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