[ History | Practice | Belief | Worship | Observances |
Jewish Calendar | Vocabulary | Quiz | Resources ]

History  

Judaism possesses a history going back over forty centuries. As the oldest of the 'religions of the book', it is the cradle, the forerunner from which Christianity and Islam began. 

Important Persons.  Key figures and places of Jewish belief (and subsequently for Russian Orthodox and Muslim faith) include: 

 

Abraham.  This patriarchal figure is the father of the Jewish faith, the champion of monotheism (belief in one god), and the one with whom God made a special covenant (contractual agreement). 

 

Born in Ur of the Chaldees, Abraham migrated to Palestine, traveling within the Fertile Crescent with stops near Babylon, Harran, Aleppo, Hamath, and Shechem. Due to famine in the land of Canaan, Abraham also traveled to Egypt seeking food. 

 

Isaac.  As part of the covenantal agreement, God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah a son. Their ancestry would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. They would live in their own land--Palestine. When Sarah seemed unable to have children, Abraham followed the custom of the day in taking a servant woman to bear him children. The servant woman, Hagar, bore a son, Ishmael, much to the displeasure of Sarah. Eventually Sarah gave birth to Isaac. 

 

Jacob.  This son of Isaac experienced a name change to Israel. The descendants of Abraham took on the name Israelites since Jacob’s time. 

 

Moses.  The Israelites traveled to Egypt to escape famine (Jacob’s son Joseph being a key figure in their survival). Eventually, these Jewish descendants became slaves in Egypt. Moses, active some four hundred years after Jacob, led the children of Israel out of Egypt (the Exodus). While wandering through the Sinai Peninsula, God gave Moses the ten commandments at Mt. Sinai.   

 

David.  This king of Israel (northern Palestine) and Judea (southern Palestine) was founder of the royal Davidic dynasty. King David wrote many of the Old Testament Psalms, led conquests over the Canaanites, and is a leading figure in Jewish history. Jerusalem, the city of David, became capital of the nation of Israel during David’s reign. 

Historical Theology 

The Promised Land.  God promised Abraham and his descendants the Promised Land, what is currently the area known as Israel. Though dates vary, the Israelites took possession of this region around 1200 B.C. 

 

The Diaspora (di-AS-pahr-ah).  The Romans, in A.D. 70, devastated Jerusalem and the temple. In the process, Jewish people were driven from the land, beginning a time known as the Diaspora.  Without a homeland, Jewish people settled in regions surrounding the Mediterranean, throughout Europe and to the east of Palestine. 

 

The Holocaust (HOL-ah-kohst).  This term described the death of an estimated six million Jewish people, plus assorted other peoples, by the Nazis between 1933-1945. The derivation of this word comes from the Greek rendering "holocauston," itself a rendering of the Hebrew "olah" for sacrifice or whole burnt offering. Lingering effects of this tragedy continue to challenge Jewish and Christian theologians, as well as secular ethicists. 

 

Israel.  In 1948, the modern Jewish state Israel was founded. Current Jewish liturgy includes reference to the nation of Israel, the "land that shall be your possession before the Lord" (Numbers 32:22).

 

Practice 

Leadership.  Originally, priests and prophets officiated at the Jerusalem temple and within the northern and southern kingdoms. After the temple’s destruction in A.D. 70, rabbis (RAB-i) or teachers and scholars, became the intellectual and spiritual leaders of the Jewish community.  The center of the Jewish community moved from the temple, with its rituals and sacrifices, to the synagogue with its emphesis on the study of the Torah.   Today, with the exception of Orthodox Judaism movements, both men and women serve as rabbis. 

Language.  Hebrew is the primary liturgical language of Judaism. From roughly 400 B.C. to 1881, it was used only as a literary language of religious, liturgical and official use. 

In biblical times and since 1881 it has functioned as a spoken language of everyday usage. 1881 is the date for the Jewish revival movement in pre-state Palestine.

Movements Within the United States.  In the U.S.  there are the following four major Jewish religious movements. As there is considerable dialogue-- through literature and other means-- Jewish peoples throughout the world and acquaintance with these religious movements is helpful. 

• Reform Judaism.  At the liberal end of the Jewish schools of thought, Reform Judaism sees God’s relationship with the Jewish peoples as an ongoing process throughout history. The divinely inspired Torah, while open to individual interpretation, is the foundation of religious practice. The biblical prophets present ethical and moral themes applicable to a just society today. Reform Judaism began in 19th century Germany. 

