An overview of the Jewish faith

Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world today.There are 13 million followers of Judaism. Jewish history extends back through the ancient Israelite and Hebrew people to Abraham. As a timeline of Judaism shows, through centuries and millenniums of suffering, persecution, dispersion, and victory, Judaism continues to exert a profound influence around the world. The basic facts of Judaism are found in its beliefs, history, and pratices. Jewish beliefs begin with the conviction that there is only one God. This important truth is revealed through the sacred writings of men like Moses and the prophets, the most important of which is the Torah. In Judaism, religion isn't one aspect of life, it is life. There are holidays and celebrations year round, like Passover and bar mitzvahs, to commemorate what God has done in the past and is doing in people's lives today.