Judaism

The majority of what I know about Judaism comes, firstly, from what I studied of the old testament, and secondly, from my experience with my childhood best friends family who happens to be Jewish. From what I can tell, Judaism has a lot of similarities to Christianity and Islam. This isn't particularly surprising since they are all Abrahamic religions, however there are many traits of the faith that distinguish it from it's cousins. Few religions of the world have established such a unique culture and heritage as Judaism has. This also isn't very surprising given the ancient roots of the religion. The history of Judaism and the Jewish people has always fascinated me. I learned a fair amount about the religion/culture from school and while I don't remember many of the really specific details, I know a good deal about the general tenants. Judaism has a code of law almost as ancient as the religion itself. Justice is a huge part of the Jewish code of law as I can tell, but there are also so many other aspects that go into it. It's always fascinating to read about the history of the tribes of Israel. To read about their struggles, their battles, and all of the major events that have formed the religion into what it is today. The captivity in Egypt, the Diaspora, and the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 nights may be some of the stories that are just common knowledge, but they are so because of how incredibly significant they are. Yes I don't know much about the religion, as you can probably tell, but I can reflect on the impact it has had in general on the global society as I know it. I remember when I was very young, my good friend Isaac invited me to celebrate Hannukuh with his family. It was then that I got some first hand experience with what Judaism is really all about. I was filled with warmth at the sight of the strong sense of community that was so obviously present in my friends family and community, and that is what formed my views of the religion. It's so much more than just a religion, it's a sense of shared community and identity that's bond is rivaled by none. Judaism is a beautiful religion and I can't say I've ever met a Jewish person that I didn't like. Obviously I'm sure there are some out there that I wouldn't like, but looking at the identity as a whole, I have a strong appreciation for it.