• Reconstructionism.  This most recent of the Jewish movements (1930s) embodies an entire civilization rather than just one religion. Judaism as an evolving religious civilization (with corporate beliefs, actions and institutions) is the main concept. A core community "reconstructs" the contents of its civilization from generation to generation. 

• Conservative or Neo-Orthodox. Reacting to perceived radicalism in the Reformist school, conservatism teaches that the Torah is binding. Much of Jewish law remains authoritative, though new thought and practice influences current belief and ritual. 

• Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox. Growing out of secular and reformist threats, orthodoxy defines itself as a response, in opposition to non-orthodox movements, and as a relationship to ancient Jewish tradition.

Originally conformity to Jewish law--the practice of Judaism--was the defining criteria. Over time, theological responses--right doctrine--also became important. Orthodoxy understands that at Mount Sinai Moses received the divinely revealed Torah. The process of interpreting the Torah, called Halachah (hah-lah-KHAH), is guided by God and thus authoritative. Within orthodoxy there are a variety of social and intellectual trends. The two most commonly identified practices are the modern/centrist and the traditional/rightist schools of thought. 

(1) Modern. Modern orthodoxy seeks loyalty and faithfulness to the Torah, as embodied in the Halachah, yet maintains an active involvement in modern society. Education, both secular and religious, enhances and deepens the quality and substance of Jewish life. 

 

(2) Traditional Withdrawal and separatism are the hallmarks of traditional orthodox schools. The Hasidim (hah-SID-im), a movement established in Poland in the 18th century, exemplifies this school of thought. Distinctive dress and language styles become religious imperatives. Secular education, other than career or profession necessity, is of no value. 

True Torah scholars of every generation discern truth for thought and practice from the canonized texts. A "closed" Jewish society evolves, based upon such interpretation. Limited contact with the larger world occurs.

Kabala (KAB-ah-lah).  Rabbis developed this distinct branch of Jewish mysticism from the 7th to 18th centuries, with peak interest forming A.D. 1100-1300. Kabala interprets the Scriptures in an esoteric manner, and seeks penetration of divine mysteries. Intense meditation and preparatory rites lead faithful adherents to experience, in some manner, a mystical union with God.

Belief 

Monotheism.  The Shema (shuh-MAH), "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One," summarizes the most fundamental characteristic of God. 

The Torah expresses God’s concern for all. Originally the term, Torah, referring to the Pentateuch or five books of Moses, the term gradually included the whole of the Hebrew scriptures. By the end of the fifth and sixth centuries, the Torah became synonymous with anything which is authoritative as God’s will for Israel. Supplements to the Torah are oral traditions Mishnah (meesh-NAH) the written Talmud (tahl-MOOD), and authoratative interpretations of the scriptures known as the Midrash (mee-DRAHSH). Torah thus encompasses particular rituals, universal ethical statutes, and ultimately includes knowledge of redemption/salvation.

Covenant.  The agreement God made with Abraham established Abraham’s descendants as the chosen people. 

 

"Judaism has a 3000-year-old tradition of infusing the spiritual into our everyday lives, not for personal redemption, but to uplift the lot of [humankind] through adherence to ethical and moral principles, and to preserve through this common endeavor a sense of connectedness with a people. This, the essence of our Covenant, gives us tools to deal with the disparate and often confusing aspects of modern life." -- Alfred Moses, U.S. Ambassador to Romania (as quoted in the American Jewish Committee advertisement, New York Times, 8 Sep 1996, p. E-18).

Land.  God’s eternal covenant made with Abraham spoke to the significance of the promised land of Palestine. 

"The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:8.) 

Many Jewish people closely identify with Jerusalem and the present day land of Israel, attesting to the enduring importance of this country to their thought and practice. 

Community.  A cornerstone of faith is the sense of solidarity felt with others. Jewish peoples worship first and primarily as the people of Israel. Identification with and responsibility for Jewish peoples throughout the world is uppermost. Righteousness however, is not seen to be limited only to those of Jewish faith. 

Afterlife. The understanding of an afterlife has always been a source of disagreement among the Jewish people.  The following are the basic thoughts on the subject found in the four U.S. Jewish traditions.

