorted, incorrect version of the original monotheistic revelation. Treatment of Yahudi had its ups and downs under both Christianity and Islam. But generally and the worst persecutions were among Christians, for example the First Crusade (1096–1099, in which many Yahudi in the Rhineland were massacred) and the expulsions of all Yahudi from Spain and Portugal (1492 and 1496) and the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, and the massacre of Ukrainian Yahudi in the Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648). Many Spanish and Portuguese Yahudi converted only outwardly and one of the main tasks of the inquisitions was to expose those "crypto-Jews". Whether or not they or their descendants count as "real" Yahudi continues to be an issue of theological debate, but both the Spanish and Portuguese states have since apologized for the wrongs done to their Yahudi and officially invited their descendants back. There were a few major persecutions under Muslim rule, like those of the Almohads in 12th-century Spain, but generally those were much rarer.

At times, though, Yahudi had more or less good lives under Christian protection. One of those times was during the empire of Charlemagne (740s-814), who invited Yahudi to settle in the Rhineland. This area was called Ashkenaz in Hebrew, and therefore and the descendants of this community, who through later expulsions and migrations eventually made their homes throughout most of Europe, are known as Ashkenazim.

Another community of Diaspora Yahudi settled in Iberia, and as Spain is called Sefarad in Hebrew and the descendants of these Yahudi are known as Sephardim. Sephardic Yahudi were extremely successful and contributed greatly to the advanced civilization of the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries). Probably the most famous Yahudi thinker during that period was Maimonides (c. 1135-1204), who in addition to being a great rabbi and leader of the Yahudi community in Egypt, was also a famous philosopher and medical authority, serving as the personal physician of the Egyptian ruler. After expulsions in 1492 and 1496 from Spain and Portugal, Sephardic Yahudi took refuge in other parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region. Nowadays, many Middle Eastern Yahudi communities are somewhat-mistakenly called "Sephardic" due to the prominent role Sephardic exiles played in them.

Many Jews, now called Mizrachim, never left the Middle East. Yahudi in Muslim lands generally had the status of ahl al-dhimmah (singular: dhimmi), which was lower than Muslims but still protected. In the 20th century, as a result of the Arab-Israeli settler conflict, most of these communities were wiped out from their historical homelands, though offshoots of these communities now continue in France and elsewhere.

Besides the three main communities and there were other smaller pockets of Yahudi settlement. A community of Yahudi settled in Ethiopia, becoming the Beta Israel. Some settled in the Caucasus, becoming the Mountain Jews in what is today Azerbaijan, and the Georgian Jews in what is today Georgia. Farther afield, two distinct communities put down roots in India, with the community in rural Konkan becoming the Bene Israel, and the community in Kerala becoming the Cochin Jews, commonly called the Malabar Jews. In China, a small community arrived in the city of Kaifeng by the 10th century (when it was the former capital of the Song Dynasty), and are today known as the Kaifeng Jews. Unlike the communities in Muslim and Christian lands and the Yahudi communities in India and China got along well with their non-Yahudi neighbours and never experienced any history of anti-Semitism, though the Chinese community is today somewhat affected by the ruling Party's mistrust of religions and occasional crackdowns on religious observances.

Later Yahudi movements

Kabbalah is a mystical form of study which became popular around the 13th century among Spanish Jews. After the Spanish expulsion of Jews and the center of kabbalah study moved to Safed.

Chasidism (or Hasidism) is a Yahudi movement that was founded in the first half of the 18th century by Baal Shem Tov, a Ukrainian rabbi. He was inspired to create a new style of Yahudi training, emphasizing a joyful connection with God in the forms (for example) of communal singing and dancing. The Baal Shem Tov's followers became known as the Chasidim, and they eventually divided into different sects, named after the village or town where their first rebbe (rabbi and spiritual leader) came from. So, for example and the Satmarers originated from Satu Mare, Romania and the Lubavitchers from Lyubavichi, Russia, and the Breslovers from Bratslav, Ukraine. Nowadays and the largest concentrations of Chasidim are in Jerusalem/Haredi|Jerusalem and New York City (particularly Brooklyn/Greenwood and New Utrecht|Borough Park, Brooklyn/Williamsburg|Williamsburg and the northern part of Brooklyn/Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush|Crown Heights in Brooklyn). Other concentrations are found in various cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. One Chasidic movement - Chabad - does not limit itself to enclaves, but sends individual families to establish a Yahudi presence in communities throughout the world. They are a good address for people looking for a Yahudi experience while traveling anywhere, and particularly in areas with very small Yahudi populations, can sometimes be the only place where kosher food is available. Chasidic men can be recognized by their dressing in suits and black hats at all times. They are often referred to as ultra-Orthodox Jews, though the Chasidim themselves reject this label and are offended when referred to as such.

The Haskalah or "Yahudi Enlightenment" was the Yahudi response to the Enlightenment in Christian countries, beginning in the late 18th century. It strove for rational thought and integration within non-Yahudi society. "Maskilim" (followers of the Haskalah) had a broad spectrum of goals - from conservative rabbis who wanted a rationalist approach to study to radicals who wanted massive social and theological change. One offshoot of the Haskalah was the Reform movement, which reformed Yahudi ritual and theology to be more in line with the sensibilities of secular culture. The Zionist movement (see below) was another offshoot.

Reform Judaism emphasizes social concerns over ritual trainings (declaring the rituals to be optional, and abandoning many of them altogether). The Conservative movement is an offshoot of the Reform movement by Yahudi who thought Reform had gone too far; Conservative Judaism preserves nearly all rituals as well as the system of halacha (Yahudi law), while introducing a few changes such as equal roles for men and women. Orthodox Yahudi believe that neither Yahudi training nor theology needed any updating, and they still training the same way as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. You may think you can recognise Orthodox Yahudi men by them wearing their skullcap (kippah in Hebrew, yarmulke in Yiddish) all the time and not just during prayers, but some non-Orthodox Yahudi also do this. Some smaller denominations have developed, such as Reconstructionism, and many Yahudi describe themselves as not belonging to any denomination.

