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Shabbat: Sabbath, the day of rest. It is the most sacred day of the week for
Jews. It begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday.
Passover (Pesach): Is the holiday in which Jews recall and celebrate the being
freed from slavery in Egypt. The meal that is eaten during this holiday is called
the seder.
Rosh Hashanah: It is the Jewish New Year and the first day of Awe.
It is a solemn day where people are to reflect on when they were not as good
as they should have been.
Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement. This is the holiest day of the year. Jews are
to spend the day asking for forgiveness for the sins they committed in the
previous year. It is also the last day of Awe
Hannukah: The Jewish festival of lights. It is the day they recall the miracle of the
candle staying lit for 8 days and the victory of the Maccabees.
Circumcision: Performed on the eighth day of life. It is to mark the boy’s
entering into the people of the covenant. It is called the bris
Bar Mitzvah: a boy becoming a man at age 13
Bat Mitzvah: a girl becoming a woman of the community at age 13
Marriage: Jewish people are strongly encouraged to get married and
have families. The couple gets married under a canopy or Huppah, the
recite seven blessings and at the end the couple steps on and breaks a
wine glass.
Death: When a family member dies, the family state a special prayer for the
dead called the Kaddish. Also, there is a week of sitting shiva. For seven days
after the burial, the family of the deceased follows a practice of intense
mourning. They are to wear “sombre” clothing, cover the mirrors and not wear
shoes.
The Torah: it is the first five books of the Bible; also called the Pentateuch
(meaning five books). Torah means “law”.
a) Genesis: The stories of the beginnings of the Jewish people and
creation. The word means “beginnings”
b) Exodus: The story of Moses freeing the Jews from slavery in Egypt and
the receiving of the commandments. The word means “to exit”.
c) Leviticus: A book listing all of the priestly laws
d) Numbers: The wandering of the 12 tribes in the wilderness.
e) Deuteronomy: It is a “repetition of the law” (thus the reason for being
Called deuteronomy (a word meaning second law).
The Tanak: Is the name of the Jewish Bible (what we call the “Old Testament”.
It is given this name because the three parts of the Bible are
1. The Law (Torah)
2. The Prophets (Neviim)
3. The Writings (Ketuvim)
Mishnah: The oral laws (Halakhah) of Judaism written down.
The Talmud: This is a book of all the interpretations of the Mishnah.
The two important places of worship for the Jews are:
1. The Home
2. The Synagogue
Orthodox: They observe all the ancient rules and practices. They want to
Avoid “watering down” the Jewish faith. They believe the Torah is a gift from
God given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Men and women do not sit together in
the synagogue.
Hasidism: A form of Orthodox Judaism, the follow the Torah as God’s word
and are very conservative in the way they dress and live. They have very
strong community ties.
Conservative Judaism: They follow many but not all of the 613
commandments. They have attempted to be the medium between the too
strict and the not strict enough (the Orthodox and the Reform). Men and
women can sit together in the synagogue and women can in some
congregations be ordained as Rabbis. The needs of the community and its
Jewish identity always come before individual wants and needs.
Reform Judaism: Interpret the scripture with modern methods. They are
less concerned with traditional laws like the kosher laws and purity laws.
Individualism is encouraged which stresses that each person must
decide what beliefs and practices are key to his or her spiritual life. They
often accept secular moral values (values of their society as opposed to
their Jewish tradition).
Holocaust: The systematic killing of over 6 million Jews in the 1930s-40s
Also called the Sho’ah ( a word meaning calamity)
Messiah: The anointed one or chosen one
Diaspora: the scattering of Jews outside of Israel.
Zionism: Strong support for the state of Israel in late 19th century
Shofar: A ram’s horn blown during Rosh Hashanah.
Mitzvah: Commandments
Mezuzah: A container that holds the Shema and placed on the right
hand doorpost of a room.
Shema: Prayer said in the morning and at night; “Hear o Israel the Lord
our God, the Lord is one”.
Yarmulke: Skull cap is worn
Tallith (or tallit): prayer shawl is worn
Tefillin: Small containers worn on the head and one on the left arm .
They contain scrolls of Biblical text.