What is Judaism?

Judaism is often described as a religion, but this resource explores its deeper complexity as an ethno-religion, a blending of faith, culture, ethnicity, and peoplehood rooted in a shared story. While Jewish life takes many forms, it is united by common threads of ancestry, memory, tradition, and community. This video and its accompanying materials invite students to consider what it means to belong to a global family that is at once religious, cultural, and historical. Together, learners will explore the diversity of Jewish experiences, reflect on the ways Judaism has been expressed across time and place, and ask big questions about identity, belonging, and continuity.

How to use this guide
This guide is designed to enhance your students’ engagement with the video. You can pause at the suggested “Stop/Do/Discuss” points to explore key concepts through discussion and reflection questions provided for each section. Alternatively, you may prefer to show the entire video without breaks and use the discussion questions and activities at the end of this guide (“Summative Activities & Reflection”) for a comprehensive post-viewing discussion. You can also utilize a flipped classroom approach, assigning the video (in full or in segments) for students to watch at home, then using class time to unpack ideas together through reflection, discussion, or hands-on activities. Choose the approach that best fits your students and classroom setting, whether it’s real-time engagement or a deeper dive after the video.