Sjimon den Hollander
  • Personal
    • Introduction
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • My Journey to Judaism
    • Testimonials
  • JUDAISM
    • Judaism - Introduction
    • Jewish History and Texts >
      • Paleo Hebrew
      • The Pentateuch
      • Stories of Creation
      • Stories of the Flood
      • Priestly Writings
      • Prophets of Israel and Judah
      • Biblical Poetry
      • Flavius Josephus
      • The Dead Sea Scrolls
      • Midrash
      • Oral Torah and Talmud
      • Origins of Christian Anti-Jewish Attitudes
      • Byzantine Jews Before the Advent of Islam
      • Yannai
      • Jews Under Islam
      • Byzantine Jews After the Advent of Islam
      • Qara'ites
      • Saadia Gaon
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 1): Hasdai ibn Shaprut
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 2) Andalusian Poetry
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 3) Samuel haNagîd and Ibn Gabirol
      • Christian-Jewish Polemics
      • The Crusades and Maoz Tzur
      • Rashi
      • The Tosafists
      • Yehuda haLevi
      • Ritual Murder and Blood Libel
      • The Ḥasidé Ashkenaz
      • Toledot Yeshu
      • Moses Maimonides, Philosopher
      • Moses Maimonides, Rabbi, Leader, Physician
      • Abraham Maimonides
      • Maimonidean Controversies
      • Host Desecration Libels
      • The Barcelona Disputation
      • Qabbala and the Zohar
      • The Cairo Geniza
      • The New Sephardi Identity
      • David Reubeni and Shelomo Molkho
      • Shabbatai Tzevi
      • Da Costa and Spinoza
      • Yiddish Texts
      • Ḥasidism
      • The Jewish Enlightenment
      • Modern Jewish Thinkers
    • Jewish Festivals and Recordings >
      • Shabbat Eve in Synagogue
      • Shabbat Eve at Home
      • Shabbat Morning
      • Purim
      • Omer Counting
      • Shabhu'oth
      • Tish'a beAv
      • The Month of Elul
      • Rosh haShana Eve in Synagogue
      • Rosh haShana Eve at Home
      • Rosh haShana Morning in Synagogue
      • Sukkot: Bendigamos
      • Ḥanukka
    • Jewish Thought >
      • On Modern Orthodoxy
      • Could Jews Accept the Prophets ​of Christianity and Islam?
    • Jewish Law >
      • A Mikwèh in Uganda
      • Shabbat Distance
  • ISLAM
    • Islam - Introduction
    • Islamic Dietary Laws
    • Torah and Qur'an >
      • Tafsîr Al-Tabarî
      • Tafsîr Al-Qurtubî
      • Tafsîr Al-Mîzān
    • Why Do Jews not Believe ​in the Prophet Muhammad?
    • Do Jews Follow the Sunna of Moses?
  • CHRISTIANITY
    • Christianity - Introduction
    • Jesus, the Jewish Messiah
    • Could Jews Accept Jesus as a Prophet?
    • Why do Jews not Accept Jesus as the Messiah?
  • (DIS)COURSES
    • Medieval Hebrew Texts (Course) >
      • Course Classes >
        • Introduction and Important Information
      • Paragraph Assignment >
        • Assignment Explanation
        • Original Text
        • Guidelines for your Paragraph Assignments
        • Finished Chapters >
          • Introduction
          • Chapter 1. Prior Legacies >
            • 1A. The Muslim Legacy
            • 1B. The Christian Legacy
            • 1C. The Jewish Legacy
          • Chapter 2. The Roman Catholic Church >
            • 2A. Theological Doctrine
            • 2B. Ecclesiastical Policies
            • 2C. Imagery of the Jews
            • 2D. Cultural Creativity
            • 2E. Looking Ahead
          • Chapter 3. The Older Jewries of the South >
            • 3A. Southern France
            • 3B. Christian Spain
          • Chapter 4. The Newer Jewries of the North >
            • 4A. Northern France
      • Essay Assignment
      • Syllabus
      • Prep Readings
    • The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom (Chapters)
    • Judeo-Arabic Philosophers
    • Sermons >
      • Rosh haShana >
        • Hardships That Generate Inspiration (2019)
        • Rosh haShana Meditation (2018)
        • Abraham’s Struggles and What We Can Learn From It (2014)
        • The Blessings of Monotheism (2013)
        • Rejecting Human Sacrifice (2012)
      • Yom Kippur >
        • Confession: Guilt Trip, or Acknowledgement? (2019)
        • Yom Kippur and Being Connected (2015)
        • Changing Your Brain (2014)
        • Grow Up and Become a Better Person (2012)
    • Holocaust Commemoration
  • UGANDA
  • عربي
  • NL
  • Contact

​JUDAISM
​


​​There are many paths traveled by people to spiritually connect to the Ineffable, to which they may allude by different appellations such as God, the Lord, the Creator, Allah, HaShem, the Supreme Reality, or the Infinite Essence of Existence.​​
​

The Jewish religion is one such path, specifically intended for the “Nation of Israel”. By implication, Jews do not claim that everyone should embrace Judaism as the only means to connect to God. Different people may be better suited on different paths. However, the Jewish faith is generally accepted as the first monotheistic world religion and has generated several other creeds, thereby making some of its universal values accessible to other nations.
I personally see Judaism as the elder brother among the three monotheistic faiths, and, ​after a years-long journey, it has become my community, my spiritual home, and my path to the Ineffable “I AM”.


