My prior knowledge of Judaism and Jews was only what I had seen in television sitcoms and movies, which satirically portrayed them as rich and traditional in nature . Going into this comparative religion class, I knew there would be revelations about many of the religions covered, but so far, Judaism has surprised me the most. This is not due to their spirituality, but to their customs and strict adherence to tradition. Judaism is one of the monotheistic religions and is considered by Jews to be the oldest religion because it gave rise to Christianity and Islam. These three religions follow the teachings of Abraham and Sarah and their offspring. However, Judaism differs from Islam since its holy scriptures, called Tanakh, consist of 24 books, most similar to the Old Testament books of the Christian Bible. Judaist teachings are based on the Tanakh and the Pentateuch. The Jewish place of worship is called the Synagogue. Much like Islam, Abraham and Sarah are considered the first saints. However, the religious teachings of Islam come primarily from people from the lineage of Ishmael and not Isaac. Jews do not believe that the messianic era has passed, unlike Christians who believe in Jesus Christ. was born on earth and died for the sins of men. It was a bit surprising to learn that Judaism is segmented into Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform factions. I always thought that religion was strict to tradition and that all Jews were the same. Orthodox Jews were the strictest practitioners of Judaism as they performed almost all of the rituals associated with the faith. Bar Mitzvah, Brit Mala and Sabbath are among the most popular rituals practiced by Orthodox Jews. Conservative Jews perform sacred rituals, but not as much as Orthodox Jews...... middle of paper ...... in cases of business transactions and social gatherings. A hug or embrace can be considered a sign of affection between friends, but it is also forbidden in the Jewish faith. Another aspect of faith that stood out to me occurred during a video presentation by Rabbi Wein who said that Judaism is not compulsory. others, because they believe that each man has a share of the earth. However, Isaiah 44:6 says, “Thus says the LORD, the king of Israel, and his redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am first and I am last, and beside me there is none has no God. This Jewish belief contradicts the teachings of Isaiah because it suggests that there are gods other than God. I have always considered Judaism to be a religious discipline, but after studying and gaining some understanding of what it is, I believe it is more than a religion. , it is also a culture governed by strict moral laws.