Holidays 101

10th of Tevet is typically during December where Jews fast to remember the day when the Babylonians first laid siege to Jerusalem. This began the long history disasters for the Jewish people

Tu B'Shvat is typically during January is a holiday that celebrates the New Year for the Trees. We celebrate of connection to the environment and we are thankful to the Land of Israel for the fruits it gave us.

Purim is typically celebrated in March. It is the holiday of joy. Jews get dressed up and be merry as we recognize the Jews of Persia as they escaped abolishment.

Passover is typically celebrated during the month of April. Jews celebrate this holiday for personal liberation and fulfillment. It is a time when the family gets together and enjoys time as a family.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is celebrated on the first of May. It honors the memory of six million by learning about their heroism during an inhumane time and remembers the impact of anti-Semitism. Interesting fact: in Israel on this day there is a siren that is sounded for six minutes long. During this time everyone puts down what their doing pulls over in their cars even on the hwy and stands silent for six whole minutes in honor of those who were killed.

Israel Memorial Day is celebrated in May. It is celebrated to memorialize Israel and its strong soldiers who give their lives to protect the Jewish people in the highest order.

Israel Independence Day is celebrated during the month of May. On this holiday we celebrate the historic return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel as a modern and historical miracle.

Yom Yerushalayim is celebrated during the month of June. This holiday celebrates the anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification of the Holy City and the significance of a Jewish nation.

Shavuot is celebrated during the month of June. This is the holiday that celebrates the day the Torah was given to its Jewish people on Mount Sinai.

Tisha B'Av and the 3 Weeks is celebrated during the month of July and August. This is the first major fasting holiday where we remember the day the Temple was destroyed twice.

The High Holidays is celebrated during the month of September or October. This two High Holiday are the most important holidays on the entire Jewish calendar. All around the world those Jews who are not extremely religious go to synagogue on these two days. Rosh Hashana celebrates the New Year. It is a day of sweetness and ripening. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement when the Jewish people atone for a month long.

Sukkot is celebrated during the month of October. This is the celebration of the harvest. This Holiday is the festival of Booths. We use the Lulav and Etrog as key symbols and we camp under the stars for seven days and remember the twelve tribes of Israel and Gods protection.

Posted by: JK

Western Wall

The Western Wall is the only surviving wall of the five Holy Temples of Jerusalem. They were destroyed by Titus in 68CE. The Western Wall is the center of main connection to God. When the temple stood it was in honor of God and a house for Torah. The Temple Mount is on Mount Moriah. The Mount is a very holy spot where Abraham bound Isaac as told in the Torah. This spot serves to many other religions today. During the holiday of Sukkot many Jews made sacrifices that were made at the steps of the temple. According to the Talmud if the Romans had not destroyed the Temples the Romans would have realized how much benefit they had from keeping the Temple Mount intact. The Western Wall is a symbol to and of the Jewish People. It remains eternal Jews believe as long as it does the people will too. Many Jews go to the wall to pray three times a day, those who can not be physically in Israel at the Western Wall have the synagogue structured so the congregation faces towards the Western Wall. This site is also important to the heroism demonstrated there. After the First and Second temple was destroyed during the Bar Kochba revolt many Jews strove hard to keep the remains of the temple in tact.



Western Wall Video

Posted by: JK

Biblical Period Time Line

1750 BCE Patriarchs Period:
Time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rivka, Leah and Rachel
1580 BCE Israelites in Egypt Period
1250 BCE Exodus- Mt. Sinai Period:
Time of Moses
1200 BCE Wanderings Period:
Ttime of Joshua
1100 BCE Judges Period:
Time of Deborah, Gideon, Samuel
1050- 928BCE Monarchy Period:
Time of Saul, David and King Soloman: Prophet Nathan
900-722BCE Divided Monarchy:
Israel: Jereboam, Omri, Ahab, Jerhoram, Jehu, Jehoash, Jereboam II
Judah: Reheboam, Asa, Jehosaphat, Joash, Amatziah, Uzziah, Ahaz
Prophets: Elijah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah
700-586BCE Israel Falls/ Destruction of Judah:
Time of Hoshea, Hezekiah, Menasseh, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah
536- 515BCE Exlie Period:
Time of Zerubabbel
Prophets: Ezekiel and Isaiah II
500- 450BCE Return to Zion Period
Time of Joshua (Kohan Gadol), Nehamiah and Ezra
Propehts: Haggai and Zechariah

Posted by: JK

Death

As with all Jewish traditons, specifics of the ceremony of death vary by community, though there are many aspects observed by almost all the Jewish community.