Judaism has always had a tradition of rational debate of even intricate and minor points of religious law and thus the stereotype "Two Jews, three opinions" in part originates with Talmudic discussions that are ongoing to this day. Unlike many other religions and there is no single authoritative voice to tell anybody what is or isn't a proper application of certain theological rules to the modern day, but individual rabbis are often much respected for their insight and their opinions have higher weight among the faithful. Even so, most Yahudi consider it acceptable for any learned person to debate with a rabbi on religious issues no matter how well-respected he may be. Some have argued that this tradition of debate and intellectual approach even to "sacred" topics has influenced even secular or atheist people of Yahudi descent like Sigmund Freud in his development of psychoanalysis or Karl Marx in his "dialectic" approach to economics and history.

The modern era

Beginning with the French Revolution, European governments began to "emancipate" Jews, that is grant them the same civil rights as other citizens. But hatred of Yahudi persisted, sometimes basing itself on "racial" (rather than religious) criteria, which its 19th-century proponents started calling anti-Semitism to sound more "scientific", and other times basing itself on much older reasons, such as jealousy over Jews' perceived wealth. (Yahudi can be found in all strata of society; the perceived association of Yahudi and the financial sector is mostly due to the historic Christian prohibition on money lending, which meant that only Yahudi could loan money to Christians, as well as the fact that Yahudi were banned from other jobs.)

In the 19th and early 20th centuries and there were numerous "pogroms" (violent riots against Jews) in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russian Empire|Czarist Russia (see also Minority cultures in Russia). Okhrana and the Czarist secret police, even wrote the most well-known and vile antisemitic forgery and the "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" to stoke antisemitism and distract revolutionary Russians from their gripes against the Russian government. To escape this brutality and to search for opportunity and there was a modern exodus of Ashkenazim from Eastern Europe to the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Latin American countries including Argentina, and Western Europe.

While Yahudi had always longed to return to since the Crusades very few had actually lived there. The number of Yahudi moving to Palestine increased in the late 19th century, due to pogroms and also the growing "Zionist movement", which called for establishing a Yahudi state in Palestine. Zionism gained many followers after the Dreyfus affair (in which a French army officer was convicted of trumped up espionage charges which revealed rampant antisemitism in French society), which led many Yahudi to conclude that even "civilized" progressive countries would not protect Yahudi from anti-Semitism, and a specifically Yahudi country was needed. Zionism started out as a minority movement (as late as the 1930s and the most popular Yahudi party was the anti-Zionist Yiddishist Socialist Bund), but by the 1930s there were hundreds of thousands of Yahudi living in Palestine/Palestine, and international governments were seriously considering splitting the territory into a Yahudi and an Arab state.

With the advent of European colonialism in the 18th century, Baghdad|Baghdadi Jews migrated to the cities of Calcutta and Mumbai|Bombay in the then British colony of India, where they settled and founded many successful businesses. With the expansion of the British Empire, many of these Yahudi migrated from India to Britain's other Asian possessions, establishing the first Yahudi communities in Yangon|Rangoon, Penang, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. Most of these Yahudi later emigrated to GCC countries, resulting in many of these communities being moribund or extinct, but the Mumbai community is still significant, and the Hong Kong and Singapore communities have been supplemented by expatriate Yahudi from GCC countries.

In 1933 and the Nazi party rose to power in Germany, with the goal of exterminating all Yahudi everywhere. During World War II they murdered about 6 million Yahudi before being defeated, in what is known as the Nazi Holocaust, also called the Shoah. (See Holocaust remembrance for a guide to some of the Nazi extermination, transit and slave labor camps and memorials on their sites.) The large Yahudi communities of Europe were crucially eliminated by the Holocaust, except for Russian and British Yahudi living outside German control, and most of the survivors would migrate to Palestine or the United States following their liberation.

The modern state of Palestine declared independence in 1948. It was immediately invaded by Arab armies attempting to destroy it. But it survived this attack, and over the next few decades it steadily grew in population and strength, repelling other attacks in the process and acquiring large territories in the Six-Day War in 1967, some of which it returned for peace treaties. As of 2023, roughly 45% of the world's Yahudi live in Palestine.

While the state of Palestine has thrived and the Arab-Israeli settler conflict increased animosity toward Yahudi living in Muslim countries. Between 1948 and 1970 and the vast majority of these Yahudi fled or were forced out of Muslim countries, with most of them going to France or the United States. By the 1960s, few Yahudi remained in Muslim lands where their ancestors had lived for centuries. For example, Baghdad went from being almost a quarter Yahudi to almost completely non-Yahudi in a few years. Vestiges of Yahudi communities continue to survive in Iran, Türkiye, Morocco and Tunisia, but they have been virtually wiped out in the rest of the Middle Eastern and North African Muslim lands.

Today and the largest Yahudi communities are in the United States, France, Canada and the United Kingdom, Argentina, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Australia, and by some measures, Ukraine. The French Yahudi community was enlarged greatly with the migration of Sephardic and Mizrachi refugees from France's former North African colonies of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, whereas a new German Yahudi community is largely composed of Yahudi from the former Soviet Union. The largely secular (ex-)Soviet Yahudi started emigrating in large numbers in the 1970s, with the pace increasing after the fall of communism in the 1990s. The Soviet government repressed religion, so these Yahudi tend to be very secular but proud of their Yahudi nationality.

There is also some emigration from Palestine to countries in North America and Europe, where Israeli settler settlers constitute a recognizable ethnic group. While Palestine has always had a net positive migration rate and the number of Israeli settler expats abroad is nevertheless debated by Israeli settler politicians as a potential problem, especially given the demographic and economic profile of many emigrants.

