Judaism

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world, having originated in the Middle East more than 3,000 years ago with patriarch Abraham.

As the first Abrahamic religion, Judaism has played a major role in shaping the history of the world, having greatly influenced the development of Christianity and Islam, despite having always had a relatively small amount of adherents by comparison.

The religion itself is built off of the "written Torah" of the Bible, known in Judaism as the Tanach, and the "oral Torah" of the Mishna, Talmud and other great works of leading rabbis throughout history.

Judaism itself has no single leading figure, and is divided into multiple streams, such as the ultra-Orthodox (haredi), Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Further differences also exist along the lines of historic Diasporic communities, such as Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewry.

Today, the largest concentration of adherents of Judaism can be found in Israel, with the US having the second-largest.

Beyond the Headlines: The lessons we cannot afford to miss - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

OCTOBER 5, 2026|BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR

MDA paramedic Tzvika Rider on his first call.

Religious IDF Israeli soldiers pray during a training of the Ultra-Orthodox Unit at the Givati Brigade near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, September 27, 2017.

The ‘Jews vs Israelis’ lie: Right does not own Judaism, and the Left has not abandoned it - opinion

The Jewishness of those on the Left and in the political Center is no less real than that of right-wing Jews.

OCTOBER 5, 2026|BySHUKI FRIEDMAN

Praying at the entrance to the Temple Mount on Sukkot, Sept. 29.

Shmini Atzeret haftarah: The Temple Mount is no longer silent

Shmini Atzeret’s Temple haftarah takes on new meaning as Jews increasingly pray and perform mitzvot on the Temple Mount.

OCTOBER 2, 2026|ByMICHAEL FREUND

‘CHAG HA’ASIF’: Tel Winery winemaker Lital Ovadia leads the early-morning grape harvest at the vineyard in Moshav Shaal, Golan Heights, Sept. 23.

How do we celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah after Oct. 7?

Sukkot marks the end of the agricultural cycle, Chag Ha’asif, the festival of gathering in the harvest.

OCTOBER 2, 2026|ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Simchat Torah and Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat candle lighting times for your area.

OCTOBER 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles

Inheriting moral instincts: How choices become a legacy – opinion

Our descendants absorb what we choose to do in times of crisis: they act based on what they watched us forgive, defend, and risk for others.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2026ByKENNETH BRANDER

A rabbi blows a shoat ahead of Yom Kippur at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in 2026.

For some Jews, coming to America as a Jewish refugee still isn't enough to count - opinion

Long gone are the Soviet documents that classified my father’s nationality as “Jew.” In America, I found another kind of othering - this time within my own community.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2026ByRADMILLA SULEYMANOVA/JTA

The author's family poses for a portrait in Bayramaly, Turkmenistan, then part of the Soviet Union, in 1983. From left to right, her paternal grandmother, Rachel; her mother’s sister, Fatima, with Radmilla on her lap; her mother, Lyudmila; and her father, Ribi Amnun,

WATCH: Tens of thousands of Jewish worshipers gather for Birkat Kohanim at Western Wall

The tradition of conducting a mass event for the blessing has been a highlight of the week-long Sukkot and Passover holidays.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Jewish worshippers pray at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, during the traditional Birkat Kohanim ceremony on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, in Jerusalem’s Old City, September 28, 2026.

Ben-Gvir’s gallows betray the Jewish values at the heart of Zionism - opinion

Ben-Gvir’s gallows, in so many ways, does not represent life. It is also antithetical to Judaism and Zionism.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2026ByMICHAEL M. COHEN

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wore a gold pin of a noose, December 8, 2025.

I’m Jewish at a Christian high school, it’s taught me a lot about who I am - opinion

Ben Kleiman describes life at a Christian high school, from mandatory chapel to interfaith conversations, and how the experience shaped her relationship with Judaism.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2026ByBEN KLEIMAN

Head with Israeli flag kippa

Sukkot 2026: Yom Kippur reminds us life is short - Sukkot asks what we do with it - opinion

Yom Kippur asks God for life. Sukkot asks what we will do with it and whether we will make our time count.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN

A succa in Western Wall

Sukkot 2026: What the sukkah and Four Species teach us about Israeli unity

The sukkah is where we spend much of our time over the holiday, eating our meals, and many sleep in the sukkah when conditions and weather allow.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026ByRABBI DAVID STAV

(Illustrative) A woman stands inside a Sukkah, holding a Lulav and Etrog.

The women who should enter Israel’s sukkah this Sukkot - opinion

It is not about who receives a ceremonial invitation to enter for one evening, but about what kind of sukkah we build in the first place.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026ByYIFAT SELA

Prime Minister Golda Meir

Sukkot and Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See candle lighting times for your area

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Shabbat candles