7 Judaism
Name any three duties performed by the rabbi.
1. Helps understand the Torah. 2. Decides questions of Jewish law 3. Teaches Judaism to adult groups.
What covenant do Jews believe God made with Abraham?
Jews believe that God selected Abraham to become the father of a great nation in the Promised Land of Canaan.
How do Jews view Jesus?
Jews view Jesus as a great story teller and teacher, but not as the Messiah.
Havdalah
a special prayer that ends the family celebration of the Shabbat
Treyf
foods that are "unclean"
Zechariah Frankel
founded the Historical School of Jewish Learning, creating Conservative Judaism
Abraham Geiger
one of the most important scholars who developed Reform Judaism
Israel Jacobson
one of the most important scholars who developed Reform Judaism
What is a ketubah?
A ketubah is a marriage contract, which is read by the rabbi.
What do Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah signify? At what do they occur?
They signify the coming of age of a 12/13 year old girl or boy.
Ketubah
a marriage contract
Challah
specially baked braided bread, eaten as part of the special Shabbat meal
Brit Milah
the ritual of circumcision
What makes a person a Jew?
A person can be born as a Jew, or can be converted to one, or as long as they practice Judaism
Covenant
An agreement between God and his people
Mitzvot
Commandments, 613 listed in the Torah
Kosher foods?
Fruits, veggies, fish with both scales and fins, and the meat of animals that chew their cud and have cleft hooves (cows & sheep).
When is the Jewish Sabbath? What is it called?
It is also called the Shabbat, and it begins on Friday at sundown and lasts until Saturday at sundown. The Orthodox Jews have to follow very strict rules and they cannot use their phone or watch tv. The Reformed is more relaxed, so they don't follow these rules.
What is challah?
It is baked braided bread that is usually set out during Shabbat dinner.
What is the basis for the Brit Milah ceremony?
It is performed because Jews believe it stems from a covenant Abraham made with God.
Kashrut
It is the strict dietary code that began in ancient times.
How long does a son or daughter mourn the loss of a parent?
It takes a son or daughter a year.
What takes place during shiva?
Men do not shave and women do not wear makeup. Relatives bring food and conduct services.
What is the significance of a mezuzah?
On the tiny parchment scroll is inscribed the Shema prayer, and the scroll is found in the box that can be located at the door of a Jewish home.
What kinds of meat are Jews forbidden to eat?
Pigs, rabbits, and shellfish are not eaten.
Why was the Ark of Covenant so important to the ancient Hebrews? What happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
The Ark was so important because it kept the Ten Commandments safe during the Exodus. According to a legend, the Ark was hidden under the temple in Jerusalem.
What is the Kaddish?
The Kaddish is the prayer of mourning.
What is kept in the Ark of a modern synagogue?
The Torah is kept in the Ark.
How is a Torah prepared?
The Torah is made up of the strip of parchments and is sewn together in a long scroll.
What is the name for the canopy under which a Jewish wedding takes place?
The canopy is called a huppah.
What is the role of the cantor in a Jewish service?
The cantor assists the rabbi by chanting Jewish prayers and songs.
How soon after death are Jewish funerals held?
The funerals are held within 24 hours.
When is the kiddush prayer recited? The havdalah?
The prayer is recited before the Shabbat dinner and it is important because it give thanks to the shabbat and challah. Since the Shabbat ends on a Saturday evening, the head of the house recites the havdalah.
What is the reason for the Confirmation ceremony?
The reason is because it is a rite for boys and girls when they reach the age of 16. It's when young people announce their dedication to Judaism.
In what language are services in a Reformed Jewish synagogue conducted?
The service is conducted in vernacular, or the regular language of the people.
What is the Jewish place of worship called?
The synagogue.
What are the other beliefs shared by the Jews?
The words of the prophets are true. Moses was the greatest of the prophets. The dead will be resurrected.
What is included in the Torah (written torah)?
There are 792,077 letters and 410,638 crowns which decorate the letters, making 1.2 million characters in each Torah.