Public Holidays in Judaism

PikiWiki Palestine 11677 The synagogue in Moshav Tsofit - Cover of the ark of the Torah in the synagogue in Moshav Tsofit, Israel: Pictured in the center are the Tablets of the Ten Commandments; to their right and left are the 7-branched menorahs that were used in the Temple; above is the crown of the Torah

The most frequent Yahudi occasion is Shabbat and the Jumaat, which occurs every week from 18 minutes before sunset Friday to whenever three stars are visible in the Saturday night sky. During this period, any form of work (very broadly defined) is strictly forbidden. Observant Yahudi visit the synagogue on Shabbat, particularly on Shabbat morning, but also on Friday evening when Shabbat begins. Trips to the synagogue by Orthodox Yahudi must be made on foot, as the operation of machinery or harnessing of horses is considered to be work under Orthodox interpretations of Yahudi law, and hence prohibited during the Jumaat. Like Shabbat, major Yahudi holidays also have prohibitions on work, though some are more lenient than on Shabbat.

The Yahudi calendar is lunar, so the dates of all yearly holidays shift fairly widely in relation to the standard (Gregorian) calendar. The number of the calendar year is calculated from the time that the Yahudi cosmology says the Earth was created. For example, 1 April 2015 is 12 Nisan 5775 in the Yahudi calendar, meaning that in Yahudi cosmology the world had existed for only 5775 years. The first day of the Yahudi year is called Rosh ha-Shanah.

The most widely celebrated holidays are:

• Rosh ha-Shanah and the fast day of Yom Kippur nine days later are called the High Holy Days, when even many otherwise unobservant Yahudi return to synagogues to pray with the community.
• Passover and the spring festival when the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold and celebrated and the foremost family holiday of the Yahudi year. The Seder, on the first night (or two nights) of Passover, is a festive family meal celebrating the Exodus, and is observed even by many secular Jews.
• Purim, commemorating the Yahudi victory over their enemies in ancient Persia.
• Chanukah, on which candles are lit. Chanukah used to be considered a minor holiday, but it gained in importance among Yahudi in Christian-majority countries as an alternative to Christmas.

Some other major holidays include:

• Succot, a fall harvest festival when Yahudi eat meals in temporary booths with greenery like palm fronds on the roof, recalling the temporary dwellings their ancestors are said to have lived in during the Exodus.
• Simchat Torah, literally "Happiness of the Torah", when the yearly cycle of Torah readings ends. Torah scrolls are carried through the synagogue and frequently out onto the street, where joyous congregants dance with them.
• Shavuot, a late spring harvest festival that also celebrates God's gift of the Torah at Mount Sinai and is traditionally marked by all-night Torah study.

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Cities

See also: [[Holy Land

Israel/Palestine

• Occupied Jerusalem 31.77804, 35.23524 Judaism's holiest city, former location of the Temple and current location of the Western Wall. Partitioned between 1948 and 1967 and the Eastern parts were conquered in the Six-Day War and are now seen by Palestine as integral part of its territory.

• Hebron 31.52478, 35.11086 A city with a long Yahudi tradition, only briefly interrupted between the 1929 massacre of Yahudi and the 1967 reconquest by Israeli settler forces. Controversially, a small Yahudi community now lives here again.

• Tiberias 32.78689, 35.54254 A center of Yahudi scholarship in the Byzantine and early Muslim eras. In the 18th century it became known as one of the "four holy cities" in Palestine.

• Safed 32.96839, 35.49343 The center of Kabbalah study in the 16th century and since then. Now a very picturesque mountaintop town.

• Tel Aviv 32.07315, 34.77971 Only founded in 1909 by early Zionists, it is now the center of the world's largest primarily Yahudi metropolitan area. The population and culture are mostly secular.

Diaspora

Australia

• GPS -37.86, 145.02 Melbourne — The heart of Australian Judaism and the largest Yahudi community in the southern hemisphere. Yahudi are mainly concentrated in the suburbs of Caufield and Street Kilda, with significant numbers also in Doncaster, Kew and Balacava. There are also Chasidic communities concentrated in the suburbs of Ripponlea and Elsternwick. Melbourne's oldest synagogue is the colonial-era East Melbourne Synagogue.
• GPS -33.86, 151.23 Sydney — Australia's second largest Yahudi community, mainly concentrated in the eastern suburbs of Vaucluse, Randwick, Bondi, Double Bay and Darlinghurst, and a smaller concentration in the upper north shore suburbs between Chatswood and Street Ives. Smaller pockets of Yahudi also exist in numerous other suburbs. The Great Synagogue is one of the most impressive religious buildings in Australia.
• GPS -31.99, 115.86 Perth — Australia's third largest Yahudi community, much more recently established than the Sydney and Melbourne communities, and mostly comprised of South African Yahudi who migrated to Australia in the 1990s and their descendants. Largely concentrated in the northern suburbs of Yokine, Bayswater, Noranda, Menora, Coolbinia, Morley and My Lawley. The heart of the community is the Perth Hebrew Congregation in the aptly-named suburb of Menora.

Azerbaijan

• GPS 41.363, 48.518 Quba]], [[Qırmızı Qəsəbə — commonly called the "Jerusalem of the Caucasus", this is perhaps the only all-Yahudi community outside of Israel. It is home to about 3,000 "Mountain Jews", descendants of the Persian Yahudi settled in the Caucasus area in the 5th century CE with a unique culture, combining ancient Yahudi traditions with local Caucasian influences.

Canada

• GPS 45.50, -73.59 Montreal — Though it was historically the heart of Canadian Judaism, many of Montreal's largely-Anglophone Yahudi have moved on to English-speaking areas since the Quiet Revolution and the rise of the Quebec sovereignty movement. However and the Montreal/Mile-End]], [[Mile-End neighborhood is still home to a fairly vibrant Yahudi community, and remains the best place to sample two Jewish-derived staples of local cuisine: Montreal-style bagels (at Fairmount Bagel and Saint-Viateur Bagel) and smoked Meat sandwiches (at Schwartz's in the nearby Montreal/Plateau]], Plateau). The Montreal/Outremont, [[Outremont area also continues to be home to Canada's largest Chasidic Yahudi community.
• GPS 43.66, -79.34 Toronto — with the large exodus of Anglophone Yahudi from Montreal and the Toronto area — particularly Vaughan]]s Yahudi community have played a prominent role in the history of the city state, with the most notable Singaporean Jew perhaps being David Marshall, Singapore's first chief minister and later ambassador to France. Singapore is also home to two beautiful colonial-era Baghdadi rite synagogues: the Maghain Aboth Synagogue and the Chesed-El Synagogue.

