Judaism

A general overview of Judaism as a whole--material comes from http://www.religioustolerance.org/jud_desc.htm

Judaism is the first of the Abrahamic religions, which hold Abraham as a Patriarch who made a divine covenant with God. God promised that Abraham's descendants would become a great people if they followed certain laws He set for them. Jewish scripture details the servitude of the Israelites in Egypt, their deliverance by the prophet Moses, and the eventual claiming and settlement of the Promised Land of Israel. The next centuries saw the construction of a great temple at Jerusalem, followed by the breakup of the Jewish state and the scattering of its people around the world.

God's commands and other teachings are laid out in the Tanakh ( corresponding to the Christian Old Testament), which contains the Torah and other books. A later work, the Talmud, holds the works of various rabbis and is also studied extensively by Jewish scholars.

The central beliefs of Judaism were laid out by a medieval-era rabbi named Moshe ben Maimon. His 13 Principles of Faith include belief in the words of the Prophets, the uniqueness of God, and the importance of the Torah, as well as the eventual coming of the Messiah and resurrection of the dead. Many branches of Judaism add or subtract from this list depending on their attitude towards the religion.

Practice of Judaism involves adherence to Jewish law in everyday life, observance of the Sabbath as a day of resting, attendance at a Synagogue, and celebration of the various Jewish holidays.

Purim

Purim is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jewish people escaped slaughter by the Persians. The events are recorded in the book of Esther. To summarize the story, Esther, a Jew, was chosen by the king of Persia to become his queen. One of the king's advisers, Haman, asked the king to kill all the Jews, but Esther managed to convince the king to not listen to Haman. The holiday is usually marked with much joy and celebration. During a Purim service, noisemakers are often used whenever Haman is mentioned in the story. Other traditions are to give gifts to other people, donate to charity, and eat a type of cookie called hamentacschen on Purim.

Information and image from http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Passover

Passover is seven or eight days long to celebrate the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Passover happens on the fifteenth day of the month of Nissan. This holiday is celebrated for eight days if you are outside of Israel and you are not a reform Jew. The first two and last two days of Passover are celebrated with a festival. If you celebrate it for seven days the festivals are on the first and last day of Passover. The name Passover comes from the tenth plague when the angel of death went around and killed the first born of each family except the houses with the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts. The feast of Passover is to celebrate the liberation of the children of Israel who were lead out of Egypt by Moses. Matzo is the substitute for bread that you eat on Passover.

for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover

http://www.torah.org/learnin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/passover_1.shtmlg/yomtov/pesach
Patterns of Religion Book

Messiah

In Christianity, Jesus is the Messiah, who is supposed to deliver the world from sin. Jewish scholars use the term "Moshiach" instead of "Messiah," to differentiate from the Christian idea of a divine savior. The Torah does not actually mention the idea of a Moshiach directly--his coming was predicted later by prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. These prophecies say that the Moshiach is destined to bring all the Jews back to Israel, where they will restore the land to its former glory and rule the world from Jerusalem. The Moshiach will be a great political and military leader who will observe all the laws of Judaism and usher in a utopian age for the world. Everyone everywhere will worship the Jewish God, and there will be no war, famine, disease, sin, or anything else bad.

Judaism puts few restrictions on who the Moshiach might be; basically, anyone who succeeds in doing what the Moshiach is prophesized to do is deemed to be the Moshiach. Some scholars debate the specific date or conditions under which he will appear, while others think it is foolish to try to predict this because a wrong guess would result in disillusioned Jews. Many people throughout history have claimed to be the Moshiach, such as Shimeon ben Kosiba, Shabbatai Tzvi, and the slightly-more-famous Jesus, but they were rejected on the basis of failure to produce an everlasting golden age for the world.

http://www.jewfaq.org/moshiach.htm contains this information and more.

Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana, also known as the Jewish New Year, is one of the major Jewish holidays. Since Jews use a lunar calendar for religious purposes, the exact day that Rosh Hashana falls on in a Gregorian calendar varies from year to year. Rosh Hashana is also known as the Day of Justice, because it ushers in a period of ten days, in which Jews think about their relationship with God. One distinctive aspect of Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, as proscribed in Numbers 29:1. Traditionally, Jews eat various deserts for good luck for the new year. Furthermore, Rosh Hashana is also the day that Jews commemorate the creation of the world, therefore the holiday is sometimes referred to as the Day of Remembrance.

"Rosh Hashana." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite . Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007.

