Judaism

• Kriah

  Make a tear in their clothes as a symbol of grief
• Kaddish

  Mourning Prayer
• Shiva

  Intense Period of mourning lasting 7 days after burial
• Avelut

  Whole year of mourning for loss of a parent -> Kaddish is to be said for 11 months
• Mourning Rituals

  Set periods of mourning which decrease in intensity over the period of year -> allows family to grieve fully and get them back to a normal life
• Burial should happen as soon as possible after death
• Funerals don't take place in synagogues as its considered as a place of living -> in cemetery
• Jews believe that the soul should be comforted and supported by family -> as it doesn't fully leave the person until they are buried
• Kriah

  Follows the example of Jacob in Genesis 37:34
• KaddishPrayer

  Helps people focus on God at a time when they may feel far from him
• Customs for mourners

  • Don't wear makeup, shave, cut their hair
  • Mirrors are covered -> can't focus on appearance
  • Don't attend parties, Listen to Music
• Customs to mark death anniversary

  • Some people fast
  • Some people make charitable donations
• Eve of the anniversary of person's death

  Kaddish is sad and candles are lit
• Kosher

  Food that's acceptable to eat
• Trefah

  Food that's unacceptable to eat
• Kosher slaughter

  1. Kosher animals must be slaughtered with a very sharp knife by a trained Jew

  2. Animal has to be conscious when killed

  3. Blood is drained from the animal -> Jews can't consume food with blood
• Milk and Meat cannot be mixed -> 2 food preparation areas in kitchen to keep them separate and colour code : utensils and cutlery
• Kosher Food

  • Certain types of meat
  • Fish with scales and fins
  • Cheese
  • Any fruit and veg free of insects
• Trefah Food

  • Pork, camel, reptiles, rodents, seafood w/o scales, cheese that isn't kosher, insects and amphibians
• Orthodox Jews

  • Follow dietary laws strictly
  • Believe laws come from God to Test their Obedience and help develop their self control
  • Laws remind people daily of their faith
• Reform Jews

  • Laws are outdated in modern British society
  • Up to individual whether to follow or not
• Rosh Hashanah

  • Marks the start of the Jewish New Year
  • Believe God judges their actions over the past year and decides their fortune for the coming year
• 10 days between start of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

  Jews try to make up for their wrong doings over past - seek forgiveness from God
• Rosh Hashanah

  Origins and Meaning? Day of judgement and remembers God's Creation of the World
• Observance of Rosh Hashanah

  • Improve God's Judgement (charity work, atoning)
  • Celebrate at home (share festival meal, apple dipped in honey - hope for a new year)
  • Attending services in the synagogue (next morning - ram's horn blown 100x) and prayers
• Synagogue

  Building where Jews meet for worship, study, social and charitable events and celebrate festivals and rites of passages
• Importance of synagogue to Jews

  • Strengthens their community
  • Hosts social events like youth club and music groups
  • Provides education to learn Hebrew and expand knowledge of faith
  • Enables worship and prayer through Minyans
  • Facilitates charitable events to donate time and money
• Aron Hakodesh

  Cabinet where the Torah scrolls are kept, the holiest place of the synagogue
• Ner Tamid

  Ever-burning light kept on at all times, symbolising God's presence and reminding of the menorah lit in the Temple
• Bimah

  Raised platform where the Torah is read, providing a focal point and reminding of the altar in the Temple
• Synagogue symbols

  • Menorah (7 or 9 branched candlestick)
  • Star of David (six-pointed star)
• Orthodox synagogue services

  Hold daily services in Hebrew, with the person leading facing the Ark, men and women sitting separately, singing unaccompanied, men wearing skull caps, women covering heads
• Reform synagogue services

  Don't hold daily services, focus on Shabbat and festivals, in Hebrew and English, person leading faces congregation, men and women sit together, services are shorter, most wear skull cap or hat, singing is accompanied by instruments
• Shabbat at synagogue

  Brief Friday evening service welcoming Shabbat, main Saturday morning service with reading from the Torah and parading of the Torah scrolls
• Shabbat at home

  Various preparations made before Shabbat, no work done, 2 candles on table, 2 loaves of Challah bread, wine drunk with kiddush cup
• Tenakh

  Main Jewish sacred text containing the written law
• Talmud

  Commentary that helps Jews put the laws from the Tenakh into practice
• Mezuzah

  Small box containing a handwritten scroll of verses from the Torah, attached to a doorpost as a sign of respect to God and a reminder to obey his laws
• Parts of the Tenakh

  • Torah (5 books of Moses)
  • Nevi'im (8 books of Prophets)
  • Ketuvim (11 books of writings)
• Parts of the Talmud

  • Mishnah (commentary on the Torah compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha'Nasi)
  • Gemara (collection of discussions on the Mishnah)