SECTION 3 JUDAISM- TOPIC 2.3.7 FESTIVALS

Question 1

The main festivals are:

Answer 1

1. New Year – Rosh Hashanah (September/October)
2. Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur (September/October)
3. Tabernacles – Sukkot (October)
4. Rejoicing of the Law – Simchat Torah (October)
5. Dedication – Hanukkah (December)
6. Purim – (February/March)
7. Passover – Pesach (March/April)
8. Weeks – Shavuot (May/June).

Question 2

Festivals and Jewish history

Answer 2

celebrate important events in Jewish history
-Pesach celebrates how God saved the Jews from slavery in the Exodus

Sukkot celebrates the time the Jews were in the wilderness after escaping from Egypt

Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses.

Question 3

Why are festivals important for jews ?

Answer 3

-Rosh Hashanah celebrates God’s
kingship and his willingness to forgive his people’s sins.

-They celebrate God being the creator and sustainer of nature

-opportunity for Jewish people to turn over a new leaf by repenting of their sins (Yom Kippur)

Question 4

Rosh Hashanah

Answer 4

the beginning of the Jewish New Year

make new year’s resolutions

God records how good they are based on the resolutions into the BOOK OF LIFE

eat honey to show a sweet year to come

Question 5

importance of rosh Hashanah?

Answer 5

-gives people fresh start
-chance to say sorry to people and bring about peace

Question 6

Yom Kippur

Answer 6

-day of atonement
-10 days after rosh hashanah
-10 days called= 10 DAYS OF AWE

-25hr fast
-past sins are reflected upon
-special meal eaten
-donate money to poor
-service in Synagogue

Question 7

SOWAA FOR YOM KIPPUR

+why important

Answer 7

“the tenth day of the seventh month is a day of atonement”

-FAST is a form of atonement
-god instructed people to keep this festival

Question 8

SUKKOT

Answer 8

-5 days after yom kipput
-each family build a sukkot and live in it for 7 days (some countries only eat in it as it is too cold

made with palm leaves and branches
-to symbolise the different types of people

Question 9

Why is sukkot celebrated?

Answer 9

-to commemorate when the Hebrew escaped from Egypt and lived in desert for 40 years

-encourage harmony as families occupy a small space

Question 10

Pesach

Answer 10

celebration of the Passover
-Jews celebrate their freedom of slavery in Egypt

Question 11

What does Pesach commemorate?

Answer 11

-how Moses unleashed God’s plagues on pharaoh

-Hebrew’s oldest sons were spared from death and how moses guided his people

Question 12

SOWAA FOR PESACH

Answer 12

“for 7 days no yeast is to be found in your houses”

Question 13

Key points about Pesach

Answer 13

-commanded to celebrate Pesach
-festival remembering the power and mercy of God
-celebrates freedom and condemns slavery

Question 14

SHAVUOT

Answer 14

-celebrated 7 weeks after PASSOVER
-two-day harvest festival

Question 15

features of shavuot

Answer 15

-candles lit to welcome the festival on both evenings
-people stay up late to read the Torah
-eat dairy rather than meat

-no mitzvah commanding this festival

Question 16

SOWAA FOR SHAVUOT

Answer 16

“take some first fruit”