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.

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THEODOR HERZL, the solution appeared straightforward. Pictured: Theodor Herzl’s portrait on the 100-lira note (preceding the shekel), 1965

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For the first time in centuries, Jews are not merely subjects of history but active participants within it.

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Jewish book lovers gather at the Jewish Book Council's offices in Manhattan, July 19, 2023.

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DAILY DIET: The Creator gave us clear guidelines.

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Far-right influencer Jake Lang speaks in front of Gracie Mansion regarding the attempted bombing at a protest organized by the influencer on Saturday, on March 9, 2026 in New York City. Two suspects were arrested on March 7 for allegedly throwing bombs that did not explode during a protest outside G

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Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025.

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PROTESTERS FORM up behind a banner during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London, on March 15, 2026.

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U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 7, 2025.

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American Jews [Illustrative]

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Andrea Simantov.

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Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

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Shabbat candles

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