Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world. With approximately 12 million followers world-wide, it is also the smallest. The European Holocaust greatly affected the size and distribution of the Jewish population. It is estimated that had the Holocaust not occurred, the Jewish population would be between 25 and 35 million. There are 285,000 Jews living in the United Kingdom today.

Judaism originated over 5000 years ago when God revealed himself to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. God invited Abram, later Abraham, to leave his home and settle in Canaan where he would become the father of a great people. One thousand years later, Moses led the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt to The Promised Land.

The Jewish faith teaches there is a single, omniscient and omnipresent God. The Jewish people have a special relationship with this God that was cemented in the covenant made between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai in the 4th century BCE. God cannot be seen or touched, but can be known through worship.

Jews worship on the Sabbath, from sundown Friday evening until sunset Saturday evening. During that time, Jews observing the Sabbath will not take part in any activity considered work, including cooking or driving. The Jewish place of worship is called a synagogue. Each synagogue contains a copy of the Jewish holy book the Torah hand-written on a scroll of parchment. Services in the synagogue are conducted by the Rabbi. Rabbis are leaders and teachers, but do not hold any particular religious status within the Jewish community.

Judaism is about faith and about living in a community that holds certain beliefs and upholds the same laws. These laws are laid out in the Talmud and cover aspects of life, from cooking and eating customs to worship.

The Jewish community is divided along issues of faith and practice. These divisions are reflected in the geographic origins and development of these communities. Orthodox Jews adhere strictly to the teachings of the Torah and Talmud, while Reformed Jews believe these teachings are not the word of God, but rather the reflections of his followers.

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