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.

In Israel, even fear and grief can become courage, resilience and joy - opinion

Israelis confronted terror, grief and October 7 remembrance with the courage, resilience and humor that define the Israeli spirit.

OCTOBER 7, 2026|ByGIL TROY

Flydubai passenger Uri Pintov onboard flight flight 1073.

Picture taken on July 7, 2026 in Swiebodzin, western Poland, shows the statue of Jesus Christ measuring 36 m in height, six metres more than the famous landmark Jesus statue of Rio de Janeiro. The statue, called "Jesus Christ the King of the Universe" was completed in November 2010.

Theological beliefs linked more strongly than church attendance to antisemitism in young Christians

The strongest predictor of antisemitic attitudes was belief that God’s promises to the Jewish people have ended, while men who believed God's covenant endures had lower antisemitic attitude scores.

OCTOBER 7, 2026|ByALEX CARSON

IFCJ PRESIDENT Yael Eckstein is seen speaking at the Flags of Fellowship commemoration at the Banyas Church.

October 7 and collective memory: Three years, 156 weeks, and five million Israeli flags - opinion

Since October 7, 4,375 churches have placed 1,200 Israeli flags on their front lawns to memorialize the victims, demonstrating that Hamas’s massacre also revealed who Israel’s friends are.

OCTOBER 6, 2026|ByTULY WEISZ

People attend a rally organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism outside Downing Street in London, Britain, April 30, 2026.

Half of British Jews emotionally attached to Israel, up sharply since October 7, JPR study finds

The report details how the post-October 7 landscape shifted emotional ties to Israel and intensified concerns over antisemitism, even as core markers of Jewish religious practice remained stable.

OCTOBER 6, 2026|ByALEX CARSON

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

Sukkot 2026: The refined person

The Torah itself emphasizes the idea of hadar in the festival’s central mitzvah, the mitzvah of the Four Species, and even makes it part of the definition of the mitzvah.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

EXAMINING AN ETROG.

MDA medics finish building woman's sukkah for her after treating head injury

The woman had begun building the sukkah beneath her home as part of preparations for the approaching holiday when an iron pole fell while the upper supports were being tied together and struck her.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026BySHIR PERETS

An MDA team finishes building a sukkah for a woman after treating her injuries.

The Quran is pro-Zionism. Here’s why – opinion

Islam’s holiest book contains elements that reinforce Jews’ right to the Land of Israel

SEPTEMBER 23, 2026ByTOM WEGNER

A Quran manuscript from Turkey, dated between 1851 and 1852. Artist Unknown.

After Yom Kippur, Israel must learn to say: 'We were wrong' - editorial

Yom Kippur asks Israelis to confess in the plural, but accountability after October 7 still requires individuals and leaders to explain where they went wrong.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL

The Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City during the final Selichot prayers ahead of Yom Kippur. September 19, 2026.

WATCH: Thousands gather at Western Wall for selichot prayers as 'Post' observes Yom Kippur

The Jerusalem Post will temporarily pause news coverage to observe Yom Kippur. We wish all our readers a gmar hatima tova and an easy and meaningful fast.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Thousands of Jews gather for selichot prayer services at the Western Wall, in Jerusalem, ahead of Yom Kippur, September 15, 2026

ITIM demands equal conditions for women in upcoming Chief Rabbinate exams

After women faced severe delays during historic first exams, ITIM threatens legal action against the Chief Rabbinate to ensure equal venues and testing conditions for upcoming certification tests.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN

Three women who arrived in the morning to sit the Rabbinate exams finally do so at a four-hour delay, April 27, 2026