• Reform In reform trends of thought, every soul eventually returns to God. Memories of the deceased, by those who knew and loved them, provide the basis for true immortality.

• Reconstructionist Reconstructionists see the soul as reuniting with the universe upon death. 

• Conservative This movement discusses the resurrection of the dead, yet does not specify what form such resurrection takes. The Messiah’s return could inaugurate a physical rebirth. A spiritual resurrection occurs in remembering the one deceased. 

• Orthodox A bodily resurrection and physical afterlife are the beliefs of this school. The coming of the Messiah commences these events. Until the Messiah’s return, righteous souls inhabit olam ha’bah (oh-LAHM hah-BAH) a pleasurable place. The wicked suffer in the fires of Gehenna (geh-HEn-ah). 

Common Misunderstandings

 

Christian Speculations.  Though Jewish and Christian adherents enjoy a common history, the meanings of their shared religious vocabulary are not necessarily the same. Terms such as covenant, law, mercy, righteousness, messiah, salvation, heaven and hell may connote radically different meanings within the two traditions. 

 

Jesus.  Jewish opinions concerning Jesus vary. Though not the Messiah, many accept him as a great teacher. 

 

Subtle Anti-Semitism.  It is too easy for discriminatory and stereotyped language to characterize Jewish-Christian discussions. Interpretations of New Testament passages also can easily project negative images on all Jewish people.

 

Worship 

The following material, adapted from How to Be a Perfect Stranger (pp. 214-220) and the HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion (pp. 608-610) is instructive concerning Jewish worship practice. 

Synagogues and Temples.  Places of worship are usually called synagogues or temples. Orthodox always identify such houses of worship as synagogues; Reform practitioners usually call them temples. 

Sanctuary.  Jewish prayers may occur anywhere though sacred sites, including the home or synagogue, are specifically designated. In homes, the table where families share meals and worship rituals becomes primary. Within the synagogue/temple, the entire worship space (sanctuary) is central. 

 

Furnishings

 

Bimah (BEE-mah). This raised platform is at the center or near the front of the sanctuary. The rabbi and cantor lead prayers from this area from a pulpit. A reading table serves to hold the Torah when it is opened. 

 

Ark. The Torah scroll is kept in this cabinet. The scrolls are often decorated with embroidered cloth covers. A parokhet (pah-RAH-chet) or curtain covers the Ark. A lamp, symbolic of eternal light, burns continuously above and in front of the ark. 

 

Mehitsah (meh-HEET-sah).  Many Orthodox Jewish congregations have this partition which separates men and women congregants. In orthodox circles where it is not present, men and women still sit separately. 

Ritual objects

 

Tallit (tah-LEET).  In Orthodoxy, all men wear these prayer shawls. Within other circles, men and some women worshippers may cover their shoulders with this shawl. A kippah (keep-AH, Hebrew for covering) or yarmulka (YAHR-mihl-kah, Yiddish for head covering) is required in all Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist as well as some Reform congregations. 

 

Torah (TOH-rah).  The scroll contains the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), handwritten in Hebrew. It rests in the Ark. A yad (yahd) or metal pointer serves to assist reading the Torah as the handwritten letters are not to be touched. 

 

Menorah (min-OHR-ah).  This seven-branched candelabra, part of ancient Jerusalem temple furnishings, may adorn the bimah. 

 

Tefillin (teh-FILL-in).  These small black leather boxes (phylacteries), held in place with straps, contain specific biblical verses. Males from the age of 13 onwards wear these on the left arm and head during weekday morning prayers.

Service.  Jewish worship is liturgical. The prayer book (siddur) encodes the fixed scriptures, readings and prayers for the day. Services vary according to occasion and time throughout the religious year. 

 

Minyan (MIN-yahn).  A quorum of at least 10 persons over the age of 13 allows a communal prayer service to take place. 

 

Shabbat (shah-BAHT).  The fullest service takes place on the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at sunset on Friday and ends Saturday nightfall. 

 

Service elements.  The Amidah (ah-mee-DAH) consists of praises, thanks and prayer requests to God. The Sh’ ma (shih-MAH, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One") is a declaration of faith, a central affirmation of Judaism. The Torah reading also comprises a central part of the communal prayer/worship service. 