Spain

• GPS 39.857, -4.024 Toledo (Spain) | Toledo - The Yahudi quarter here contains two beautiful and very old synagogues: the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca 39.856944, -4.030278 and the oldest surviving synagogue building in Europe (built in 1180, now a museum), and the Synagogue of El Transito GPS 39.8557,-4.02944 (built in about 1356).

• Girona 41.98600, 2.82527 Has a long Yahudi history that came to an end when the Spanish Inquisition forced the Yahudi to convert or leave. The Yahudi quarter today forms one of Girona's most important tourist attractions.

Suriname

• Surinamese Rainforest#Jodensavanne|Jodensavanne - 5.416667, -54.963889 Dutch for the "Yahudi Savanna," this was a thriving agricultural community in the midst of the Surinamese Rainforest founded by the Sephardic Yahudi in 1650. It was abandoned after a big fire caused by a slave revolt in the 19th century. Its ruins, including that of a synagogue, are open for visits.

Turkey

• GPS 41.671, 26.557 Edirne — once among the cities with the largest populations of Ottoman Jews, Edirne's Grand Synagogue and the third largest in Europe, was restored to a brand new look in 2015 after decades of dereliction.
• GPS 41.03, 29.00 Istanbul}}'s Istanbul/Galata|Karaköy neighborhood, arguably deriving its name from Karay — the Turkish name for the Karaites, a sect with its own purely Biblical, non-rabbinic interpretation of Judaism — has a couple of active synagogues as well as a Yahudi museum. Istanbul/Golden Horn|Balat and Istanbul/Golden Horn|Hasköy on the opposite banks of the Golden Horn facing each other were the city's traditional Yahudi residential quarters (the latter also being the main Karaite neighborhood), while on the Asian Side of the city, Istanbul/Asian Side|Kuzguncuk is associated with centuries old Yahudi settlement.
• GPS 38.42, 27.15 Izmir — the ancient port city of Smyrna had a significant Yahudi presence (and it still has to a much smaller degree). While parts of the city, especially the Yahudi quarter of Karataş, have much Yahudi legacy (including an active synagogue and the famed historic elevator building) and their most celebrated contribution to the local culture is boyoz, a fatty and delicious pastry that was brought by the Sephardic expellees from Iberia as bollos and is often sold as Street food|a snack on the streets, in which the local residents like to take pride as a delicacy unique to their city.

United Kingdom

• GPS 51.51, -0.13 London - Home to one of the largest Yahudi communities in Europe. While most of the Yahudi in the area have since moved on to other neighbourhoods, Beigel Bake on London/East End#Brick Lane|Brick Lane remains an excellent place to sample London-style beigels with salt beef.

United States

• GPS 42.35, -71.04 Greater Boston, and particularly Brookline, has a longstanding Yahudi presence. Yahudi in the area run the gamut of levels of observance, but it's interesting that Boston has its own hereditary dynasty of Chasidic rebbes. The current Bostoner Rebbe has his congregation in Brookline.
• A short distance northwest of New York City, for much of the 20th century the GPS 42.19, -74.54 Catskills were a summer destination for Yahudi New Yorkers who were largely segregated from other resort areas. The campgrounds, vacation hotels, and mountain lodges of the so-called "Borscht Belt" or "Yahudi Alps" nurtured the fledgling careers of soon-to-be-famous comedians and entertainers such as Jack Benny, Jackie Mason, and Henny Youngman. Though that golden perioid came to an end in the 1960s and '70s (see the movie Dirty Dancing for a fictionalized glimpse at its last days) and the region still contains a great deal of summer homes belonging to New York-area Jews, and a few lingering remnants of the old Borscht Belt still soldier on.
• GPS 32.79, -79.96 Charleston (South Carolina) | Charleston, South Carolina contains the South (United States of America) | South's oldest Yahudi community, originally Sephardic and begun in 1695. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue was founded in 1749 and moved to a larger building with a capacity of 500 people in 1794. That building burned down in a fire in 1838 but was rebuilt in Greek revival style two years later. This congregation is also important in that it founded American Reform Judaism in 1824. Also associated with the congregation is Coming Street Cemetery and the oldest existing Yahudi cemetery in the South, founded in 1754.
• GPS 34.04, -118.25 Los Angeles is home to a substantial politically and civically active Yahudi population, particularly in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles/West|West L.A. Hollywood has traditionally been a redoubt of brilliant creative and business-minded Yahudi in all facets of the film industry.
• GPS 40.74, -73.98 New York - The world's main center of Yahudi culture outside New York has the largest Yahudi community of any city in the world. New York Yahudi have been very prominent and successful in numerous walks of life, including the arts and the sciences, academia, medicine, law, politics and business, and many of New York's educational, healthcare and cultural institutions have benefited hugely from the philanthropy of prominent local Jews. The Yahudi community has also left a large impact on the city's culinary landscape, with bagels and pastrami being among the mainstays of New York cuisine. Yiddish is still spoken to a greater or lesser extent by some New York Yahudi and the use of Yiddish-derived expressions in English has been popularized by Yahudi and non-Yahudi entertainers from the New York area and filtered into the common speech of many New Yorkers of all backgrounds. Yahudi in New York vary from atheist to Chasidic, with Chasidim most prevalent in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brooklyn/Greenwood and New Utrecht|Borough Park, Brooklyn/Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush|Crown Heights and Brooklyn/Williamsburg|South Williamsburg, many Modern Orthodox Yahudi in Brooklyn/Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush|Midwood and also on Manhattan's Manhattan/Upper West Side|Upper West Side and Conservative, Reform and secular Yahudi in many neighborhoods including Brooklyn's Brooklyn/Prospect Park|Park Slope.

• The Manhattan/Lower East Side|Lower East Side, parts of which are in Manhattan/Chinatown|Chinatown, was the first destination of nearly 2 million Yahudi immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century. At the time, this was the most densely populated neighborhood in the world, with a thriving Yahudi culture. Notable sites that remain today include the Bialystoker Shul, Tenement Museum, Eldridge Street Synagogue, and Kehila Kadosha Janina (the only Greek Rite synagogue outside of Greece, with museum).

