G. What are the demographics of where this sect can be found? How many people practice this particular branch?

          Approximately 14 million people practice this religion.

estimated population of those practicing Judaism

F. How and where did this particular branch develop?  
Began in Europe because of the reactions to the new branch of reform Judaism.

one of the first places of Judaism

E. How does your sect differ from the other branches within the major religion? 

chart of differences between the 3 sects of judaism

        Orthodox Judaism differs from the other two forms because Orthodox contains and believes n all of the original and tradition beliefs and views of Jews created when the religion was first created.

D. How does this monotheistic religion differ from the other two major monotheistic religions?  

          Judaism differs from Islam and Christianity in that Judaism has a strong belief that Jesus has the identity of a false prophet. Judaism also does not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

video on the 3 monotheistic religions

C.  What traditions or rituals do they follow? List and describe at least 3.

celebration of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

          The most famous of traditions is the Holiday of Hanukkah that lasts 8 days, in which a menorah, with 8 candles, is lit each day in reenactment of the oil that was only supposed to last one day but lasted 8 days instead. Another famous ritual is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrated as a coming of age for the young Jewish child, most like a quinceanera. Last of all is the Rash Hashanah, or the celebration of the jewish new year.

B.  What holy book do they use and what holy days do they observe? 
      They use the holy book of TaNaKh, which consisnts of 3 books total. The Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim. They observe the holy days of Shabbat and Yom Kippur. Shabbat is  the 7th day of the jewish week in which they review 'Genesis' in which god creates the earth and the heavens in 6 days and rests on the 7th. Yom Kippur involves 25 hours of fasting and several long intensive hours of prayer.

symbolism of the Jewish Religion

   A. What is the place of worship? What are the major features of this place? (details of architecture, how it is decorated, what the place is called)
      Synagogues are spaces that can be used only for the pupose of prayer.  except in reform a synogogue is not viewed as replacing the temple in jerusalem. Synagogues often take on a broader role in modern Jewish communities and may include additional facilities such as a catering hall, kosher kitchen, religious school, library, day care center and a smaller chapel for daily services. The Orthodox and Chasidim typically use the word "shul," which is Yiddish. The word is derived from a German word meaning "school," and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a place of study.
The portion of the synagogue where prayer services are performed is commonly called the sanctuary. Synagogues in the United States are generally designed so that the front of the sanctuary is on the side towards Jerusalem, which is the direction that we are supposed to face when reciting certain prayers. Probably the most important feature of the sanctuary is the Ark, a cabinet or recession in the wall that holds the Torah scrolls. The Ark is also called the Aron Kodesh ("holy cabinet").
      The Ark is generally placed in the front of the room; that is, on the side towards Jerusalem. The Ark has doors as well as an inner curtain called a parokhet. This curtain is in imitation of the curtain in the Sanctuary in The Temple, and is named for it. During certain prayers, the doors and/or curtain of the Ark may be opened or closed. Opening or closing the doors or curtain is performed by a member of the congregation, and is considered an honor. All congregants stand when the Ark is open.
      In front of and slightly above the Ark, you will find the ner tamid, the Eternal Lamp. This lamp symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the Tabernacle outside of the curtain surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. In addition to the ner tamid, you may find a menorah in many synagogues, symbolizing the menorah in the Temple. The menorah in the synagogue will generally have six or eight branches instead of the Temple menorah's seven, because exact duplication of the Temple's ritual items is improper.

In the center of the room or in the front you will find a pedestal called the bimah. The Torah scrolls are placed on the bimah when they are read. The bimah is also sometimes used as a podium for leading services. There is an additional, lower lectern in some synagogues called an amud.
     In Orthodox synagogues, you will also find a separate section where the women sit. This may be on an upper floor balcony, or in the back of the room, or on the side of the room, separated from the men's section by a wall or curtain called a mechitzah. Men are not permitted to pray in the presence of women, because they are supposed to have their minds on their prayers, not on pretty girls.


TheTemple was located on a platform above and behind this wall.



       The Temple, is a place in Jerusalem that was the center of Jewish worship from the time of Solomon to its destruction by the Romans in 70 C.E. This was the one and only place where sacrifices and certain other religious rituals were performed. It was partially destroyed at the time of the Babylonian Exile and rebuilt. The rebuilt temple was known as the Second Temple. The famous "Wailing Wall" (known to Jews as the Western Wall or in Hebrew, the Kotel) is the remains of the western retaining wall of the hill that the Temple was built on. It is as close to the site of the original Sanctuary as Jews can go today.      Traditional Jews believe that The Temple will be rebuilt when the Mashiach (Messiah) comes. On the other hand, modern Jews reject the idea of rebuilding the Temple and resuming sacrificesbe very careful when using the word Temple to describe a Jewish place of worship.