BUILDING BRIDGES
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 5: JUDAISM 1—THE BIRTH OF THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITION
BY MARY K. ISAACS
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 8:00:12 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The Jews started it all—and by "it" I mean so many of the things we care about, the underlying values that make all of us, Jew and Gentile, believer and atheist, tick. Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings ... we would think with a different mind, interpret all our experience differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us. And we would set a different course for our lives. — Thomas Cahill, author of The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
Jewish people number only 14 million worldwide (about two-tenths of one percent of the world's population, or one of every 500 people), yet Judaism is one of the major religions. As the first of the Abrahamic religious line that birthed both Christianity and Islam, Judaism's legacy encompasses at least 3.6 billion people, well over half the population of the globe. Considering the theological, cultural, and political reach of these three faiths across the world's geography, many scholars, such as Thomas Cahill, argue that the influence of Judaism reaches nearly every person who shares our planet.
Judaism and Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism acknowledges our Jewish and Christian faith heritage as one of our Sources. In our contemporary society, Unitarian Universalists share with Jews strong values for education, equality, religious freedom, and social justice, grounded in a theological position that human agency matters in our own fates and the fate of our world. Further, both Jews and Unitarian Universalists believe we have a responsibility to act to make a difference. Congregations affiliated with religiously liberal branches of Judaism often cooperate with Unitarian Universalist congregations in social justice work, as well as in practical matters, sometimes sharing facilities.
Unitarian Universalism has many members who grew up ethnically, culturally, and/or religiously Jewish. Some may identify as both Jewish and Unitarian Universalist, while others may view themselves as simply Unitarian Universalist. In your congregation, there may be UUs with Jewish background who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with the group. Invite these members to speak from their own, individual experience; do not present anyone as a spokesperson for all UU Jews, or for all Jews.
A Range of Jewish Expression
Judaism in the U.S. today has secular participants (culturally Jewish) as well as adherents who represent a wide range of religious observance. Many, but not all, identify with an institutionalized movement in Judaism—Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or Reconstructionist. Jews may or may not belong to or attend a synagogue. Judaism has fundamentalist expressions in Orthodox and Chasidic communities which remain close-knit; adherents strictly observe laws given in the Torah (the five books of Moses, or, Old Testament) as interpreted by scholars and leaders of their branch of Judaism. Traditional Judaism asserts that the Torah contains 613 commandments, and many Orthodox Jews try to follow all 613 as literally as possible. The detailed rules for keeping a Kosher household and diet are among these—for example, the biblical injunction against cooking a calf in its mother's milk dictates separate dishware for dairy meals and meat meals in a contemporary Kosher home.
Strictly observant Judaism may not make sense to youth: You might point out that, for some people in many different faiths, living strictly by the rules of their religion strengthens both their faith and their identity in ways they find meaningful, even necessary. The terms "People of the Book" and "People of the Law" date back many centuries to a time when Jewish observance was generally fundamentalist in this way. However, these terms rightly capture an enduring value of study and inquiry across all branches of Judaism—another value shared with Unitarian Universalism.
It may also be worth pointing out that while Jews of European (Asheknazi) heritage comprise a majority among Jews in the U.S., if not the world, Judaism also encompasses large Sephardic (non-European) communities across North Africa and the Middle East as well as non-European communities in India, Ethiopia, Uganda, and China. There are African American Jewish congregations in the U.S., and converts to Judaism from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Israel — A Flashpoint
Study of the Jewish faith may spark youth's comments or questions with regard to Israel, its right to exist, its role in international politics. It is important to clarify, first, that Judaism is both a religion which anyone may explore, practice, or embrace in faith and a people with a long history which recently includes the formation of a homeland, the modern State of Israel. Explain briefly that Israel's establishment in the Middle East was arranged by the U.S., Great Britain, and France following the Allied defeat of Hitler's Nazi Germany. Youth probably know that under the Nazi regime, six million European Jews were exterminated along with numbers of political dissenters, homosexuals, and others. They may not know that Europe's Unitarians also suffered, including Norman Capek, the Czech Unitarian minister who created the flower communion ritual many Unitarian Universalist congregations use today. As needed, explain that Jews in the U.S. today—indeed, around the world—vary widely in their feelings about the concept of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East, their attachment to the State of Israel, and their support for the actions of the Israeli government.
