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JUDAISM
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Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Abraham believed in one God at a time
where many people were worshipping many gods. God promised to care for Abraham's family
and his descendents (later called the Israelites) and in return they promised to obey him.
 God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of slave labour in Egypt. On the way to Mount
Sinai God gave Moses two tablets of stone on which were written the 10 Commandments, the
laws for people to live by. Moses then led the Israelites to the promised land of Canaan.
Jews believe that they are God's chosen people and that he gave them Israel, The Holy Land.
 The 10 Commandments are as follows:
1: You shall have no other God but me.
2: You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
3: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord Your God.
4: You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
5: Respect your father and mother.
6: You must not kill.
7: You must not commit adultery.
8: You must not steal.
9: You must not give false evidence against your neighbour.
10:You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor
his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.
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The Jewish festival Shavuot (also known as Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks) takes place in
May/June, 7 weeks after the first day of Pesach (Passover), to celebrate Moses receiving the 10
Commandments.
Passover commemorates the story of the Exodus, the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in
Egypt. God helped set them free by inflicting 10 plagues upon the Egyptians before the Pharaoh
would release them. The worst of these plagues was the death of the Egyptian first born son.
Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb,
informing the spirit of the Lord to 'pass over' the first born in these homes.
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The sacred text for Jews is the Tenakh, a collection of books divided into 3 sections. The
most important of these is called the Torah, sometimes called the Five Books of Moses.
Christians know these as The Old Testament. A copy of the Torah is kept in every synagogue, the
sacred place of worship for Jews.
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In the synagogue services are held every Friday evening and Saturday morning for the
Sabbath. Men wear a Kippah (skull cap), a star of David on a chain, and a fringed prayer shall
called a Tauit. The person who leads the service is called a Cantor, and the expert who
helps Jews study the Torah and advise on Jewish laws is called a Rabbi.
 Prayers can be said at any time but the most important one is the Shema. The first 2
paragraphs of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment and placed in the Mezuzah,
which is put into a small case. This is attached to the right hand side of doorposts and
sometimes doorways of rooms in the house.
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Jewish people may only eat Kosher foods, the Halal equivalent for Muslims. However, unlike
Halal foods, Kosher food may contain alcohol, which is not permitted in Islam.
Jews are also forbidden from eating pork, anything that contains gelatine, and shellfish.
 Rosh Hashana, held in September, is the Jewish New Year and one of the most important
Jewish festivals. It is a time when Jews reflect on what they have done during the past year and
how they may become more considerate. On New Year's Day a Shofar, or rams horn, is blown at
services in the synagogue to encourage people to repent. This two day festival marks the
beginning of the 'Ten Days of Awe' which culminates in the holiest day of the year for Jews –
Yom Kippur.
 A popular Jewish festival is Hanukkah, which takes place in December. This festival tells the
story of the Jewish temple in Judea which was taken over by a Syrian king who made Jews
worship many idols. Three years later they reclaimed the temple, restored it, and made a
special candlestick called a Menorah. Although there was only enough oil to burn it for one
night, it kept burning for 8 days and nights.
 During Hanukkah Jews light a candle every night for 8 nights on their Menorah. They also
play the dreidel (a 4 sided spinning top, each engraved with a different Hebrew letter) game
which is often played after the lighting of the Menorah to keep children interested during the
short time that the candles are burning.
 The dreidel game is played in part to commemorate a game that the Jews, under Greek
domination, played to camouflage their Torah study. Though the Greeks made a law forbidding
the study of Torah, the Jews would gather in caves to engage in learning. A lookout was posted
to alert the group to the presence of Greek soldiers; if he spotted them he would give a signal
and the Jews would hide their scrolls and begin playing with dreidels and coins. This ruse gave
the impression that they were engaged in gambling, not learning.
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Languages spoken are Hebrew, Yiddish or the language of the country of origin.
The Dreidel and Menorah (L-R)