Judaism in Canada

Introduction ●Canada has 4th largest Jewish population ●Many Jews immigrated from Europe to North America after WWII (the holocaust) ●Most settled in large cities (Montreal & Toronto)

Origins ●Traces back 3800 years to Abraham and Sarah when God promised them many descendants

Links to the Past ●Area of Israel today was once divided into two kingdoms o Kingdom of Israel (north) o Kingdom of Judah (south) ●Name comes from southern kingdom of Judah

Birth of Modern Judaism ●Practices have evolved and changed over time ●Temple was the centre of all Jewish worship and sacrifice during time of King David and King Solomon ●Roman Empire destroyed the Temple

Christianity ●Jews and non-Jews had accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, or Christ ●Followers became known as Christians

Rabbinic Judaism ●Begun by a group known as the Pharisees ●Encouraged people to gather in synagogues to study the Torah ●Interpreted Torah o Interpreters were known as Rabbis

Jews in the Diaspora ●Romans expelled Jews from Judea ●Diaspora means ‘the scattering of’

Jews in Christian Europe ●Became divided into two major groups: o Ashkenazim (central and eastern European Jews) o Sephardim (Spanish, Portuguese, North African Jews) ●Jews were often persecuted

Jewish Mystical Teachings ●Main Jewish mystical teachings: o Kabbalah (12th century) o Hasidism (18th century) ●Hasidic Jews o Maintain strict observance of Jewish laws