Menorah

The menorah has seven branches and it is a candelabrum. It is lit by olive oil, although some now are electric. The menorah is one of the oldest Jewish symbols. It is supposed to symbolize the burning bush.

for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorah

picture from:

http://www.bibleplaces.com/images/Golden_menorah_in_Jewish_Quarter_tb_n123199.jpg

Matzo

Matzo, (also spelled Matza or Matzah) is a type of unleavened bread. Matzo is traditionally eaten during the holiday of Passover. Matzo is made of just water and flour, without any yeast. The reason that matzo is eaten during Passover is that centuries ago, the Jews fleeing Egypt had to eat unleavened bread, simply because they were not able to stay in one place long enough for their bread to rise. The tradition of eating matzo is meant to commemorate the sacrifices that were made, and to remind people of the rest of the Passover story, including the Jews' escape from Egypt.

Many other derivative foods are also made of matzo, such as matzo ball soup and matzo meal. Matzo ball soup is typically made from matzo, along with various vegetables and herbs. The wide variety of matzo-based dishes is based in part on necessity, since Jews cannot eat most other types of grain products. The important distinction is that matzo must be cooked very soon after it is mixed with water, before it has a chance to rise at all. The heat from baking prevents the matzo from rising at all, and then the matzo can either be eaten, or ground up and used in a recipe.

Information from http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm

New layout

Hey guys, I switched to a new layout. This one fills all horizontal page space, or alternatively, shrinks for smaller screens. What do you guys think?

Rabbi

A Rabbi is a religious leader of a Jewish congregation. Rabbis are spiritual leaders, educating and guiding their congregation, supporting anyone that is having trouble and answering religious questions. These days, the most common parts of a rabbi's job are preaching and officiating at ceremonies such as marriages, funerals, and bar or bat mitzvahs.

In the past however, rabbis served a much different role. Rabbis served in a judicial capacity in Jewish communities, resolving conflicts between people. Also, rabbis didn't lead any ceremonies or have congregations, instead they focused on studying and interpreting the Torah. Furthermore, there was a rule that rabbis weren't supposed to receive payment for their work, so most rabbis had a profession that they engaged in on the side.

Patai, Raphael. "Rabbi." Encyclopedia Americana. 2007. Grolier Online. 15 Oct. 2007 <http://ea.grolier.com.ezproxy.hclib.org/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0326920-00>.

Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism is a relatively modern movement designed to adapt traditional Jewish religion to be more relevant to the present day. All the central pieces of Judaism are there (faith in God and the Torah, etc.), but certain rules and beliefs have been modified to allow for some diversity in practicing the religion. Individual interpretations of the Torah and various Jewish customs are allowed. Women are considered equal to men in all aspects of Reform Judaism, and homosexuals are allowed to participate whereas they would be shunned from traditional Judaism. Reform Judaism is also more lenient about who is defined as a Jew--anyone raised as a Jew by at least one Jewish parent is considered a member of the faith. The philosophy of Reform Judaism is that religion must adapt and become more tolerant if it is to survive in the modern age, and that the spirit of Judaism is more important than the details of individual practices.

http://rj.org/whatisrj.shtml gives more info on Reform Judaism

Torah

The Torah is marked as the “most important document in Judaism.” The Torah, known as the Five Books of Moses, teaches and guides the Jewish people. The five books of the Torah are the first five books of the Old Testament, or Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These would be found in scroll cases where the books were kept. Originating from Hebrew the five words mean:
Genesis (בראשית, Bereshit: "In the beginning...")
Exodus (שמות, Shemot: "Names")
Leviticus (ויקרא, Vayyiqra: "And he called...")
Numbers (במדבר, Bamidbar: "In the desert...")
Deuteronomy (דברים, Devarim: "Words", or "Discourses")
Not only do these books contain the system of laws and commandments, but also a way for various people to learn the historical background behind the Torah and the beginning of Judaism.

The Torah is written on parchment scrolls and they have always been handwritten. The book is then kept in a cabinet in a synagogue. To read from the Torah, people would use a “Yad,” meaning hand in Hebrew, to follow along with the text. This is because of a wide range of reasons depending on the person. Some thought that the book was too holy to be touched, or that the oil from your finger could damage the parchment paper. The scrolls are often covered in fabric and ornamented with silver crown on the handle and a mounted breastplate on the front.

