2. Stories of Origin & Important People The 10 commandments Abraham seeing God as light The prophet Moses It is said that Abraham is the father of the Jewish people. One day, God appeared to him. They made a promise…Abraham would be the start of many nations as long as he was loyal to God. From that day, Abraham in a way became the founder of Judaism. The Ten Commandments are the founding laws/rules of Judaism. These statements were given to the Jewish people through a prophet, Moses. Moses was a prophet leading Jews out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, where they stopped at the base of Mt. Sinai. One day, he was walking when God approached him as a burning bush. At this time, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which would later become the laws of Judaism.
3. Core Beliefs ONE GOD & MITZVOT The base belief that Judaism is based on is that there is one god; monotheism. All Jews may have a different idea of what God looks like, but the fact that God is one is the big idea. One other main belief is that Jews follow a certain amount of rules; commandments. It doesn’t matter how many Mitzvot a Jew follows: that all depends on how religious they are. Some of the Mitzvot have to do with keeping Kosher or keeping the Sabbath. A necklace referring to one God A close up of God from the bottom left image How many Mitzvot there are One idea of what God looks like
4. Holy Writings The Torah The Torah is the most holy piece of writing in Judaism. It contains the 5 books of Moses; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also the Jewish Bible, which is also the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament in the Christian Bible. This is what a Torah looks like dressed up in the Holy Ark before it is taken out to be read This is what the Torah looks like undressed and rolled out to be read This is a Yad. When reading the Torah, the Rabbi and/or Cantor will use it to point so that no grease gets on the old parchment that the Torah is written on This is a boy at his Bar Mitzvah reading from the Torah
5. Symbols & Objects The Star of David, a six- pointed star, is a fairly new but common Jewish symbol. It’s named after King David, who, according to legend, had a shield with this sign on it. This symbol, also known as a Magen David, has become popular in the last 200 years. The shofar (ram’s horn) represents God’s promise with Abraham. Abraham would do anything for God, even kill his only son. Isaac was too close to being dead, when an angel stopped Abraham, who turned around and killed a ram with it’s horn stuck in a tree instead. The Ner Tamid, or Eternal Light, symbolizes God’s eternal presence around us everywhere. Therefore, this light is never extinguished. The Star of David A ram’s horn The Ner Tamid in one temple
6. Holy Places & Places of Worship Jerusalem For Jews, Jerusalem is the most important city in the world. In it is the Western Wall , the most holy place in Judaism. This is the Western Wall. It is right near the Dome of the Rock and is the only part of the temple still remaining. Visitors can see, touch and place things in the wall. This is a model of the Temple of Jerusalem. This temple was destroyed in a fire started by Romans and hasn’t been rebuilt. There are temples all over the world. This one is in Wellesley!
7. Rituals/Rites of Passage Another Step Each of these images shows a common Rite of Passage for a Jewish person. A Bar/Bat Mitzvah marks the point in time when a kid comes to an age where they make their own choices about religion and are thought of as an adult. Weddings are also a big part of Judaism. Couples get married under a canopy called a chupah that symbolizes the house they will make together. Death is another step in life. Jewish people are usually buried in wooden caskets as soon as possible after their death. Bar & Bat Mitzvahs A Jewish wedding A Bar Mitzvah A Bat Mitzvah A wooden casket
8. Celebrations & Holidays A menorah For Hanukkah A fake sign about Yom Kippur A man blowing the Shofar Yom Kippur Rosh Hashanah Hanukkah Yom Kippur is probably the Most important holiday. During This time, many Jews fast. In English, Yom Kippur means ‘Day Of Atonement’. It is a day set Aside to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year. Rosh Hashanah is also known As the Jewish New Year. On this Day, a ram’s horn (or shofar) is Blown in a Synagogue unless The holiday falls on Shabbat. Hanukkah is a holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. A menorah is a common symbol of Hanukkah. In Hebrew, the word Hanukkah means dedication.
