Judaism is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion. It is the oldest of the monotheistic faiths in the Abrahamic tradition, which includes Christianity and Islam. The most important teaching and tenet of Judaism is that there is one God, incorporeal and eternal, who wants all people to do what is just and merciful. Jewish religious doctrine encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization.
Judaism comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jewish people, having originated as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Contemporary Judaism evolved from Yahwism, the cultic religious movement of ancient Israel and Judah, around the 6th/5th century BCE, and is thus considered to be one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
Jews are an ethnoreligious group including those born Jewish (or "ethnic Jews"), in addition to converts to Judaism. In 2021, the world Jewish population was estimated at 15.2 million, or roughly 0.2% of the total world population, although religious observance varies from strict to none.
Judaism is mainly a communal culture and relies on family and community institutions to ensure continuity and manage membership. Jewish clerics are addressed with the title Rabbi followed by their family name.
Overall, there are different levels of religious observance among Jews. For example, about four-in-ten Israeli Jews say they observe all or most of the Jewish religious tradition, while others follow some of the traditions for cultural or religious reasons. Among both Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews, younger adults tend to be less religiously observant than older adults.
