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.
Whichever way Moss decides, it would indeed be a pity if this impressive project were not viewed by a much larger audience.
The lawsuit brought forth by two prominent kosher certification agencies against the Canadian government follows years of challenges to kosher slaughter in Europe.
Today, more than ever, we must busy ourselves with positive expressions of Jewishness, peppering our lives with learning, understanding, observance, connections, and community.
Man is not required to do what is beyond his abilities, but he is also not exempt from doing what is possible for him – and the rest we leave to the creator of the world to accomplish.
When you look back on the Book of Esther, it is so easy to see divine providence pulling the strings of this farce.
At several crucial junctures, events in Jewish history testified against preconceived ideas, acting as testimony that the Jews are God's chosen people.
Our Torah teaches us, “Choose life!” We must choose life to its fullest, even as we remember and mark the tragedies around us.
New Canadian government regulations, including the issue of the humaneness of animal slaughter, endanger the ability of the Jewish community to slaughter and purchase kosher meat.
Schachter said that Jews are obligated to make significant efforts and exert social pressure on husbands who refuse to provide a get -- a religious divorce -- to their wives, leaving them agunot.