Jewish beliefs and practices

Question 1

what are the 6 stages of jewish mourning

Answer 1

1. loved one has died
2. aninut
3. funeral
4. shiva
5. sheloshim
6. avilut

Question 2

briefly explain the stage of aninut

Answer 2

• lass unitl funeral
• tearing clothes in life
• they don’t leave the house
• loved ones will cook for them etc.

Question 3

briefly explain the funeral

Answer 3

the funeral must be kosher for example at a jewish funeral, there a no flowers and the casket must fully be wooden no metal allowed

Question 4

briefly explain the stage of shiva

Answer 4

shiva (sitting shiva)
- don’t leave the house for the 7 days (except shabbat)
- loved ones will cook for them
- cover mirrors
- they don’t shave
- don’t buy new clothes

Question 5

briefly explain the stage of sheloshim

Answer 5

• start of the return to normal life e.g. leave the house
• no shave
• only the Onan (closest relative)
• recite the mourning kaddish
• lasts 30 days

Question 6

briefly explain the stage of avilut (Onan)

Answer 6

• light yahrzeit (candle)
• lasts a whole year
• kaddish (3x a day)
• no celebrations
  (bar/bat mitzvah, birthdays, brit milah)
• no shaving, no buying clothes, no new clothes
• no music
• ends with placing of the headstone

Question 7

why are there different stages of mourning in judaism

Answer 7

The different stages are designed to allow a person to disrupt their everyday prayer lives to focus on the loss and changes happening in their lives.

Question 8

What is Shekina?

Answer 8

Shekinah is believed to be God’s divine, and feminine presence in the world today. There are examples in the Torah from the exodus through a pillar of cloud and fire. Today it is felt during the lightning of the shabbat candles.

Question 9

What is Rosh Hashanah

Answer 9

the jewish new year and it is the birthday of the world to the creation story is read

Question 10

why do jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah

Answer 10

it gives jews time to think about what they have done right and wrong over the past year and to look forward to the year ahead.

Question 11

why are apples and honey eaten on rosh Hashanah

Answer 11

to represent a sweet new year

Question 12

what horn is blown on rosh Hashanah and how many times

Answer 12

shofar horn - 100 times

Question 13

what is tashlik

Answer 13

‘casting away’
jews will throw crumbs from the challah into the water which represents the throwing away of sin

Question 14

on Rosh Hashanah what happens in heaven

Answer 14

on Rosh Hashanah three books are opened in heaven and the actions of
everyone are recorded in them.

Question 15

what are the 4 main features of a jewish gallery and briefly explain them

Answer 15

Bimah – where the Torah scrolls are read from
Gallery – where women would sit in an Orthodox Synagogue
Ner tamid – everlasting light
Aron hakodesh (the ark) – the Ark where the Torah scrolls are kept

Question 16

what is Yom Kippur

Answer 16

Known as the ‘day of atonement,’ for Jewish people it is the one festival that all Jews will attend as it is the holiest day of the year

Question 17

when does Yom Kippur happen

Answer 17

10 days after rosh Hashanah

Question 18

when does Yom Kippur date back to

Answer 18

back to the time of the temple and jewish people would visit the temple in Jerusalem and offer a small sacrifice to God to atone

Question 19

is Yom Kippur happy or sad

Answer 19

holy and solemn day

Question 20

what type of clothing would jews wear on Yom Kippur

Answer 20

white clothing

Question 21

how long do most jews fast for on this special day

Answer 21

25 hours

Question 22

how many services would jews tend to go to at the synagogue

Answer 22

up to 5 services

Question 23

why is the shofar horn blown

Answer 23

to mark the end of a day of repentance and prayer

Question 24

do the rules of shabbat apply

Answer 24

yes but so does pikuach nefesh

Question 25

what is believed about the books on Yom Kippur

Answer 25

It is believed the ‘books’ are closed as people sing ‘Avinu Malkeinu’ where they thank God for his mercy and pray for forgiveness.

