Judaism Facts For Kids

Introduction – What is Judaism?

Judaism is a religion which believes in one god (monotheism). People who follow Judaism are referred to as Jews; they believe that God revealed himself to the prophets “Moses” and “Abraham”. Jewish people are found all around the world and they have a historical religion with an interesting culture.

Beliefs in Judaism

Jews believe that there is only one God who created the universe and everything within it; from the people, to large trees and the small insects everything is created by one God. Judaism as a religion is passed on through the mother’s lineage, although some groups do accept a fathers lineage for a child to be born as a Jew. Jews also believe that they need to follow God’s laws in everything that they do, they follow scriptures from their Holy book called the “Torah”.

The Torah – Judaism’s Holy Book

Torah is the Holy book followed in Judaism, the book is a compilation of the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

The Torah was revealed in Hebrew to the prophet “Moses” and is read within the community in their place of worship, called the synagogue.

What Is a Synagogue?

A Synagogue is a Jewish place of worship where a Rabbi leads service. The synagogue contains these important things:

Torah scrolls: These scrolls contain the words of the Hebrew Bible
Bimah: The Bimah is a raised platform where the majority of the service takes place
Siddur: This book is considered as a major Jewish prayer book as it contains daily prayers
Ark: This cupboard contains the Torah scrolls

Jewish Holidays and Festivals

Here are a few Jewish holidays that are celebrated every year:

Shabbat also known as day of the rest in Judaism is celebrated every week from Friday’s sunset to Saturday’s sunset. Jews recall stories from the Torah and are not supposed to participate in work activities; different people celebrate the Shabbat in various ways.
Hanukkah is a celebration which takes place for 8 days, it can begin from any day between November 28-December 27. The day commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem, the rededication of the Second Temple and Miracle of Oil.
Pesach, also known as passover, is a holiday that is celebrated from 15-22nd Nissan according to the Hebrew calendar. The holiday commemorates freedom of the Israelites from slavery.

Jewish Symbols and Meanings

There are many symbols that represent Judaism as a religion. Here are 3 major symbols that represent the Jewish faith:

Hanukkah Menorah is a candelabrum (a candle holder with multiple arms) which is lit during the 8th day of Hanukkah. 8 of the 9 branches of the Menorah represent each night of the Hanukkah.
Kippah is a skull cap which is worn by Jewish men to represent their faith and identity.
Star of David is a widely recognised symbol of Judaism, the shape is an hexagram (the compound of two equilateral triangles).

Important Jewish Traditions

There are diverse Jewish traditions like:

Bat and Bar mitzvah which is a coming of age ritual followed in Judaism. Boys have a bar mitzvah while girls have a bat mitzvah around the age of 12-13. The event establishes that the children are responsible for their own actions and learning related to Judaism.
Kosher Food conforms to Jewish diet which follows dietary restrictions in specific circumstances like combination of meat and dairy. Not all Jews follow a kosher diet.

Famous Jewish People in History

Just like any other religion being followed by a huge population, Judaism has been followed by famous people like:

Albert Einstein (1879-1955), theoretical physicist is known for his theory of relativity and his contributions to quantum physics. He was born in Germany and received many awards and honours throughout his life for his contribution to this world.
Anne Frank (1929-1945) was a little girl known for documenting her life during the Holocaust till the age of 15 (sadly her age of death). Her diary is published as Frank: The Diary of A Little Girl.
Stan Lee (1922-2018), comic book writer, head editor of the Marvel franchise, publisher and producer. He is known for co-creating the “Marvel Comics” and fascinating characters like Spiderman, Iron Man, Thor and many others.

Judaism Around the World

The Jewish community lives all around the world, but according to World Population Review the Jewish population is concentrated in countries like:

Israel
The United States of America
France
Canada

Facts About Judaism

At the age of 13 Jewish boys celebrate a Bar mitzvah
At age of 12-13 Jewish girls celebrate a Bat mitzvah
Many Jewish people eat a kosher diet
Jewish people refer to Israel as the holy land.
Did you know Hebrew is written and read from right to left?
It is believed that Judaism began 4,000 years ago.
There are 10 commandments written in the Torah.

Conclusion

Judaism is an ancient religion that is followed by millions of people throughout the world. Children should always be willing to learn about and respect different religions around the world. Here are a few other religions that children can learn about at a young age: