SECTION 1: What is Judaism?
Before diving into Jewish history and beliefs, let’s get what Judaism is straight. Many people see Judaism as a religion, but that is only partially true. There is a set of religious beliefs categorized as Judaism, but there are so many things under the same name and that are not religious. There are many Jews that don’t believe in God, nor any other principle in Judaism. In fact, half of the Jewish population in the United States doesn’t even belong to a synagogue. These secular Jews are still Jews, so Judaism is a religion, and more besides.
Often people refer to the Jewish race, though as a literal point there is no Jewish race. Race refers to genetic connection, yet every actually race contains Jews, many of which have no ancestral connection. The Jewish race also doesn’t exist due to the fact that one’s race cannot be changed, while converting to Judaism is entirely accepted. Despite this proof, the Supreme Court ruled Jews as a race in the 1980s. Though this is true, one must keep in mind that during the 1980s everything was considered a race. From Italian race to Negro race, nothing was exempt. In order to protect Jews from anti-Semites that wish to harm them, they had to be labeled as a clearly defined race.
Another common label for Judaism is as a culture. There is definitely Jewish culture, though to label all of Judaism as one culture is a bit preposterous. Secular American Jews would agree that it is a culture, with certain foods, holidays, values, and its own language called Yiddish. The problem is, this is merely the culture of Ashkenazic Jews from Europe. Other types of Jews, such as those from the Middle East, don’t speak Yiddish and have never used a dreidel! Jews have their own culture, but different groups of Jews have different variations, so this is not what unites them.
Jewish as a nationality is another popular misleading label. Once, this would have been true, but not in the modern sense. In the Torah Jews are labeled as a nation, and Rabbis agree with this statement. While this is true, and Jews are a nation, it is a different definition than any of us would use. Back when the Torah was written, nation meant a group of people with common history, common destiny, and that they were all interconnected with each other. Using the modern definition of nation as a colonial power bent on world conquest is not what the Jews are. In fact, anti-Semites use the word nation in the modern sense to describe Jews, leading them to belief that Israel is a colonial power bent on controlling the world. In fact, Jews don’t even try to convert other religions!
A better word for the bond between modern Jews is that of a familial bond. In We Jews: Who Are We and What Should We Do, the author, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz describes the Jews in just that way. Even though this book was recently published in 2005, the belief dates back thousands of years. All Jews are labeled as the Children of Israel, but there is also a deeper meaning. Patriarch Jacobs is considered the ancestors of all Children of Israel for a very practical reason. Later in life he was given the name Israel, making all Jews his distant relatives.
Jews are a family in more than just ancient blood ties though. Jews argue, disagree, and do everything else that siblings do to each other. Through that, though, Jews respect each other, as any sensible family does. When one Jew suffers, all come to help, as shown by the Jews of Beta Israel, or Ethopia, starved in a famine in the 1980s. Jews around the world helped them immigrate to Israel. The Madoff scandal is another family point, in a different direction. When Bernie Madoff did an immoral thing in his scandal, all Jews felt hurt, especially as he hurt fellow Jews. Jews were also astounded when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was murdered, by fellow Jew! Last but not least, Jews are proud of their fellows’ accomplishments. Things like when Adam Sandler wrote Chanukah commemorating famous Jews, or when Sandy Kaufax celebrated Yom Kippur instead of pitching a World Series game make Jews glad to be who they are.
SECTION 2: History of Judaism
In 2,000 B.C, the Jews were a nomadic tribe in northern Arabia. For hundreds of years they enjoyed peace, but in the 13th century the Egyptians expanded and enslaved the Jews. Moses then rose up and freed the Jews, leading them to the Promised Land of Palestine. They went through the Sinai desert, stopping at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jews held a covenant with god and found the 10 commandments, the basis for all of Judaism.
40 years after visiting Mount Sinai, Joshua led the Jews over the Jordan River, into Palestine. The Philistines, a group of Phoenicians, arrived in Palestine around the same time, causing a 3-way war to break out between the Jews, Philistines, and native Canaanites. This war raged for 200 years, until King David beat Goliath and created a Jewish country. King David’s son, Solomon, then built a famous temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship for many years. Later, the Jewish country split in two, causing strife among the Jews. Faith in Judaism and Yahweh waned in both kingdoms, though many rabbi fought against the decline.
In the sixth century B.C, the Babylonians kicked the Jews out of Palestine three times. The worst of these attacks involved Solomon’s temple being burned to the ground in 587 B.C. These intrusions mark the start of the Jewish Diaspora. The Diaspora is the spread of Jews throughout the world, with no central Jewish country to guide or govern them. Persian Emperor Cyrus let the Jews back into Palestine in 517 B.C, where they built a new grand temple. Nehemiah and Ezra lead the theocratic Jewish state in the 400’s B.C, leading under the guidance of the Torah. They also compiled Jewish tradition and beliefs into one source, allowing it to be unified as one religion.
Alexander the Great conquered Palestine in 332 B.C. This was the start of a Hellenized, western, Palestine. In 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompey conquered Palestine, and it quickly became a Roman province. The Jews revolted in 66 A.D., after long being repressed. In response, Rome sacked Jerusalem and spread the Jews throughout their empire around the Mediterranean. Jewish culture becomes centralized in Spain for many centuries. Even when the Muslims come and conquer the Iberian Peninsula, the Jews stay and prosper. Once Granada finally falls before the Christians though, they turn upon the Jews.
In the 14th and 15th centuries the Jews are kicked out of Iberia by the Spanish and Portuguese. At this point the Jews are constantly attacked by the Christians throughout Europe, as well as the Muslims of the Arabic lands. In 1555 the Pope says to send Jews to ghettos, much as the Nazis did in WWII. Many Pogroms, or resistances, happen, although the Jews are a minority group and did not have the power to free themselves. Both Sephardim, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish, and Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German, were founded during this period of duress. Through all of these problems, the Jews were able to keep Judaism alive within some communities. In fact, throughout much of the Middle East the Jews lived isolated in their own communities.
In the 1700s Hasidism spread across Eastern Europe, lifting many of the laws restricting the Jews. During this time, Theodor Herzi led the Zionist party to call for Jews to have their own country, but it was not granted until many years later. In WWII Hitler came and conquered Europe with the Nazi party. In the holocaust 6 million Jews were brutally slaughtered in concentration camps. After WWII though, the Jews were finally allowed to have Israel, previously known as British Palestine. The Jews had a difficult time fighting off the Palestinians and Arabs, but they did survive, and Israel now has over 4 million Jews living in it. The only country with more Jews is the United States, with 6 million. The former Soviet Union comes in third, with about 1.5 million. Western Europe, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil make up most of the 20 million Jews in the world. There may only be 20 million, but they are a significant religion none the less. The main reason the Jews remain so small is that they never force conversion, never have and never will.
SECTION 3: Beliefs of Judaism
Jewish beliefs are very similar to those of Christians, because Judaism is the base for modern Christianity and Islam. The primary idea is to only worship the one god Yahweh. Jews believe that contact with god is direct, and that there is little need for priests to bridge the gap. Also, with communicating to God, good actions are far more important than any rituals. To them this is what religion is about, personally interacting with God. God controls everything to them, including major prophets and major events throughout history. The other important belief of Judaism is that history is important. To them, history is more important than usual because it is controlled by god to get to the present. Also, all Jews must follow the Ten Commandments set out at the covenant of Mount Sinai with God. Beyond simple beliefs like this Judaism is a rather flexible religion, allowing you to debate and argue about topics, and believe what you will.
Within all of their beliefs, there are many types of Judaism though. There is the Ashkenazim Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, and the Sephardim Jews of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. These Jews often speak their own languages of Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German, and Sephardim, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish. There are also different levels of religiousness. First there is Orthodox, the harshest type. One has to rest on Sabbath, eat kosher food, and the genders sit in different areas in the synagogue. Next up is Conservative Judaism, in which all services are held in vernacular instead of Hebrew. They view things more scientifically than others, allowing for more diversity in thinking. There is also Reform Judaism, which is much smoother with services being held on Friday night. Men and women can sit together in Reform, and nobody has to cover their head from strangers. Finally, there is Reconstruction Judaism, which just recently started in the United States. Mordecai Kaplan founded it under the idea of Judaism as a culture, not a religion. It covers art, music, literature, and other cultural topics.
There are three sections in the Jewish Bible, also known as the Christian Old Testament. First there is the Torah, also known as Law. It is the most important book, including the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible also contains the Neviim, or Prophets, and the Ketuvim, or Writings. Outside of the Bible, the most important text is the Talmud. It explains Jewish traditions, laws, priorities, and ceremonies. After the Talmud comes the Midrashin order of importance, which explains many other writings. Combined, the Talmud and Midrash are said to be the oral bible, because they are said much more often. Many countries, from China to Ethopia, have slightly different rituals based on things before the Diaspora. Though there is this written work to consolidate them, Jewish rituals, ceremonies, and traditions vary greatly since the Jewish Diaspora.
One belief of Judaism is that boys (and girls in reform) must take responsibility as an adult when 13 years old. This is called Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah for girls. Another Jewish tradition involves marriages. Marriages occur below a canopy and later share wine to symbolize their home and life. Mixed marriages are allowed, but it is discouraged from men because in Judaism the religion is passed down from the mother. Another ritual of the Jews is to take Sabbath off. Sabbath is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, and services are held during this time. Rosh Hashanah is a major holiday in August with 10 days to enjoy oneself and to look back and see what mistakes you have made. At the end of Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is held. On Yom Kippur one should prey, fast, and confess. Passover is another 8 day holiday in early spring where Jews relax with their family. Passover is the anniversary of Moses freeing the Jews from Egypt long ago.
A key point of Judaism is its mysticism, or lack of mysticism in some cases. Jews debate major Christian ideas like whether heaven and hell exist, if angels and the devils exist, and what happens to the soul of a person after death. All this is more is open in Judaism, while it practically defines many religions. Many points of mysticism are not taught to even Jewish Rabbi, for they must have completed studying both the Torah and the Talmud, at which point they are generally around 40. Even though this is an, aptly named, mystical topic, it is referenced in simpler books like the Torah and Talmud. The Torah has stories involving angels, prophetic dreams, heaven, purgatory, rebirth, and drifting souls, even though these are complex, debatable topics. Originally these ideas were often found in sources like Ma’aseh Bereishit, the work of creating, and Ma’aseh Merkavah, the work of the chariot or Ezekiel’s vision. Later the Zohar was published to consolidate these previously oral ideas.
Many Jews don’t even believe in mysticism, such as Orthodox Jews. Others, like Chasidic Jews use it in many church services. Everybody learns something about though, for though it can be considered nonsense, at least it is Jewish nonsense. Mystic though can also be collectively called the Kabbalah, meaning tradition. This is based on the Hebrew root Qof-Beit-lamed, meaning to receive. Though words like Cabal have horrible meanings in English, the Jews do not see any evil in the Kabbalah. Many mystics and oculists have distorted it over the centuries, but there is no ill meaning intended. European explorers of the Renaissance also changed the meaning of Kabbalah when trying to view it as a Christian instead of a Jew. The final misconception of Kabbalah comes from popular people of today, who use the Kabbalah in a way and with an attitude that was never intended.
Magic is a very intimate part of many Jewish stories, which involve Rabbi and Prophets using the word of God to do mystical deeds. Some examples of these deeds are making robotic fake men, clay golems powered by the name of God, and calling a meeting in heaven with God and angels. These stories exist, but don’t mistake them for every Jew being able to do amazing things; most Rabbis can’t even do these things, if they are true in the first place. To Jews this magic is not evil, unlike Christians view witchcraft. In Jewish belief, Jesus’ miracles are simply Kabbalistic deeds learned from a Jewish group practicing mysticism in the area. Finally, one may want to know a little bit about how to convert to Judaism. Conversion is not simply an “I believe in Judaism” process; it requires more work and dedication to join the Jewish family. The converted must work with a Rabbi to undergo the process of learning Judaism in order to be converted. The exact work involved varies depending on which of the 4 main branches of Judaism one is joining. Regardless of which one, it is a life changing point for the newly Jewish person.
NAME: David B.
SECTION 1: What is Judaism?
Before diving into Jewish history and beliefs, let’s get what Judaism is straight. Many people see Judaism as a religion, but that is only partially true. There is a set of religious beliefs categorized as Judaism, but there are so many things under the same name and that are not religious. There are many Jews that don’t believe in God, nor any other principle in Judaism. In fact, half of the Jewish population in the United States doesn’t even belong to a synagogue. These secular Jews are still Jews, so Judaism is a religion, and more besides.
Often people refer to the Jewish race, though as a literal point there is no Jewish race. Race refers to genetic connection, yet every actually race contains Jews, many of which have no ancestral connection. The Jewish race also doesn’t exist due to the fact that one’s race cannot be changed, while converting to Judaism is entirely accepted. Despite this proof, the Supreme Court ruled Jews as a race in the 1980s. Though this is true, one must keep in mind that during the 1980s everything was considered a race. From Italian race to Negro race, nothing was exempt. In order to protect Jews from anti-Semites that wish to harm them, they had to be labeled as a clearly defined race.
Another common label for Judaism is as a culture. There is definitely Jewish culture, though to label all of Judaism as one culture is a bit preposterous. Secular American Jews would agree that it is a culture, with certain foods, holidays, values, and its own language called Yiddish. The problem is, this is merely the culture of Ashkenazic Jews from Europe. Other types of Jews, such as those from the Middle East, don’t speak Yiddish and have never used a dreidel! Jews have their own culture, but different groups of Jews have different variations, so this is not what unites them.
Jewish as a nationality is another popular misleading label. Once, this would have been true, but not in the modern sense. In the Torah Jews are labeled as a nation, and Rabbis agree with this statement. While this is true, and Jews are a nation, it is a different definition than any of us would use. Back when the Torah was written, nation meant a group of people with common history, common destiny, and that they were all interconnected with each other. Using the modern definition of nation as a colonial power bent on world conquest is not what the Jews are. In fact, anti-Semites use the word nation in the modern sense to describe Jews, leading them to belief that Israel is a colonial power bent on controlling the world. In fact, Jews don’t even try to convert other religions!
A better word for the bond between modern Jews is that of a familial bond. In We Jews: Who Are We and What Should We Do, the author, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz describes the Jews in just that way. Even though this book was recently published in 2005, the belief dates back thousands of years. All Jews are labeled as the Children of Israel, but there is also a deeper meaning. Patriarch Jacobs is considered the ancestors of all Children of Israel for a very practical reason. Later in life he was given the name Israel, making all Jews his distant relatives.
Jews are a family in more than just ancient blood ties though. Jews argue, disagree, and do everything else that siblings do to each other. Through that, though, Jews respect each other, as any sensible family does. When one Jew suffers, all come to help, as shown by the Jews of Beta Israel, or Ethopia, starved in a famine in the 1980s. Jews around the world helped them immigrate to Israel. The Madoff scandal is another family point, in a different direction. When Bernie Madoff did an immoral thing in his scandal, all Jews felt hurt, especially as he hurt fellow Jews. Jews were also astounded when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was murdered, by fellow Jew! Last but not least, Jews are proud of their fellows’ accomplishments. Things like when Adam Sandler wrote Chanukah commemorating famous Jews, or when Sandy Kaufax celebrated Yom Kippur instead of pitching a World Series game make Jews glad to be who they are.
SECTION 2: History of Judaism
In 2,000 B.C, the Jews were a nomadic tribe in northern Arabia. For hundreds of years they enjoyed peace, but in the 13th century the Egyptians expanded and enslaved the Jews. Moses then rose up and freed the Jews, leading them to the Promised Land of Palestine. They went through the Sinai desert, stopping at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jews held a covenant with god and found the 10 commandments, the basis for all of Judaism.
40 years after visiting Mount Sinai, Joshua led the Jews over the Jordan River, into Palestine. The Philistines, a group of Phoenicians, arrived in Palestine around the same time, causing a 3-way war to break out between the Jews, Philistines, and native Canaanites. This war raged for 200 years, until King David beat Goliath and created a Jewish country. King David’s son, Solomon, then built a famous temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship for many years. Later, the Jewish country split in two, causing strife among the Jews. Faith in Judaism and Yahweh waned in both kingdoms, though many rabbi fought against the decline.
In the sixth century B.C, the Babylonians kicked the Jews out of Palestine three times. The worst of these attacks involved Solomon’s temple being burned to the ground in 587 B.C. These intrusions mark the start of the Jewish Diaspora. The Diaspora is the spread of Jews throughout the world, with no central Jewish country to guide or govern them. Persian Emperor Cyrus let the Jews back into Palestine in 517 B.C, where they built a new grand temple. Nehemiah and Ezra lead the theocratic Jewish state in the 400’s B.C, leading under the guidance of the Torah. They also compiled Jewish tradition and beliefs into one source, allowing it to be unified as one religion.
Alexander the Great conquered Palestine in 332 B.C. This was the start of a Hellenized, western, Palestine. In 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompey conquered Palestine, and it quickly became a Roman province. The Jews revolted in 66 A.D., after long being repressed. In response, Rome sacked Jerusalem and spread the Jews throughout their empire around the Mediterranean. Jewish culture becomes centralized in Spain for many centuries. Even when the Muslims come and conquer the Iberian Peninsula, the Jews stay and prosper. Once Granada finally falls before the Christians though, they turn upon the Jews.
In the 14th and 15th centuries the Jews are kicked out of Iberia by the Spanish and Portuguese. At this point the Jews are constantly attacked by the Christians throughout Europe, as well as the Muslims of the Arabic lands. In 1555 the Pope says to send Jews to ghettos, much as the Nazis did in WWII. Many Pogroms, or resistances, happen, although the Jews are a minority group and did not have the power to free themselves. Both Sephardim, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish, and Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German, were founded during this period of duress. Through all of these problems, the Jews were able to keep Judaism alive within some communities. In fact, throughout much of the Middle East the Jews lived isolated in their own communities.
In the 1700s Hasidism spread across Eastern Europe, lifting many of the laws restricting the Jews. During this time, Theodor Herzi led the Zionist party to call for Jews to have their own country, but it was not granted until many years later. In WWII Hitler came and conquered Europe with the Nazi party. In the holocaust 6 million Jews were brutally slaughtered in concentration camps. After WWII though, the Jews were finally allowed to have Israel, previously known as British Palestine. The Jews had a difficult time fighting off the Palestinians and Arabs, but they did survive, and Israel now has over 4 million Jews living in it. The only country with more Jews is the United States, with 6 million. The former Soviet Union comes in third, with about 1.5 million. Western Europe, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil make up most of the 20 million Jews in the world. There may only be 20 million, but they are a significant religion none the less. The main reason the Jews remain so small is that they never force conversion, never have and never will.
SECTION 3: Beliefs of Judaism
Jewish beliefs are very similar to those of Christians, because Judaism is the base for modern Christianity and Islam. The primary idea is to only worship the one god Yahweh. Jews believe that contact with god is direct, and that there is little need for priests to bridge the gap. Also, with communicating to God, good actions are far more important than any rituals. To them this is what religion is about, personally interacting with God. God controls everything to them, including major prophets and major events throughout history. The other important belief of Judaism is that history is important. To them, history is more important than usual because it is controlled by god to get to the present. Also, all Jews must follow the Ten Commandments set out at the covenant of Mount Sinai with God. Beyond simple beliefs like this Judaism is a rather flexible religion, allowing you to debate and argue about topics, and believe what you will.
Within all of their beliefs, there are many types of Judaism though. There is the Ashkenazim Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, and the Sephardim Jews of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. These Jews often speak their own languages of Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German, and Sephardim, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish. There are also different levels of religiousness. First there is Orthodox, the harshest type. One has to rest on Sabbath, eat kosher food, and the genders sit in different areas in the synagogue. Next up is Conservative Judaism, in which all services are held in vernacular instead of Hebrew. They view things more scientifically than others, allowing for more diversity in thinking. There is also Reform Judaism, which is much smoother with services being held on Friday night. Men and women can sit together in Reform, and nobody has to cover their head from strangers. Finally, there is Reconstruction Judaism, which just recently started in the United States. Mordecai Kaplan founded it under the idea of Judaism as a culture, not a religion. It covers art, music, literature, and other cultural topics.
There are three sections in the Jewish Bible, also known as the Christian Old Testament. First there is the Torah, also known as Law. It is the most important book, including the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible also contains the Neviim, or Prophets, and the Ketuvim, or Writings. Outside of the Bible, the most important text is the Talmud. It explains Jewish traditions, laws, priorities, and ceremonies. After the Talmud comes the Midrashin order of importance, which explains many other writings. Combined, the Talmud and Midrash are said to be the oral bible, because they are said much more often. Many countries, from China to Ethopia, have slightly different rituals based on things before the Diaspora. Though there is this written work to consolidate them, Jewish rituals, ceremonies, and traditions vary greatly since the Jewish Diaspora.
One belief of Judaism is that boys (and girls in reform) must take responsibility as an adult when 13 years old. This is called Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah for girls. Another Jewish tradition involves marriages. Marriages occur below a canopy and later share wine to symbolize their home and life. Mixed marriages are allowed, but it is discouraged from men because in Judaism the religion is passed down from the mother. Another ritual of the Jews is to take Sabbath off. Sabbath is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, and services are held during this time. Rosh Hashanah is a major holiday in August with 10 days to enjoy oneself and to look back and see what mistakes you have made. At the end of Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is held. On Yom Kippur one should prey, fast, and confess. Passover is another 8 day holiday in early spring where Jews relax with their family. Passover is the anniversary of Moses freeing the Jews from Egypt long ago.
A key point of Judaism is its mysticism, or lack of mysticism in some cases. Jews debate major Christian ideas like whether heaven and hell exist, if angels and the devils exist, and what happens to the soul of a person after death. All this is more is open in Judaism, while it practically defines many religions. Many points of mysticism are not taught to even Jewish Rabbi, for they must have completed studying both the Torah and the Talmud, at which point they are generally around 40. Even though this is an, aptly named, mystical topic, it is referenced in simpler books like the Torah and Talmud. The Torah has stories involving angels, prophetic dreams, heaven, purgatory, rebirth, and drifting souls, even though these are complex, debatable topics. Originally these ideas were often found in sources like Ma’aseh Bereishit, the work of creating, and Ma’aseh Merkavah, the work of the chariot or Ezekiel’s vision. Later the Zohar was published to consolidate these previously oral ideas.
Many Jews don’t even believe in mysticism, such as Orthodox Jews. Others, like Chasidic Jews use it in many church services. Everybody learns something about though, for though it can be considered nonsense, at least it is Jewish nonsense. Mystic though can also be collectively called the Kabbalah, meaning tradition. This is based on the Hebrew root Qof-Beit-lamed, meaning to receive. Though words like Cabal have horrible meanings in English, the Jews do not see any evil in the Kabbalah. Many mystics and oculists have distorted it over the centuries, but there is no ill meaning intended. European explorers of the Renaissance also changed the meaning of Kabbalah when trying to view it as a Christian instead of a Jew. The final misconception of Kabbalah comes from popular people of today, who use the Kabbalah in a way and with an attitude that was never intended.
Magic is a very intimate part of many Jewish stories, which involve Rabbi and Prophets using the word of God to do mystical deeds. Some examples of these deeds are making robotic fake men, clay golems powered by the name of God, and calling a meeting in heaven with God and angels. These stories exist, but don’t mistake them for every Jew being able to do amazing things; most Rabbis can’t even do these things, if they are true in the first place. To Jews this magic is not evil, unlike Christians view witchcraft. In Jewish belief, Jesus’ miracles are simply Kabbalistic deeds learned from a Jewish group practicing mysticism in the area. Finally, one may want to know a little bit about how to convert to Judaism. Conversion is not simply an “I believe in Judaism” process; it requires more work and dedication to join the Jewish family. The converted must work with a Rabbi to undergo the process of learning Judaism in order to be converted. The exact work involved varies depending on which of the 4 main branches of Judaism one is joining. Regardless of which one, it is a life changing point for the newly Jewish person.