Moses - The Simpsons

Moses wanted to escape from the Pharaoh and free his people from hard labour. The Lord said to Moses that the King was very stubborn and he deserved to be punished until he let the people go, so he started a set of 10 powerful plagues. Moses managed to find a way to get his people out of Egypt, the Lord parted the Red Sea and they crossed it. When the King and his army chased after them, the Red Sea closed in on them and Moses and his people got away. They wandered the desert for 40 years to their Promised Land Israel.

 “God then starts to speak directly to Moses. He tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people in Egypt and that He is calling Moses out to be the one who will go in there and deliver them from their plight with the Egyptians.” God calls out to Moses

“When Moses and Aaron first approach the Pharaoh, they tell him that he is to let their people go so they can go into the wilderness to hold a feast with their God. The Pharaoh obviously refuses to even consider this first request, so God does His first miracle in front of the Pharaoh and his court.” Moses goes to Egypt

“They end up getting stuck before the Red Sea. They have nowhere else to go. They are literally at the end of their rope. If they try and move forward, they will drown in the Red Sea. If they try to move backwards, they will be caught by the Egyptian army that is moving in on them. The only thing that can save them now is a powerful miracle from God Himself.” Parting of the Red Sea

 

Bar Mitzvah - Presentation

Name of the celebration. Did the name come from anywhere?

The Term "Bar Mitzvah" liturally means "son of a commandment" in Hebrew. It refersto a young man who has reached the age whereby, according to jewish law, he is now obligated to observe all of the statutes and rules of jewish law.

Why do they celebrate it? What does it signify?
   

The Bar mitzvah commemorates a 13 year old Jewish male's responsibilities to observe the Torah and it's Mitzvos. whereby he is accountable for his own actions as a jew and is deserving of merit according to his growth as a lifetime commitment towards leaning more about his faith, culture, and purpose . They Celebrate at that age because it is a tradition that they are becoming a young adult or Manhood / Womanhood.

When do they celebrate this? How often? How long does it last?

They celebrate Bar Mitzvah at age 13. The service lasts up too 2 hours and up.

 Do they wear anything special?
Boys and men should wear coats and ties; girls and women should wear skirts, dresses or suits.It is traditional for men to wear a kippah (skullcap) in the sanctuary of a synagogue. While it is not required for non-Jews to wear them in most synagogues, it is a sign of respect to do so.
Do they eat anything special?

After the service, a big feast is prepared for the celebrations afterwards. They eat a lot of traditional Jewish food.The range of food they eat is soups, breads and cakes, meats and fats, sweet and confections and some side dishes.

 

Do they have a service/ceremony? What happens in the service/ceremony?

There is a special B'nai Mitzvah service/ceremony in the Synagogue. During this time the boy reads the torah in hebrew,before recieving a blessing from their father. This blessing means that their father is no longer responsible for the child's sins.

 
 

Variants in Judaism

What is a Variant?

Two or more people or things that have slight differences in opinions. The three major variants or streams in Judaism are Conservative, Orthodox and Reform (Liberal or progressive)

Variants
Orthodox	U  Strict, many rules U  No driving on Saturdays U  Women and men separated in Synagogue for prayer and rituals U  Don’t accept the changes of reformed Jews U  Orthodox Judaism is distinguished by its maintenance of the traditional forms of worship in the Hebrew language U  Women do not participate in some of the rituals U  Men and women sit together and participate fully in service, prayers and rituals U  Strict dress and dietary law U  Always worship in Hebrew
Conservative	U  Believe Jewish laws can be changed U  Women and men separated in Synagogue U  Traditional beliefs but addressing contemporary needs. U  Men and women sit together and participate fully in service, prayers and rituals
Progressive	U  Allows people to live a contemporary life in Modern society U  Allowed to marry other religions U  Don’t believe the Torah was written by God and given on tablets of stone U  Relaxed practice and fits in society U  Individual praying and occasional conversation in service. U  English used for part of service U  Women can lead services and can become a rabbis

 

 

Being Jewish in 21st Century Australia

1. Where are Jewish religious services held?Synagogue

2.  What time do morning prayers begin at Anton’s school?

7:15am

3. For how many years has Judaism existed as a religion?

3800 years.

4.     How many gods did Abraham believe in?

One God

5.     What are mitzvoth?

The commandments

6.     What did Moses do?

He led their people out of Egypt. He received the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai.

7.     What is the Torah?

The Jewish bible/ the Holy book

8.     What is a Jewish religious leader called?

A Rabbi

9.     When did Abraham leave the area now known as Iraq to settle in the area now known as Palestine or Israel?

Around 1800 BC

10.     What does Shabbat mean?

A ritual which means rest

11. How long does Shabbat last for?

From sundown Friday night to sundown on Saturday night

12.     What is the purpose of blowing the ram’s horn?

To remind people a change is coming.

13.     What is Yom Kippur?

The Day of Atonement; where you reflect on your sins and is a day of fasting.

14.     What does the festival of Hanukkah celebrate?

The freedom to practice their religion, it lasts for eight days.

15. Which city did King David pronounce the capital for the Jews?

Jerusalem is the capital city for the Jews.

16.     What is the Western Wall?

The Wailing Wall; this was the remaining wall of the temple that was built by King Solomon.