 

Leaders.  A rabbi directs the service, teaches and preaches. Songs and chants are led by the cantor. A specific Torah reader chants or reads from the texts for the day. A gabbai (gab-BYE) or lay person oversees the sayings of blessings for the Torah reading. Aliyah (ah-lee-YAH) a "going up," is the honor of being called forward to participate in the reading of the Torah. A congregation’s president may provide introductory welcome words and announcements. In smaller congregations, one person may assume more than one of the above roles in a service.

 

Books.  The siddur (SEE-door) is a prayer book, which varies in content among various schools of thought. The chumash (KOOH-mahsh) contains the Torah and readings from the prophets normally associated with a given Torah reading. Called the Haftarah (hahf-TOH-rah), this reading from the prophets normally comes after the Torah portion for the day. 

 

Fellowship.  After a service is over, a time of refreshment and reception may take place. Called a kiddush (kee-DOOSH) or oneg Shabbat (OH-neg shah-BAHT), finger foods and drinks are served. A kiddush and ha’ motzi (hah-MOH-tsee) or blessings before drinking and eating are customary. A grace after meals, birkat hamazon (beer-KAHT hah-mah-ZONE), may also be commonly practiced.

 

Observances 

Festivals and Holy Days

 

Rosh Hashanah (rohsh ha-shah-NAH), 

• New Year’s Day The beginning of the Jewish calendar. 

• Celebrated for two days, it marks the anniversary of the creation of the world. 

• The day serves as a day of examination for all people, the examinator being the righteous and merciful creator. 

Yom Kippur (YOHM kee-poor) 

• Day of Atonement Stresses repentance and forgiveness needed to reestablish oneness with God. 

• One first seeks forgiveness from others and forgives those who have caused pain. Then comes confession of sin and seeking forgiveness from God. 

• Yom Kippur is the most important and most personal holy day. 

• Both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the "High Holidays"--the two most important Jewish festivals of the year. Of these, Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year. 

Pesah (PAY-sah), (Passover)

• Commemorates the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. 

• The eight day observance consists of reciting special prayers and eating symbolic foods. 

• The first and last two days of Pesah are ones of special observance. This remembrance is a high point of Jewish life. 

Shavuot (shah-voo-OHT) [Weeks--plural of the Hebrew word for seven] 

• Marks the conclusion of the seven week period following Passover. 

• The day commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Israelites. 

Sukkot (soo-KOHT) [Feast of Booths or Tabernacles] 

• This festival lasts for eight days. 

• Its meaning comes from the practice of building booths (Sukkot) in fields during harvest. 

• It also commemorates the temporary structures in which the Israelites lived following their departure from Egypt. 

• Sukkot is a time of thanksgiving, celebrating God’s presence in creation and among the Jewish people. 

• The Eighth Day (Shmini Atzeret) is a distinct festival, marking the end of Sukkot. 

Simhat Torah (SIM-khahs TOOR-ah, Rejoicing of the Law) 

• Indicates the completion and new beginning of the annual cycle of Torah reading in the synagogue. 

Hanukkah (HAH-nah-kah, Feast of Lights/Feast of Dedication)

• Celebrates the victory of Judas the Maccabee for religious freedom and rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C. 

• This eight day remembrance also honors the power of God and His faithfulness to Israel. 

• The dates of Hanukkah fall in mid-December.

Purim (POO-rim) 

• The festival remembers the deliverance of the Jewish people during the time of Esther. 

• A reading from the Megillah (m’gee-LAH) or scroll of the book of Esther occurs on this date, usually in late February or early March.

Life Cycle Events

Birth ceremony.  Called a brit (breet) or covenant, these rituals welcome newborn males and females into the Jewish community. 

• Brit milah (breet mee-LAH) This covenant of circumcision happens on the eighth day of a male baby’s life. 

• It is a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. 

• A mohel (MOH-hail) or specially trained circumciser may accompany the rabbi. 

• Congratulations or mazal tov (MAH-zahl tohv) are appropriate greetings after the birth ceremony. 

• Brit bat (breet baht) A naming ceremony is given for female babies, held either at the synagogue or at home. 

Initiation events.  To mark entry into adulthood, and the acceptance of personal responsibility for sins, takes place during these rites, usually held upon reaching age 13. 

• Bar and bat mitzvahs occur in conjunction with congregational prayers, a quorum of 10 Jewish people (minyan, "MIN-yahn") being required. 