In adult, political discourse, controversy about Israel can serve as a flashpoint for stereotypes about Jews, particularly the wrong beliefs that Jews have special powers to advance their needs over other peoples' or that Jews think they matter more than other people. You might explain that when Judaism calls itself "the Chosen People," this phrase reflects a Jewish faith tenet. Religious Jews believe God, speaking through Abraham and then Moses, chose the Jewish people to shoulder the responsibility of doing God's work on earth—that is, to promote justice and well being, and act as stewards to earth and all life on it. Whether and how this Jewish tenet informs the State of Israel's political actions may be a topic worthy of exploration.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 15 |
Activity 1: Story — Abraham's Covenant with God | 20 |
Activity 2: Hope for Tomorrow | 25 |
Activity 3: Jewish Holidays | 15 |
Activity 4: Fact Sheet | 5 |
Activity 5: Time Line | 5 |
Faith in Action: Making It Right | |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: Engagement | 120 |
Alternate Activity 2: What's in a Name? | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Consider the endurance of the Jewish faith and the Jewish people. Hundreds of generations have carried Judaism across hardship, persecution, and minority, transient status in others' homelands. What makes a faith and a people endure? In what situations have you experienced your own endurance, and how did you do it? Was your faith was stronger than your fear? Did a community give you comfort and support? Were there ways you adjusted your expectations, in order to keep hope and survive?
In European history, Jews rejected bitterness when they might have justified and embraced it. Jewish teachings often use humor, and Jewish wisdom acknowledges human imperfection. When has rejecting bitterness helped you endure? Have humor or realism worked as tools to help your endurance?
Think of Judaism's gifts to humanity, among which are the Christian and Islamic faiths, religious homes to nearly half the people on Earth. Recognize the Jewish strains of thought in the principles of social justice, truth-seeking, and covenanting we celebrate in Unitarian Universalism. Prepare to invite youth to explore this ancient, enduring faith.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
1. God Creates the World in Six Days (then Rests)
2. Jonah and the Big Fish (Whale)
3. Lazarus Raised from the Dead
4. Moses and the Ten Commandments
5. Daniel and the Lion's Den
6. The Prodigal Son
7. Queen Esther Saves Her People
8. John the Baptist
9. Noah and the Ark (the Great Flood)
10. Samson and Delilah
11. The Good Samaritan
12. Joseph and His Amazing Coat of Many Colors
13. Adam and Eve
14. Wise King Solomon
15. Cain and Abel
16. David and Goliath
17. The Birth of Jesus
18. Lot, His Wife, and the Pillar of Salt
19. The Book of Ruth
20. Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Description of Activity
As participants enter, invite them to read the list of stories and identify which they think are from the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Old Testament. When it is time for the session to begin, share with youth that all the stories except for numbers 3, 6, 8, 11, and 17 come from Hebrew scripture. Point out that biblical stories from Hebrew scripture connect Unitarian Universalists to our Jewish religious heritage.
OPENING (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Answer any questions you were unable to answer at the last workshop meeting.
Then light the chalice with these words:
We light this chalice in celebration of Unitarian Universalism and the sustaining faiths of all people of the world. May the flame represent the fire of our commitment to understand all faithful people and build bridges that connect us as one human family.
Invite participants to check in by saying their names and briefly sharing something from their personal experience with or knowledge about Judaism. Say there are many Unitarian Universalists who are personally connected to Judaism and some in the group might identify as Jewish. Invite youth who identify as Jews to share their experience with Judaism, if they are comfortable doing so.
Ask what questions participants have about Judaism. Write the questions on newsprint. Answer the ones you can. Tell the group this workshop may answer some of their questions and, after the workshop, you will seek answers to remaining questions which you will share at their next meeting.
Read or share in your own words the information in Leader Resource 1. List important terms from the resource on newsprint.
