RE -

• The Almighty


  • Creator of the earth and everything on it
  • Law Giver who gives rules for humans to live by (613 mitzvot)
  • One God, only one God
• The Almighty is judge


  God judges humans on their behaviour
• Shekhina


  The divine presence of God
• Appearances of the Shekhina


  • Burning bush to Moses
  • Cloud to lead Jews in desert by day
  • Pillar of fire to lead Jews in desert by night
• Importance of the Shekhina


  • Shows the Almighty's presence among the Jewish people
  • Shows the Torah is God's word
  • Represents God's personal relationship with Jews
• Jewish understandings of the Shekhina today


  • Felt when reading the Torah
  • Felt in synagogue worship
  • Felt when praying
• The Messiah


  • Descendant of King David
  • Great warrior
  • Human
  • Will rebuild the Jewish Temple
• Why some Jews believe the Messiah will come and some do not

  • Messiah will come at end of world
  • Messiah will come when all Jews live in Israel
  • Messiah did not come in Holocaust when Jews needed him
  • Some reform Jews do not believe in Messiah
• Covenant at Sinai (with Moses)


  • God gave Moses the Torah, which Jews follow to obey God and live by his rules
  • Jews are bound to follow the 613 mitzvot as their side of the covenant
  • The Torah is used in all Jewish synagogues for prayer and worship
  • God told Moses Jews who do not keep their side of the covenant will be punished
• Why some Jews think the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) are important and some do not

  • They are the rules of God found in the Torah
  • They are ten of the mitzvoth, the laws which are part of the covenant between God and the Jews
  • Rules like 'don't kill' apply to all cultures
  • The laws of the country are more useful
  • Need to follow all the mitzvot not just ten
  • They were written thousands of years ago and are outdated
• Abrahamic Covenant


  • God calls Abraham to leave his homeland
  • God promises to make Abraham a great nation
  • Abraham seals the covenant by circumcising himself and his family
  • God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, then stops him
• Importance of the Abrahamic Covenant

  • Gives the Jewish people the promise of being a great nation
  • Reason for Jewish boys being circumcised
  • Gives the Jews the promised land (modern day Israel)
• Why the Promised Land (Israel) is important to some Jews and not to others


  • It is the land promised to Jews by God in the covenant with Abraham
  • It is a place of safety for the Jewish people
  • It is where Jews can best practice their religion - some mitzvot can only be kept in Israel
  • Many Jews live safely and practice their religion in other countries
  • Many Jews are worried about the trouble in Israel
• Why some think the Covenant with Abraham is the most important and some do not


  • It gave Jews the Promised Land (Israel)
  • It is the reason why Jews are circumcised, and this is still important today
  • It made Jews the chosen people
  • Covenant with Moses is more important as it gave Jews the Torah and the laws
  • All covenants are equally important as they are agreements with God
• Sanctity of life (Pikuach nefesh)


  • The Torah says God made humans in his image
  • The Talmud says destroying a life is like destroying the whole world
  • Jews are forbidden to do anything which may hasten a person's death
  • The Torah says anyone who kills should be put to death
• How Jews show the sanctity of life

  • Doctors can answer emergency calls on Sabbath
  • Ill people don't have to fast on Yom Kippur
  • Jews are forbidden from assisted suicide or euthanasia
  • Abortions to save mother's life are compulsory
• Why some think the sanctity of life (Pikuach nefesh) should be applied in all situations and some do not

  • God created humans in his image
  • Jews are allowed to break most mitzvot to save a life
  • Jews are not allowed to deny God to save their life
  • Jews are allowed to kill in self-defense in war
• Mitzvot between humans

  • Visit the sick
  • Feed the hungry
  • Comfort mourners
• Mitzvot between humans and God

  • Keep holy the Sabbath
  • Only worship the one God
  • Do not take God's name in vain
• Why some think Jews should follow all the mitzvot and some do not

  • They are part of the covenant between God and the Jews
  • It shows respect to God as they are God's rules
  • Some are impossible to follow such as those requiring the Temple
  • They were written thousands of years ago and are outdated
• Different Jewish beliefs about life after death

  • Resurrection will happen when Messiah comes
  • Only good people will be resurrected
  • Souls of evil will be cleansed but not sent to hell forever
  • Souls of evil will be destroyed
  • Belief in reincarnation
  • Good people will go to paradise (Gan Eden)
• Importance of belief in life after death


