Judaism

Description

(Note: In consideration of the Jewish practice of not writing the name of the Creator, to avoid disrespect, this profile of Judaism will use the spelling “G-d.”)

Jews trace the history of their faith back to the beginning of time and the creation of the world and humanity. The Torah, the sacred Scripture of Judaism, begins with the Book of Genesis, telling of G-d’s creation of the world and of humanity. Genesis relates the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, patriarchs of the Israelites (circa 2000–1800 BCE), and Moses (circa 1300 BCE). Abraham was told by G-d that he would be the father of a great nation. He had two sons. His firstborn was Ishmael, considered in both Jewish and Muslim tradition to be the patriarch of the Arab people. The second son, Isaac, became the father of the Israelites through his son, Jacob, whose 12 sons were the progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Torah tells of G-d revealing Himself to Moses and making a covenant to lead His people from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land, Israel, in return for their obedience to His laws. Those laws, beginning with the Ten Commandments given by G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai, are set out in the Torah, the five books of Moses.

In Judaism, there is no dogma or set of beliefs that everyone must accept. However, there are commonly held beliefs that help define the Jewish faith. In the 12th century, a Jewish scholar named Maimonides (also called Rambam) set out his 13 Principles of Faith, which are still widely accepted by Jews:

1. There is a G-d.
2. There is one G-d.
3. G-d has no physical body.
4. G-d is eternal.
5. Only G-d may be worshipped.
6. G-d communicates with humans through prophecy.
7. Moses was the greatest of the prophets.
8. The Torah came from G-d.
9. The Torah is the authentic word of G-d and may not be changed.
10. G-d is aware of all our deeds.
11. G-d rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.
12. The Messiah will come.
13. The dead will be resurrected.

(Source: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/J_Transp/J12_13Principles.html —“Basic Elements of Jewish Belief,” University of Calgary.)

Religious Elements

Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources

The body of writings known as the Tanakh constitutes the sacred Scripture of the Jewish faith. It corresponds approximately to the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and comprises the following:

• The (written) Torah, which includes the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It tells of the creation of the world and humanity, of G-d’s naming of the tribes of Israel as His chosen people, and His giving to them of the Promised Land in return for their obedience to His moral law. The Torah addresses ethical responsibilities and values, and it outlines rituals and religious paradigms. Torah means “teaching” or “law.” Although considered in a strict sense to refer to the first five books of the Bible, the term Torah can also refer to the entire body of Jewish Scripture and teachings, including the Talmud, which comprises interpretations of the laws of the Torah. Initially an oral tradition, the Talmud was recorded between the third and sixth centuries CE.

• The Nevim, consisting of the books of the prophets.

• The Ketuvim, comprising Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, I Chronicles, II Chronicles.

Rituals

• Female children are named in special naming ceremonies at the synagogue the first Saturday after their birth.

• Baby boys are circumcised eight days after their birth, to symbolize their commitment to Israel.

• On the 31st day after a baby boy’s birth, Pidyon Ha’Ben, a ceremony of redemption rites, is held.

• On a boy’s 13th birthday, a bar mitzvah is held at the synagogue to mark the boy’s formal admission to the Jewish religious community, when he takes responsibility for his religious obligations. Similarly, in Conservative or Reform Jewish families, a bat mitzvah is held at the synagogue on a girl’s 12th birthday, when she takes responsibility for her religious obligations.

• A Jewish wedding ceremony involves reciting blessings over two goblets of wine, which represent the change in marital status of the man and the woman. A marriage contract outlining marital responsibilities is written and signed by witnesses, who state that the couple has been married in the Jewish tradition.

Moral Code

• The Ten Commandments as written in the Torah, amplified by the Talmud.

Houses of Worship

• Jews worship in synagogues (from the Greek synagein, “to bring together”).

• Architectural styles vary widely, from western European architecture, to Eastern Byzantine style, to modern North American forms of many kinds. Styles may reflect the culture of a congregation’s predominant ethnic group or the influences common to the region and period of construction. The architecture is often easily distinguished from that of Christian churches.