For more information: http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah
Image: http://www.hamafitz.com/Images/SeferTorah.jpg

Monotheism

The word monotheism refers to the worship of a single, all-powerful God. This is characteristic of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and is distinct from polytheism, the worship of multiple Gods. Most early religions were polytheistic, like those of ancient Egypt and Greece. The first recorded monotheistic religion was instituted by the pharaoh Akhenaton of Egypt, who led a revolution to replace the multitude of Egyptian deities with a single sun god. Most religions aren't purely monotheistic--Judaism, though monotheistic in nature, did not explicitly deny the existence of other gods; it just rejected the idea of worshiping them. Christianity splits God into three parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), but these are all deemed to be part of one over-arching entity.

This information comes from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-372493.html .

Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur, is the Jewish holiday that concludes the Ten Days of Penitence. It's a day to reconcile with God and other people, a day to ask for forgiveness. This is the day that God will make the decision for what your life will be like for the next year. On this holiday you do not have sex, you fast, you don't wear leather or any perfume, and you don't wash. This is the one holiday where you go to the synagogue (even if you do not go usually). This is the only day of the year when they have five services.

for more information:http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/yomkippur.shtml
~http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm
~ the Patterns of Religion book

Synagogue

The synagogue is where the Jewish community goes to worship. They also use the synagogue for a study and as a community center. In orthodox synagogues the men and women do not sit together. In a progressive synagogue the men and women can sit together. The synagogue services can either be lead by the rabbi or a member of the congregation.

for more information you can go here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/worship/synagogue_1.shtml

Picture of the Jerusalem Synagogue in Prague is from About.com.

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah meaning "son of commandment" and Bat Mitzvah meaning "daughter of commandment" is a tradition of the Jewish people. This tradition marks the transition between a child and an adult. Around the ages of 13 (12 by girls) the children are required to study the commandments. By the time of their bar or bat mitzvahs, it is assumed that they are fully aware and obligated of the commandments. There is usually a ceremony celebrating the day but is not required and was unheard of in the past. On the Saturday, shortly after the child's 13th or 12th birthday, they are called up to the Torah to deliver a blessing for the weekly reading. Now, it is common to see some congregations where the child reads the entire weekly Torah blessings or lead the service and they are normally required to make a speech, usually starting with "today I am a man." Afterwards some rabbis makes it mandatory for his students to sign an agreement starting they promise to live in the new life they have taken in and what they learned throughout the process.
For more information go to http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm

Abraham

All right, I'll jumpstart this blag with a Jewish history lesson:

Abraham (or Abram, as he was originally called) is one of the central patriarchal figures in Judaism. He's considered the founding father of Judaism, Islam, and (indirectly) Christianity. Just think what things would be like without this guy.
Abraham grew up in a polytheistic society (he was born in the city of Ur), and his father sold idols for people to worship. However, Abraham believed in a single, all-powerful God. This belief led him to leave his homeland and become a nomad, as God promised he would be the father of a magnificent nation if he did so. This was the beginning of a sacred covenant between God and what would become the Jewish people.
To be the father of a nation, Abraham needed to have kids, and he and his wife Sarai (later called Sarah) found they couldn't. So Sarai offered one of her maids to Abraham as a temporary wife of sorts, and she bore him a child named Ishmael. Followers of Islam today regard Ishmael as the ancestor of the Arabs. Years after his birth, God promised another son to Abraham, this time from Sarah. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, so this was quite unbelievable. Sarah indeed had a child, whom she named Isaac. From Isaac descended the Jewish people, and Jews consider him the true heir of Abraham.

For more info, check out http://www.jewfaq.org/origins.htm , which is where these facts come from.

Image from http://lovejesuschurch2.tripod.com/pics04/abraham.jpg

Kosher

Kosher is a Hebrew term that translates to "fit," or "proper." The word is most commonly associated with the dietary restrictions observed by Orthodox Jews. Reform Jews typically do not consider these restrictions so important, and thus they usually don't observe them. However, the word can be used to refer to other things, such as certain objects used in rituals. The requirements for a food to be considered Kosher are that it isn't a type of animal that has been outlawed in the Torah, and, if it is another type of animal, that it has been killed properly. When the food is prepared, care must be taken to remove blood from any meat. This was done by putting salt on the meat to draw the blood out. In fact, Kosher Salt got its name from this practice, because its large crystals meant that it was well-suited to preparing Kosher meats, since the salt took longer to dissolve, drawing out more blood. Additionally, it is not Kosher to combine meat and dairy products, or to use the same utensils for both meat and dairy.

"Kosher." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://www.library.eb.com.ezproxy.hclib.org/eb/article-9046106>.

"What is kosher salt?" Ask Yahoo. 2003. Yahoo. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://www.library.eb.com.ezproxy.hclib.org/eb/article-9046106%gt;.