Discover how Judaism weaves religion, culture, ancestry, and identity into a collective story spanning generations.
Essential Questions
- What is Judaism? Is it an ethnicity, race, religion, people, family or culture?
- Why do some different Jewish communities practice their rituals differently?
- What unites the Jewish people across cultures, geography, and time?
Big Ideas
- Being Jewish Can Mean Many Things: Religious belief, cultural expression, shared ancestry, historical memory, peoplehood, communal traditions, or a combination.
- Judaism is a Living Tradition: Judaism is constantly evolving while staying connected to its beliefs, practices, and traditions.
- Judaism Transcends Borders and Time: Despite geographic dispersion and cultural differences, Jews remain connected through shared stories, holidays, texts, and symbols.