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

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

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