  • Bar mitzvah (bahr MITS-vah) Boys who reach age 13 are the focus of this ceremony. 

  • Bat mitzvah (baht MITS-vah) Females at age 12 or 13 (12 years and one day) are the focus here. Though no requirement is present for the female initiation ceremony, since early in this century it is becoming commonplace. A long celebratory meal may follow the occasion.

Marriage.  The Hebrew word for marriage, kiddushin (kee-doo-SHEEN), meaning sanctification, accentuates the sacred bond present in this religious ceremony. 

• Vows are said under a canopy (huppah, "hoo-PAH"), which symbolizes the expanse of the heavens under which all life takes place. 

• Though open to interpretation, the glass which the groom breaks under foot after the vows are stated commemorates great sadness--even in a time of great joy--and recalls the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. 

Death  

• Funerals usually take place the day after death. 

• At the graveside, a rabbi leads in the kaddish (KAH-dish) or prayer for the departed. 

• For seven days after the funeral, the shiva (SHIH-vah) period, the family sits in mourning. 

• The year anniversary of the death, a yahrzeit (YAHR-tzite) is marked by a service and lit candle in the home. 

Home Events 

• Passover Seder (SAY-dihr).  

  • This traditional dinner, remembering the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, is held around the dinner table. 

  • A seder plate contains foods that symbolize the Passover event. 

  • Matzah (MAH-tzah), a flat, unleavened bread is present, symbolizing the bread eaten during the Exodus. 

  • The haggadah (hah-GAH-dah) text relates the Biblical story of the Passover. 

• Shabbat dinner.  Shabbat (shah-BAHT), the Jewish Sabbath, remembers the rest which God the creator took after six days of creation. 

  • It is a traditional Friday evening meal shared by the family. 

  • Sabbath candles are lit. 

  • The kiddush (kee-DOOSH), a prayer accompanying the wine before dinner, is said. 

  • The ha’ motzi (hah-MOH-tsee) blessing comes over the bread. 

  • A loaf of challah (HAH-lah) or braided, special Sabbath bread, accompanies the meal.

   

Jewish Calendar

The Jewish calendar incorporates both lunar and solar elements. Essentially a lunar calendar, it is periodically adjusted to the solar year. Each month begins with the appearance of the new moon and has either 29 or 30 days. 

The annual cycle of festivals begins with the month of Nisan (March or April of the Gregorian calendar). Pesah (Passover) is the first festival of the year. 

Orthodox and Conservative Jewish people living outside Israel celebrate Pesah (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks), and Sukkot (Feast of Booths) up to two days longer than Reform practitioners. 

The Jewish religious day runs from sunset to sunset rather than midnight to midnight. Festivals thus normally begin on evenings prior to dates expressed on a calendar.

Vocabulary

Abraham  Patriarchal figure who is the father of the Jewish faith. He championed monotheism and made a special, binding covenant with God. 

Canaan  Another name for Palestine or the present location of Israel 

Conservative Judaism  Jewish school of thought which teaches that Torah is binding but new thought can also influence belief. 

Covenant  A binding agreement between two partners. In biblical times, the contractual agreement between God and Abraham became central to Jewish theology. 

David King of Israel and Judea, author of many of the Psalms, and leader of many battles against the Canaanites 

Diaspora (di-AS-pahr-ah)  After the A.D. 70 Roman destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Jewish peoples were dispersed from the land of Palestine, and forced to live outside the area of current Israel. 

Exodus  When the Jewish people left Egyptian captivity and headed for the Promised Land 

Hagar  Servant woman of Abraham by whom Abraham fathered a son, Ishmael 

Hasidim (hah-SID-im)  Jewish Orthodox movement established in Poland in the 18th century, where distinctive dress and language become essential elements of the faith

Holocaust (HOL-ah-kohst)  Descriptive term to identify the systematic genocide of six million Jewish, plus assorted other peoples, by the Nazis between 1933-1945

Ishmael  First born son of Abraham by his servant woman Hagar.

Kabala (KAB-ah-lah)  A branch of Jewish mysticism which interprets the Scriptures in an esoteric manner, seeking penetration of divine mysteries 

Monotheism  Belief in only one god Moses Jewish leader who led the children of Israel out of Egypt in the Exodus

Orthodox Judaism  Jewish law and right doctrine are the defining criteria for this most conservative trend within Judaism. Orthodoxy has a variety of schools, the modern/centrist and traditional/rightist being the most common. 