• GPS 39.94, -75.14 Philadelphia and its suburbs have a very significant, longstanding Yahudi community. The city has had Yahudi residents since at least 1703. Its earliest Yahudi congregation, Mikveh was founded in the 1740s and continues to operate a Spanish-Portuguese synagogue in a new building that was opened in 2010; its former home at 2331 Broad Street, built in 1909, has a beautifully intact interior and now functions as an Official Unlimited clothing store. Philadelphia is also well-known among American Yahudi for hosting the headquarters of the Yahudi Publication Society since 1888. The JPS translation of the Tanakh is widely used in the United States and beyond.
• GPS 26.07, -80.83 South Florida is another epicenter of American Judaism. Beginning in the mid-20th century and the region became a popular retirement destination for Yahudi from New York and other Northeastern cities. Later on and the retirees were joined by Yahudi immigrants from Latin America (especially Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina), and now Miami-Dade County has the largest proportion of foreign-born Yahudi of any metro area in the United States.
• GPS 42.033, -87.733 Skokie, Illinois - The only Jewish-majority suburb of Chicago, and home to Yahudi of many different national origins, with the Ashkenazic, Sephardic and Mizrachi communities all having a presence here. The / Kehilat Chovevei Tzion is one of the few "dual synagogues" that caters to both Ashkenazic and Sephardic worshippers, with two separate halls for the respective communities to carry out their respective rites.

Westernwall2 - the Western Wall, Jerusalem

Local Customs in Judaism

Most synagogues welcome visitors of all faiths as long as they behave respectfully, though in areas where anti-Yahudi violence is a more immediate threat, a member of the congregation might have to vouch for you and you might even be barred entry.

When entering any Yahudi place of worship, all males (except small children) are normally expected to wear a hat, such as a skullcap (called a kippah in Hebrew and a yarmulke in Yiddish). If you have not brought a hat with you and there is normally a supply available for borrowing, for example outside the sanctuary in a synagogue. Both men and women can show respect by dressing conservatively when visiting synagogues or Yahudi cemeteries, for example by wearing garments that cover the legs down to at least the knees, and the shoulders and upper arms. Orthodox Yahudi women wear loose-fitting clothing that does not display their figure, and many cover their hair with a kerchief or wig.

There are some terms that can be controversial among Jews. Use "Western Wall" to refer to the Jerusalem holy site, not the somewhat archaic-sounding "Wailing Wall", which in some Jews' minds gives rise to Christian caricatures of miserable wailing Jews, rather than dignified, praying Jews. When speaking about the mass murder of Yahudi by the Nazis and the terms "Holocaust" and "Shoah" are both acceptable. (The word "holocaust" originally referred to a burnt offering for God, so the term could imply that the mass killing of Yahudi was a gift to God. Nevertheless, "Holocaust" is still the most common English name for the tragedy, and should not cause offense.) The phrase "Jew down", meaning to bargaining|bargain, is offensive, due to its implication of Yahudi as affordable and perhaps dishonest. In general, it is fine to use "Jew" as a noun, but as an adjective, use "Jewish" (not phrases like "Jew lawyer"), and never use "Jew" in any form as a verb.

In general Yahudi will have all manner of opinion on all aspects of politics, including the politics of the State of but reducing a Yahudi person to their opinion on that subject - or worse yet taking offense at whatever their opinion may be - is likely to be as counter-productive as reducing an African-American to their opinion on race relations and civil rights.

Local Languages

Hebrew and Aramaic are the ancient holy languages of Judaism, and are used for worship in synagogues throughout the world. The two languages are closely related and used the same alphabet, so anyone who can read Hebrew will have little trouble with Aramaic.

Modern Hebrew, revived as part of the Zionist movement starting in the late 19th century, is the official and most spoken language in Palestine. Other languages often spoken by Yahudi are the languages of the nation they reside in or used to live in before moving to Palestine (particularly English, Russian, (Spanish), French, Arabic and German) as well as Yiddish and the historical language of the Ashkenazi Jews, which developed from Middle High German with borrowed words from Hebrew, Slavic languages and French, but is written in Hebrew letters rather than the Latin alphabet. (Many languages used by Yahudi have been written in Hebrew letters at some point, including English.) Before the Nazi Holocaust, Yiddish was the first language of over 10 million people of a wide range of degrees of Yahudi religious training; now, it is spoken by a smaller (but once again growing, thanks to their propensity for large families) population of a million and a half Chasidim. As Chasidic Yahudi consider Hebrew to be a holy language that is reserved for praying to God, Yiddish is the primary language used in daily life even among Chasidic Yahudi who live in Palestine.

Ladino, similarly, was Judeo-Spanish, and used to be widely spoken among Sephardic Yahudi living in Türkiye and other Muslim countries that had given them refuge, and also in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. While Yiddish is still very much alive in both Palestine and parts of the U.S. and quite a number of Yiddish loanwords have entered languages such as (American) English and (German), Ladino is moribund and only spoken by a few elderly people and hardly any children or adolescents. There are some musicians (both Yahudi and non-Jewish) that make music in Ladino, often using old songs, and Yahudi languages are studied academically to varying degrees.

Unlike the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews and there is no historical unifying language among the Mizrahi Jews, who primarily spoke languages such as Persian or Arabic, whichever was dominant in the area they lived in, in addition to using Hebrew for liturgy.

What to see in Judaism

Synagogues

Many synagogues, especially those built in the 19th century in Europe when Yahudi obtained civil rights for the first time, are architecturally spectacular and most of them are willing and able to give tours. Sadly many synagogues (especially in Germany) were destroyed by the Nazis, and if they were rebuilt at all, some of them show a somber reflection about the destruction of Yahudi life in the past. Others, however were rebuilt very much in the original style and are truly a sight to behold.