• A synagogue requires an enclosed space to allow a congregation to assemble for prayer and to hear the Torah read.

• The interior requires a place for the Ark of the Covenant, which houses the Torah scrolls, and the bima, which is the platform the leader of the service stands on to read the Torah.

• In North America, the bima and the Ark are often combined, forming one element.

• Seating may be arranged in various ways, though Orthodox synagogues require separate seating for women, either in a gallery or in a section separated from the men’s seating by a barrier.

Devotional Practices and Services

• Daily worship can be offered at home or in a synagogue.

• Daily prayer occurs three times a day: in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.

• During the weekday prayers, Orthodox Jews may wear phylacteries on the forehead and arm. These are small leather cases that carry biblical texts.

• The Jewish Sabbath, or day of worship, begins 18 minutes before sundown on Friday and continues until 42 minutes after sunset on Saturday.

• Respect for the Sabbath requires that Jews do not work, travel by vehicle, turn on the electricity themselves, handle money, or bathe during the Sabbath.

• During the Sabbath, Jews study and reflect upon the Scriptures.

• At Sabbath meals, special blessings are made and wine and bread are consumed.

Clergy, Organization and Government

In Canada, there are four major divisions of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist. Following is a brief outline of how each denomination is differentiated.

• Reform Judaism

• Recognizes that the Jewish religion should continue to change, evolve and adapt over the centuries while continually recognizing the history of Judaism, as well as its principles.
• Recognizes the autonomy of the individual, so the individual may decide which specific beliefs and practices to adhere to.
• Is dedicated to improving the world.
• Accepts and encourages pluralism, but remains a part of the world Jewish community.
• May use English prayers instead of Hebrew ones.

• Conservative Judaism: The objectives of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism are set forth in the preamble to its Constitution as follows: “The advancement of the cause of Judaism in America and the maintenance of Jewish tradition in its historic continuity; to assert and establish loyalty to the Torah in its historic exposition; to further the observance of Sabbath and the Dietary Laws; to preserve in the Service the reference to Israel’s past and the hopes for her restoration; to maintain the traditional character of the liturgy, with Hebrew as the language of prayer; to foster Jewish religious schools, in the curricula of which the study of the Hebrew language and literature shall be given a prominent place.”

• In the view of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the “ideal” Conservative Jew

• Supports a Conservative synagogue by participating in its activities
• Studies a minimum of one hour per week
• Uses learned Jewish values to guide behaviour even when doing so conflicts with personal feelings or inclinations
• Increases personal Jewish living out of commitment and as a result of thought, by adding a minimum of three new mitzvoth a year (mitzvoth are the 613 commandments of G-d, as compiled by medieval scholar Maimonides)
• Uses the values of tikun olam (the concept of repairing the world through social action) to help in the world’s continual repair
• Makes decisions about Jewish behaviour only after considering the effect these decisions will have on Klal Yisrael (the unity of the people of Israel)
• Increases ties and connections to Israel
• Studies to increase his or her knowledge of Hebrew.

(Source: http://www.uscj.org/item19_33.html — website of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.)

• Orthodox Judaism

• Biblical and rabbinical teachings apply to everyday life.
• The Sabbath is observed strictly.
• Men and women should dress modestly, covering their heads.
• Only kosher food is eaten.

• Reconstructionist Judaism

• Judaism is defined by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people, rather than as a total and immutable revelation of G-d to Moses (the Torah).
• Reconstructionists seek to nurture this evolution to ensure the religion continues as a dynamic tradition in every age.
• The Jewish people includes all Jews, whether by birth or by choice.
• Reconstructionists support open, democratic society and a secular lifestyle as the most effective way to ensure the survival and evolution of Jewish ideals.
• Traditional religious behaviour when not accompanied by the highest ethical standards is viewed as a desecration of Judaism.
• Reconstructionists urge a strong commitment to both tradition and the search for contemporary meaning.
• Reconstructionists regard religious community as having an important role to play in shaping individual patterns of religious observance.