What are mitzvot?
They are commandments that are listed in the Torah. Some were written long ago and only ten were selected at random.
How are the mitzvot listed at the end of this similar to the Ten Commandments?
They are similar because they have ten rules and they both signify that we have to worship the Lord and all the good we have to show.
How did Jews come to believe that marriage is ordained by God?
They believe that Yahweh early on commanded the Hebrews to marry and have children to increase the number of people who worshiped him.
What do Jews call God?
They call God Yahweh or some Jews use a less divine name called Adonai.
How do Reform Jews differ from others in their practice of Bar Mitzvah & Bat Mitzvah?
They differ because in a Reform Jew synagogue there is no distinction between Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. Girls have the same honor as boys, they believe.
Identify, define, or explain: yarmulke, tallit, & tefillin.
Yarmulke is a skullcap that men wear as a sign of respect. Tallit is a prayer shawl. Tefillin are two boxes that men wear in Orthodox synagogues. One box is worn in the middle of the forehead to remind Jews that they love Yahweh with all their mind. The other box is worn facing the heart to remind them that they love Yahweh with all their heart.
Joseph Karo
a Talmudic scholar who drew up the Shulhan Arukh
Bar Mitzvah
a ceremony held when a boy is 13, celebrating him becoming a man
Bat Mitzvah
a ceremony held when a girl is 12 or 13, celebrating her becoming a woman
Talmud
a collection of oral laws that were put into written form around A.D. 200
Rosh Hashanah
a day of judgement, when the fate of each Jew is determined
Berit Hahayyim
a formal ceremony following a baby's birth
Shofar
a hollowed ram's horn that is blown at the beginning of the special synagogue service that marks the holiday
Shulhan Arukh
a kind of handbook for Jews
Ner Tamid
a lamp whose flame is never extinguished, or the Eternal Lamp, symbolic of the lamp that once burned in the Temple in Jerusalem
Mezuzah
a parchment scroll inscribed with the Shema prayer
Kiddush
a prayer to give thanks for the Shabbat and the Challah
Isaac Meyer Wise
a rabbi from Bohemia who brought Reform Judaism from Germany to America
Bimah
a raised platform leading up to the Ark, contains a table or pulpit from where services are directed
Confirmation
a rite for both boys and girls when they reach the age of 16, a time when they announce their dedication to Judaism
Menorah
a seven-branched candlestick, the branches represent the number of days the Bible says it took God to create the universe
Yarmulke
a skullcap worn by men, also known as the kippa, worn as a sign of respect
Torah
divided into 54 parts, one or two read at each service, the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures
Messianic Era
instead of having a personal Messiah, the belief that there will be an era when equality, freedom, and brotherhood will characterize a perfect world
Hanukkah
meaning "dedication" - the celebration of the Jews rededicating the temple after the defeat of the Syrians. Also when the oil continued burning after eight days.
Kosher
means "fitting" or "proper"
Tefillin
men in Orthodox churches wear two small boxes with straps, one worn in the middle of the forehead and the other is tied to the left arm facing the heart (love with all mind and heart) Two leather boxes which are worn by men on the arm and on the forehead at weekday morning prayers
Shabbat
the Jewish Sabbath, begins Friday at sundown and lasts until Saturday at sundown, one of the times when Jews worship in the synagogue
Synagogue
the Jewish place of worship, means assembly
Messiah
the Savior; Jews believe the Messiah is yet to come
Huppah
the canopy that a marriage takes place under
Yom Kippur
the holiest day in the Jewish year, the "Day of Atonement" which is when all Jews pray and fast
Ark
the most important part inside of the synagogue, a wooden cabinet where the Torah scrolls are keptJ
Ark of the Covenant
the original ark of ancient times, said to have kept the Ten Commandments safe during the Exodus
Rabbi
the spiritual leader of the synagogue
Sheva berakhot
wedding blessings
Tallit
worn at morning services by men, a prayer shawl
