>>One of the most important imperatives to Jews is tikkun olam, "repairing the world." Judaism teaches that we (all people) are partners with God in completing the creation of the world and that we are all called to make the world better. Most Jews don't believe in an afterlife, and view what we do in this world (including, of course, our children) as our eternal legacy.
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>I find the part "most Jews don't believe in an afterlife" strange; I thought that a belief in the afterlife was an integral part of most religions. Don't your sacred writings mention an afterlife?

No, not really. Our sacred writings are the books of the Bible (what Christians call the old Testament). The promises there are primarily about future generations, not about what happens when we die. Our next most important writing is the Talmud, which is really a book of law.

Tamar