RE Exam content Festivals & High holy days

Question 1

What is Pesach?

Answer 1

“Feast of Passover”

Question 2

What are the practices during Pesach?

Answer 2

Eight day-long celebrations that all Jewish people celebrate every year (Reform and Orthodox Jews celebrate it in some ways)

Question 3

Origins of Pesach?

Answer 3

The Origins of Pesach is the Exodus story of how the Jewish people escaped slavery. God sent 10 plagues as a punishment for Pharoh not letting the slaves free. The last plague changed his mind because his first son was killed

Question 4

Significance of Pesach?

Answer 4

Participants eat, pray, drink wine, and sing, all to commemorate the Hebrews’ freedom from slavery in Egypt and the “Passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the first born of the Israelites

Question 5

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Answer 5

“The head of the year”- Jewish new year and festival of repentance

Question 6

Context and Background Information of Rosh Hoshanah?

Answer 6

Occurs between early September and early October- It is the religious new year and a time to reflect on the previous year and set things straight with other and with God

Question 7

How many days are there between Rosh Hoshanah and Yom Kippur?

Answer 7

There are 10 days between Rosh Hoshanah and Yom Kippur when traditionally Jewish people go and apologize to those they’ve wronged. The Rosh Hashanah rituals take place over 2 days

Question 8

Practices during Rosh Hashanah?

Answer 8

Rituals performed in the home and in the synagogue- At Musaf, the Shofar is blown several times accompanied by special prayers. Orthodox Jews believe an actual Shofar must be heard, not a recorded sound. It is traditional to read the story of Abraham and Isaac on Rosh Hoshanah

Question 9

Importance and Significance of Rosh Hashanah?

Answer 9

God takes special note of our behavior. Ram’s horn is to awaken each person-Shofar. Time of year to do more justice and repentance, saying sorry for your sins. Spiritual re-enlightenment

Question 10

What is Yom Kippur?

Answer 10

This means “Day of Atonement” which means a day to ask God for forgiveness

Question 11

What are the practices of Yom Kippur?

Answer 11

Jews do no work, Fast for 25 hours, do not wear leather shoes, no make-up/perfume, and wear white

Question 12

What do they do in Yom Kippur?

Answer 12

-Ask for forgiveness from God for any bad things that they have done in the past year- final chance to confess sins 10 days after Rosh Hashanah (DAYS OF AWE)

-They repent for the 10 days of awe, and on the 10th day God makes a verdict about the last year

Question 13

Prayer services during Yom Kippur

Answer 13

-There are 5 prayer services in the synagogue, and at the heart of each is the confessional prayer to God- the ark is left open–symbolizing God’s mercy being open, and then closed at the end God’s judgment has been sealed

-At the end of the day the priest blows the shofar to show that Yom Kippur is finished— The shofar is sounded at the end to signify the end of Yom Kippur and the end of the fast

Question 14

Apologizing to people during Yom Kippur

Answer 14

They do this so God will forgive their wrongdoings once the day of atonement comes

Question 15

Chicken is swung 3 times around a person’s head while a prayer is recited during Yom Kippur

Answer 15

This is a substitute for a person’s sins

Question 16

Fasting for 25 hours during Yom Kippur

Answer 16

This highlights atonement and focuses on God- reflects commands in Numbers 29:7 and also about sacrifice and showing religious discipline

Question 17

Significance of the festival Yom Kippur

Answer 17

Day for forgiveness- final change to repent for their sins. On the 10th day, God makes a verdict about the previous year
-Restoring relationship with God
-Atonement- Focus on the importance of God’s judgement

Question 18

Shabbat in the home

Answer 18

Lasts 25 hours- starts Friday sunset and goes to Saturday sunset
-Prepare food and do things around the house that you can’t do during Shabbat (no electronics, no cleaning, no cooking)
-The mother does the blessing over the 2 candles 18 minutes before sunset, father over wine and bread

Question 19

Preparation for the Shabbat

Answer 19

Before Shabbat the home is cleaned and all the food for Shabbat is prepared - none of this should be done during Shabbat

Question 20

Shabbat in the Synagogue

Answer 20

Up to 5 services can happen over Shabbat
-4 usual synagogue services-Shacharit, Musaf, Mincha, and Maáriv
-often a sermon from the Rabbi
-Usually on Saturday morning

Question 21

Forbidden work during Shabbat 4 examples

Answer 21

Kindling a fire, Building, Baking, sitting

Question 22

Why is Shabbat in the home most important?

Answer 22

The Friday night meal adds more significance as it is just with your family; the things you do with them at your home for your religion (rituals) make it most important. The rituals like the lighting of the candles show the position of the family members

Question 23

Why is Shabbat in the synagogue most important?

Answer 23

When the Ark is opened to reveal the Torah scrolls- resources you can’t get at home; more significance

Question 24

Shabbat meal

Answer 24

Meat or fish is traditionally served, and people may sing hymns during the meal

Question 25

What is the Sukkot?

Answer 25

The feast of Tabernacles, sukkot means tents or shelters

Question 26

What is Shavuot?

Answer 26

Festival of weeks, originally a wheat harvest but now more focused on the delivery of the Torah to Israel

Question 27

Why is Sukkot important

Answer 27

“Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths… When I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” Leviticus 23

God protected and was with the Israelites when they were in the desert- they were travelling for 40 years and always building temporary shelters until they reached their real home

Question 28

What is Sukkot a festival of?

Answer 28

Sukkot is a pilgrim festival, because pilgrims are people who travel places specifically for a part of their religion, and a big part of the significance of Sukkot is when the Israelites used to live in temporary shelters while bringing in the harvest, to remind us of the tents they lived in during 40 years of wandering in the wilderness

Question 29

What do Jewish people believe the Torah commands Jewish people to do during the Sukkot?

Answer 29

To build shelters and live in them for 7 days- Orthodox Jews interpret what the Torah says as Adult men should sleep and eat in shelters during this period

-This practice is meant to be a reminder of the israelites living in temporary shelters while bringing in the harvest during harvest

Question 30

Details on the Shavuot

Answer 30

-The only Mitzvah on Shavuot is “not working”

-Customs are- consuming dairy products, reading the book of Ruth, decorating homes/synagogues, studying the Torah all night

Question 31

Why are Jews supposed to consume dairy products during the Shavuot?

Answer 31

When receiving the Torah (10 commandments) on Mount Sinai, they were pure and innocent like newborn babies, who feed on MILK “Land of MILK and honey”

Question 32

Why do Jews have to read the book of Ruth during Shavuot?

Answer 32

Ruth’s coming to Israel took place around the time of Shavuot, and her acceptance into the Jewish Faith

Question 33

What is the Simchat Torah?

Answer 33

A festival that follows Sukkot and is mostly translated to mean “rejoicing the Torah”

Question 34

Context of the Simchat Torah

Answer 34

Associated with completing the yearly cycle of reading the Torah and preparing for the cycle to start over again over the next year

Question 35

What does the Simchat Torah reflect?

Answer 35

The importance and ambition for Jewish people of developing a deeper understanding of God each year

Question 36

Key Practices of the Simchat Torah

Answer 36

-The Torah Scrolls are removed from the ark and paraded 7 times around the synagogue in front of the congregation
-The procession is a joyful occasion. In some synagogues children will wave flags during the procession
-It is customary for there to be singing and dancing and children are given sweets
-the joyful nature of the celebration represents the joy felt by Jewish people that the word of God is gien to them and they obsercve his law as his people