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.

High Court empowers anti-Zionists at Judaism’s holiest site - opinion

While Israeli soldiers fight for their lives, the High Court grants the Reform movement's extremists a foothold at the Western Wall, undermining Israel.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026|ByAMICHAI ELIYAHU

A FAMILY prays at the section of the Kotel designated for non-Orthodox worship.

A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in the background June 24, 2019

It's time for the Western Wall to be a home for every Jew - opinion

The Western Wall belongs to every Jew, and it’s time Israel honors equality, pluralism, and shared heritage.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026|ByYOCHI RAPPEPORT

Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu's political opposition must present clear policies - opinion

Israel’s opposition unites against Netanyahu, but lacks policies to present a clear alternative government.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026|BySUSAN HATTIS ROLEF

A person holds a placard during a demonstration against antisemitism, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Brussels, Belgium December 10, 2023.

Is antisemitism inevitable? A disturbing old-new view of Jew-hatred - opinion

We have to be prepared for the possibility that democracy will fail the Jews.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026|ByCHAIM STEINMETZ

Zionism built on shared responsibility, not ideological conformity - opinion

Zionism thrives when it aligns with the Jews who are willing to carry it forward and not on nostalgic ideals.

JANUARY 14, 2026ByJONATHAN GUTTENTAG

Zionist youth congress in Budapest.

For 250 years, American Jews have answered prejudice with defiance - opinion

The Charlestown “true-hearted Israelite” offers an enduring lesson for the 250th: when prejudice is spoken, and you have the power to answer, you answer.

JANUARY 13, 2026ByAUSTIN REID ALBANESE/JTA

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina, March 1938.

From the Nuremberg Laws to BDS: The return of antisemitic exclusion - opinion

BDS is not a protest movement but a revival of historic antisemitic boycotts, targeting Jewish identity, culture, and ultimately Israel’s right to exist.

JANUARY 13, 2026ByZALMAN SHOVAL

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators carry a banner during a protest against the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship in the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, June 12, 2025.

Women at the threshold of Redemption: From Pharaoh's Egypt to the post-October 7 reality - opinion

The message is unmistakable: Moral courage, not submission, is what sustains holiness.

JANUARY 12, 2026ByZEHAVIT GROSS

A woman shouts at a protest ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in Rome, Italy, last year.

'Persia will fall': Rabbis cite ancient texts as Iran’s crisis deepens

A senior Israeli rabbi published a biblical-style prayer calling for the downfall of Iran’s clerical regime.

JANUARY 11, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

People take part in a rally in solidarity with protesters in Iran, on January 11, 2026 in London, England.

The return of the lost Jews - and the ‘great shofar’

'On that day, a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those who were cast off in the land of Egypt shall come, and they shall bow to the Lord in Jerusalem.'

JANUARY 11, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND

Shofarim. Illustrative.

'Why Am I a Jew?' A sincere attempt at addressing big questions about Judaism - book review

Rosner’s book was written primarily for non-practicing Jews perplexed by Judaism in general and by apparent contradictions between Jewish and Western values in particular.

JANUARY 11, 2026ByABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN

Statue of Spinoza by Nicolas Dings in Zwanenburgwal, Amsterdam, with the inscription ‘The objective of the state is freedom,’ quoted from his ‘Tractatus Theologico-Politicus.’

Why I can’t live without Shabbat

The beautiful chaos of our crew around a table covered with challah, wine, and probably too much food... Our table almost always holds more. Friends stop by. Guests join.

JANUARY 11, 2026ByJAMIE GELLER

Shabbat, a day for 'unplugging.'

Rebranding Zionism, unifying Jews: Rabbi Doron Perez on his plans as WZO president - interview

JEWISH WORLD AFFAIRS: Rabbi Doron Perez, in his role as WZO president, aims to unify Jews and rebrand Zionism as a force for good

JANUARY 10, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR

‘THE WORLD Zionist Organization is an ideal platform to play a unifying role.’ WZO President Rabbi Doron Perez holds a picture of his son Daniel, a tank commander who fell in battle on October 7, and whose body had been abducted into Gaza until finally being returned in a ceasefire deal in October.

Somaliland’s lost and forgotten Jews: Inside Horn of Africa's Jewish past - opinion

Beyond the politics, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland reveals a hidden Jewish past, from ancient cemeteries to the origins of the Yibir tribe.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region, during a gathering calling for Somalia’s territorial unity, in Mogadishu, Dec. 30.