History of Judaism

CULTURE AND RELIGION

Judaism

Introduction

Judaism is the religion and the way of life of the Jewish people. It is the oldest of the monotheistic

faiths in the Abrahamic tradition which include Christianity and Islam. The central principle of the

monotheistic faiths is the belief in the one God: the all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present

creator of the universe.

The history of Judaism cannot be separated from the history of the Jewish people. There are

about 14 million Jewish people in the world today and of these only 5 million live in the Jewish

state of Israel. Over the centuries the Jewish people have been dispersed throughout the world,

albeit still having a profound influence on humanity and civilisation.

English Jews were among the first European settlers in Australia and comprised the first non-

Christian community to be established in colonial Australia.

Background and Origins

Judaism originated with the biblical patriarch Abraham (approx 1800 BCE). Abraham established

a covenant with God that was confirmed with the reception of the Torah (the Law including the

Ten Commandments) from God through Moses to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai

approximately 3,320 years ago.

It is important to recognise that as a result of changes since the general emancipation in Europe

in the 18th Century, there is now a great deal of diversity within Judaism both in religious and

cultural expressions.

Expressions of Judaism

Jews derive their Jewishness through either being born to a Jewish mother (for Reform Judaism,

Jewish identity can be derived from either parent) or through conversion to Judaism under an

orthodox Rabbinical court. Some individuals identify with Judaism as a personal choice. Judaism

is mainly a communal culture and relies on family and community institutions to ensure continuity

and manage membership.

For those who subscribe to Judaism as a religion, the central text is the Torah - the five books of

Moses - the Law, containing 613 commandments expounded on by the Talmud - the

Oral/Rabbinic Law. Religious expressions of Judaism believe that God is one, has no form,

created the world, is eternal and is still actively involved in world affairs. Different streams differ in

the degree to which the law can be interpreted and applied to modernity. Common religious

streams of Judaism in Australia include: Orthodox, Reform (Progressive) and Conservative.

CULTURE AND RELIGION

Jews who identify culturally may be secular, agnostic, humanist, traditional, and may choose any

combination of a range of cultural experiences as their focus including language, Israel, history,

music, stories and Jewish cultural experiences from Europe, the Middle East or Spain and its

former colonies. Little information is available about the affiliations of Jewish people in the

Northern Territory.

The lack of community structures such as synagogues, illustrates that it is rare to find observant

religious Jews as long-time residents of the Northern Territory. Most Jews in the Northern

Territory adopt personal cultural expressions based on their own preferences and while they may

hold small informal gatherings on festivals and on the Sabbath no communal structure exists.

The recitation of prayers, daily as well as on the Sabbath and Holy Days, is a defining

characteristic of Jewish religious worship. The traditional Jewish prayer book is known as the

Siddur and the oldest and most important of all Jewish prayers is the Shemah. The Shemah

contains verses from the Torah and is an affirmation of Judaism and a declaration of faith.

Observant Jews are obligated to recite the Shemah twice a day, morning and evening.

Demographics

According to the 2006 Census, 88,832 people in Australia identified with Judaism as their religion,

comprising 0.5% of the total population. Australia's Jewish population grows at the same rate as

the general population. The figure for the Jewish population however may not include people who

do not identify with Judaism as a religion and may also exclude those who refuse to answer the

question on the grounds of privacy or fear of misuse of the information. Some estimates of the

actual Jewish population in Australia are as high as 120,000.

The great majority of Australia's Jewish population lives in the two largest cities Melbourne and

Sydney and there are established Jewish communities in other major cities in Australia. In the

Northern Territory 120 people nominated Judaism as their religion in the 2006 Census.

Greetings and Introductions

The following sensitivities may need to be observed on greeting or introduction:

* Observant orthodox Jews do not shake hands with members of the opposite sex.

* Some, when a hand is offered,

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