Ch. 7: Judaism

Sabbath is a major festival in which Jews:

abstain from work.

Halakhah refers to:

both a particular Jewish ritual and entire Jewish legal system.

Messianic Jews

do not believe that fellow Jews should be converted out of Judaism.

What does "messiah" mean?

liberator

Orthodox Judaism argues for:

the rabbinic law and divine inspiration of the Hebrew Bible.

Historically, the term "Jew" refers to the descendants of:

the tribe of Judah

Yom Kippur is marked by:

twenty-four hour fasting

Jews who migrated to Central Europe, Russia, Hungary, and Poland are:

Ashkenazic.

Holocaust

Definition: "Burnt" or "Destruction". Genocide of about six million Jews, in addition to millions of other "undesirables" by Nazi German forces during WWII. It was a systematic state-sponsored murder of Jews led by Adolf Hitler. Significance: Though very few Jewish Holocaust survivors remain today, Jewish consciousness of the Holocaust remains a vital part of the memories of both Jewish and non-Jewish people worldwide. Jews, however, are conscious of interpreting the Holocaust not as a form of sacrificial burnt offering at the hands of the Nazi regime, but as their very desolation, which they refer to as "Shoah" (meaning destruction). Genocide has always been a theme in Jewish thinking.

YHWH

Definition: "I will be what I want to be" or "I am that (or who) I am" or "I am" Significance: This is a crucially important name for God and many Jews believe God's name to be so holy that verbalizing it is a sin. Therefore, only the high priest could pronounce YHWH once a year on Yom Kippur.

intifada

Definition: "Shaking off, uprising, or rebellion". It is the resistance or revolt against oppression. Significance: The current Israel-Palestine conflict is not good. Once the State of Israel was established, there has been violence between Palestinians and Israelis. After Israel banned the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians responded with the First Intifada. There has been a Second Intifada and a Al-Aqsa Intifada as well. All of these intifadas have left hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians dead or imprisoned.

bar mitzvah

Definition: "Son of the commandment". Ceremony when Jewish boys become accountable for their actions and become a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with all its moral responsibilities. Significance: Jews follow rituals very closely so as to mark major transitions in their lives. Rites of passage are usually accompanied by a ceremony marking a new status of the individual. At a bar mitzvah ceremony, the boy attains religious adulthood and the father ceases to be responsible for his sons' actions.

Torah

Definition: "Teaching" or "Guidance" or "Instruction". Central concept in Judaism referring to the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible, the rabbinic commentaries on it, and the totality of Jewish teaching and practice. Significance: The total Hebrew Bible contains 3 sections, the first of which is the Torah. The written text is heavily emphasized in Jewish religion so the sacred books like the Torah are highly valued since they contain God's word. Therefore, the Torah and other sacred books profoundly shape the lives of religious Jews.

Rosh Hashanah

Definition: Jewish New Year. A two-day celebration that includes the sounding of the ram's horn and eating foods such as apples dipped in honey. Significance: According to Judaism, Rosh Hashanah is the day on which all people are judged, so it is a time for Jews to repent for their sins. On this day, the completely evil ones are inscribed in the Book of Death and the completely righteous ones are written in the Book of Life. Those who fit into neither completely evil or completely righteous wait until Yom Kippur to be judged.

What does a menorah hold?

A menorah holds candles. It is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah. It symbolizes Jewish identity.

"You shall tell your child on that day, 'It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'"

About which festival: Passover Significance: Passover commemorates the events of the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. It specifically celebrates God's mercy when He passed over the houses of the Hebrews and spared their firstborns whereas He didn't spare the firstborns of the Egyptians. This festival, as with many other festivals, helps Jews remember God's provision, blessings, and protection.

"You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths."

About which festival: Sukkoth, "Festival of Booths" or "Festival of Tabernacles". Significance: Five days after Yom Kippur, the Sukkoth festival begins which lasts eight days. This festival commemorates the time when the Jewish people wandered through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, protected by God.

What is the name of the ceremony in which a girl is considered an adult?

Bat Mitzvah

Jewish women can pray freely at the Western Wall of the Jewish Temple.

False

What is a rabbi?

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of the Torah. They are Jewish learned and have been ordained.

What is the name of the religious tradition of Jewish mysticism?

Kabbalah. It is a Jewish religious tradition that seeks to have direct experience of the divine.

The Hebrew Bible consists of all except the following:

Mahzor

Moses Maimonides was one of the greatest ________ Jewish philosophers.

Medieval

The Torah is also known as the:

Pentateuch

"Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD alone."

Source: Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Significance: Jewish belief affirms the existence of one God who created heaven and earth. Though there are many names for God, there is only one God. The part of this verse, "Hear, O Israel", is known as the Shema Israel and it states that love is the only response to God because God first loved the chosen people so much that He committed to them faithfully even when the chosen people didn't remember Him

"Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation.'"

Source: Gen. 12:1-2a Significance: This verse marks the covenant God made with Abraham, telling him that he would be the father of many nations. Because of this covenant, the Jews believed they were chosen by God to fulfill a role in God's salvation history.

Passover is also known as the Festival of

Unleavened Bread.

Christian Zionism asserts that the establishment of the State of Israel is a prerequisite to the second coming of Christ.

True

Conservative Judaism is a particularly American form of Judaism.

True

Generally, a child is considered Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish.

True

Hanukkah is a time of festive celebration that recalls God's saving acts during Jewish history.

True

Jews and Arabs are both Semitic people.

True

Reconstructionist Judaism does not affirm belief in a personal God.

True

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.

True

While in the synagogue Jews pray toward Jerusalem.

True