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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Larry Liss.

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The so-called “rules-based international order” has ignored the fact that an international armed conflict has long existed between Iran, the US, and Israel.

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People celebrate Purim in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem.

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Again and again, the pattern returns: a decree of destruction, a sudden fall, a people still standing.

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From Purim treats to Passover prep, turn leftovers and pantry staples into nourishing, stress-free dinners.

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Close-up of the Merenptah Stele, mentioning Israel on line 27.

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Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

MARCH 6, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles

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Diane Neal sits down with The Post to disucss her aliyah story.

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Israelis celebrate Purim on the streets of Jerusalem amid war with Iran, March 3, 2026

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