During what is thought to be the final hours of a persons life, the dying (or a Rabbi) will customarily recite a confession. Upon recieving news of the passing, a blessing is then offered to God, praising him as the true Judge.

The burial ritual is overseen by a Chevra Kadisha, which is a closely knit but loosely organized society of Jewish men and women who ensure the body is prepared according to Jewish law. It must be buried as soon as possible, as it is against protocol to embalm the body, though embalming will be done if required by civil law. The funeral is kept simple to reflect the idea that all people are equal in death, with simple linen clothes for the body and a wooden casket. The Kaddish, or 'Prayer of the Dead' is recited by the deceased's children, along with psalms, prayers and eulogies.

Following the burial is the Shiva, the seven days of mourning, where family and friends gather to comfort their bereaved, and expression of grief is encouraged. Every year therafter, on the anniversary of the death, the ceremony of Yahrtzeit is held. It is a single day of rememberance for the deceased, during which the Kaddish is recited (usually three times) and a ceremonial candle is burned.

by Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://torah.org/qanda/kbdmp.php?rootid=32

Marriage

Marriage customs vary widely from community to community, though several aspects do remain constant throughout. The union will traditionally take place underneath a chuppah, a cloth canopy that symbolizes the new couples' house. It is viewed as a central part of someones life, as a woman without a man is seen as incomplete, though the reverse is also true.

As far a the acutal rites of the marriage go, they are based heavily upon property transfer laws of antiquity. During the ceremony, the wife recieves an object of value (usually a ring) from the husband, referred to as the ketubah, or 'marriage contract'. They are then joined in the nissuin ritual under the chuppah.

Betrothal in the Jewish community can be symbolized in a number of ways. The most common is by the exchange of an object of value (usually a ring), though this method is seen in other religons (specifically, Judaism's offshoot, Christianity). Another method is via a written contract, though this form has fallen into disuse amongst all but the most adherently orthodox of sects. Traditionally, betrothal is overseen by a third party, usually a Rabbi, though this aspect is more prevalent in making the betrothal 'official', rather than at the actual moment. Additionally, 'Shadchan' (matchmakers) can be employed to find suitable partners, though these are more suggestions as nothing forces the two to act upon the Matchmakers recommendations.

by Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

A ceremony which celebrates a persons coming-of-age in the Jewish community. Translated, the names mean 'one to whom the commandments apply', with the 'one' being male (Bar) or female (Bat). The ceremony also demonstrates the child taking responsibility within the religious community, as prior to this, their parents would've handled their religious education.

Exactly what happens at the ceremony varies based upon the community or denomination of Judaism within which it is held. An aspect that is found in all sects is a reading of part of the Torah, and perhaps a leading of a discussion of the reading.

Traditionally a public ceremony, it is celebrated at the age of thirteen for boys and twelve for girls. In modern times, however, it is more often celebrated at the age of thirteen regardless. Also, under Jewish law, a boy becomes culpable upon turing thirteen and a girl at twelve, whether or not they underwent the ceremony. In the Sephardic sect of Judaism, boys wait until they are fourteen before performing the ceremony. The reasons for this are unknown.


By Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is an annual Jewish holiday spanning over eight days. It begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev which may fall anywhere between late November to late December.

The holiday is meant to commemorate the re-dedication of the Temple after it was defaced by Antiochus IV. You've probably heard of the story of the miracle oil which was only expected to burn for one day, but lasted for eight.


The festival is practiced by lighting the candles of the Menorah on each night of the holiday; one candle on the first night, two on the second and so on. Each night, the candles are expected to burn for at least half an hour after it gets dark. Three blessings are recited just before lighting the candles the first night of Hanukkah, and only the first two of the three blessings for the remaining seven days. A prayer is then said after the candles have been lit.

Potato pancakes, or latkes, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah. It is customary to eat fried food or food cooked in oil (preferably olive oil) to honor the original miracle of the lighting of the Menorah using oil.


Another common association with Hanukkah is the dreidel, which is a four-sided spinning toy with a Hebrew letter imprinted on each side. After lighting the candles of the Menorah, it is customary to follow it up with the dreidel game. Each player starts with 10 or 15 markers, usually chocolate coins, nuts, raisins or other candies and place on in the "pot". Then, a player spins the dreidel and depending on which character it lands on, they carry out the appropriate action.