17.     What does Bat Mitzvah mean?

A coming of age ceremony when they turn twelve or thirteen

Behind the News- Judaism Questions

1.       What Language do the Jewish people speak? Hebrew.

2.       How do the Jewish people read Hebrew? From right to left.

3.       Why is Israel important to the Jewish people? It is the only Jewish Promised Land.

4.       When was the present state of Israel formed? 1948.

5.       What makes it unique in the world? Israel is the only Jewish state.

6.       Who is the chosen prophet in Judaism? Abraham.

7.       What do the Jews believe God thinks of their people? That they are the chosen ones.

8.       How do the three main religions differ in the view of Jesus? Jews and Muslims believe that Jesus is not the son of God, whereas Christians believe in the father, the son and the Holy Spirit.

9.       Why do the Jewish people not celebrate Christmas? They don’t believe Jesus is the son of God.

10.   What festival do they celebrate instead? Hanukkah.

11.   What event is celebrated at this festival and what is the significance of the number 8? It is the festival of lights and the oil burned for eight days instead of one.

12.   What is the name of the sacred text of the Jewish people? Torah.

13.   How is their text similar to the Christian Bible? It is the books of the Old Testament.

14.   How many commandments do the Jewish people have to follow? 613 commandments.

15.   What is the name of the leader of a Jewish religion? Rabbi.

16.   What is a Tallis? A tallis is prayer shawl.

17.   What is a Tefillin? A tefillin is the leather box tied to their arms with the verses in it.

18.   What is a Kippah? A kippah is the hat worn by Jewish men.

19.   What is the word used to describe the food Jewish people can eat? Kosher.

20.   Where is the only Kosher Mc Donalds? Israel.

21.   Why is a cheeseburger not kosher? It is not kosher because dairy and meat are mixed together.

Synagogue

Origin of Name

Synagogue means assembly, meaning house of assembly. It is also known as a ‘shul’ or ‘temple’ but the word synagogue is mainly used because everyone knows what it means.

Functions

Synagogues were built as a purpose space for worship, or rooms originally constructed for some other purpose but reserved for formal, communal prayer, however, existed long before the destruction of the Second Temple.

Structure

Synagogues do not have a set architectural design as wherever the synagogue is place it is designed to the style that style. The earlier synagogues were designed to resemble the temples of the eastern Roman Empire. Synagogues have many spiritual items including a Bimah, a table from which the Torah is read, and a desk for the prayer leader. The torah ark is a cabinet where the Torah is kept and the Ark of the Convent which holds the table with Ten Commandments.

Star of David is one of the special symbols for Jewish people.

Items Found

Mezuzah

This special box called a mezuzah contains some special words from the Shema. The Shema is a passage from the Jewish Bible, called the Tenakh, which talks about what Jews should believe. It can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The Shema is the first prayer that any Jew will learn.

Kippah

Before they enter the main room Jewish men will cover their heads with a kippah as a mark of respect for God.

SHABBAT CANDLES

These candles are lit at the start of Shabbat on Friday night. A special prayer called a blessing is said. Jews look forward to Shabbat each week. There are two candles to show that it is more special than other days of the week.

CHALLAH LOAF

Jews eat this plaited bread called challah as part of their family meal on Shabbat. It is plaited to make it look different from ordinary bread.

KIDDUSH CUP

On Shabbat, Jews drink wine from a special cup called a kiddush cup. Another blessing is said over the wine.

Torah

How is a Torah scroll made? How is the Torah revered?

Torah means “teaching” and refers to the five books of Moses – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Genesis: The story of how the world was made; the story of Adam and Eve.

Exodus: story of Moses leaving his chosen people out of Egypt; giving the Ten Commandments through Moses to the people. Mount Sinai is the place where Moses receives the Ten Commandments.

Leviticus: Written as a guideline for the priests; known as the handbooks for priests.

Numbers (In the Wilderness): The stories of the 40 years spent wandering the desert and preparing them entrance to the holy land ‘Israel’.

Deuteronomy: The farewell of Moses and he addresses to a new generation in which he tells them to faithfully obey God’s blessings in the Promised Land.

U  A Torah scroll is made from sheets of parchment, which is made from the skin of a kosher animal.

U  It is written by hand in Hebrew by a professional scribe, called a sofer. The sofer’s job to ensure that the text is transmitted correctly. Hebrew is read from right to left.

U  The sofer takes at least one year to write out the Torah.

U  He is not allowed to from memory. He must copy from a book of the Torah, and jeep checking for mistakes. Letters must not be smudged or touch another letter.

U  If the sofer makes a mistake, he scrapes off the letters using a glass tool.

U  The most sacred word that he writes is the Hebrew name for God. He cannot correct this- he must start the whole sheet of parchment again. The sheet with the error on is buried in a Jewish cemetery.

U  When all the sheets of parchment are finished, they are sewn together and wound around wooden rollers.

U  The Torah is regarded as holy, and is decorated as beautifully as possible.

U  It has a velvet cover called a mantle.

U  A silver breastplate is hung on the front of it, like the one worn by High Priests in Biblical times. This is decorated with Jewish symbols.

U  Bells are attached so people can hear it being carried around the synagogue.

U  There is also a silver pointer called a yad.

U  A yad (meaning hand) is used by Jews to keep their place when reading from the Torah scroll.

U  This is to show respect for the scroll and to prevent the parchment being spoiled by oil from their fingers.

U  When the Torah is not being used, it is kept in a special cupboard at the front of the synagogue, called and Ark.

U  This reminds Jews of the Ark of the Covenant in which Moses and his people carried the Ten Commandments.