Share Leader Resource 2; explain that Judaism is the first of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
ACTIVITY 1: STORY — ABRAHAM'S COVENANT WITH GOD (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Tell participants that Jews are called God's Chosen People because of a covenant formed between Abraham and God, described in the biblical Book of Genesis. Biblical archaeologists and historians date this event at approximately the 15th century BCE. At the time the covenant was formed, Abraham had the name Abram, and his wife's name was Sarai. Invite participants to listen for the names of Abram and Sarai in this story—they are the same people as the biblical Abraham and Sarah whose names are more familiar. Explain that, in the Book of Genesis, God instructs Abram and Sarai to change their names to Abraham and Sarah.
Tell or read aloud the story, "Abraham's Covenant with God."
Then, share, in your own words:
In these chapters in Genesis, God mentions making a covenant for the first time. Later chapters explain more of the terms of the covenant. Scholars differ on the historical accuracy of biblical descriptions of events. Whether it is strictly accurate or not, this story tells about the birth of Jewish faith.
If participants have done Workshop 4, Hinduism, ask the group whether the story of Abram and Sarai seems more, or less, fantastic than the Bhagavad Gita, in which Lord Krishna stops time to help Arjuna in his spiritual crisis. Point out that the two histories show God interacting with people in different ways.
Facilitate a discussion with questions such as:
ACTIVITY 2: HOPE FOR TOMORROW (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in your own words:
Facilitate a discussion with questions such as:
Invite youth to create images of what they hope for themselves, the people they love, their congregation, and their world. This assignment may be a stretch for youth who do not feel especially hopeful or youth who have adopted a pessimistic or dour persona. Encourage them to express even a small hope they have, perhaps for a sunny day or to do well on a test. Assure them that even small hopes can shine bright!
When youth complete their creations, involve everyone in clean-up. Invite volunteers to talk about their art. Ask youth if they are willing to include their works in a display. Some may wish to take their artwork home instead.
ACTIVITY 3: JEWISH HOLIDAYS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
As part of the Jewish covenant, God expects observance of holy days. Some observances are dictated in scripture; others have grown from tradition. Some Jewish holy days and holidays may be familiar to youth.
Form teams. Give each team an envelope and ask participants to match the nine holy days and holidays with ways Jews observe them and what they celebrate or commemorate.
Allow seven minutes for teams to complete the matching. Then read the correct matches aloud.
Ask youth if they know which holy day Jews consider the most important. The answer is, the Sabbath. Jews are commanded to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. Observant Jews in modern times try to strictly follow biblical injunctions against working on the Sabbath; they will not drive a car, or turn appliances off or on in their homes. A liberal Jew might keep the Sabbath by lighting candles before dinner on Friday night or making time for restful activities together with their family on Friday evening or Saturday. A religious Jew would view strict Sabbath observance as a "must" for keeping their covenant with God; a liberal Jew might keep the Sabbath in their own way as a welcome reminder to be in regular touch with their faith and values.
Share this quote from Ahad Ha'Am, a Russian Jew writing at the turn of the 20th century:
More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.
Ask the youth how they think keeping a weekly observance might have the effect of holding a religious people together.
Now invite youth to recall observances of Jewish holy days or holidays they have participated in. Encourage volunteers to share their experiences.
Point out observances of Jewish holy days or holidays that occur at your congregation. Ask volunteers to recount how your congregation has observed Pesach (Passover), Yom Kippur, Chanukah, or another Jewish holy day or holiday. Ask:
ACTIVITY 4: FACT SHEET (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute Handout 1. Review the handout and answer participants' questions. Point out that Jewish teachings, along with Christian teachings, is our fourth Unitarian Universalist Source. Ask: What part of today's workshop illustrates how wisdom from Judaism is a Source for our living faith today?
If you plan to engage the group with a Jewish worship service, give participants the information they need.
ACTIVITY 5: TIME LINE (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Ask participants if they remember the approximate date historians believe Abraham formed the covenant with God (15th century BCE). Place the sticky note on the time line.
Point out that this is the earliest date we have for a non-indigenous faith, a religion whose birth date we can identify.
