Beliefs and Practices: Judaism Flashcards
Describe the Death of God theology?
- The destruction of European Jewry is proof that God abandoned the Jewish people
- Eugene Borowitz: “Any God who could permit the Holocaust, who could remain silent during it,w as not worth believing in…in the ace of such great evil…‘God is dead’.”
- Richard Rubenstein: “Ultimate meaning and purpose of life must derive from human beings not from God. Religious belief and rituals could be maintained, but only as sociological or cultural practices.”
Who do some Jews believe about the Jews who suffered in Aushwitz
they atoned the sins of mankind (like Jesus)
What do Jews believe in dense of God
- some are determined to work diligently to prevent genocidal hatred and violence from ever again being directed at any group of human beings
- since jews were victims of the most horrendous crime in history, they have the awesome responsibility to ensure no such act ever happens
What is Monotheism with regard to Judaism?
The belief in and worship of a single god, creator of the universe – is a central feature of Judaism and one of the fundamental teachings of the Torah.
What is the Shema?
One of the most important prayers recited fail in Judaism (Hear)
Describe the structure of the schema?
Composed of three paragraph verses from the Torah
What are among the fat section of the Torah that a Jewish Child learn?
The Shema
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”…what is this from?
The Shema
When is the Shema to be recited?
morning and night
What are Jews expected to say as their last words?
the Shema
When was the synagogue a well established institution since?
The first century of Common Era
True or False: Before the destruction of the Tempe in 70 CE, synagogues and Temple existed side by side.
True
When did the synagogue become the centre of the Jewish religious community?
After the Holocaust
What is the synagogue used for?
- It is a place for prayer, a venue for communal worship and gathering, and place to study sacred text.
- Certain synagogues provide service for community; soup kitchen and shelterer homeless
What is “Shul”?
Synagogue in Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism
What do Reform Jews call the synagogue?
Temple, because it replaced the Temple inJerusalem.
Where do synagogues tend to derive the majority of they financial income?
from membership and donation. A board of directors supervises its activities, including hiring a rabbi
True or False: a permanent rabbi is required in a synagogue.
False
In which directions do synagogues face?
the holy city of Jerusalem
What does the ‘ark’ in each synagogue contain?
Torah scrolls
what is the bimah?
- readers table
- holds the Torah scrolls when they are read, as well as serves as a podium for leading services
What is Ner tamid?
etermal lamps; and menorah
What kind of commandment is prayer in Judaism?
A Biblical commandment
What are the 2 forms Jewish prayer makes?
- pre-set: (determined in advance)
- spontaneous: (created on the spot by individual Jews)
How many times a day do practicing Jews pray in communal worship?
In the evening (ma’ariv), in the morning (shacharit), and in the afternoon (mincha)
What are there three basic prayers in Judaism?
- corresponds to the three daily sacrifices that were performed at the Temple in Jerusalem
- corresponds to prayers instituted by the patriarch, Abraham in the morning, Isaac in the afternoon , and Jacob in the evening.
What part of the Torah do Jews read?
- The entire Torah is read in an annual cycle
- There are 54 sections, each of which is read and studied for a week, so that the entire Torah is covered in an annual cycle
In Orthodox practice, how many adult males are required to make up a quorum for communal prayer?
at least 10
How does the quorum differ between orthodox and conservative jews and reforms jews?
- orthodox, only males can make up the minyan (quorum)
- conservative, may include women
- reform, does not require a minyan at all
What is a kippah?
During the prayer, male members of the conservative and Orthodox congregation wear a skullcap; kippah in Hebrew or yarmulke in Yiddish
What is tall it (prayer shawl)?
A fringed prayer shawl is traditionally worn during all morning services
What is tefillin?
S small leader box containing words from the scripture, tied to the head and arm
Describe gender segregation in Reform, conservative, and orthodox synagogues?
- In Reform and Conservative synagogues, all members of the congregation sit together, men and women.
- In orthodox, men are not permitted to pray in the presence of women. Orthodox women have their own section at the back or side of the room, that is separated by a wall or curtain
What is the dress code for orthodox women in a synagogue?
Women are expected to wear long sleeves, long skirts, and if married, to cover their hair with a wig, scarf, or hat.
What does passover commemorate?
The liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The festival is to remind Jews that God saved their first born from plague, and gave the speed with which their left Egypt.
What is the focal point of Passover?
The ritual meal called a ‘seder’ (order).
What are the six symbolic foods on the seder plate and their symbolic meaning?
1) a hard-boiled egg (fertility)
2) a shank bone (lamb’s blood as presence to God)
3) a mortar mixture made of apples nuts, wine, and spices (brick for the Pharaoh)
4) a piece of lettuce (harsh life)
5) parsley (spring/hope)
6) bitter herb (bitterness of slavery)
What does circumcision (brit milah) mark?
A transitional women in Jewish male, performed eight days after birth. It symbolizes the covenant between a Jew and God, as Abraham did.
What distinguished Jews from their non-Jewish environment in the exilic period?
circumcision
Where is circumcision conducted? Describe the celebration.
At home or in a synagogue in the presence of family members and friends. After, the bad is named and a celebratory meal is served.
What is the celebration of a girls’s birth?
Despite there being no specific rival formula for girl, a naming celebration called Simchat Bat (joy of a daughter) is also performed to mark similar covenant between her and God.
What is the Decaloge?
the ten commandment
How many times does the Decalogue appear in the Torah? What does it represent? What does it stipulate?
- appears twice
- covenant into which Tahweh and the Israelites ever
- stipulates not only the people’s duties to God, but also their duties, r ethical behaviour, to one another
What are the High holidays?
Ten days from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah through the end of Yom Kippur
What is considered the Jewish New Year? When does it occur?
Rosh Hashanah
- usually falls in September or October
What is God said to do on Rosh Hashanah?
Open the Book of life, in which he will inscribe the individuals fate
What follow Rosh Hashanah?
“ten days of penitence” that culminate on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur
What is the interval (ten days of penitence) meant for?
contemplative reflection on one’s own words an behaviour and a reminder of the power of repentance and the mercy of God
Do Jews fast on Yom Kippur?
yes
What is Hanukkah?
The festival of lights, commemorates the return of the Temple to the Jews by Judah the Maccabee and his brothers of the Hasmonean family in 168 BCE
Wha did Antiochus Epiphanies do?
Promoting political unity, he forced Jews to assimilate into Greek culture
What is Talmud?
When the temple was purified, the miraculous oil took place
What is the purpose of the menorah?
At the time, only one vial of oil with the seal of the High Priest could be found to light menorah, the seven branches of oil lamp. The amount of oil should have run out after one day, but it lasted for eight days. For this reason, Hanukkah s celebrated by lignin a candle on menorah for eight consecutive days.
Is Hanukkah a religious holiday?
No, it is a cultural holiday
What does Hanukkah commemorate?
Return of Jewish temple to Jewish people
