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Information on the Jewish Religion |
Homepage | Literacy Zone | Maths Zone | Science Zone |Festivals and Celebrations |
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Information on the Jewish Religion |
Homepage | Literacy Zone | Maths Zone | Science Zone |Festivals and Celebrations |
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Judaism |
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Judaism |
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There are large Jewish populations in Israel and the U.S. |
| Place of Origin | Israel |
| Founder | Abraham |
| Sacred Text | The TeNaCh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim) |
| Sacred Building | Synagogue |
| Holy Place | Jerusalem |
| Major Festivals | Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), Sukkot (Tabernacles) |
| Main Branches (Denominations) |
Orthodox, Reform, Conservative |
Where did Judaism originate from? Judaism originated in Israel around 4000 years ago. |
| Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship. |
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Abraham is the father of the Jewish people. Jews see Abraham as a symbol of trusting and obeying God. Abraham is also important to followers of Christianity and of Islam. The story of Abraham is told in the Book of Genesis (the first book of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles) in chapters 12-25. |
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Moses is the leader who freed them from slavery in Egypt. Moses protected the Jews from the wrath of God, and negotiated with God on their behalf. |
The symbol or emblem of the Jewish people is the Magen David (Shield of David), also known as the Star of David.
A mezuzah is found on doorposts in Jewish homes. It is a little case, containing a tiny scroll. The writing on the scroll is from the bible. It is in Hebrew and is called the Shema. It says that Jewish people should love God and keep his rules. |
What is the Jewish Holy Book called?
The Torah is stored inside the Ark.
The collection of Jewish scripture is known as the TaNaCH (TeNaK) which derives from the three parts to the Jewish scriptures the Torah, the Nevi'im and the Ketuvim. The word TaNaCH is actually an acronym for the parts of the Hebrew Bible: "T" is for Torah, "N" is for Nevi'im, and "CH" is for Ketuvim. The Torah is the first part of the TaNaCH. |
CeremoniesWhat is a bar mitzvah and a bat mitzvah?They are both special ceremonies where Jewish boys (aged 13) and girls (aged 12) can become adults in the eyes of the Jewish religion. Bar mitzvah is for boys and means Son of the Commandment. Bat mitzvah is for girls and means Daughter of the Commandments. |
What do Jews call marriage?Jews call marriage Kiddushin. This is a Hebrew word which means made holy or special. What is different about a Jewish wedding compared to a Christian wedding?
What is similar in Jewish weddings and Christian weddings? Both couples give each other a ring. The ring is a token or symbol of their promises |
What are the different types of Jews?The three main types in Britain are:
There are other subdivisions within these but this represents British Judaism in its simplest form. Find out more here |
What is Kosher food?Kosher foods are those that conform to Jewish law. This means no mixing of dairy and meat, no pork or pork products and no shell fish. Meat Fish |
Click here for our calendar of Religious Festivals What and when are the main Jewish Festivals?Passover Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is the time when Jewish people remember how the children of Israel left slavery behind them when they left Egypt. It is a major eight day festival. A highlight is the Seder meal held in each family's home at the beginning of the festival, when the story of their deliverance is recounted as narrated in the Haggadah (the Telling, the Story). Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods that contain no leaven. There is a great spring cleaning in the home before the festival to ensure that no trace of leaven is left in the home during Pesach. Rosh Hashanah - Jewish New Year This festival marks the Jewish New Year and begins with ten days of repentance and self examination, during which time God sits in judgement on every person. The festival is also known as the Day of Judgement, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, and the Day of Remembrance. Over the two days of Rosh Hashanah, there are special services at the synagogue. A musical instrument, called a shofar, is blown. It makes a loud piercing sound like a trumpet and reminds Jews of God's great power. People east slices of apple dipped in honey. This is a way of wishing each other a sweet and happy New Year. Happy New Year - 'Leshanah Tovah Tikatev' Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement This is the final day of the ten days of repentance. It is the holiest day in the Jewish religion (Sabbath of Sabbaths). As well as fasting for 25 hours, Jews spend the day in prayer, asking for forgiveness and resolving to behave better in the future. Sukkot / Sukkoth A harvest festival commemorating the 40 years that the Jews spent in the wilderness on the way from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Some lived in tents. Others built huts out of leaves and branches. These huts were called sukkah. During the festival, some Jews build their own sukkah in the garden or at the synagogue. Jews eat their meals in the sukkah for the eight or nine days of the festival. There are rules to making the sukkah. Each sukkah must have at least three walls. The roof of the sukkah must be made of material referred to as sekhakh, which means "covering." Thie 'covering' must be something that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds or sticks. Sekhakh (the roof covering) should be sparse and left loose enough so that the stars can be seen. There is a special Sukkot service in the synagogue. Everyone holds branches from three trees in their hands and a citron fruit in their right. They walk around the synagogue seven times, waving the branches. Hanukkah Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It is an eight day holiday starting on the 25th night of the Jewish month of Kislev Hanukka celebrates the miraculous victory over religious persecution in the Holy Land and also commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the burning oil. This is where the oil of the menorah (the candelabrum in the temple) miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one day. |
Jewish Artifacts(Jewish Symbols) Teddy's Day Out - An Interactive Game for Kids The Seder Plate - Temple of Northern Westchester Judaism for Children A virtual tour of a synagogue, from the website of Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary School, Suffolk. Bevis Marks Synagogue – the oldest synagogue in Britain Judaism |
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Judaism is around 3500 years old and is the oldest of the world's four great monotheistic religions (religions with only one god).
The Menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith. It is a
candelabrum with seven candle holders displayed in Jewish synagogues. It symbolises the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount Sinai. The two most common menorahs have seven and nine candle-holders. The term hanukiah or chanukiah, refers to the nine-candled holder used during the Jewish festival of 
What is a Mezuzah?
The most holy Jewish book are the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). Others include Judaism's oral tradition, the written form of which is known as the Talmud.
No one is allowed to touch the Torah, so a special pointer called a yad is used to follow words when reading it. 
Kippah (a skull cap) 
Tallit (a prayer shawl) 
Tefilin (small leather box with long leather straps attached)