• Rabbinical Structure

• Jewish congregations and institutions are led by a Rabbi (Hebrew for “my master”), whose role has evolved to one similar to that of Christian priests and ministers.
• Congregations call rabbis to be their religious leaders and educators.
• Rabbis meet in Rabbinical Councils to determine matters of religious significance and to take care of internal administration.
• The chief rabbis in Israel, one for the Ashkenazic (European) and one for the Sephardic (Oriental) communities, are regarded by many as the supreme arbiters on matters of faith.

Propagation of the Faith

• Propagation of the Jewish religion has traditionally been based in efforts to help Jews retain their religious beliefs. Synagogues have shuls, religious schools where religion, language and culture are taught to children. Members are strongly encouraged to marry within the faith and to raise their children in the faith. The primary role of the religious leader, the rabbi, is that of teacher of the faith. Jews do not normally attempt to bring others into the faith, though non-Jewish spouses are encouraged to convert. Among some Orthodox Jews, however, conversion is not seen as conferring legitimacy as a Jew.

Major Celebrations and Observances

Days of Regular Observance

• Sabbath: from 18 minutes before sunset on Friday until 42 minutes after sunset on Saturday.

• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year): late September or early October.

• Fast of Gedaliah (commemorates the death of the last governor of Judea in 586 BCE, after the Babylonians burned the first temple).

• Ten Days of Repentance (period of reflection and repentance): the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, during which Jews fast and ask forgiveness from G-d, as well as from other people): from before sunset the day before Yom Kippur until after nightfall on Yom Kippur, the 10th day of Tishri, the first month of the Jewish civil year.

• Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles, a harvest festival during which families may have meals in a sukkoth, a temporary booth or hut decorated with fruit and vegetables; on the first day special prayers are said at the synagogue): nine days, beginning five days after Yom Kippur.

• Hosanna Rabba (congregation members walk around the synagogue seven times and sing prayers for salvation): seventh day of Sukkoth.

• Shemini Atzereth (prayers for rain): eighth day of Sukkoth.

• Simhat Torah (celebration at the end of the year’s Torah readings): ninth day of Sukkoth.

• Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication; includes Festival of Lights, for which candles are lit each night and small gifts may be exchanged): eight-day festival in December.

• Asarah B’Tebet (day of fasting to commemorate the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BCE).

• Hamishah Asar Bishvat (minor festival, celebrating a new year of trees).

• Fast of Esther: from the morning of the day before Purim until sundown when Purim begins.

• Purim (Feast of Lots, celebrating the rescue of the Jewish empire from destruction; the story of Purim is read in the synagogue): February or March.

• Pesach (Passover, a celebration of the exodus of Hebrews from enslavement in Egypt; see Dietary Requirements section for requirements for the day before Passover).

• Lag B’Omer (festival commemorating the Bar Kochba revolt against Rome; trips may be taken and bonfires built).

• Shavuoth (commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai; dairy products may be eaten, and the Torah is studied well into the night).

• Shiva Asar B’Tammuz (day of fasting commemorating the Babylonian breach of Jerusalem’s walls and the ensuing Jewish exile).

• Tisha B’Av (major fast that commemorates the day the Babylonians destroyed the first temple, in 586 BCE, which is also the same day the second temple was destroyed in 70 BCE.

Special Observances

• Holocaust Memorial Day.

• Israeli Independence Day.

• Jerusalem Liberation Day.

Dress Requirements

• Jewish men may cover their heads with a kipa, or yarmulke, a small cap that covers the crown of the head, as a sign of respect for G-d. It is worn during prayer and during meals, and some Jewish men choose to wear it at all times.

• Men may also wear under their everyday clothing a four-cornered garment with fringes at each corner.

• Men may wear side curls of hair and avoid shaving.

• When married, some women may choose to cover their hair with a scarf.

• Both men and women dress modestly.

• Men and women may cover their arms and legs.

Dietary Requirements

Jewish dietary laws are quite complex. Readers who are involved with the preparation and serving of kosher food and those who have an interest in learning more about this subject are referred to an authoritative source such as Judaism 101 — Online Encyclopedia of Judaism (http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm) or the Orthodox Union (http://www.ou.org).

