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.

From Sinai to today: Judaism and the long march of monotheism - opinion

We were not selected for privilege but to carry God’s presence and moral vision into a broader world.

MAY 16, 2026|ByMOSHE TARAGIN

MONOTHEISM WAS never intended to remain the private inheritance of a single nation.

A JEWISH FAMILY gathers after lighting Shabbat candles.

America’s National Shabbat: An invitation Jews cannot afford to miss - opinion

Trump’s call for a national Shabbat highlights a growing Judeo-Christian alliance and a new cultural moment in America.

MAY 15, 2026|ByTULY WEISZ

Jewish men dance with Israeli flags during Jerusalem Day celebrations at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025.

Jerusalem Day: Israelis cannot afford to take a united Jerusalem for granted - opinion

Jerusalem Day should be appreciated and celebrated in all its manifestations – as a historic achievement, a political challenge, and a spiritual opportunity.

MAY 15, 2026|ByDAVID M. WEINBERG

IDF SOLDIERS stand at the Western Wall in June 1967 after it was captured during the Six Day War.

Parashat Bamidbar: ‘Machar Chodesh’

This week’s haftarah offers a timely message about longing, loyalty, and the enduring bond between the Jewish people and their homeland.

MAY 15, 2026|ByMICHAEL FREUND

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat candle lighting times for your area.

MAY 15, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles

Parashat Bamidbar: The individual within the collective

When the Torah counts the people by tribes and families, it teaches the art of integration: Each individual is counted on his or her own, yet as part of a larger structure.

MAY 15, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

THE PURSUIT of individuality is one of modern culture’s most prominent trends.

Why keep the Sabbath? - opinion

US President Donald Trump urged Jewish Americans to observe a national Sabbath, a rare and monumental statement that brought the importance of keeping the holiday to light.

MAY 15, 2026ByYSHAI AMICHAI

An empty Shabbat dinner table that has been organised by a volunteer group every Friday since October 7 2023 is pictured, in Washington, DC, US, September 20, 2024.

Jerusalem Day lacks ritual meaning and how to fix a neglected holiday - opinion

Jerusalem Day celebrates Jewish history and sovereignty, but needs rituals to become a truly unifying and widely observed holiday.

MAY 13, 2026ByGIL TROY

Jewish men dance with Israeli flags during Jerusalem Day celebrations at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025.

Jerusalem Day: The Israeli capital's eternal bond with the Jewish people - opinion

As Jerusalem Day approaches, the Western Wall stands once again as a symbol of Jewish longing, prayer, and togetherness.

MAY 13, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in the foreground as the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the background.

The New Jewish Question - opinion

Zionism secured Jewish survival. Survival is no longer the crisis. Legitimacy is. The future of Jewish sovereignty will not be decided by armies alone, but by whether Jews know who they are.

MAY 12, 2026ByADAM SCOTT BELLOS

‘HERZL UNDERSTOOD the value of a great photo’: Theodor Herzl in Basel, 1897.

Law of return reform reignites debate over Jewish identity in Israel - opinion

A controversial bill challenges the inclusivity of Israel’s Law of Return and sparks Diaspora tensions.

MAY 12, 2026ByYONI MICHANIE

Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich discusses the Law of Return

From Nicholas Donin to today: Jewish critics of Zionism, identity - opinion

From medieval disputations to today, a look at Jewish converts and their role in shaping criticism of Judaism and Zionism.

MAY 12, 2026ByALAN FELD

Leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, takes part in a march against far-right extremism from Park Lane to Trafalgar Square, organised by the Together Alliance, a coalition of unions and civil society groups, in London, Britain, March 28, 2026.

Proposed Law of Return amendment sparks debate over conversion standards in Israel

Religious coalition lawmakers frame the bill as a return to halachic conversion standards, while opponents say it would hand the religious establishment greater control over Jewish identity

MAY 12, 2026ByGABRIEL COLODRO/THE MEDIA LINE

THE EXPECTATION that citizens should roam the length and breadth of the country in order to find an appointment slot somewhere to renew a passport is preposterous.

'From Alienation to Monarchy': Ruth and the architecture of loving-kindness - book review

Yael Ziegler’s 'Ruth: From Alienation to Monarchy' is a 534-page book on a four-chapter megillah.

MAY 10, 2026ByNOAH ROTHSTEIN

RUTH JOINS her mother-in-law, Naomi, in traveling to the Land of Israel, while Orpah turns back to Moab after accompanying them for a stretch. King David will descend from Ruth, and Goliath from her sister-in-law.