* Nun - nisht - "not" - nothing happens and the next player spins
* Gimel - gants - "all" - the player takes the entire pot
* Hey - halb - "half" - the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number
* Shin - shtel ayn - "put in" - the player puts one marker in the pot

Hanukkah gelt, or money, is often given to the children during Hanukkah to help them enjoy the holiday more.

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Synagogue

A synagogue to a Jew is as a church is to a Christian or a mosque is to a Muslim. It is the center of the Jewish religions community. A synagogue, at its most superficial level, is a house of prayer. A synagogue may also serve as a town hall of sorts where matters that are important to the community can be discussed. Some also have a separate room for Torah study. Synagogues are often run by a board of directors which may hire a rabbi for the community--though a rabbi is not necessary. This is not to demean their importance, however, as they are a vital part any society serving as a teacher, counselor and religious leader.

Synagogues in the United States are often designed so that the front of the sanctuary, the part of the synagogue where prayer is held, is facing towards Jerusalem. Within the sanctuary is also a cabinet or recession in the wall called an Ark where the Torah scrolls are contained.

In Orthodox synagogues, men and women are kept separate. They are often separated from men in such a way that they may not be seen. Men are not allowed to pray in the presence of women, lest their mind wander from prayer to a young girl's pretty face.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shul.html

Rabbi

A rabbi has no more authority over rituals than any other adult male member of the Jewish community. A rabbi is simply a teacher who has been formally educated in Jewish Law. Rabbi are the spiritual leaders of the community. A Jewish community does not need a rabbi, and it's not unusual for Jewish services to be conducted without one. Unlike a Catholic Priest, a rabbi cannot absolution of sins. Today, a rabbi can be a man or a woman.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Rabbis.html

Passover

Passover is one of the better known Jewish holidays. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. This holiday celebrates the Exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. The name "pass over" refers to the act of God "passing over" the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborns of Egypt.

The grain product eaten during Passover is called Matzah. It is a flat bread, cooked very quickly. This is the same bread that Jews made for their flight from Egypt, it is flat because they did not have time to let their bread rise because they were in such a rush.

Passover lasts for seven days, but eight if you live outside of Israel. There is also a minor fast for all firstborn males to commemorate the the fact that the firstborn Jewish males were spared during the final plague over Egypt.

This year, Passover will happen on April 3, 2007.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidaya.html

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is perhaps the most important holiday of Judaism. During Yom Kippur you are to abstain from eating, drinking, wearing leather shoes, bathing or washing, putting on perfumes or lotion, and marital relations--better known as sex. Of course, these restrictions may be levied if they inflict upon ones life or health. For example, young children (under the age of 9) and pregnant women may not fast, even if they wish to do so. On this day, as the name would suggest, those who practice Judaism atone for their sins over the past year. Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, praying. It is also customary to wear white on this holiday.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday4.html

Torah

The Torah is the most important document in Judaism. It is the record of God reaching out to man, supposedly it was first presented to Moses. The Torah consists of what is known as the 'Old Testament' in the Christian Bible, but to Jews the 'New Testament' is no part of Jewish scripture and there is no 'Old Testament'. The Five Books' names of the Torah are as follows:

* Genesis ("In the beginning...")
* Exodus ("Names")
* Leviticus ("And he called...")
* Numbers ("In the desert...")
* Deuteronomy ("Words", "Discourses", or "Things")

What has been described is the Written Torah. It is also important to realize there is a second Torah, the 'Oral Torah'. The Oral Torah goes more into the finer details of what is described in the Written Torah. For example, in the Written Torah Jews are instructed not to 'work'. However, what is and is not 'work' is not described in the Written Torah, in order to find this information you must search the Oral Torah.

http://www.torah.org/learning/basics/primer/torah/oraltorah.html

Sabbath

Jews view Sabbath as a gift from God. It is a day to devote oneself to higher pursuits rather than the normal, day to day concerns. Sabbath is a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. Though there is a notable amount of prayer on this day, this is not what puts it above other rituals. Jews also eat more elaborately and leisurely on the day of Sabbath. This important ritual happens once every week on Saturday. It is one of the most important rituals in Judaism, and the only one one instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is stated as follows:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shabbat.html

The Great Revolt

63 BCE Pompy a Roman General takes over Judea for Rome. A civil war occurs between the Hasmonean Brothers which results in the loss of Jewish Independence. The reign of King Herod began in 37 BCE. He begins by starting a 46 year building project in Jerusalem. He rebuilds the 2nd Bet Hamikdash, enlarging the temple mount held up by four retaining walls including the Kotel. Herod places a Gold Eagle which is the symbol of Rome over the temple which angered Jews. The practice of worshipping idols is against the Jewish religion and religious Jews tried having the eagle removed but any one who tried this was ordered by Herod to be killed. In 6-66 BCE Roman Procurators governed Judea. In the beginning each ruled for ten years, their function was to keep the peace and collect taxes. The Roman governors overtaxed the Jews in order to get rich. They were corrupt and oppressed the Jews. Some roman governors were;

Procurator Pontius Pilate: was described as very cruel, he slaughtered the peaceful protesters, stole Temple treasury, put pagan symbols on the Jewish coins and crucified thousands of Jew including Freedom Fighters, anti-Roman protesters, and Zealots.

