Holidays, culture, and symbols

Jewish Culture

• The centre of Jewish religious life

• A place of gathering, prayer, and study

• Sometimes referred to as “shul”; a Yiddish word derived from German meaning “school”

The Synagogue

• A scroll containing the Torah (the first five books of Moses)

• Always kept in a place of honour, called the Holy Ark

• This is a reference to the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem until it was destroyed in 597 BCE. (The Ark has been missing since)

The Sefer Torah

• Any knowledgeable Jew who is trained and capable can lead a worship service

• Usually performed by a rabbi (translation: “teacher”), someone trained to act as a teacher and interpreter

Clergy

• Blessings, or “ Berekhah” are central to services.

• 3 kinds of Berekhah:• Thanks to God for 5

senses• Recited before performing

a mitzvah to acknowledge covenant with God

• Thanks, praises or petitions to God.

• “Minyan”, a quorum of 10 males over the age of 13 before communal prayer is established. (Reform and Reconstructionist Jews count women in Minyan)

Blessings and Services

• Jewish dietary laws, called “keeping kosher” are followed by observant Jews.

• Kosher laws include (but are not limited to) bans on eating:• Animals specified by

certain characteristics (pigs, hares, fish without both fins and scales)

• Scavenger birds• Animals not slaughtered

according to kosher law• Mixtures of meat and milk

Kashruth

• In the book of Genesis, YHWH made heaven and Earth in 6 days, and rested on the 7th

• Jews keep the Shabbat (or Sabbath) holy to honour Him

• At sunset on Friday, Jews go to the synagogue (a reference to the first act of creation: “Let there be light”)

• All work is put aside on Shabbat. Orthodox Jews are strict about the policy, and will not turn on any light switches or ovens from dawn to dusk

Shabbat

• The Star of David (Magen David) is thought to be the shape of King David’s shield. Wasn’t closely associated with Judaism until the 19th century• Is meant to serve as a symbol of

the will of Jewish people to survive

• The 7 branched menorah is used to represent each day of creation and one for the Sabbath, and is a central symbol of the faith• The 9 branched menorah is

reserved for the celebration of chanukkah

Symbols

• Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year. 10 Day period of repentance. Ends with…

• Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement. Holiest day of the year for Jewish people, on which Jews ask forgiveness from God and other humans for their mistakes

Rosh Hashanah/ Y0m Kippur

• Festival of lights.

• Celebrates the events of the Maccabean revolt.

• During a siege, there was a lamp that had oil that should have lasted for only one day, but lasted for 8.

Chanukkah (Hannukah)

• Commemorates the freeing of the Hebrews from slavery (the Exodus) over a period of 7 or 8 days

• Jews will not eat leavened bread during Passover, to remember how fast they had to pack up and run from Egypt

• First born sons fast on the first day of the festival (in remembrance of the first-born Egyptian males who were killed)

• Seder = ceremonial dinner on the first night of Passover

Passover

• Bar Mitzvah = “Son of the Commandment”

• Bat Mitzvah = “Daughter of the Commandment”

• Ceremony to welcome young Jews into adulthood.

• For boys, it’s the first Sabbath after his thirteenth birthday. For girls, it’s after the twelfth birthday

• Kids study for months in preparation. A religious service is held, followed by a celebration.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

• Marriage:• Bride and groom stand under a

“chuppah” (canopy), which is a symbol of their shared home

• They drink blessed wine, sign a marriage contract, and rings are exchanged

• A glass is crushed under the groom’s foot at the end. Symbolizes that the couple will experience bad as well as good.

• Divorce:• Allowed, but strongly discouraged• Husband gives wife a “get” (cert.

of divorce). No get, no divorce (even if they’re divorced civilly)

Marriage and Divorce

• Funerals take place ASAP (usually within 24 hours)

• No cremation, because one shouldn’t destroy what God has made

• Jew do believe in life after death, but life in the material world is the more important focus

• For a week after the funeral, mourners sit in “shiva”. Family members do not leave the home, and friends and relatives come to visit

Death