  • The Torah and Talmud teach there is life after death - dead reunited with family
  • Affects practices like not cremating bodies as they will be resurrected and burying quickly as soul does not fully leave until buried
• Features of worship in the synagogue

  • Some say prayers in Hebrew
  • Some have separate seating for men and women
  • Rabbi gives a sermon to help understand Judaism
  • Main service is Saturday morning to read from the Torah
• Why some think worship in the synagogue is important and some do not

  • Means Jews can celebrate Shabbat properly
  • Needed for community to celebrate festivals
  • Rabbi's sermon helps understand Judaism
  • Jews can receive community support
  • Prayer can be anywhere, God is everywhere
  • Festivals can be celebrated at home
  • Not all Jews can get to the synagogue
• Importance of the Tenakh

  • Used in synagogue worship
  • Reminds Jews of their relationship with God throughout history
  • Orthodox Jews believe it is the literal word of God
• Importance of the Talmud

  • Explains the meaning of the 613 mitzvot
  • Contains teachings of rabbis throughout history
  • Is the oral Torah given to Moses by God
• Features of the Jewish food laws (Kosher)

  • Can only eat animals with split hooves and chew cud
  • Can only eat sea creatures with fins and scales
  • Animals must be slaughtered by throat cut and blood drained
  • Cannot eat meat and dairy in same meal, separate kitchens
• Why some Jews believe keeping Kashrut (eating Kosher) is important today and some do not

  • It is a mitzvot to eat kosher
  • Makes Jews think about God when eating
  • Gives Jews a sense of identity and bond
  • Reform Jews don't believe all mitzvot are God's direct commands
  • Eating kosher is too difficult today
  • May be impossible due to lack of access or cost
• Features of prayer in the home

  • Pray before eating
  • Say the Shema morning and night
  • Have a mezuzah on door frames
  • Pray 3 times a day
• Importance of different types of prayer

  • Formal prayers give sense of community
  • Formal prayers provide routine
  • Private prayer allows contacting God personally
  • Private prayer allows expressing thoughts and feelings
• Importance of the Shema

  • States exactly what the Jewish religion believes
  • Reminds Jews to be obedient to God
  • Reminds Jews there is only one God
  • Jews place it inside a mezuzah on their homes
• Importance of the Amidah

  • Fulfils the requirement of prayer set by rabbis
  • Asks God for spiritual help
  • Asks God for physical help
  • Said standing up during weekday prayers
• or frames of their homes, they touch it and thank God whenever they pass it.
• Jews pray 3 times a day.
• WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRAYER

  1. Formal prayers give Jews a sense of community as all Jews say the same prayer.

  2. Formal prayers give people a routine for prayer, so they remember to pray.

  3. Private prayer means people can contact God whenever they want.

  4. Private prayer means people can express thoughts and feelings to God which they wouldn't want other people to know.
• WHY THE SHEMA IS IMPORTANT

  1. It says exactly what the Jewish religion believes.

  2. It reminds Jews that they should be obedient to God.

  3. It reminds Jews that there is only one God they should be worshipping.

  4. Jews place the Shema inside a mezuzah on the door posts of their homes.
• WHY THE AMIDAH IS IMPORTANT

  1. It fulfils the requirement of prayer set out by the great rabbis.

  2. It asks God to help Jews spiritually.

  3. It asks God to help Jews physically.

  4. It is said standing up during weekday prayers.
• Why some believe the Shema is the most important Jewish prayer

  • It states exactly what the Jewish religion believes.

  2. It reminds Jews they should be obedient and love God.

  3. It reminds of the oneness of God.
• Why some Jews do not believe the Shema is the most important Jewish prayer

  • The Amidah is more important as it fulfils the requirements of prayer set out by the great rabbis. (praise, request, thanks).

  2. Personal prayer is more important as it shows what a person really believes/means (they might recite the Shema and not understand it).

  3. No one type of prayer is more important than another.
• WHY RITUALS ARE IMPORTANT FOR JEWS

  1. Most Jewish rituals are a mitzvot.

  2. Sharing rituals give Jews a sense of identity.

  3. Jewish rituals are part of their culture which goes back thousands of years.