Unit 1 Judaism Test

Question 1

What is the Talmud

Answer 1

A storehouse of law history, religion, ethics, medical science, astronomy and folklore

It is the main source of jewish teaching from the medieval period to the present

Comprised of 4 smaller books including:

Question 2

What is the Torah

Answer 2

The Torah (“written law”)
Consists of the first 5 books of the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy
Also known as the books of moses and pentateuch

Question 3

What is the Shofar

Answer 3

The Shofar (rams horn) is blown For Rashashana

Question 4

What is a Tefillin

Answer 4

small leather boxes that contain verses from the Torah- boxes are tied on the arm and on the head

Question 5

what is a Yarmulke/Kippa

Answer 5

certain articles of clothing must be worn when praying (yarmulke) (Kippa)

Question 6

what is a Tallit

Answer 6

prayer shawl

long strings attach at the corners of the shawl (613 strands) Tzitzit

Hang from pants sometimes

Question 7

what is a Aliyah

Answer 7

term for return to, or go back to the home land

Question 8

What is a Menorah

Answer 8

ancient source of light
ritual object

It’s significant to Jewish people because each branch represents the days of creation which is seven and is a central ritual object and is the logo of the modern state of israel.

Question 9

What is a Minyan

Answer 9

• a service

Public prayer of 10 males over the age of 13 (Reform and Reconstructionist Jews count women in a min- yan)
three daily worship service - evening, morning, afternoon (not mandatory)

in jewish tradition, the day begins and ends with a sunset

Torah reading is central part of worship - the entire torah is read from beginning to end in the course of a year

Question 10

What is Circumcision

Answer 10

Distinguishes Jews
sign of the Covenant

Question 11

what is Yahweh

Answer 11

Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites, representing the biblical pronunciation of “YHWH,” the Hebrew name revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus.

Question 12

What is Kosher

Answer 12

practice obeying the Ten Commandment by eating Kosher
serve as a number of purposes

They establish jews as an identifiable group

shows the humanity and humility of jewish people

The recommended method of killing animals in the most compassionate way possible reveals humanity. When one examines the degree of consideration and gratitude the Jews have for the food entrusted to them, humility becomes evident.

Question 13

What is the Ark of the Covenant

Answer 13

The ark of the covenant was the cabinet that God told the Hebrews to make after showing Moses the 10 commandments. Was meant to place the scrolls in this ark

The ark today is a duplicate and is used to hold these scrolls today

Question 14

What is the Western wall

Answer 14

Jerusalem, the city was taken and the temple was destroyed. It has never been rebuilt. To this day, the only part remaining is the Western Wall, which continues to be a place of devotion and prayer for Jews

Also called the Wailing wall is because prayer bring emotions

Question 15

what is Zionism

Answer 15

Zionism is the idea and promise of the return of the people of Israel to the Promised Land.

Question 16

What is Monotheism

Answer 16

believes in one God (Christianity, Judaism, Islam)

Question 17

What is the Chosen People and Promise land

Answer 17

God chose Abraham and promised him that his people will be great, the people of Abraham believe their are the chosen people and later it was confirmed by God who spoke through Moses saying they are the chosen people and told the chosen people (jewish people) who were being persecuted by the Egyptians that they have a promise land and they are the chosen people.

Question 18

What is the Star of David

Answer 18

derived from what is thought to be the shape of king David’s shield

seen as a symbol of the will to survive and source of jewish pride

used to promote zionism, especially because it became a national symbol of jewish nationally when it was adopted by zionist which can be seen as a political group

Question 19

What is the Tanakh

Answer 19

The complete jewish scriptures (hebrew bible) are called the TANAKH and are divided into three sections:

The Torah ( first 5 books of the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy) Also known as the books of moses and pentateuch
The Prophets (isaiah, ezekiel, jeremiah and daniel)
The Writings (psalm, proverbs, joshua, judges, kings)

Question 20

what is the Mishnah

Answer 20

Mishnah- (meaning” reception”) early rabbinic teachings and commentary about the torah which was collected since the second century BCE

Early interpretation of what the torah ‘really’ meant

Question 21

what is the Shiva

Answer 21

“Shiva” mourning period , seven days, protected from everyday problems

when funeral ends “Shiva” candle is lit in the home to symbolize soul of the deceased

while the sitting the “shiva”, no family members leave the house mourners recite the Kaddish Prayer

Question 22

what is Judaica

Answer 22

The literature, customs, ritual

objects, artifacts, etc., which are of particular relevance to Judaism.

