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Abraham, Issac, and Jacob are the "ancestors" of Judaism and they are also known as the Patriarchs. Their
descendants are the Jewish people.
Abraham was born with the name Abram in Babylonia. Even from childhood, Abram "questioned the
faith of his father and sought the truth. He came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single
Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others." [19] According to the beliefs of the Jewish
people, the "true Creator" appeared to Abram and "made him an offer" that if he left home and his family, God would
make him the founder of a great nation and bless him. This offer came to be known as the b'rit or the covenant.
Abram accepted the offer and left home. God promised Abram a son by his wife Sarai even though
she was old and past child-bearing age. When Abram was 100 years old and Sarai 90, God changed Abram's name to
Abraham (father of many) and Sarai's name to Sarah. God fulfilled his promise and gave Abraham a son, who was named
Isaac.
Issac was married to Rebecca and had fraternal twins named Jacob and Esau. Jacob played an
important role in the history of Judaism. He was given the name Israel (Champion of God) by God who appeared to
him as an angel. The Jewish people are thus known as the children of Israel.
"A prophet is basically a spokesman for [God], a person chosen by [God], to
speak to people on [God's] behalf and convey a message or teaching. Prophets were role models of holiness,
scholarship and closeness to [God]." [20]
The greatest prophet in Judaism was Moses. He was known as Moshe Rabbeinu, or Moses, our
teacher/rabbi. During his time, the Jewish people were held as slaves to the Egyptian Pharoah. Prior to Moses's
birth, the Pharaoh ordered all male children born to a Hebrew slave to be drowned in the river. Moses's mother,
Yocheved, hid him for three months after his birth. Eventually, Yocheved put him in a little ark and placed it
on a river. The Pharaoh's daughter found him and took him in and cared for him. [21]
God appeared to Moses and chose him to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised
Land. Moses, along with his older brother Aaron and sister Miriam, led their people out of Egypt and brought them
to Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, it is believed that every Jewish soul was present and God presented them with the
Torah. The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Moses himself wrote
these five books as instructed by God before he died. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam all died before the Jewish people
reached the Promised Land.
Most holidays and festivals that the Jewish people observe are celebrations of the struggles and triumphs of their
history. Through out their history, the Jewish people struggled for their freedom. Similar to the other struggles
that the Jews endured, the Holocaust illustrates their strength and determination.
| The majors Jewish holidays and festivals are: |
| Sabbath Day |
A day dedicated to prayer and religious study, the Jewish people are required to honor the purpose of this day stated under the fourth Commandment. |
| Pesach (Passover) |
An eight-day festival to celebrate the end of Isrealites' bondage in Egypt. |
| Shabuoth (Pentecost) |
A day to remember when God gave the Torah to Isrealites at Mount Sinai. |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) |
This day marks the new year according to the Jewish calendar. |
| Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) |
The holiest day of the year, Jewish people believe God judges each person on this day. |
| Hanukkah |
An eight-day observance to celebrate Isrealites' victory over the Syrian-Greek Army in 165 B.C. |
| Succot (Tabernacles) |
A holiday to remember the struggles of the Isrealites before reaching Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. |
| Simchat Torah |
This day marks the end and beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings |
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