IB World Religions - Judaism

Aleinu

(Ah-lay-noo)

prayer that marks end of all three daily prayer services, obligatory prayer of praise towards G-d

One day Messiah will come to rule over Earth and whole world will recognize Messiah

Amidah

(amih-DAH)

“standing”

Praise, petition, thanks

Recited silently

Ashkenazic

Distinct Jewish cultural group from Eastern Europe

Speaks Yiddish

Bar mitzvah

13 YR BOY coming of age ceremony

Officially Jewish Adults

Reads a Torah passage (aliyah + haftarah), speech, then party

Bat mitzvah

12 YEAR OLD GIRL coming of age ceremony

Officially Jewish Adults

Reads a Torah passage (aliyah + haftarah), speech, then party

Berakha

Blessing (prayer of blessing/thanksgiving)

Bris

Other word for B’rit milah, CIRCUMCISION

Physical seal/sign of covenant, done on 8th day of living

Done by a mohel (moil)

Chevra kadisha

Sacred Jewish burial society that preps body for burial

Tahara - cleansing of body, other burial rites

Conservative

(Masorti) Middle ground between Reform and Orthodox

Follows Law but adopts modern innovation

Ex - drives to synagogue, all-gender prayer, NO intermarriage, YES kosher

Covenant

Agreement/relationship between God and Jews, God will bless the Jews and make them His people, if Jews follow His law (Ten Commandments etc)

Gemara

Rabbinic commentaries and debate on the Mishnah

Part of Talmud

Get

Jewish bill of divorce

Halacha/Halakah

Traditional Jewish Law, legal things (practical application of mitzvot thru rabbinic laws, interpretations etc)

Legal code

Israel

lowk could mean the person Jacob/He who wrestles w God

The people/Israelites

The desired home of the Jews/promised land

Kaddish

Jewish prayer recited in memory of the dead

Prayer of praise to God

Ketubah

Marriage contract

Groom’s responsibilities to the bride

Kosher

Jewish dietary law

Ma’ariv

Jewish evening service

One of the 3 public prayer services

Messiah/Mashiach

Descendent of King David

Political, not spiritual leader

Will usher in new era of peace, unite everyone under one kingdom, redeem Jews

Mezuzah

Box with written Hebrew Torah verses, affixed on door frame

Mincha

Jewish afternoon service

One of the 3 public prayer services

Minyan

Quorum of 10 men (or women), needed for Jewish worship + prayer

Praying alone is NOT ideal

Mishnah

Written document of the Oral Law, The ORAL TORAH

Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud

Mitzvot

Commandment

613 mitzvot, ethical vs ritual mitzvot, do’s and don’ts

From G-d! Given to Moses, commandments of the covenant

Mohel

man (or woman) that performs the Jewish circumcision

Olam Ha Ba

The World to Come

Refers to afterlife (whatever happens after death) or Messianic Age (whatever the messianic age entails)

Orthodox

Most Right/Traditional Jewish sect

Strict observance of Jewish law/halacha, literal take on Tanakh

Small percentage of Jews

Passover

Or Pes(h)ach, April

In remembrance of the Jews exodus of Egypt (spread the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorframe so that the angel of death would “pass over” them, led to Jews escaping Egypt)

Only eat matzah/unleavened bread

Seder - Meal, special foods that symbolizes lives of Israelite slaves

Reconstructionist

Left, Progressive Jewish sect

Evolving with the times, super small subset of Jews

let gay people into synagogues

Reform

Left sect of Judaism

Ethical mitzvot/obligations over rituals/traditions

Largest % of American Jews

Came as a result of Enlightenment ideas (reason and logic)

Conceptual take on Tanakh

Rosh Hashanah

Jewish New Year! 2-days

Shofar is blown to start period of Jewish reflection (the ten days of Awe/Repentance), celebration, community, family time!

Books of Life and Death are opened

Sephardic

Jewish ethnic group, Middle East and Southern Europe

do NOT speak Yiddish

Shabbat

Sabbath! Friday (sundown) - Saturday (sundown), candle lighting

7th day of the Jewish Week, remembrance and observance

Day of rest, prayer, family time

Working, electricity is BANNED (followed by Orthodox, other denoms are less strict)

“Taken out of the physical world into a world of time”

Shacharit

Jewish morning service

Shavuot

Pentecost!

Spring harvest festival, giving of Torah on Mt. Sinai

Eat milk and cheese

Shema

Most important prayer in Judaism

One of the only two required prayers in Torah

Oldest fixed daily prayer, recited at Shacharit and Ma’ariv services (day-night)

Affirmation of Judaism + declaration of faith in one G-d

Jews are to love G-d + follow his commandments of their covenant so they may be blessed, if not there are consequences

Shiva

7-day mourning period

Mourners stay at home or at deceased person’s home and sit on low chairs to share memories of the deceased

Siddur

Jewish Prayer Book

Contains Shema, Aleinu, Amidah

Found in synagogues or Orthodox Jews homes

Sukkot

Autumn Harvest Festival

Named after the huts Jews live in for a week

Represents the wandering of the Israelites in the desert

Tallit

Prayer shawl with four corners

Has tzizit hanging from the corners

Talmud

Oral Law/Torah

explanations of Written Torah and how to apply them

Mishnah + Gemara

Tanakh

24 Books of the Jewish Bible

Same as Old Testament

Contains Torah

Tefillin

Written Shema on arm/hand and head

Worn on Shabbat or at synagogues (Orthodox)

Tikkun Olam

Repairing the World

Jews are to “make the world a better place” to bring about the messianic era (of peace, unity, etc)
Social justice, Compassion, etc

Torah

First 5 Books of the Hebrew Bible/Tanakh

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Written Law of G-d

Yom Kippur

Most solemn/important day in Judaism

Fasting, repentance, atonement for sins (go to synagogue to atone for communal sins)

Books of Life and Death are closed (shofar blow)

Jews use this day to atone for sins so they can be clean for next year or prepared if they die