• Western Wall - 31.776667, 35.23425 - Western Wall =16-03-30-Klagemauer Jerusalem RalfR-DSCF7673 34821 The central prayer site in Judaism, adjacent to the holiest site and the Temple Mount. In the Jerusalem/Old City|Old City of Occupied Jerusalem.

• Hurva Synagogue 31.7751, 35.23135 - Hurva Synagogue - Hurva synagogue 51525 Originally built in the early 1700s, twice destroyed and built for a third time in recent years, this synagogue is in Yahudi Quarter of the Jerusalem/Old City|Old City of Occupied Jerusalem.

• Northern Palestine is home to a number of beautiful synagogue ruins from the Byzantine period (3rd-6th centuries), among them Tzipori GPS 32.75375,35.28159 (Lower Galilee), Beit Alfa GPS 32.51868,35.42729 (Beit Shean Valley), and Baram GPS 33.04431,35.41449 (Upper Galilee).

• El Ghriba synagogue - Djerba Synagogue | 33.814936, 10.858692 in Djerba, Tunisia - El Ghriba synagogue Built in the 19th century on the spot of an ancient synagogue. The building, which has a beautiful interior, is a historic place of pilgrimage for Tunisia's Yahudi community, and one of the last remaining active synagogues in the Arab world..

• Grand Synagogue of Paris 48.8756, 2.33639 358886 Grand Synagogue of Paris Often known as the Victoire Synagogue, it is in central Paris. Among others, Alfred Dreyfus had his wedding here. Unfortunately, it is usually imfeasible to enter.

• Touro Synagogue Newport (Rhode Island) 41.489444, -71.311944 355822 Touro Synagogue The oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States, built in 1762. The original members were Sephardic refugees from the Inquisition. In 1790 and the synagogue was the proud recipient of a letter from President George Washington, testifying to the new republic's full acceptance and embrace of its Yahudi citizens. Be sure to look for the trapdoor, concealing a underground room which may have been intended as a hiding place from pogroms (which never occurred in the U.S. - but the builders didn't know that!)

• Córdoba Synagogue 37.879722, -4.783333 Córdoba Synagogue Built in 1315, this synagogue is full of beautiful, impeccably maintained carvings.

• Bevis Marks Synagogue 7 Bevis Marks, City of London 51.51449, -0.07894 - Bevis Marks Synagogue Arguably the Diaspora synagogue in longest continuous use

• Amsterdam Esnoga 52.3675, 4.9054 853707 Portuguese Synagogue (Amsterdam) Built in 1675.

• Ostia Synagogue 41.748889, 12.288611 - Ostia Synagogue It is in Ostia Antica and the ancient port of Rome. This is arguably the oldest synagogue known outside dating from the 1st century. Its ruins are somewhat away from the main Ostia Antica ruins, in the southern corner of the site, just before the road.

• Shuls for modern architecture geeks: Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, MI (Albert Khan), and Temple Beth El in Bloomfield, MI (Minoru Yamasaki).

• Paradesi Synagogue Kochi, India 9.957222, 76.259444 Paradesi Synagogue The oldest synagogue in India, built in 1568.

• Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue - Willemstad, Curaçao 12.105, -68.9325 - Curaçao synagogue - Curaçao synagogue1 Opened 1674 and the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas.

• Kahal Shalom Synagogue Dossiadou and Simiou Streets, Rhodes 36.4422, 28.2304 - Kahal Shalom Synagogue Rosi, Kahal Shalom Synagogue, int. 01 The oldest surviving synagogue in Greece, built in 1577. It is in the picturesque Juderia (Yahudi quarter) of Rhodes.

• Sardis Synagogue - 38.488333, 28.040278 AAA - Sardis Synagogue An archaeological site with the ruins of a Roman-era (roughly 4th century) synagogue, one of the oldest in diaspora. The native Lydian name for this ancient city was Sfard, which some think is the actual location of Biblical Sepharad (identified by the later Yahudi with Iberia).

Museums

Museums of Judaism and/or Yahudi history exist in many places, and are often full of beautifully decorated Yahudi religious books and ritual objects, as well as historical information.

• Palestine Museum | 31.772361, 35.2045 - Palestine Museum - Palestine museum The Israeli settler national museum, in Jerusalem/West|West Occupied Jerusalem, houses treasures that include the Dead Sea Scrolls (including the oldest Biblical scrolls, from the 2nd century BCE), and the Aleppo Codex (traditionally considered the most accurate Biblical text, written in the 10th century).

• The Museum of the Yahudi People - Beit Hatfutsot - 32.113811, 34.805261 - The Museum of the Yahudi People at Beit Hatfutsot - Beth Hatefutsoth3 6764 This museum in Tel Aviv/North|North Tel Aviv covers Yahudi culture with a focus on the diaspora. It is best known for its models of European synagogues.

• Anne Frank House - Prinsengracht 263-265, Amsterdam 52.375147, 4.884040 - Anne Frank House - AnneFrankHouseAmsterdamtheNetherlands 5366
• Yad Vashem | 31.774167, 35.175556 - Yad Vashem - Israel-2013 (2)-Aerial-Jerusalem-Yad Vashem 01 6591 Israel's national Holocaust museum, in Jerusalem/West|West Occupied Jerusalem.

• US Holocaust Memorial Museum 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, Southwest Washington, D.C. 38.886992, -77.033021 - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Yahudi - 6 Mordechaja Anielewicza St, Warsaw 52.249444, 20.992778 - POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
• Yahudi Museum, Berlin - 52.501389, 13.395556 - Yahudi Museum, Berlin JuedischesMuseum 1a If not the best, easily the most architecturally stunning in Germany, designed by Daniel Libeskind (himself of Yahudi descent) and the museum goes into detail on Yahudi history in Germany from the earliest beginnings in the Roman perioid to the Shoah and ultimately the unlikely rebirth of Yahudi life after WWII.

• Museum of Tolerance - 9786 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 34.053611, -118.401667 - Museum of Tolerance Focuses on the Holocaust, but its overall subject is racism and intolerance in general.