Ask participants if they remember in what part of the world Judaism was born. Point out Israel on the map. Ask where Judaism is practiced today. (Jews live all over the world, but Israel is the only Jewish nation.)
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group around the chalice. If needed, relight the chalice.
Revisit questions generated in the Opening. Lift up answers that have emerged during this workshop. Note questions that remain unanswered and tell the group what you will do to find answers before the next meeting.
Distribute Taking It Home. Invite participants to sit in a circle and join hands and say together:
All our bridges meet in the middle, in a Unitarian Universalist circle of faith. We are connected with all that lives. We continue with all who seek. We belong with all who love. Go in peace until we meet again.
Extinguish the chalice together.
FAITH IN ACTION: MAKING IT RIGHT
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in your own words:
Remind the youth that it takes strength to apologize. Unitarian Universalists are historically very courageous! Encourage participants to let their faith sustain them in the sacred action of confronting their wrongdoings and making amends.
Distribute paper and pens/pencils and give these instructions:
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Take the time to discuss with co-leaders:
Discuss how you can use your answers to these questions to prepare for future workshops.
Plan who will seek answers to questions about Judaism that arose in the workshop.
Display the artwork participants have given you permission to post—in a public congregational space, if possible. Post an explanation that the images are youths' visions of hope.
TAKING IT HOME
The Jews started it all—and by "it" I mean so many of the things we care about, the underlying values that make all of us, Jew and Gentile, believer and atheist, tick. Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings ... we would think with a different mind, interpret all our experience differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us. And we would set a different course for our lives. — Thomas Cahill, author of The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we examined the ancient religion of Judaism, including how it began and some of its enduring values and contemporary expressions.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
One can be ethnically Jewish, culturally Jewish, religiously Jewish, or a combination of these. How is your ethnicity connected to your religion? Have you inherited both from your birth parents? As you have grown from an infant to a youth, what layers of ethnicity or religion have you acquired? From whom, or where?
Do you think of yourself as being a hopeful person? Do you believe in hope? What might be the benefits of practicing hopefulness, intentionally thinking more hopefully about things?
EXPLORE THE TOPICS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Prayers
Religious Jewish practice involves prayers of praise and gratitude toward God. In our increasingly secular society, a common time for people to say a prayer is before a meal. Use these questions to begin a family discussion:
No Touching
With the exception of opposite-gender parents, children, or spouse, ultra-Orthodox Jews do not touch members of the opposite sex, even to shake hands. Avoiding physical contact is seen as a way to keep the covenant; the rule is intended to help people focus on a close relationship with God and Torah rather than on other people. Limiting physical contact to only a few people—those very precious to you—reinforces the importance of the physical contact you do have. Discuss the restriction with your friends.
English's Yiddish Words
Yiddish is a Germanic language of Jewish origin that is spoken worldwide in Jewish communities with European roots. Yiddish has contributed many words to common English. See if you, your family, and friends can match the Yiddish words below with their English definitions. For answers, check out the playful Bubby Gram (at www.bubbygram.com/yiddishglossary.htm) or the more formal Yiddish Dictionary Online (at www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/).
Unitarian Universalist Connections
Unitarian Universalists for Jewish Awareness (at www.uuja.org/) is an organization committed to addressing the Jewish dimension of Unitarian Universalism's multicultural challenge.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: ENGAGEMENT (120 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Prepare the group to observe the guidelines you have been given by your contact at the synagogue you will visit. For example, explain where youth will find yarmulkes to put on before entering the worship sanctuary; explain where male and female participants may sit during the service. As needed, explain that the tradition of covering one's head reflects respect for God's sacred space and that the separation of men and women is intended to minimize distraction in the synagogue.
Provide guidance for the observations you expect youth to make during the visit. If you have made a handout, distribute it. Tell youth to write their observation notes after, not during, the worship service. Mention that religious Jews do not write on the Sabbath and it would be disrespectful for a guest to write, as well.
Attend service at a synagogue. If possible, meet afterward with someone knowledgeable in Judaism or with the synagogue's youth group for discussion.