Procurator Cumanus: 30,000 Jews were killed, and Torah scrolls were burnt at large gatherings

Procurator Florus: Killed thousands of Jews, took the treasure of the Bet Mikdash, ordered his soldiers to kill children

A revolt began broke out and during Pesach 66 CE war broke out.

The Great Revolt of Judea against Rome was from 66-70 CE. Some main causes were Roman oppression and tension between Jew and non-Jews in Israel. Jerusalem is put under siege. On the 9th of AV 70 CE Titus destroys the Bet Mikdash. At the end of the Great Revolt resulted in the burning of the Bet Mikdash, 90% of Jerusalem’s population was killed and over half a million Jews were killed.

Posted By: JK

The flag of Israel and America's flag side by side

Josephus
(38-100 CE)

Born as Yoseph ben-Mattiyahu to a family related to Hasmoneans. In Josephus joins an ascetic wilderness sect. and three years later joins the Pharisees. Sent by the Sanhedrin Josephus completes the mission to Rome. In 66 he is appointed commander of Galilee by Sanhedrin upon outbreak of the Great Revolt. After losing the 47 day battle at Yodfat, Commander Josephus surrenders to Vespasian, the Roman commander. He serves as personal historian for Titus, Vespasian’s son. Titus releases Josephus from captivity. Josephus on the request of Titus, attempts to persuade Jews in Jerusalem to attempt ceasefire. In 70 CE Josephus settles in Rome and is granted citizenship, Roman pension and land in Judea. Josephus later becomes a major Jewish historian and defender of Jewish rights in Rome. Some literary work Josephus has written is;
The Jewish War - written in Aramaic and translated to Greek. Josephus describes the Great revolt.
The Jewish Antiquities – a history of Jews intended to praise the ancient roots of the Jewish nation.
The Life – this work attempts to argue against the claim made by Justus of Tiberias the Josephus was an enemy of Rome during the Great Revolt
Against Apion- this work is written about the anti-Semitic contentions brought by Apion and looks into Judaism and compares and contrasts it with Hellenism. Josephus wrote this to defend rights and honor.

by J.K.

Birth

The primary Jewish tradition surrounding child-birth for boys is the circumcision, or the Brit Milah (often bastardized into English as ‘Bris’.) This takes place on the child’s eighth day, and requires the presence of a Mohel (literally, ‘Circumciser’). It is traditionally followed by a celebratory meal called a ‘Seudat Mitzvah’.
For girls, the tradition is instead the ‘Simchat Bat’, which is a naming ceremony carried out during the first Shabbat following the girl’s birth. It is traditionally carried out in a synagogue, during which either the father or both parents will be called forth to read a blessing from the torah. In modern times, it is more popular to carry it out in the family’s home.

By Alex Jeffrey
From: http://www.jewishkansascity.org/page.html?ArticleID=33677

Article regarding current day judaism

Obviously gay marriage is a large political issue. Judaism is generally for same sex marriage. The following article details "the first same sex wedding in Britain to be conducted in a Reform synagogue sanctuary". The article details such things as which Rabbi (a priest of sorts) was chosen for the occasion, as well as several procedures.

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=55947&ATypeId=1

Kosher

Kosher is the dietary laws by which Jews must abide. All plants are kosher, but this is not true of animals, birds and fish. In order to be kosher, an animal must have completely parted hooves as found on cows, sheep, goats and deer. Pigs also have split hooves but do not fulfill the second requirement in order to be considered kosher--chewing cud (food which is regurgitated from the first stomach to the mouth to be chewed again).

Leviticus 11:2-3 : "These are the animals which you are permitted to eat ... anything which has a completely split hoof and chews the cud, this you may eat ..."

There are no set rules when consuming poultry. There is a long list of birds named in the Bible that are not considered kosher.

Lev. 11:13-19 : These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, the buzzard, the kite of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

Most of those who follow Judaism practice consume only chicken, turkey and duck though any bird not mentioned to be an 'abomination' may be consumed.