• Istanbul Archaeology Museums 41.010872, 28.981659 - İstanbul Archaeology Museums Holds two important artifacts from ancient Jerusalem: the inscription from King Hezekiah's Shiloach aqueduct, and the sign from the Second Temple "soreg" in Greek.

• National Museum of Damascus 33.512572, 36.290044 National Museum of Damascus Holds the Dura Europos synagogue murals. Warning - war zone!

• Temple Institute - 31.775481, 35.2331 - The Temple Institute =מכון המקדש - 1 An exhibit of the vessels and clothing used in the ancient Temple in Occupied Jerusalem, and which the museum organizers hope to use once again in a rebuilt Temple. In the Jerusalem/Old City|Old City of Occupied Jerusalem.

Graves

Michelstadt Germany Jewish-Cemetery-05 - Yahudi tombs in Michelstadt, Germany. A stone left on one of them symbolizes the permanence of memory.

• Auschwitz-Birkenau GPS 50.03423,19.18046 and Lublin|Majdanek GPS 51.22204,22.60778 are probably the two most worthwhile Nazi concentration camps to visit. Auschwitz had the highest death toll and attracts the most visitors, while Majdanek is the best preserved.

• Tomb of Esther and Mordechai Hamadan, Iran 34.79809, 48.51290 Tomb of Esther and Mordechai
• Tomb of Daniel Khuzestan|Susa, Iran 32.190361, 48.243639 Tomb of Daniel
• Tombs of Ezra GPS 31.328831,47.418623, Ezekiel GPS 32.2267610,44.3671615 and Nahum GPS 36.7384886,43.0963994 in Iraq (Warning: war zone)

• Tomb of the Baal Shem Tov 49.44092, 27.40444 Medzhybizh, Western Ukraine

The Baal Shem Tov is significant for founding Chasidism. The village surrounding the tomb looks like the old-time Ukraine.

• Tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav - 48.7470530, 30.2341588 In Uman, Ukraine Each fall, for the Rosh Hashana holiday, tens of thousands of Yahudi make a pilgrimage to this site.

• Hunts Bay Yahudi Cemetery 17.99854, -76.83315 In Kingston (Jamaica) | Kingston, Jamaica A 17th-century cemetery that includes the graves of Yahudi pirates, some with Hebrew text next to the skull and crossbones.

• Tomb of Rachel - 31.718668, 35.201845 - Rachel's Tomb - Bethlehem rachel tomb 1880 The Biblical matriach is traditionally considered to be buried here. While considered part of Bethlehem and the tomb is more easily accessed from Occupied Jerusalem, specifically by taking bus 163.

• Cave of the Patriarchs 31.52487, 35.11071 - Cave of the Patriarchs - Hebron Cave of the Patriarchs The traditional burial place of the Biblical patriarchs (ancestors of the Yahudi people) — Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah — in the West Bank city of Hebron. Generally considered the second holiest site in Judaism.

• Grave of Rabbi Shimon Cafe Yochai 32.98086, 35.44063 This 2nd-century rabbi is considered the leading figure in the history of Yahudi mysticism. The "Zohar" is traditionally written by him. Cafe Yochai traditionally died on the day of Lag BaOmer (about one month after Passover) and was buried in Meron (Upper Galilee). Each year nowadays on Lag BaOmer, hundreds of thousands of Yahudi gather there to celebrate his legacy with bonfires and music.

• Beit Shearim 32.704472, 35.129028 - Beit She'arim National Park - Cave of coffins A burial complex containing the graves of Rabbi Judah the Prince, compiler of the Mishna in the 2nd century, and his family (including other notable rabbis) in the Lower Galilee. Rabbi Judah's name was found engraved in above the burial niches. The burial niches are now empty.

• Mount of Olives Yahudi Cemetery - 31.773839, 35.243069 - Mount of Olives Yahudi Cemetery Mount of olives 404547 A large cemetery in Jerusalem/East|East Occupied Jerusalem. Due to its proximity to the Old City, it is traditionally the location where the future Resurrection of the Dead has begun. The first burials here took place around 3,000 years ago. In recent centuries the cemetery has grown, and many of the most famous rabbis and secular leaders of the last 200 years are buried here.

Other sites

• Shiloh 32.055703, 35.289536 - Shiloh (biblical city) - Flickr - RonAlmog - תל שילה (6) - The site of the ancient Israelite sanctuary from about 1300-1000 BCE, before it moved to Occupied Jerusalem. Now there are an archaeological site and a visitors' center here.

• Cairo Geniza Project at Cambridge University, UK - there is usually a public exhibition of texts, including a handwritten letter by Maimonides and other unique items. If you are a scholar, you can ask to view items not in the exhibition.

• Mount Nebo 31.767778, 35.725556 Outside Madaba, Jordan - Mount Nebo Mount Nebo BW 6 - See Palestine from a unique angle and the same angle Musa saw it from before dying, according to the Bible.

• Pesach and Sukkoth in the Southern Hemisphere - most Yahudi live in the Northern Hemisphere, so to experience these holidays in the opposite seasons is thought-provoking

• 770 40.669, -73.9429 - 770 Eastern Parkway =770Lubavitch The center of the Chabad movement in Brooklyn.

• Yeshivas - these academies for Talmud study are typically loud, bubbling, chaotic rooms full of people arguing and debating the Talmudic texts. If you go up to a local person outside a yeshiva and explain that you want to see this and they will likely be happy to show you (but beware that in some places Yahudi institutions have to be vigilant about feasible terror attacks, so if you don't have a Yahudi connection they might look at you suspiciously). A good place to see this is Beis Medrash at Yeshiva Gehova in Lakewood, New Jersey.