The Fundamental Rules

Observance of Jewish dietary laws (kashrut, or kosher law) is considered a call to holiness, a call to distinguish between good and evil and to make the right choice. Although some of the laws appear to have a basis in hygiene and healthy living, the purpose of many is obscure. Jews see their observance as obedience to G-d’s commandment. The details of kashrut are extensive. However, the laws for preparation and serving of kosher foods all derive from a few basic rules:

• Certain animals (camel, pig, hare, shellfish, birds of prey, and others) may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.

• Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.

• All blood must be drained from the meat or broiled out of it before it is eaten.

• Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.

• Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat.)

• Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food if the contact occurred while the food was hot.

• Grape products made by non-Jews may not be consumed.

• Dietary laws extend to methods of preparation, use of utensils and dishes, and manner of serving.

Fasting

• Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. Eating and drinking are forbidden from sundown to sundown.

• Fasting is practised from dawn to nightfall on six other fast days: the Fast of Gedaliah, the Fast of Tevet, the Fast of Esther, the Fast of Tammuz, Tisha B’Av, and the Fast of the Firstborn (day before Passover)

Medical and Health Requirements

• If a limb is amputated, it must be buried.

• Jews may object to organ transplants or donations.

• Euthanasia is not permitted.

• Abortion is not permitted unless the life of the mother is threatened. The fetus should be buried.

• Artificial insemination using the husband’s sperm is acceptable.

• Sterilization is only acceptable if it alleviates a health risk.

• Birth control is acceptable for medical reasons.

• Male children must be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.

• If death is expected or is imminent, the person should not be left alone. A rabbi should be called to visit and say prayers.

Death and Burial

Jews believe that the human being is composed of a body and a soul, and at the time of death, the soul rejoins G-d in heaven and the body should be buried, as it turns to dust and once again becomes part of the Earth. Death and burial practices are designed to honour and dignify the body. Laws of bereavement are observed to help family and friends through the grieving process.

• Burial should take place within 24 hours or as soon as the family can gather.

• The body may not be left unattended from the time of death until burial.

• The body may not be cremated.

• Jews are opposed to autopsies in most cases.

• If a coroner orders an autopsy, the rabbi should be consulted. Organs may not be removed.

• During the period of bereavement, the immediate family observes seven days of mourning (shiva). During this time, the family receives visitors and gifts of food. This is followed by 30 days of social withdrawal and one official year of mourning.

• Remembrance services take place after the death and when the tombstone is unveiled.

Sources of Additional Information

http://www.bnaibrith.ca — official website of B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish organization promoting awareness of Judaism.
http://www.us-israel.org/index.html — the Jewish Virtual Library.
http://www.mk.ca — official website of the Jewish Community Council of Montreal, which has a guide for kosher foods.
http://www.kosher.co.il/orgs/canada.htm — lists contact information for kashrut food authorities in Canada and worldwide.
http://www.cjc.ca/ — website of the Canadian Jewish Congress; includes links to Canadian Jewish organizations (see site archives).
http://www.haruth.com/JewsCanada.html — Jewish Canada website; has links to Jewish synagogues across Canada.

Reform

http://uahc.org/ — website of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

UAHC
633 Third Avenue
New York City, NY 10017-6778
USA
Phone: (212) 650-4000

Conservative

http://www.uscj.org — website of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

USCJ Canadian Region
1000 Finch Avenue West
Suite 508
Toronto, ON M3J 2V5
Phone: (416) 667-1717

Orthodox

For a list of synagogues, call Community and Synagogue Services at 212-613-8226.

http://www.ou.org — official website of the Orthodox Union; the Union offers detailed information on kosher foods and is the North American Orthodox Jewish governing body for dietary laws.

http://www.ou.org/network/synagogues/ synagogues.cfm — website with a list of Canadian Orthodox synagogues.

Reconstructionist

http://www.jrf.org/cong/directory-all.html#Canada — website with a list of Canadian Reconstructionist congregations.

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Beit Devora
7804 Montgomery Avenue
Suite 9
Elkins Park, PA 19027-2649
USA
Phone (215) 782-8500