Question 26

what quote is evidence for Yom Kippur (Leviticus)

Answer 26

"the tenth day is the day of atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering to the lord" Leviticus

Question 27

what quote is evidence for Rosh Hashanah - think about the shofar horn (numbers)

Answer 27

"on the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets" numbers

Question 28

what is Sukkot

Answer 28

know as a harvest festival and is the festival of tabernacles

Question 29

how long is Sukkot celebrated

Answer 29

8 days - seen as a holiday period

Question 30

where does the festival Sukkot originate from

Answer 30

Sukkot comes from the time when the early jewish community were wondering in the wilderness after leaving the slavery of Egypt

Question 31

why do jews build huts/tents during Sukkot? what do they do we these huts

Answer 31

represent the temporary shelters the early jews used in the desert they live in it during the holiday

Question 32

there is an ancient tradition that a lulav (____, ______ and ______ placed in a woven ____ holder) and an etrog ( a type of ______ fruit) are waved in ___ directions showing gods power is everywhere

Answer 32

there is an ancient tradition that a lulav (palm, myrtle and willow placed in a woven palm holder) and a etrog (a type of citrus fruit) are waved in 6 directions showing gods power is everywhere

Question 33

what does the last day of Sukkot celebrate

Answer 33

the torah

Question 34

what happens to the torah on this day

Answer 34

the torah scrolls are taken out of the ark, with much singing and dancing, and are paraded around the synagogue

Question 35

what is evidence for sukkot from Leviticus

Answer 35

‘You shall dwell in sukkot seven days...in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God.’

Question 36

true or false? Sukkot is one of the 613 mitzvot

Answer 36

true

Question 37

what is pesach

Answer 37

pesach is known as passover

Question 38

what does pesach remember

Answer 38

recalls the time that the jewish people were saved by Moses from Egypt and reminds people that they are gods chosen people

Question 39

how do jews prepare for pesach

Answer 39

- the home is thoroughly cleaned - all chametz (food containing yeast or raising agent) is thrown out

Question 40

why is flat bread eaten

Answer 40

it symbolizes the slaves who left Egypt were in such a rush that they did not have time for their bread to rise

Question 41

what do the bitter herbs like horseradish symbolize

Answer 41

the bitterness of slavery

Question 42

what does the salt water symbolize

Answer 42

the tears of the slaves

Question 43

what is the charoset made of and what does it symbolize

Answer 43

a mix of apple, cinnamon, nut and wine symbolizes the cement used in buildings by the slaves

Question 44

what does pesach remember

Answer 44

It remembers the exodus from Egypt where they remember that God set the Israelites free

Question 45

what is evidence for pesach

Answer 45

exodus God has commanded Jews to ‘tell it to you children on that day’ so the story is told to children over the course of the festival and a Seder meal consumed with symbolic food

Question 46

define the term shivah

Answer 46

the seven days of mourning that starts straight after the burial of a close relative (e.g. parent, child, spouse or sibling)

Question 47

define the term shofar

Answer 47

the rams horn that is blown on rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Question 48

define the term atonement

Answer 48

when sins are forgiven and a person is reconciled with god

Question 49

define the term kaddish

Answer 49

a prayer recited in memory of a deceased person

Question 50

define the term sukkah

Answer 50

the festival of passover when jews remember the Israelites escaping from Egypt

Question 51

define the term Onan

Answer 51

a person who is. close relative (e.g. parent, child, spouse or sibling) of aa deceased person

Question 52

define the term shekinah

Answer 52

the divine presence of god

Question 53

define the term fasting

Answer 53

the act of not eating or drinking for a period of time

Question 54

define the term tashlik

Answer 54

the practice during Rosh Hashanah of throwing bread crumbs into water to symbolize the casting away of sins

Question 55

define the term mourning

Answer 55

the expression of sorrow when someone passes away

Question 56

define the term Aron hadokesh

Answer 56

the ark where the torah scrolls are kept in the synagogue

Question 57

define the term bimah

Answer 57

the reading platform in the synagogue

Question 58

define the term pesach

Answer 58

the festival of passover when jews remember the Israelites escaping from Egypt

Question 59

define the term seder

Answer 59

the plate with symbolic food on shared during the festival of pesach

Question 60

define the term minyan

Answer 60

the ark where the torah scrolls are kept in the synagogue

Question 61

define the term ner tamid

Answer 61

the eternal light that is on above the Aron hakodesh in the synagogue