After the visit, follow up with participants on the observations you suggested. To prompt further discussion, ask:
Including All Participants
Visit the temple ahead of time to locate accommodations for youth with disabilities.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: WHAT'S IN A NAME? (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in your own words:
In ancient Jewish society, a person's name was considered a definition of who they were. The Bible has frequent stories of people who, following transformation, change their name or are assigned a new name by God. After Jacob (the Betrayer) wrestles with the angel of God, he is humbled and his life is completely changed. To honor this transformation, God renames him Israel (Wrestler with God). When Abram and Sarai conceive a child, and thus begin the Jewish line, God honors the event by renaming them Abraham and Sarah.
Many cultures practice this tradition when young people come of age. In many faiths, youth take the name of someone in their religious heritage whose life and works they admire and whom they would like to emulate in adulthood.
Distribute Handout 2 and the list of participants' names, and allow participants a few moments to review and discuss them.
Invite youth to consider what it would be like to have a name that defines who they are. Ask: If their name could represent what is most important to them or a personal goal or a significant aspect of their family's history or faith, what would that name be?
Distribute writing materials and invite youth to brainstorm for a few minutes. Encourage them to jot down anything that comes to mind—things they would want a name to say about them. Have youth review their lists and see what themes emerge.
Invite volunteers to share their ideas. Ask:
Have youth use their ideas and themes to research names. They can share their research in the next workshop.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
STORY: ABRAHAM'S COVENANT WITH GOD
From The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Genesis, Chapter 12, Verses 1-9
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
Genesis, Chapter 13, Verses 14-18
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.
Genesis, Chapter 15, Verses 12-21
said to Abram, "Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; 14 but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
HANDOUT 1: JUDAISM FACT SHEET
Birthed: Approximately 15th century BCE
Adherents: 14 million, about .2-percent of the world population
Ranking: Eighth, behind Christianity, Islam, Atheism/Agnosticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism. Nevertheless, Judaism is considered one of the "Big Five" world faiths with Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Judaism is less than four percent the size of Buddhism, which has 360 million adherents. The other three have 900 million or more.
Prophets: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Moses, Miriam, Joshua, Jonah, many more. All Old Testament books named after people are named for Jewish prophets.
Texts:
Torah — The first five books of Hebrew scripture (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), are also called the Pentateuch.
Tanakh — Hebrew scripture, including the Torah, Prophets (scripture including God's direct messages to the Hebrew prophets), and Writings (writings of the prophets guided by God). The Tanakh is sometimes referred to as the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament.
Talmud or Oral Torah — consists of two parts: the Mishnah (explanations of Torah committed to writing after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem) and Gemara (centuries' worth of rabbinical questions, discussions, and commentaries on Torah).
Midrash — a body of oral and written narrative that represents rabbis' and scholars' contributions over centuries to flesh out or illuminate the stories in the Torah.
Clergy: Rabbis ("teachers" in Hebrew) are self-selected. They can prepare by a combination of private study, individual mentoring, formal education including Jewish seminaries, and work in ministry. Continuous lifelong education is expected of Jewish religious leaders. Institutionalized movements in U.S. Judaism—Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, etc.—each ordain clergy; their requirements for preparation and schooling vary. Traditionally, a private gathering of three rabbis can ordain a rabbi within their own Jewish community. There is no rabbinic hierarchy in Judaism, though a large congregation may have a senior rabbi and one or more assistant rabbis.
Symbols: Star of David, menorah (seven-candle candelabra), yarmulke (male head covering), synagogue (house of worship), tallit (fringed prayer shawl)
Terms and Fundamental Precepts:
Shabbat—Jewish Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
Mitzvah (plural mitzvot)—literally "commandment"—may refer literally to one of the Torah's 613 commandments or instructions to the Jewish people, or, more generally, to a kind or righteous deed.
Kosher—literally "fit"—describes food that is in keeping with Jewish law. There are laws applying to kinds of food, food combinations, slaughter, preparation, and serving.
Rosh Hashanah—Jewish New Year; begins the period of High Holy Days that concludes with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of the Jewish year, a time of celebration, worship focused on giving thanks and taking personal stock of how one has kept covenant with God and with others over the course of the preceding year. Jews eat sweets (in European tradition, apples and honey) in symbolic herald of a sweet new year.
Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement, the most solemn holy day of the Jewish calendar. A day of fasting, reflection, and prayer. Expected mitzvot for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are to "come clean," to engage in the difficult effort to make things right with those you have wronged or offended.
Channukah or Hannukah—"Festival of Lights" celebrating a miracle of Jewish history.
G-d—the way the name of the deity appears in Jewish scripture and other writings. Writing the name of God is seen as presumptuous and risky: presumptuous because we are only human, and risky because if it is written and subsequently crumpled or destroyed it would be blasphemy.
Passover—High Holy Days celebrating God's deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. The term "Passover" specifically relates to God's sparing, or passing over, Jewish families in the tenth and final plague, Plague of the Firstborn, when God killed all firstborn sons in the land of Egypt. After this event, the Pharaoh allowed the Jews to leave. Passover is the most observed holiday in the Jewish calendar, frequently celebrated even by nonobservant Jews.
Exodus—Departure of Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Exodus cannot be dated with certainty. Most commonly placed at 1440 BCE or 1290 BCE; the 15th-century date is more consistent with biblical narrative, while the later date is more consistent with archaeological findings. However, there are discrepancies in each case.
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform—Three branches of modern Judaism that vary by how strictly adherents observe Jewish law. Orthodox Jews try to live strictly within the exact, literal specifications of the commandments; Conservative Jews try to adhere to the most important commandments and to maintain the spirit of the commandments throughout their lives; Reform Jews try to uphold the spirit of the commandments to revere life without feeling they must follow the letter of the law. Interpretations can vary from a person hardly ever thinking about obeying the commandments to someone who thinks of their faith constantly and adapts every facet of their lives to keeping the commandments. There is often tension among the branches, yet always recognition of their shared cultural heritage.
Mezuzah—Hebrew blessing mounted on a Jewish household's doorframe as a reminder of the household's covenant with God and God's blessing on their home.
Shared with Unitarian Universalism:
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
HANDOUT 2: TRADITIONAL JEWISH NAMES
Abram — Exalted Father
Abraham — Father of Many / Father of Nations
Amos — To Carry
Baruch — Blessed
Benjamin — Son of the South
Chaya — Life
Esther — Star
Ethan — Solid, Enduring
Ezra — Help
David — Beloved
Deborah — Bee
Ephraim — Fruitful
Eli — Height, Ascension
Hannah — Favor or Grace
Hillel — Praise
Isaac — He Laughs
Israel — One Who Wrestles with God
Jacob — Supplanter (one who takes another's place) / Betrayer
Joseph — He Will Add
Leah — Weary
Levi — Attached
Marni — Rejoice
Martha — Lady, Mistress of the House
Maya — Water
Menachem — Comforter
Miriam — Bitterness, Rebelliousness, or Wished for Child
Naomi — Pleasantness
Rachel — Ewe
Raisa — Rose
Reuben — Behold, a Son
Ron — Song, Joy
Sarah — Princess / Princess of All
Sarai — My Princess
Shayna — Beautiful
Shimon (Simon) — Hearkening, Listening
Solomon — Peace
Tobiah — Yahweh Is Good
Uriel — God Is My Light
Zelda — Luck
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: JUDAISM BACKGROUND
Although ancient, Judaism is not considered an indigenous religion; it is based on the revelation of religious wisdom and law to the people, not on an understanding that grows from personal experience or intuition. Revelation is believed to be a direct interaction between God and a human being.
Monotheistic
Monotheistic religions worship one God. In Judaism, God is conceived of, communicated with, and understood only as a singular entity—unlike Hinduism, in which God may be "separated" into hundreds of deities. Jewish monotheism does not allow practitioners to worship images of God. Out of respect, traditional Jews will not write the name of God (instead, in English, a Jew might write "G-d").
Non-creedal
Although scholars debate whether Judaism can be described as non-creedal, the religion is primarily concerned with what practitioners do and less with what they believe.