Promised Land  Area of present day Israel, the land the Bible says God especially designated for the Jewish peoples 

Rabbi (RAB-i)  Leaders, teachers and scholars of Jewish religious and community life 

Reconstructionism  Jewish school of thought which advocates an all encompassing civilization" approach to faith and practice. 

Reform Judaism  Liberal school of Jewish practice which sees God’s relationship as an ongoing process throughout history. 

Sarah  Abraham’s wife who was unable to have a child until, in her old age, she gave birth to Isaac. 

Torah  The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), being the first of three Jewish divisions of the Scriptures. It may also refer to the totality of Jewish Scriptures plus the Talmud (Jewish law and tradition).

 Quiz

Multiple Choice.  Run the mouse over your answer if you chose correctly the answer will change to blue bold italics "like this".

1)  The term describing the systematic death of Jewish peoples by Nazi Germany between 1933-1945 is 

          a. holocaust. 

          b. World War II. 

          c. abomination of desolation. 

2)  Jewish intellectual and spiritual leaders, often the teachers and scholars within the community, are called 

          a. bishops. 

          b. patriarchs. 

          c. rabbis. 

3)  The Jewish trend of thought at the liberal end of the theological spectrum is 

          a. Reconstructionism. 

          b. Reform Judaism. 

          c. Modern Orthodoxy. 

4)  The __________, a traditional Orthodox practice, advocates distinct dress and language styles, in addition to having little contact with the larger, secular world. 

          a. Mishnah 

          b. Halachah 

          c. Hasidim 

5)  The sh’ma, "__________," summarizes a most fundamental Jewish belief. 

          a. Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One 

          b. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you 

          c. Thou shalt not kill 

6)  Reform Jewish practitioners call their meeting places for prayer and worship 

          a. synagogues. 

          b. temples. 

          c. tabernacles. 

7)  A Torah scroll is kept in a cabinet called the 

          a. altar. 

          b. ark. 

          c. bimah. 

8)  The seven-branched candelabra, which is a part of many sanctuary and temple furnishings, is called the 

          a. menorah. 

          b. fedorah. 

          c. talbit. 

9)  The Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) takes place from 

          a. dawn to dusk on Saturday. 

          b. sunset Friday to Saturday nightfall. 

          c. dawn Saturday to dawn Sunday. 

10)  The idea of __________ or agreement God made with Abraham and his descendants is central to Jewish belief. 

          a. fellowship 

          b. ethical harmony 

          c. covenant

11)  The Jewish festival remembering the deliverance of Jewish people during the time of Esther is ________. 

          a. Pesah 

          b. Purim 

          c. Brit milah 

12)  At a Jewish wedding, the breaking of a wine glass by the groom after stating vows most readily symbolizes 

          a. good times are no longer. 

          b. the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by Rome in A.D. 70. 

          c. a christening of the new marriage relationship. 

13)  A special braided loaf, called __________ or Sabbath bread, usually accompanies a Jewish Shabbat dinner. 

          a. Wonder 

          b. Pita 

          c. Challah 

1.  True  /  False  Yiddish is the primary liturgical and religious language of Judaism. 

2.  True  /  False  Many Russian Jewish groups follow the Reconstructionist trend of thought. 

3.  True  /  False  A distinct mystical branch of Judaism, which peaked in interest in the 1100-1300s, and experiences a revival today, is the Kabala trend of thought. 

4.  True  /  False  A close community identity with Jewish peoples around the world is a foundational Jewish theological belief. 

5.  True  /  False  Many Orthodox Jewish congregations advocate women and men sitting separately for prayers and synagogue services. 

6.  True  /  False  The yarmulka (Yiddish for head covering) is required for worship by many Jewish congregations. 

7.  True  /  False  Jewish worship has no prayer book, the Torah is used instead. 

8.  True  /  False  Within Jewish and Christian traditions, definitions of commonly held religious terms can carry radically different meanings. 

9.  True  /  False  In a Jewish home, the living room often becomes the primary place for saying family prayers. 

10.  True  /  False  Within Jewish sanctuaries, the Torah scroll often is published from a computer software program.

Resources Used 

For further study 

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