Beliefs:
Judaism is based on the belief in a covenant between God and the Jewish people, who belief that they are God's Chosen people, and have been since the covenant was made. As God's holy nation, Jewish people are expected to follow God's law, which influences many aspects of life. Depending on the believer, these rules may apply to dietary restrictions, roles and dress of men and women and how Shabbat--the religious focal point of the week--must be spent. There are different branches of Judaism, based on how strictly the regulations are followed.

Orthodox Judaism is very strict. To Orthodox Jews, the Torah is considered absolute truth, and all aspects of life must conform to it. The lives of Orthodox Jews are thus very traditional and unchanging, because the Torah does not change.

Conservative Judaism is not as strict, but does follow many traditional Jewish practices, such as worshipping in Hebrew, keeping Kosher (dietary laws: avoiding pork and not mixing meat and dairy are among the well-known rules), and obeying Sabbath laws.

Reform Judaism is the least strict. Reform Jews believe that their religion must adapt to changes in society. They are more relaxed about following Jewish laws. For example, many worship in their own language, and the Rabbi functions like a preacher would.

Group identity is very important, as well as history, because history is considered a record of God's will as manifested in the world. Prayers are performed on an individual basis, as well as at a Synagogue, the center of Jewish worship. The leader of the synagogue is the Rabbi, who is also considered a scholar of the Torah

History:
According to most Jewish people, the beginning of the Jewish faith began when Moses received the covenant from God, around 1280 B.C.E. However, most Jews trace their history back to Abraham, as the first Hebrew.

Today:
Today the largest number of Jewish people reside in the United States--and approximately 15 million people consider themselves Jewish. In addition, over the past 50 years, many Jewish communities have seen a rebirth of interest in the faith.

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