Jews call themselves the People of the Law, People of the Book, or the Chosen People because of the covenant God made with the Jewish people, which includes laws, given in the Torah, which the people must obey. Different branches of Judaism today practice these laws to a greater or lesser degree. Orthodox Jews live strictly within the exact, literal specifications of 613 commandments given in the text of the Torah, shaping every facet of their lives to keep them. Conservative Jews adhere to the commandments they consider most important and maintain the spirit of the covenant. Reform Jews may symbolically follow selected commandments, but focus on a conceptual keeping of the covenant by honoring God, caring for the earth and all life on it (the world God created), and working to promote justice and heal our world. Reconstructionist Jews are religious humanists who emphasize Jewish values, culture, and history over teachings from biblical text.
Many people consider themselves Jewish by heritage, yet know little of the Jewish religion and may in fact belong to another faith (such as Unitarian Universalism) or none at all. Likewise, many without a biological Jewish heritage consider themselves Jewish by affinity or through formal conversion. In contemporary Western cultures and in Israel today, the range of Jewish identities, beliefs, and practices can cause tension to the point where some conservative Jews do not recognize converted Jews or religiously liberal Jews as Jewish at all.
Judaism's Ties to Unitarian Universalism: Social Justice
Like Unitarian Universalism, Judaism is linked with public witness and action to promote justice. Jews believe in the concept of tikkun olam, or, repair of the world, and thus feel charged to act to make a difference to make the world a better place. Further, Jewish history includes thousands of years of marginalized status, discrimination, enslavement, and even genocide by those in power. Others' experiences of injustice often resonate with Jews for that reason. Jews from fundamentalist through secular often share a resolve to do what they can to make the world better for those who cannot help themselves.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: WORLD RELIGIONS DISTRIBUTION MAP
Used by permission of the author, D. Bachmann.
Download a high-resolution PDF (at www.uua.org/documents/tapestry/bridges/map.pdf) for printing.
Pink = Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Yellow = Dharmic faiths (Hinduism, Buddhism)
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 5:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: JEWISH HOLY DAYS AND HOLIDAYS
Holy Day/Holiday: Rosh Hashanah
Celebrates: New Year (Rosh Hashanah, two days), beginning of High Holy Days period
Observed by: Two-day period of worship including sounding the shofar (ram's horn trumpet); dipping apples in honey; abstaining from work; tashlich ceremony, or symbolically casting off of sins by throwing bread crumbs in the river.
Holy Day/Holiday: Yom Kippur
Celebrates: Day of Atonement, most holy of the High Holy Days; conclusion of the High Holy Days period
Observed by: Much of the day is spent in synagogue in prayer. Fasting; repentance; sounding of the shofar.
Holy Day/Holiday: Succoth
Celebrates: Harvest festival that also commemorates the forty years of wandering in the desert between leaving Egypt and reaching the Promised Land
Observed by: Building and decorating a sukkah, a temporary shelter outdoors; use of the four species (palm, willow, myrtle, and citrus branches) in worship services.
Holy Day/Holiday: Simchat Torah
Celebrates: The Torah as a tree of life for the Jewish people; affirmation of lifelong study; conclusion of the year's weekly Torah readings and starting a new cycle of reading the Torah from the beginning.
Observed by: Joyful celebration; Torah scrolls are taken from the ark and carried or danced around the synagogue seven times. During the service, the concluding section of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Torah, is read, followed immediately by the opening section of Genesis, or B'reishit as it is called in Hebrew.
Holy Day/Holiday: Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Celebrates: The rededication of the Temple after it was defiled in ancient times
Observed by: Eight days of celebration include lighting candles on a hanukiah (a nine-candle menorah); playing with a dreidel (toy top); eating latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiyot (sugared donuts); some Jews living in majority Christian societies give gifts.
Holy Day/Holiday: Purim
Celebrates: Esther, a Jewish queen of Persia, saving her people from death
Observed by: Reading the Book of Esther aloud (the megillah) and sounding a noisemaker each time the story's villain (Haman) is mentioned; performing the Purim story in costume; merrymaking
Holy Day/Holiday: Passover (Pesach)
Celebrates: The story of the Exodus, the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt; God's "passing over" Jewish households during the tenth plague of Egypt
Observed by: A seven- or eight-day period that begins the evening before the first day with a seder (ritual meal) and the reading of the Haggadah, the story of the Exodus; eating matzoh instead of leavened bread; observant Jews may clean their homes of all foods not allowed during Passover; in worship services, beginning the counting of the 49-day Omer period (in preparation for Shavuot, the holiday which marks the Jews' receiving of the Torah from God at Mount Sinai).