For more on Judaism, read:
​JEWISH HISTORY AND TEXTS
​​JEWISH FESTIVALS AND RECORDINGS
JEWISH THOUGHT

JEWISH LAW
SERMONS
​
Picture

  • Personal
    • Introduction
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • My Journey to Judaism
    • Testimonials
  • JUDAISM
    • Judaism - Introduction
    • Jewish History and Texts >
      • Paleo Hebrew
      • The Pentateuch
      • Stories of Creation
      • Stories of the Flood
      • Priestly Writings
      • Prophets of Israel and Judah
      • Biblical Poetry
      • Flavius Josephus
      • The Dead Sea Scrolls
      • Midrash
      • Oral Torah and Talmud
      • Origins of Christian Anti-Jewish Attitudes
      • Byzantine Jews Before the Advent of Islam
      • Yannai
      • Jews Under Islam
      • Byzantine Jews After the Advent of Islam
      • Qara'ites
      • Saadia Gaon
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 1): Hasdai ibn Shaprut
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 2) Andalusian Poetry
      • The Jewish Golden Age (part 3) Samuel haNagîd and Ibn Gabirol
      • Christian-Jewish Polemics
      • The Crusades and Maoz Tzur
      • Rashi
      • The Tosafists
      • Yehuda haLevi
      • Ritual Murder and Blood Libel
      • The Ḥasidé Ashkenaz
      • Toledot Yeshu
      • Moses Maimonides, Philosopher
      • Moses Maimonides, Rabbi, Leader, Physician
      • Abraham Maimonides
      • Maimonidean Controversies
      • Host Desecration Libels
      • The Barcelona Disputation
      • Qabbala and the Zohar
      • The Cairo Geniza
      • The New Sephardi Identity
      • David Reubeni and Shelomo Molkho
      • Shabbatai Tzevi
      • Da Costa and Spinoza
      • Yiddish Texts
      • Ḥasidism
      • The Jewish Enlightenment
      • Modern Jewish Thinkers
    • Jewish Festivals and Recordings >
      • Shabbat Eve in Synagogue
      • Shabbat Eve at Home
      • Shabbat Morning
      • Purim
      • Omer Counting
      • Shabhu'oth
      • Tish'a beAv
      • The Month of Elul
      • Rosh haShana Eve in Synagogue
      • Rosh haShana Eve at Home
      • Rosh haShana Morning in Synagogue
      • Sukkot: Bendigamos
      • Ḥanukka
    • Jewish Thought >
      • On Modern Orthodoxy
      • Could Jews Accept the Prophets ​of Christianity and Islam?
    • Jewish Law >
      • A Mikwèh in Uganda
      • Shabbat Distance
  • ISLAM
    • Islam - Introduction
    • Islamic Dietary Laws
    • Torah and Qur'an >
      • Tafsîr Al-Tabarî
      • Tafsîr Al-Qurtubî
      • Tafsîr Al-Mîzān
    • Why Do Jews not Believe ​in the Prophet Muhammad?
    • Do Jews Follow the Sunna of Moses?
  • CHRISTIANITY
    • Christianity - Introduction
    • Jesus, the Jewish Messiah
    • Could Jews Accept Jesus as a Prophet?
    • Why do Jews not Accept Jesus as the Messiah?
  • (DIS)COURSES
    • Medieval Hebrew Texts (Course) >
      • Course Classes >
        • Introduction and Important Information
      • Paragraph Assignment >
        • Assignment Explanation
        • Original Text
        • Guidelines for your Paragraph Assignments
        • Finished Chapters >
          • Introduction
          • Chapter 1. Prior Legacies >
            • 1A. The Muslim Legacy
            • 1B. The Christian Legacy
            • 1C. The Jewish Legacy
          • Chapter 2. The Roman Catholic Church >
            • 2A. Theological Doctrine
            • 2B. Ecclesiastical Policies
            • 2C. Imagery of the Jews
            • 2D. Cultural Creativity
            • 2E. Looking Ahead
          • Chapter 3. The Older Jewries of the South >
            • 3A. Southern France
            • 3B. Christian Spain
          • Chapter 4. The Newer Jewries of the North >
            • 4A. Northern France
      • Essay Assignment
      • Syllabus
      • Prep Readings
    • The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom (Chapters)
    • Judeo-Arabic Philosophers
    • Sermons >
      • Rosh haShana >
        • Hardships That Generate Inspiration (2019)
        • Rosh haShana Meditation (2018)
        • Abraham’s Struggles and What We Can Learn From It (2014)
        • The Blessings of Monotheism (2013)
        • Rejecting Human Sacrifice (2012)
      • Yom Kippur >
        • Confession: Guilt Trip, or Acknowledgement? (2019)
        • Yom Kippur and Being Connected (2015)
        • Changing Your Brain (2014)
        • Grow Up and Become a Better Person (2012)
    • Holocaust Commemoration
  • UGANDA
  • عربي
  • NL
  • Contact