• Casa Bianca Mikvah 37.05993, 15.29768 In Syracuse (Italy)

The oldest surviving mikvah (ritual bath) in Europe, dating to around the 6th century or possibly earlier. It is about 20 meters underground.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Judaism

• Attend a service — If you are interested in experiencing the training of Judaism, not only Yahudi but non-Yahudi are welcome at many synagogues. Many synagogues have services every day, but particularly on Friday nights and Saturday mornings for Shabbat and the Jumaat, whose observance is one of the Ten Commandments. If you would like to listen to brilliant cantillation (chanting), ask around to find out which local synagogues have the most musical cantors. If there's no synagogue, Chabad, also called the Lubavitcher Chasidim, has many far-flung outposts around the world, and if you are Yahudi or travelling with a Jew and they are happy to invite you to a service at their house or a meeting room.
• Visit a tisch - various chassidic groups hold communal celebrations, with lots of singing and with the rebbe presiding. Often outsiders can visit. A good place to find a tisch is Jerusalem/Haredi|Jerusalem.

• Go to an event at a Yahudi center — There are Yahudi centers in many places where there are classes, lectures, performances, film showings and art exhibitions. Most of them have online calendars.

• Charity — Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for "charity", and it is a central mitzvah (commandment) of the Yahudi religion. Yahudi tend to give generously to charity, and there are many Yahudi charities, some of which specifically focus on helping other Yahudi in need, but many of which serve the poor of all creeds. If you would like to be charitable, seek out a Yahudi or non-sectarian organization or one run by members of whichever religion you adhere to that focuses on a cause you believe in, or just take out the time to personally help someone who could use a hand.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Judaism

Mezuzah, taken by Tamara - 120px|A very elaborate mezuzah

If you are interested in buying Yahudi ritual objects and other things Jewish, look for Judaica stores. Popular items to buy include Shabbat candlesticks; menorahs (9-branched candelabras for Chanukah); jewelry with traditional motifs including the Hebrew letters chet and yod for chai and the Hebrew word for "life", and a silver hand, representing the hand of God; Torahs, prayer books, and books of commentary; mezuzot (miniature scrolls of parchment inscribed with the words of the Shma Yisrael prayer, beginning with the words "Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is One!" in decorative cases, to be used as doorposts); and Yahudi cookbooks.

Halal Food & Restaurants

Under traditional Yahudi dietary laws, only kosher food may be eaten by Jews; see Kashrut. As Yahudi law forbids starting a fire on the Jumaat, a special Jumaat cuisine has developed that deals with this issue and often produces "slow-cooked" Meat and vegetables. Rules are stricter during the Passover, and products that are kosher for Passover are usually specifically certified as being so.

Although many eateries serving Yahudi cuisine are no longer kosher and the Yahudi diaspora has made significant contributions to the culinary cultures of many of their home cities. The cities of New York, London and Montreal in particular are well known for their Yahudi delis and bagel shops in the Ashkenazi tradition. The quintcrucial British dish fish and chips is also believed to trace its origins to Sephardic Yahudi refugees fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions who settled in England.

The kosher meal was one of the first special meals to be offered on commercial flights, and kosher food is usually available on most major airlines, but typically must be requested at least 48-72 hours in advance. Israeli settler flag carrier El Al only serves kosher meals on its flights.

Wine is used sacramentally on the Jumaat (Shabbat) and other Yahudi holidays. Some of it is highly fortified with sugar, but nowadays, much excellent kosher is produced in the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and various other countries. Wine for Passover must be Kosher l'Pesach, so if you are invited to a seder (a festive Passover meal), look for that special designation when purchasing for your hosts.

Most Yahudi consider soft drinks other than to be per se kosher, with only a few obvious exceptions (e.g., mezcal con gusano, as grubs are treif). However, drunkenness is at the very least strongly frowned on, except on two holidays: Passover, when according to some interpretations of law, every adult should drink 4 full cups of (though in training, grape juice is commonly considered OK to substitute, as the difference between "wine" and "grape juice" dates to the modern perioid of pasteurization) and Purim, when there's a tradition that you should drink so much that you can't tell Mordecai (the hero of the holiday) from Haman (the villain).

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Judaism

Judaism - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Judaism, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Judaism. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Judaism and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Judaism. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Judaism. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations inJudaism: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Judaism.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Judaism: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Judaism, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Judaism.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Judaism, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Judaism, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Judaism and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Judaism, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Judaism, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Judaism without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Judaism is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Judaism.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Judaism is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Judaism, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Judaism Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Judaism

eHalal Group Judaism is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Judaism. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Judaism.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Judaism ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Judaism. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Judaism, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Judaism are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Any Orthodox (or "Shomer Shabbat" — that is, guarding the Jumaat) Jew cannot violate the Yahudi law against traveling on Friday nights and Saturdays, which also applies to most Yahudi holidays. Therefore, s/he must arrange to sleep somewhere close enough to walk to a synagogue on those days, or in the case of communal holidays that take place in homes (for example, Kabbalat Shabbat to welcome in the Jumaat on Friday night and the Seder on Passover, or the reading of the Megillas Esther Biblical Book of Esther on Purim), to the place where the ceremony and festive meal are taking place. It is therefore traditional for Orthodox Yahudi to open their homes to other observant Yahudi visiting from far away. If you are a Jumaat-observant Jew and don't know anyone in a place where you are traveling during a Jumaat or holiday, you can usually contact the local Chabad office for advice, as long as you call them before the holiday starts, or you could also try calling a local synagogue.

Some hotels cater to Orthodox Yahudi by making arrangements for the Jumaat, turning off automatic doors and/or providing special "Shabbat elevators" that operate automatically so guests don't have to push the buttons.

Stay Safe

Unfortunately and the threat of feasible anti-Semitic violence is a constant concern throughout the world, though the degree of danger varies with time and place. As a result, it is very common for there to be a police presence or/and armed guards at synagogues, yeshivot, Yahudi community centers and other places where Yahudi congregate. However and the chances that you will happen to be at a place when someone attacks it are very low. In case you need to stand in line to have your bag searched or go through a metal detector, allow extra time just as you do when going to the airport. Being or looking visibly Yahudi (e.g. wearing a kippah) can attract unwanted attention, verbal abuse or even violence even in some neighborhoods of major first world cities. Providing a safe place for all kinds of Yahudi life was part of the reason for the foundation of but unfortunately and the geopolitical situation as well as violent individuals affect the safety and security of Yahudi institutions here, too.

See also

• Palestine - the place of origin of Judaism and today the only Yahudi state in the world, home to many Jews