Holy Day/Holiday: Shavu'ot (Festival of Weeks)
Celebrates: The Jewish people's receiving of the Torah
Observed by: Reading the Torah and the Book of Ruth; all-night Torah study at a synagogue; completing the counting of the Omer; a celebration with dairy foods.
Holy Day/Holiday: Shabbat (Sabbath)
Celebrates: Doing the mitzvah (God's commandment) of rest from work on the seventh day of the week, freedom, time spiritual learning
Observed by: Abstaining from work; sharing a Friday evening meal with family and visitors which may include blessings over candles, a beverage, and food; studying Torah, attending worship services, or taking time for spiritual learning; quiet time with family.
FIND OUT MORE
Jewish Teachings and Practice
The Judaism 101 (at www.jewfaq.org/toc.htm) website offers basic, wide-ranging information on modern Judaism.
My Jewish Learning (at www.myjewishlearning.com/) is a comprehensive website with information on Jewish holidays, life, beliefs, global demographics, and more. Though centered on European Jewry's history and contemporary practices, the website also addresses a range of cultural communities and diverse practices within Judaism.
On the Ask Moses (at www.askmoses.com/en/article/411,99/What-is-a-Mitzvah.html) website, you can type questions and receive answers from a rabbi or another person learned in Judaism. Research kashrut (at www.askmoses.com/en/article/139,48/What-is-Kosher.html) (keeping Kosher) and other topics.
The Absolute Astronomy website offers a variety of encyclopedia-style articles about facets of Judaism, including "Atheist Jew (at www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Atheist_Jew)" and "Humanistic Judaism (at www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Humanistic_Judaism)."
History of Judaism
A PBS Nova program, "The Bible's Buried Secrets (at www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/bibles-buried-secrets.html)," can be viewed onilne and is available on DVD (at www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=3333844). The program is supported with material on the PBS website, including "Archeology of the Hebrew Bible (at www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/archeology-hebrew-bible.html)," an article by William Dever, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, and "Writers of the Bible (at www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/writers-bible.html)," an interview with Michael Coogan, professor of religious studies at Stonehill College.
A website published by the Christian Resource Institute offers "The Date of the Exodus (at www.cresourcei.org/exodusdate.html)," Dennis Bratcher's compilation of a variety of kinds of evidence suggesting a date for the Jewish Exodus from Egypt.
The Eighth Day: The Hidden History of the Jewish Contribution to Civilization by Samuel Karlinsky (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1994) is an excellent scholarly book on Jewish contributions to humankind.
Torah, Commentary, and Interpretation
The Internet Sacred Text Archive (at www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm) website offers the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation of the Tanach (at www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jps/index.htm)—the Five Books of Moses plus the Books of Joshua, Judges, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings.
A searchable, comprehensive Complete Torah (at www.mechon-mamre.org/index.htm) is published by Mechon Mamre ("the Mamre Institute"), an Israeli group of observant Jewish Torah scholars.
An article (at www.islamreligion.com/articles/330/) on The Religion of Islam website explores how both Torah and Talmud function as authorities for observant Jewish practice.
Israel, Today
The website of the Central Intelligence Agency offers a factual brief about modern Israel (at www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html) including history and demographics.
The Jewish Virtual Library (at www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/) published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise offers information about Israel including its links with U.S. organizations and enterprises, its position in international politics, and a "virtual tour" of the land.
Unitarian Universalism and Judaism
Unitarian Universalists for Jewish Awareness (at www.uuja.org) convened in February, 2011, hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (at www.uuca.org/worship/spirituality-groups), a congregation that has a group for Jewish awareness and celebrations; find information about L'Chaim (at www.uuca.org/worship/spirituality-groups) on the congregation's website.