RS

Question 1

How old is Judaism?

Answer 1

Judaism is around 4000 years old; it is the oldest of the monotheistic religions.

Question 2

Who started the religion?

Answer 2

Abraham and the Patriarchs started the religion, Abraham is considered a father of Judaism. However, both him and the Patriarchs started the religion.

Question 3

How many Gods does Judaism have and why?

Answer 3

Judaism only has one God as it is a monotheistic religion; the other two being Christianity and Islam.

Question 4

What is the Holy book?

Answer 4

The Torah is the holy book, that is also in the Old Testament in the Bible.

Question 5

How many followers are there today?

Answer 5

There are 12 million followers of Judaism in the world today.

Question 6

What is the Star of David?

Answer 6

The Star of David is a Jewish symbol.

Question 7

What is the Menorah?

Answer 7

The Menorah is one of the oldest Jewish symbols, it symbolises the burning bush.

Question 8

What is kosher food?

Answer 8

Kosher food is food which is allowed to be eaten by Jews.

Question 9

What is Treyfah food?

Answer 9

Treyfah food is food that isn’t allowed to be eaten by Jews.

Question 10

What does ‘kosher’ mean?

Answer 10

‘Kosher’ means fit for Jewish use.

Question 11

What do Jews celebrate every week? Why?

Answer 11

Jews celebrate the beginning of the universe every week because they believe that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. That day is called Shabbat.

Question 12

Where did Judaism begin? What do people think it began?

Answer 12

Judaism began in Palestine, now known as Israel. People say that it began in the state of Israel, but at the time it was known as Palestine, they took some land and called it Israel.

Question 13

What happens during Shabbat?

Answer 13

• Family get together because spending time with family is really important
• It begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday night
• 3 special meals are eaten: Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and just before the end of Shabbat
• Best clothes are worn, not work clothes
• Overall, it’s a complete break from their normal daily lives

Question 14

How do the Shabbat meals begin?

Answer 14

Meals begin with a blessing over two loves of bread which is symbolic of the MANAA God have the Jewish people in the desert after the escape from Egypt.

Question 15

What does candlelight symbolise?

Answer 15

Candlelight symbolises peace.

Question 16

How do Jews celebrate Shabbat?

Answer 16

Jews celebrate Shabbat by having a full day of rest. It begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening, all housework and food preparation is done before it goes dark on Friday. They don’t use electricity and do nothing that needs work because God had a day of rest on the 7th day of creation.

Question 17

What is Leaven?

Answer 17

Leaven is what makes bread rise and become fluffy.

Question 18

What is mutzot?

Answer 18

Mutzot is unleavened bread, bread without any yeast in it.

Question 19

What is Seder?

Answer 19

Seder is the special Passover meal.

Question 20

What is Hagadah?

Answer 20

Hagadah is the book in which the special order of the Seder meal is written.

Question 21

What is Passover?

Answer 21

Passover, or Pesach as it is sometimes called, is a Jewish festival celebrated in spring time.

Question 22

What is the main part of the Passover celebration?

Answer 22

The meal. This is called the Seder. The special offer of the Seder meal is written in the Hagadah, this tells the story of the Exodus.

Question 23

Why is it called Passover?

Answer 23

The celebration is called Passover because it reminds the Jews of the last of the ten plagues, when the angel of death passed over the Jews and killed the Egyptians first born.

Question 24

Why is the egg eaten on the Seder plate? What is it also a symbol of?

Answer 24

Egg is eaten in memory of the daily Temple sacrifice, which is no longer offered. It is also a symbol of new life and springtime.

Question 25

What is the lamb bone on the Seder plate?

Answer 25

The lamb bone is a reminder of the lamb which was killed so its blood could be put on the doorposts.

Question 26

What is horse radish on the Seder plate?

Answer 26

Horse radish is symbolic of the bitter treatment of the Israelites during slavery.

Question 27

What is charoset on the Seder plate?

Answer 27

Charoset is symbolic of the Egyptian buildings because it is gritty. It is also sweet to symbolise God’s sweet kindness which made slavery bearable.

Question 28

Why is parsley on the Seder plate?

Answer 28

God commanded that parsley was to be served with the lamb.

Question 29

What is salt water on the Seder plate?

Answer 29

Dipped in salt water, salt water is symbolic of the tears shed during slavery.

Question 30

What is Hanukkah?

Answer 30

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for 8 days and nights because the oil found (which was supposed to last a day) lasted 8 days.

Question 31

Who was Oskar Schindler?

Answer 31

A member of the nazi party who saved the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.

Question 32

How did Schindler save the lives of all the Jews during the Holocaust?

Answer 32

By employing them at an enamelware factory he obtained and bribing the Nazis to keep his workers safe.