Jewish Beliefs Jewish Beliefs andand

PracticesPractices

Basic Jewish BeliefsBasic Jewish Beliefs

Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith are widely accepted by Jews as summarizing the basic beliefs of Judaism

They are:1. God exists2. God is one and unique3. God is incorporeal4. God is eternal5. Prayer is to be directed to God alone6. The words of the Prophets are true

7. Moses was the greatest of the Prophets8. The written Torah (the first five books of the

Tanakh) and the Oral Torah (teachings contained in the Talmud) were given to Moses by God

9. There will be no other Torah10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men11. God will reward the good and punish the wicked12. The Messiah will come13. The dead will be resurrected

These are accepted by most Jews as the minimum one must believe

PrayerPrayer

Several times a day – when waking, before and after meals, before bed and any other time you wish during the day

Major Prayers: Shema Amidah – 19 blessings, thanks and

petitions (said at synagogue) Aleinu – affirms that there is one God Kaddish – prayer of praise. Always said in

Aramaic. The Mourners Kaddish is associated with praying for the dead.

The SynagogueThe Synagogue

Jewish place of prayer and worshipDates back to time of Babylonian ExileServices dailyRequires a minyan = ten adultsUsually led by rabbi; can be led by any

adultMain services held on the Sabbath

(Shabbat) – either Friday evening or Saturday morning

InteriorInterior

All Synagogues contain . . .

Aron KodeshAron Kodesh – also called the Ark. Holds Torah scrolls.

Ner TamidNer Tamid – “eternal light”. Near the Ark; symbolizes the presence of God.

BimahBimah – the lectern from which the Torah is read

Rabbi holding a Torah scroll – the scrolls are written in Hebrew by hand on parchment

Orthodox synagogues separate men and women at worship. They have a divider called a mechitzah between the two sections of the synagogue.

RabbiRabbi

• He (or she in Reform and some Conservative communities) leads services, educates, and officiates at events like bar mitzvahs, weddings and funerals

• It usually takes five years of postgraduate study to become a rabbi.

Synagogue ServiceSynagogue Service

There are communal prayers in the synagogue daily

Main service is on Shabbat (the Sabbath)

Service is led by the Rabbi and perhaps a cantor

Service is often a mixture of Hebrew and English

Lasts between 30 and 90 minutes

The Service:

Chanting of the Shema and AmidahScripture readings

Writings Psalms Prophets Torah

SermonBlessings

KashrutKashrut

(Kosher Food Laws)

Kosher Food laws concern:1. What foods can be eaten

2. How foods must be prepared

The laws are found in the Torah

Trayf – food that is not kosher and cannot be consumed

Pareve – food that can be eaten at any time, with any other food

General informationGeneral information . . .

Kosher animals chew their cud and have cloven hoofs (cattle, sheep, goats, deer)

Animals must be humanely slaughtered under the supervision of a trained shochef

Seafood must have scales and finsDomesticated fowl can be eaten; birds

of prey cannot

Reptiles, amphibians and insects are trayf

Blood cannot be consumedMeat and milk cannot be consumed at

the same mealRules for Passover are stricter

Different branches of Judaism have different attitudes towards these laws:Orthodox – follow strictlyConservative – some follow strictly; many follow

a modified versionReform – following is up to the individual; many

follow partially

Clothing worn during worship:

tallit

kippah

teffilin

Life Cycle RitualsLife Cycle Rituals

Brit MilahBrit Milah

“The Covenant of Circumcision”

8 days after birth Performed at home

or at the synagogue Mohel – performs

the ceremony The child is officially

given his name

Brit Ha-batBrit Ha-bat

The naming ceremony for a daughter

A modern celebration done mostly in Reform synagogues

Bar MitzvahBar MitzvahBat MitzvahBat Mitzvah

Son or Daughter of Commandment – the child officially becomes an adult in the Jewish community

Takes place at the synagogueThe child reads (in Hebrew!) and

comments on the Torah portion for the dayThe Bat Mitzvah ceremony is modern and

is not done in Orthodox communities

A Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem

Bar MitzvahBar Mitzvah

Bat MitzvahBat Mitzvah

In Reform Judaism teens are often confirmed as well as bar or bat mitzvahed. Confirmation takes place when they are older and is a personal commitment to Judaism.

WeddingsWeddings

Takes place under a chuppah = canopy

Ancient custom May be raised indoors

or out Symbolizes both the

new home established by the couple and the tents Jews lived in during the Exodus

The wedding ceremony includes:

Blessing and sharing wine

Exchange of rings Signing the Ketubah

Marriage contractProtects the

rights of the wifeOften in Aramaic

The Seven Blessings

Breaking a glass

Mazel Tov!

Judaism does not encourage marriage outside the faith

Most Jewish rabbis will not officiate at inter-faith weddings

FuneralsFunerals

Jewish beliefs about life after death:Orthodox JewsOrthodox Jews

Heaven and hell A bodily resurrection when the Messiah

comes

Conservative JewsConservative Jews Resurrection – either bodily or spiritual –

when the Messiah comes

Reform Jews:Reform Jews: No bodily resurrection; the soul returns to

God

Not all Jews believe in life after death. Some believe that we live on through our good works and our descendants

Preparation of the body: Washed and dressed by members of a funeral

society Placed in a plain wood casket surrounded by a

linen shroud Never embalmed Never cremated

Visitation: In the home (body not present) In the synagogue before the funeral Never open casket

The Funeral Service: Prayers and blessings One or more eulogies

Internment: In a Jewish cemetery Ceremony presided

over by the Rabbi and attended by only closest friends and relatives

No flowers

ShivahShivah (Mourning)

7 days after death of a family member Remain at home except for going to

synagogue Wear black or black ribbon with a symbolic

slash (cut) in it No work Men don’t shave People visit

Extended Mourning 30 days for a close family member Return to work or school but not other

activities For a parent, spouse or child mourning

continues for a year (no parties, celebrations)

Yahrzeit 1 year anniversary Special synagogue service Unveiling of the tombstone

Why do Jews leave a rock at the gravesite?

Jews do not place flowers on graves.Often, they leave a small rock on the

headstoneReasons:

1. Historical – ancient Jews covered graves with rocks to protect them. It is a hold over from that

2. Contemporary– it shows that someone has visited the grave