A brief power point about Judaism. By Anna Macek and Sara Hockett

1. Judaism... By Anna Macek and Sara Hockett

2. Stories of origin and important people The Jewish religion started with a man named Abraham and his wife, Sarah. They had one child, a son named Isaac (laughter). Isaac then married a women named Rebecca. One of Isaac’s descendents is a man called Jacob Jacob (also known as Israel) had twelve sons. They were called the twelve sons of Israel. Moses was also a descendant of Abraham. One of his major accomplishments is rescuing Jewish slaves from Egypt. He received the ten commandments from God for his efforts. This is a photo of Moses carrying the Ten Commandments that God presented to him. This is a picture of a musical based on the 12 tribes of Israel. This is the family tree of Abraham.

3. Core beliefs Judaism’s Core Belief: One God Jews believe in one God (monotheism) This dates back to when Abraham made a deal with God to worship only him in return God made him the father of a great nation (Israel) This was a new idea at the time Almost everybody believed in many gods (polytheism) when this idea was created God told Abraham to sacrifice his son…..Abraham was going to but before he could, God stopped him. This is the family tree of the Greek gods, polytheism. God in the Abraham myth wanted it to be a monotheism instead. Since Abraham had proven his loyalty, God made him a deal. If Abraham believed in only one god, him, he would make him he father of a great nation.

4. Holy writings The Torah is the holiest Jewish writing: Contains the Old/Hebrew Testament (The Five Books of Moses) “Dressed” like a queen and lives in a Holy Ark Never touched for fear of dirtying it If dropped, everyone present must take part in 40 day fast Hand written on kosher parchment, takes a year to make At their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the child reads from the Torah with the Yad (picture) This is a “Yad” (hand). It is used to trace while you read a Torah Scroll. This is a Jewish boy turning into a Bar Mitzvah. He is reading from the Torah. This is an ancient Torah Scroll, the holiest book for the Jewish people.

5. Symbols and Objects Symbols: The mezuzah, a container that holds the first two paragraphs of the shema. It is usually attached to the right side of the door post. The kippah, a small round cap worn by both genders. It symbolizes the separation of human and God. The tallit, a four cornered garment worn for morning prayer. The fringes and the knots on the tallit represent the 613 commandments the Jewish people follow.

7. This wall is sacred to the Jewish people who use it as a place of worship.This is the western wall. People pray and cry here. People also write letters to God for luck. This the original temple the Romans attacked. The western wall was once a part of the temple. This is a picture of the logo of the local temple that is very close to us.

8. Rituals/rites of passage A rite of passage means stepping forward. Reaching a milestone in life, moving on. Examples of these for the Jewish are: having a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, getting married having a funeral This is a Jewish boy at his Bar Mitzvah. He is reading from the Torah. This a coffin. When the Jewish died, their heads are pointed toward the western wall in Israel. This is a Jewish wedding ceremony. The witnesses are signing the wedding document.

9. Celebrations Jewish celebrations include rites of passage -some rites of passage are Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, funerals or marriage - A Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a celebration of a child reaching the age 12 or 13 depending on the gender of the child -Decreased Jewish people are buried soon after the person dies and are placed in a wooden coffin, their head facing the western wall -When the Jewish are married two Jewish witnesses must sign a marriage contract This is a picture of a boy at his Bar Mitzvah, a regular celebration of a Jewish boy turning 13 and becoming a man. This is a Jewish wedding contract that two Jewish witnesses must sign in order for the couple to get married. This is a Jewish wooden coffin. When people die, they are buried to face the western wall.

10. holidays The gist of all Jewish holidays is: someone tried to kill us, we beat them, lets eat. The main Jewish holidays are Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Purim and Yom Kippur Yom Kippur means “Day of Adornment” It is a complete Sabbath, no work should be done. Not even drinking and eating. It is a 25 hour fast beginning at sunrise and ending after nightfall on Yom Kippur . This is a menorah. During Chanukah, the Jewish light one candle each night of the holiday. This is a picture of God “passing over” someone’s house because they have given him an offering. He passes over them because they painted lambs blood on the door. This is a shofar. This is blown the morning of Yom Kippur, symbolizing Yom Kippur’s start and ending.

11. Thank You For Coming…We Hope You Liked It! Presented By: Sara Hockett and Anna Macek