Sign-In
Cart
Judaism: An Introduction to Jewish Religion, Culture, History & Identity
Paperback
Series: Foundations and Frameworks, Book 38
Publisher: Publishdrive
Published: Aug 31 2026
Pages: 146
Weight: 0.45
Height: 0.31 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Judaism explained from the ground up, with no prior knowledge assumed. This introduction covers the beliefs, texts, laws, holidays, and history that shape Jewish life, in language a first-time reader can follow.
Nine chapters build on each other, starting with what the word actually covers and ending with what identity looks like around the world today. Every Hebrew term is defined the first time it appears, so you never have to stop and look something up, and you can also read the chapters out of order and treat the book as a reference when a specific question comes up.
The chapters walk through:
- Monotheism, the covenant, and the question of who counts as a Jew, plus how Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist communities came to practice so differently from one another
- The Tanakh in its three parts, then the Mishnah, the Talmud, Midrash, and the legal codes still consulted today, including the Mishneh Torah and the Shulchan Aruch
- Free will, suffering, and messianic expectation
- Abraham through the Babylonian exile, by way of Sinai, the monarchy under Saul, David, and Solomon, and the split into two kingdoms
- The 613 commandments, kashrut, Shabbat, the structure of prayer, and the ceremonies marking birth, coming of age, marriage, and death
- Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, and why the dates move each year
- The Second Temple period, life under Islamic and Christian rule, and the medieval Spanish community that flourished and was then expelled
- Kabbalah, Hasidism, the Haskalah, Zionism, the Holocaust, and diaspora life now
Four features at the back support review and further study:
- Questions after every chapter, with sample answers to check yourself against
- A historical timeline placing major events in order
- A glossary of Hebrew and Aramaic terms gathered in one place
- Works cited and recommended readings for going further
Written for students taking a world religions course, adult readers with Jewish friends, coworkers, or in-laws, and anyone who wants to follow a conversation about belief and practice without feeling lost. Jews who grew up around these traditions but were never formally taught them will find plain explanations here too.
The book describes rather than argues. It also sorts out what people commonly get wrong, from the assumption that everyone keeps kosher to the idea that the tradition has sat unchanged since antiquity. Where scholars and movements see things differently, it says so instead of offering one tidy answer. Read it straight through, or open it to chapter 7 the week before a Passover meal.
Once you reach the end, you will know the difference between the Torah and the Talmud, why one synagogue sounds nothing like another, and how an ancient agreement recorded on hand-copied scrolls became a living tradition that millions of people practice today in very different ways.
Also in
Judaism
The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis: Commentary on the First Three Chapters
Smith, David Chaim
Paperback
Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging
Buchdahl, Angela
Hardcover
The Books of Enoch: Complete edition: Including (1) The Ethiopian Book of Enoch, (2) The Slavonic Secrets and (3) The Hebrew Book of Enoch
Schnieders, Paul C.
Paperback
Conversations with My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World
Goldstein, Nikki
Schlanger, Rabbi Eli
Hardcover
As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us
Hurwitz, Sarah
Hardcover
El Poder de la Kabbalah: 13 principios para superar los desafíos y alcanzar la realización
Berg, Rav
Paperback
The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India
Kamenetz, Rodger
Paperback
The Complete Jewish Study Bible (Hardcover): Illuminating the Jewishness of God's Word
Rubin, Rabbi Barry
Hardcover
The Art of Jewish Joy: Crafts and Activities for Celebration and Connection
Kingloff, Amanda
Ultman, Suzy
Hardcover
The Talmud Unmasked: The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians
Pranaitis, I. B.
Paperback
This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation
Lew, Alan
Paperback
Passover Haggadah: A New English Translation and Instructions for the Seder
Rabbi Nathan Goldberg
Paperback
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
Lagnado, Lucette
Paperback
For Times Such as These: A Radical's Guide to the Jewish Year
Katz, Ariana
Rosenberg, Jessica
Paperback
Eat Jewish: Over 100 Recipes That Blend Jewish Heritage, Modern Flavors, and Family Traditions
Strauss, Melinda
Hardcover
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
Strauss, Barry
Hardcover
The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering
Finkelstein, Norman G.
Paperback
The Ancient Book Of Jubilees: A Comprehensive Guide to the Lost Secrets of the Bible, Including the History, Mysteries, and Hidden Teachings of Enoc
Johnson, William Robert
Paperback
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith
Tverberg, Lois
Spangler, Ann
Paperback
Art of Torah Cantillation, Vol. 1: A Step-By-Step Guide to Chanting Torah
Portnoy, Marshall
Wolff, Josee
Paperback
Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings Between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus
Henze, Matthais
Paperback
Moments That Matter: Marking Transitions in Midlife and Beyond
Geller, Rabbi Laura
Lieberman, Rabbi Beth
Paperback
Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism
MacDonald, Kevin
Paperback
We Plan, God Laughs: 10 Steps to Finding Your Divine Path When Life Is Not Turning Out Like You Wanted
Hirsch, Sherre
Paperback
Tough Questions Jews Ask 2/E: A Young Adult's Guide to Building a Jewish Life
Feinstein, Edward
Paperback
The Bible with and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently
Levine, Amy-Jill
Brettler, Marc Zvi
Paperback
The Complete Books of Enoch: The Full Collection of These Sacred Texts (Large Print)
Publishing, Sefan
Paperback
Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene: Gnostic Gospel, Sacred Feminine Wisdom, and the Secrets of Early Christianity
Q. Publishing, Rubbles
Paperback
Josephus the Complete Works: Encounter the World and Traditions That Jesus Knew
Whiston, William
Hardcover
Messianic Daily Devotional: Messianic Jewish Devotionals for a Deeper Walk with Yeshua
Geoffrey, Kevin
Paperback
An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come
Somerson, Wendy Elisheva
Paperback
Lost in Translation Vol 1: Rediscovering the Hebrew Roots of Our Faith
Klein, John
Spears, Adam
Paperback
A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts from the First Century to 1969
Sienna, Noam
Paperback
The Book of the W Atchers: Ancient Guardians, Forbidden Secrets, and the Battle for Humanity
Ashford, Selah
Paperback
The Antiquities of the Jews - A Classic History of Ancient Israel, the Jewish People, and the Biblical World
Flavius, Josephus
Hardcover
The Radical Jewish Tradition: Revolutionaries, Resistance Fighters and Firebrands
Stone, Janey
Gluckstein, Donny
Paperback
A People That Shall Dwell Alone: Judaism as a Group Evolutionary Strategy, with Diaspora Peoples
MacDonald, Kevin B.
Paperback
The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford: Dilettante's Guide to What You Do and Do Not Know to Become a Qabalist
DuQuette, Lon Milo
Paperback
Opening Your Heart with Psalm 27: A Spiritual Practice for the Jewish New Year
Robbins, Debra J.
Paperback
Disasters of Biblical Proportions: The Ten Plagues Then, Now, and at the End of the World
Weitzman, Steven
Hardcover
Torah in English complete: Including: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
Jps
Schwarz, Noah
Paperback
The Ethiopian Bible In English Complete [Large Print]: A Historical and Canonical Guide to the 88 Books of the Orthodox Church
Decker, Rebecca Norma
Paperback
The Little Encyclopedia of Jewish Culture: 101 People, Places, Things (and Foods) Every Jew Should Know
Klickstein, Mathew
Paperback
The Mystery of the Tabernacle: Ancient Secrets for Experiencing the Divine Presence
Schneider, Rabbi Kirt a.
Hardcover
The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
Cahill, Thomas
Paperback