Unit 8 - Jewish Practices (Simple)

Question 1

Purpose of public worship?

Answer 1

• Follow the teachings to worship in the Torah.
• To spend time in praise, request and thanks to God.
• To come together as a community using similar prayers.

Question 2

Examples of public worship

Answer 2

1) Shabbat
2) Daily prayers
3) Festivals

Question 3

Importance of public worship?

Answer 3

• Unites the whole of the Jewish community in prayer and study.
• Teaching from the Rabbi will relate to the readings and prayers which may affect the way Jews live their lives.

Question 4

Tenakh

Answer 4

• Jewish Bible
• Made up of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim
• The Torah is the most important - the law of Moses.
• The Torah includes food laws.

Question 5

Talmud

Answer 5

• Oral law
• Interprets the Torah
• Contains the Mishnah and Gemara

Question 6

3 Jewish food laws?

Answer 6

1) Don’t eat meat and dairy together
2) Don’t eat birds of prey
3) Meat must be slaughtered in a certain way

Question 7

3 types of private prayer

Answer 7

Prayer in the home
Private personal prayer
Set formal prayer

Question 8

When do Jews pray privately?

Answer 8

3 times a day
• Morning - Shacharit
• Afternoon - Minchah
• Evening - Arvit

Question 9

Shema

Answer 9

• Most important prayer
• Prayed every morning and evening
• Shows that God is one
• Tefillin (black boxes and straps) / Mezuzah (container in door frame) express the importance of the Shema.

Question 10

Amidah

Answer 10

• Core part of every service
• Known as the standing prayer
• 3 parts: praise, ask, thank
• 3 steps said forward and 3 steps back to be in Gods presence
• Facing the Temple in Jerusalem

Question 11

Rites and rituals

Answer 11

• Birth
• Brit Bat/Milah
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Marriage
• Mourning
• Funeral

Question 12

Birth

Answer 12

• Ritual bath after a set period of time for purification
• Mother cannot enter or touch anything sacred for: Boys 7 days plus 33 days Girls: 14 days plus 66 days.
• Children are always given a Hebrew name and often a English name.

Question 13

Brit Bat/Milah

Answer 13

• Circumcision is a sign of the covenant with Abraham
• Most universally observed Mitzvot too welcome Jew into faith.

Question 14

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

Answer 14

Mark the point you become a responsible adult.
Boys:
• 13
• Can leader synagogue service after
• Need to learn Hebrew to read from the Torah
Girls:
• 12
• Will be taught to cook challah and other important preparations in the home.

Question 15

Marriage

Answer 15

Marked with a ceremony that includes:
• Signing a contract
• A canopy
• Smashing a glass
• Gift giving
• Time alone as a couple

Question 16

Funerals

Answer 16

• Jews are buried within 24 hours.
• Buried not cremated
• Plain coffin and cloth to wrap the body
• No flowers

Question 17

Mourning periods

Answer 17

• Help the bereaved return to normal life after the loss of a loved one
• 7 days at home praying and no work done
• First 30 days to complete mourning and return to normal life, but no parties.
• Additional year of mourning for the loss of a parent.

Question 18

Shabbat

Answer 18

• Lasts from Friday evening to Saturday evening - begins with a meal at home.
• No work is done , so preparation is made in advance.
• There is a service in the Synagogue which includes reading from the Torah and a sermon from the Rabbi
• Keeping Shabbat is one of the 10 commandments.

Question 19

How the Sabbath is celebrated in the Synagogue?

Answer 19

• Amidah prayer is said done facing Jerusalem.
• Torah is removed from the Ark and the Shema is said.
• The Torah is taken to the Bimah (a stand) and a section is chanted.

Question 20

Jewish Festivals

Answer 20

• Rosh Hashanah
• Yom Kippur
• Pesach
• Shavout
• Sukkot

Question 21

Rosh Hashanah

Answer 21

• First day of Jewish year.
• Remembers the story of creation.
• Time to reflect on behaviour and make peace before judgement on Yom Kippur.
• Shofar blown 100 times (wake people up to their sins.

Question 22

Yom Kippur

Answer 22

• Day of atonement
• Seek forgiveness from God and people
• Holiest day of the year
• Fast for 25 hours

Question 23

Pesach

Answer 23

• Remembering God ‘passed over’ Egypt to free Jews from slavery.
• A special meal is shared with symbolic food.
• The house is cleaned, leavened bread removed, and lasts for 8 days.

Question 24

Shavout

Answer 24

• Celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses and the wheat harvest.
• Celebrated with extra Torah study.
• Jews may eat dairy or decorate the synagogue with greenery.

Question 25

Sukkot

Answer 25

• Reminder of the shelters lived in while travelling though the dessert after Egypt.
• Jews live in temporary shelters for a week.
• It reminds Jews that they are linked to their ancestors, they belong to an ancient people.

Question 26

Synagogue

Answer 26

Jewish place of worship and is a reminder of the Temple in Jerusalem which it faces.

Question 27

Features of the Synagogue?

Answer 27

• Ark - where the Torah scrolls are kept.
• Bimah - reading platform for the Torah.
• Ner Tamid - ‘eternal light’ above the ark - always burning as a reminder of God being eternal.

Question 28

Difference between Orthodox and Reformed Synagogues?

Answer 28

• Men and women separate in Orthodox synagogues.
• Musical instruments not used in Orthodox synagogues.
• Women take an active part in Reformed services but not Orthodox.