Download What are the sacred texts of the Jewish people?

What are the sacred texts of the Jewish people?
Class:
Grade 11 M University
Unit: World Religions – Judaism
ICE Expectations
SCV.01: examine the literary characteristics, origin and development of the sacred writings and oral traditions of the various religious
traditions
SCV.03: demonstrate an understanding of how sacred texts are interpreted and applied within various religions
Learning Goals
Identify the sacred texts of Judaism.
Name features of Tanakh
Explain common features of Judaism and Christianity found in the Tanakh
Success Criteria
I have accurately summarized characteristics of Tanakh in a paragraph.
I have created a concept map that names features of Tanakh
I have compared common features of Tanakh to Christianity and Judaism on a concept map
Core Ideas
Judaism is a monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text (part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible),
and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud. Students will learn about these sacred
Jewish texts, with emphasis on the Tanakh and Torah. By the end students will be able to articulate the relevance of the Hebrew
Scriptures in the life decisions of observant Jewish people.
To that end, student learning will include an understanding of the Church’s teachings on world religious traditions and those principles
which inform ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, together with an historical overview of the Church’s relationship with various
religions, particularly Judaism and Islam. For all students, the lesson will aim to create interreligious dialogue, breaking down prejudice
about other religions, leading further to a deeper understanding and more authentic adherence to the teachings of the Church.
I will discuss with students the importance of sacred writings in the formation of religious identity and moral life in Judaism. This is a
key idea to acceptance of other religions and a key-learning goal; I will downright share with them the importance of religious tolerance.
Time
10 min
Activity
Resource
Minds On
Ask students what they know about Jewish texts. What are they? What do they say? What to Jews believe?
Informally test students, see what they know. As a teacher I will cover what information is missing. Think
Pair Share. What are the Jewish texts?
Learning Goals and Success Criteria are introduced.
15 min
Action
 Quickly lecture about Jewish sacred texts, for example the names of each sacred text and their
importance in relation to Judaism. This will be jotted down on the board.
 Point out similarities and differences between Judaism and the Roman Catholic Bible, which
contains the Torah or the first 5 books of the Christian Bible.
 Students are expected to take notes.
The Torah has Jewish root, as does Christianity. This idea of similarity will be developed with historical
and contextual context(s) in previous lessons. However, this lesson will quickly recap this information to
get students cognitively prepared, having them recall ideas and strategies they have learned and used
before, a continuation or scaffolding.
20 min

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
Take up any questions the students may have in regards to the brief descriptions of the Jewish
sacred texts.
Students will be split up into 3 groups for a jigsaw activity, where each piece, or each student's
researched part, is essential to completion the final concept and in grasping a full understanding of
the various Jewish religious texts.
Students are to read and summarize the key information in their Nelson World Religions Textbook
in regards to central texts.
Two groups to discuss and examine each of the main Jewish texts: Tanakh, Mishnah, and Talmud
 Thus each home group will have two experts at the end.
 Teacher to circulate between groups, check in and provide feedback in groups. (AfL)
Appendix #1
Lecture Notes
World
Religions
Textbook
pages 125 to
130

Students are to return and present her or his segment to the home group. Encouraging others to ask
clarification questions.
Textbook sections are skimpy, thus students will have to do further reading and research. Students are
allowed and even encouraged (after class work is complete) to study further on the text by any means,
Internet, Nelson World Religions Textbook, etc. In addition, each group will receive a handout with
pertinent information and salient points.
25 min
Consolidation
Part of the assessment will be based on the expert students returning to their groups and sharing
information with home groups. In addition, based on all of the information students have collected, home
groups, readings, handouts, students must now create a Tanakh concept map, which will later be
photocopied and used for review. Groups must appoint a scribe.
Concept Map:
 The summary of the three sections, must also include details on how it is treated by observant Jews
and what similarities they can apply to their own religion(s) or Christianity and Islam.
 Secondly, what does the Tanakh say that is common in Christianity or Islam?
 Students will discuss, summarize, and lastly write all of this information on concept map, helping
students demonstrate what they have learned.
This assignment is meant to act as review, as well as a consolidation project that allows for personal
reflection and through comparative association. (AoL) Also providing different mediums for students to
successfully review, visually as a concept map, orally in sharing within group, written as facts or point
form on the page. Through the concept map, student will be able to demonstrate what they have learned in
visual form, as well as orally sharing their knowledge.
Revisit Learning Goals and Success Criteria
Handout
Appendix #2
Additional
information to
supplement
textbook
readings.
Appendix 1
LECTURE NOTES: What is the Tanakh?
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)
The traditional Jewish name for the Hebrew Bible. It is equivalent to saying the Jewish
Bible or Jewish Scripture. The name is an acronym. Jews traditionally divide the Hebrew Bible
Into three sections Torah (The Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch), Nevi’im (The Books of the Prophets), and Ketuvim
(Writings, books such as Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs).
The first Hebrew letter of each of these three sections sounds out Tanakh. The Tanakh is made up of three parts:
1. The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses. These 5 books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy and they are considered the absolute foundation of Judaism. The major part of these books was
given to Moses on Mt Sinai together with the Ten Commandments and the Oral Law. They were all written in
Hebrew. The Hebrew root of the word 'Torah' means 'to teach'.
2. Nevi'im, or 'Prophets', contains the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the
Twelve Later Prophets. These books are partly historical, mainly prophetic and teach ethics and morals to a people
straying from God's ways.
3. Ketuvim, or Writings, contain David's Psalms, Solomon's Proverbs, the Five Megillot (Scrolls), the books of Ezra
and Nehemia, and Chronicles. Many of these books are historical. Most teach God's way and the correct, ethical
way to live.
Appendix 2
HANDOUT: Sacred Scripture of the Jewish People
The books of the Prophets contain historical writings covering the period between the settlement of the Jewish people in
the Land of Israel and their exile to Babylon, as well as the moral and religious exhortations of the Prophets. The Writings,
also known as the Hagiographa, are a mixture of liturgical and secular poetry, wisdom literature and historical writings.
After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the subsequent exile, sacrifices became impossible and Jewish
religious life turned to Torah study and prayer in the synagogue. Study of Torah and other Jewish texts has been central
to religious life ever since. The Torah, the Talmud, and other Jewish writings are precious sources of Jewish history and
divine commandments (the mitzvoth), both of which continue to play a dominant part in Judaism. To remember the great
things God has done for the Jewish people in history, and what he asks of them in return, selections from the Torah and
the Prophets are read in the synagogue several times a week.
The Tenakh is the ancient collection of writings that are sacred to the Jews. They were written over almost a thousand
years from 1000 to 100 BCE. The word Tenakh comes from the three first letters of the three books included in this text:
the Torah, plus the Nev'im (prophets) and the Ki'tuvim (writings, which include histories, prophecies, poems, hymns and
sayings). The Torah is written on scrolls and kept in a special cabinet called the Holy Ark, in synagogues. The Torah is read with a
pointer called a yad (hand) to keep it from being spoiled. Each week, one section is read until the entire Torah is
completed and the reading begins again. The Talmud is also an important collection of Jewish writings. The Talmud was written between the second and fifth
century CE, but Orthodox Jews believe it was revealed to Moses along with the Torah and preserved orally until it was
written down. It is a recording of the rabbi’s discussion of the way to follow the Torah at that time. The Talmud has two
components that are commentaries the Gemara and the Mishnah. As a collection of rabbinical writings their intent is to
interpret, explain, and apply the Torah scriptures.