Practices

• Kedusha


  The third section of all Amidah recitations
• Siddur


  Book of daily prayers; literally means 'order' or 'sequence'
• Kiddush


  Prayer of sanctification
• Modeh ani


  'I give thanks.' A prayer recited upon waking
• Mezuzah


  A small box set on a doorpost containing a copy of the Shema
• Tallit


  A fringed prayer shawl
• Tefillin


  Small boxes worn on head and arm containing verses from the Torah, including the Shema
• Mikvah


  Ritual bath for purification
• Eulogy


  Speech of praise and remembrance for someone who has died
• Challah


  Plaited bread prepared before Shabbat begins
• Havdalah


  Closing ceremony of Shabbat; it means 'separation'
• Bimah


  Raised platform from which readings are made and sermons are given
• Yad


  A pointer for following text
• Days of Awe


  Days of repentance; Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
• Shofar


  An ancient instrument made of ram's horn which is blown to herald important events and to call Jews to repentance
• Chametz


  Foods containing wheat, barley, and oats, left to soak for over 18 minutes
• Leaven


  Meaning risen- food that has been fermented with a raising agent such as yeast, prohibited during Pesach
• Haggadah


  A Jewish book which sets out the rituals of Pesach
• Public acts of worship
• Avodat Hashem


  Worship of God
• Public worship

  • Allows individuals to spend regular time in praise, request and thanks to God
  • Allows Jews around the world to follow very similar services, which bring a sense of unity
• Psalm 116: ''My vows to Hashem I will pay, in the presence, now, of his entire people...''
• After the destruction of the Temple and exile of Jews from Israel the idea you could turn to God in prayer became more important
• Main public acts of worship in the synagogue

  • Daily Prayer services, three times a day
  • Shabbat services
  • Festival services
• Shabbat


  Begins at dusk on Friday and ends on appearance of three stars on Saturday
• Reform/Liberal tend to focus on Shabbat and festival services than Daily Prayer services
• Amidah


  1. Praise God

  2. Adapted for Shabbat, focusing on the gift of Shabbat

  3. Longer reading of the Torah given

  4. Sermon by the Rabbi
• Jews can pray anywhere not only in the synagogue. If a minyan presents then additional prayers of the Kaddish, kedusha or those prayers linked with the reading of the Torah can be recited
• Jews are expected to pray three times a day. There are prayers in the synagogue to coincide with these times. In Orthodox synagogues prayers are in Hebrew and Liberal/Reform there is balance between Hebrew/English
• Jews often stand to say prayers as a reminder of God's presence
• Prayers are usually silent when praying alone
• Siddur


  Contains daily prayers which vary throughout the calendar
• Importance of synagogue services

  • They unite local community in prayer and study
  • Jews pray towards Israel. In Israel they pray towards Jerusalem towards the site of the Holy Temple
  • Private prayer consists of three elements: thanksgiving, praise and asking for things
  • Jews believe God will take action and respond to their prayers
  • A sermon by the Rabbi relates to how Jews should live their lives
• Tenakh


  The Jewish Bible
• Torah


  The most sacred object in Judaism. Its handwritten parchment scroll that is kept in the Ark in the synagogue. A printed copy is called a Chumash
• Orthodox Jews


  Regard the Torah as the literal word of God revealed to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. Torah is divine and timeless
• Reform


  Believe the Torah is a human creation- written by ancestors and inspired by their understanding of themselves and the place of God in their lives
• Talmud


  The record of the Oral Tradition and literally means 'instruction or learning'
• Orthodox


  Say the instruction was also given to Moses at Mount Sinai as a teaching on how the Torah should be interpreted
• Reform


  See the Talmud as a human creation, reflecting the wisdom of the Jewish people for many generations