Following the selection of a kosher animal, you must also kill it by Shechitah. This process involves killing the animal by slitting its throat with a very sharp knife which is said to kill the animal painlessly. After this, all the blood must be drained from the animal.

http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/gcsere/revision/judaism/jud3/page11.html

Hellenist Period

332-323 BCE:
Alexander the Great conquers and establishes Hellenist world
323-200 BCE:
Ptolemaic Period- Egyptian rule in the Eretz (land)
200-167 BCE:
Seleucid Period- Greeks rule Eretz Yisrael (land of Israel): Antiochus III- IV
167-63 BCE Hasmonean Period
167-161: Maccabean Revolt under Judah
161-143: Jonathon
142-135: Simon
135-104: John Hycanus
104-103: Judah Aristobulos
103-76: Alexander Yannai
76-67: Salome Alexandra
67-63: Aristobulus- Hurcanus II: Civil War
63 BCE – 66 CE Roman Period
63: Jerusalm captured by Pompey
47-40: Julius Caesar appoints Antipater governor of Judea
40: Parthians plunder Jerusalem- Civil War
37-4: Herod, King of Judea; Hillel and Shammai lead Sanhedrin
6-66 CE: Procurators (Roman Governors)
Greek Revolt
66: Outbreak of the Revolt
67-68: Vespasian recaptures Galilee, Golan, Idumea, Negev
69: Vespasian become Emporer; Titus appointed General
70: Titus lays siege to Jerusalem
March- Titus surrounds Jerusalem
May- Two northern walls captured
June- First wall surrounded
August- Temple set on fire
Spetember – Jerusalem destroyed Sanhedrin moved to Yavneh by R. Yochanan ben Zakkai
70-336 CE Roman Period – Pax Romana
115-117: Diaspora Revolt
132-135: Bar Kochba Revolt against Hadrian; Capture of Jerusalem and Judea; Death of Rabbi Akiva; Beitar falls and revolt ends
135: Jerusalem rebuilt as pagan Roman city of Aelia Capitolina
140: Sanhedrin moves to Galilee
200: Mishna edited by R. Yehuda HaNasi
225: Arrival of Rav and Sammuel in Bablonia; Pumpeditha

by J.K.

Origins of animosity, and Martin Luther's views

Martin Luther and the Jews

Initially, Jews had high hopes that Martin Luther's challenge to the Catholic Church in 1517 and the beginning of the Reformation could signal a positive change in Christian-Jewish Relations. Luther initially published a book called That Jesus Christ Was born a Jew, written around 1523. Luther appeared sympathetic, hoping that Jews would convert to his own vision of Christianity. When Jews did not convert to the Protestant faith, as Luther had believed they would, he was upset. Specifically, he was irritated with the Jews continued indifference to his vision, and eventually published a revised version of his book, renamed Concerning the Jews and Their Lies. He made several racist remarks that would often be cited by later anti- Semites.

Christian-Jew animosity

From the start, Church fathers faced a choice. They had created a new faith out of Judaism. As such, they could view the two religions as parallel paths to the same goal, or they could say that theirs was the true religion. The later path was chosen, with Paul stating, "The only way to the Father is through the Son." He went on to claim that the Jews were a "withered stump", and that the true Jews, or "Spiritual Israel" were Christians whose hearts were right with God, It should be noted that Paul had no intention of initiating the hatred against Jews, but merely wished to show his own vision of life and thought. Unfortunately, his denying the Jews legitimacy as a religion started said hatred; The Church continued what Paul had begun. They started with theology, and then law. A millennium after Paul wrote, mobs would act on these thoughts and laws. Paul himself thought that the Jews would disappear, but they obviously persisted.

Another Church father, Origen saw that the century separating him from Paul had been miserable for the Jews, and he spoke of Deicide, a theory that built on the Gospel's account of Jesus' death. Origen claimed that not only where the Jews of Jesus' time guilty of his death, but that Jews in all generations bore guilt. Because of this perceived crime, Jews would be forced to endure generations of hatred as "Christ killers" In 1964, after a considerable amount of pressure, the most coming from American Catholics, the Church would finally redefine its thoughts of Deicide, saying "One should not hold Jews of today or all Jews of Judea to blame for Jesus' death."

Bibliography

Bibliography information coming soon

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Conversion.html

Welcome

For our World Lit. class everyone was assigned into groups, and then assigned a religion. Our group was assigned Judaism. As such, we will be adding interesting facts about the religion to this blog as we come across them. Enjoy!