Example: The synagogue also houses a museum, which has an impressive collection of Judaica

Question 23

What is a Covenant

Answer 23

a covenant is a promise made by God and like a contract that is a binding agreement. It confinement God as the creator and that the chosen people are people who honour God’s covenant.

Question 24

what is a Mitzvah

Answer 24

the act of a Good deed is called a Mitzvah
A Mitzvah which is a commandment by God that shows them how to live ethically and honour God (do’s or do not’s)

Example “not to entertain thoughts of other gods besides Him”

Question 25

what is a Mezuzah

Answer 25

it is small container with a piece of a scroll in it, on which is written the SHEMA (there creed)
It is always attached on the outside of the home/room, just to the right of the door
3 quarters of from the floor
reach up to it and kiss it and touch it
45 degree angle

Question 26

What is the Reform Jews and there Importance

Answer 26

fastest growing of the American-centred Jewish movements

Reform has asserted the right of interpretation but it rejected the authority of legal tradition

Its aim is to “reconstruct” Judaism by making Jewish traditions more meaningful in today’s world— blending tradition with change. ReformJudaism argues that Judaism is an evolving faith

Question 27

What is the Orthodox Jews and there importance

Answer 27

The Orthodox view is that the written and spoken Torah combined is an evolving communication of God’s will and It is a source of truth, as revealed by God.

Orthodox Judaism roots itself in the two laws and denies that humans can individually change God’s teaching to suit their will and needs. Only kosher food is eaten, and traditional gender roles are often maintained whereby men are usually the leaders in worship and ritual.

Question 28

What is a Conservative Jews and there importance

Answer 28

Conservative Judaism holds the middle ground between the Orthodox and Reform positions.

the Conservative branch allows some flexibility in the interpretation of Jewish law. For example, men and women sit together in the synagogue; women can participate in services much as men do; and women can now become cantors as well as rabbis.

Question 29

What is the Final Solution

Answer 29

“Final Solution: Nazis’ plan to engage in systematic genocide against the European Jews

The phrase was coined by Adolf Eichmann, a top Nazi official who supervised the campaign of genocide; the expression reflects the belief that the Jewish European population itself posed a “question” of a “problem”

Significance: The implementation of the Final Solution results in the deadliest phase of the Holocaust

Question 30

What is the Nazi Party

Answer 30

Adolf hitler and his Nazi party took power in Germany in 1933. Hitler believed that the Aryan or Nordic race was superior. Hatred of the jews was a key Nazi Belief and the persecution and systematic extermination of the Jews was central to Nazi Policy

Question 31

What is a Concentration Camp

Answer 31

Definition of concentration camp: (later extermination camps) prisons to house these european jewish people

Question 32

What is Anti-Semitism

Answer 32

hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people

reasons
- Lacking home land, looked at like they were invaders
- Different religious customs
- Different clothes
- Seen as strange and untrustworthy
- Outsiders
- End of the first century, split christians from jews (created animosity) (increased when christianity became a legal religion)

Question 33

What is Jews in the Diaspora

Answer 33

Diaspora is a Greek word meaning “sowing of seed” or “dispersal.”

In the context of Jewish history, “the Diaspora” is the term used when referring to the Jewish population liv-ing outside of Israel.

Jewish community of the Diaspora for centuries. Eventually, a tradition of analysis, compilation, and commentary emerged that would see the Bible reorganized into the distinct divisions of law, prophecy, poetry, and writings

Question 34

What are the different positions in Beliefs

Answer 34

Deist→ believes that God exists, but is not present
Theist → believes in a personal God
Monotheist → believes in one God (Christianity, Judaism, Islam)
Polytheist → believes in many Gods (Hinduism, Buddhism)
Atheist → denies God
Agonist → neither believes nor denies God (doesn’t know)

Question 35

What was the Shoah?

Answer 35

another word for holocaust

Question 36

Who was Theodore Herzl and what was the aim of the Zionist movement?

Answer 36

Theodore Herzl wrote about the need for jews to have a state where they can be truly at home and enjoy freedom. The aim of the Zionist movement was to reclaim the promise land and build a jewish state.

Question 37

What are crimes against humanity?

Answer 37

Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, persecution, or any other inhumane act committed against a civilian population or any other identifiable group.