BUILDING BRIDGES
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 6: JUDAISM 2—PEOPLE OF THE LAW
BY MARY K. ISAACS
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 8:01:41 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
In a free society, some are guilty. But all are responsible. — Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, 1944; 1964
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. — Psalms 1:1-3 (New Revised Standard Version of the Bible)
This workshop continues the study of Judaism. Participants learn the core Jewish biblical story of Moses' receiving the Ten Commandments and examine the role of prophets in Jewish thought and history. They explore the tension between the identity of the Jews as a people and the spectrum of religious expression in Judaism as a faith. To extend youth's look at how some Jewish practices and values might relate to or could enrich their own lives and faith, this workshop offers a Faith in Action activity on kashrut (Jewish observance around food). Alternate Activities invite youth to develop a year's calendar of Unitarian Universalist readings, delve into Viktor Frankl's philosophies regarding the meaning of suffering, or experience a Passover seder.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 15 |
Activity 1: Story — Moses and the Ten Commandments | 25 |
Activity 2: God Speaks through Prophets | 25 |
Activity 3: Passion for Justice | 20 |
Faith in Action: Every Bite You Take | |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: Unitarian Universalist Lectionary | 25 |
Alternate Activity 2: Meaning in Suffering | 20 |
Alternate Activity 3: Passover Seder | 0 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Meditate on the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments as allegory. The fact that no witnesses were present when Moses received the stone tablets from God does not diminish the story's allegorical strength. What lessons do you draw from this story that are relevant to your daily life?
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Greet participants. Ask them to take a copy of Handout 1 and a pen/pencil and write responses to the challenging situations listed on the handout. Invite them to discuss their responses with their peers in the time before the workshop begins.
OPENING (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Answer the questions you were unable to answer during the last workshop.
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 relating either:
Read or share in your own words the information on Leader Resource 1. List important terms from the resource on newsprint.
ACTIVITY 1: STORY — MOSES AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Remind the group that the covenant God made with Abraham, described in the Book of Genesis, is the reason Jews are called God's Chosen People. Point out that, according to the Hebrew Bible, direct communication between God and certain Jewish prophets continued over many generations. Explain that, in both biblical and historical tradition, Moses—"the Lawgiver"—was Judaism's most important prophet.
Share the following:
This is one biblical account of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai by God. Another appears in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights; God's instructions to Moses fill twelve chapters of the Hebrew Bible. At the end of the forty days and forty nights, in the last verse of Chapter 31 of Exodus, the Bible states: "And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."
Tell or read aloud the story, "Moses and the Ten Commandments."
Invite initial responses to the story. Then ask:
Distribute Handout 2 and pens/pencils and invite youth to rank the Ten Commandments in their personal order of importance. Invite them to add rules to the Ten Commandments if they feel a necessary rule is missing. Allow a few minutes for the youth to complete this.
Ask volunteers for any rules they wish to add to the Ten Commandments. Write each addition on a new sheet of newsprint.
Then, invite the group to re-number the Ten Commandments and the additions, based on the importance of each rule. Tell them they need not agree on the ranking. Ask them to come to the newsprint sheets and write the number they assigned each rule.
With participants, discuss the rankings they assigned to the Ten Commandments. Ask:
Suggest that the rules which seemed necessary and important to the ancient Hebrews might be different than the most imporant rules needed in our society today. Ask:
Now invite the youth to examine the rules they added. Taking the rules one at a time, invite participants (whether they contributed a rule or not) to say why they feel the rule is needed. Encourage participants to respect one another's ideas. Remind them that a person's ideas about what rules we need express that person's values and concerns; everyone's ideas should be honored.
Prompt further discussion with these questions:
Including All Participants
If any youth are unable to easily move to the posted newsprint and write their rankings of the Ten Commandments, offer to do it for them or invite them to choose a peer to do it.
ACTIVITY 2: GOD SPEAKS THROUGH PROPHETS (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Invite a volunteer to define "prophet." Point out that Abraham and Moses were prophets and that the Torah, where the stories of these men are found, also contains stories about many other prophets. Tell them Judaism recognizes 55 prophets from Hebrew scripture—48 male and 7 female.
Lead the group to play the game or do the role-playing activity you have planned.
Afterward, process learning with questions such as these:
Read to the group the text of the second Unitarian Universalist Source:
Words and deeds of prophetic women and men...
Ask:
ACTIVITY 3: PASSION FOR JUSTICE (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Ask participants to define "justice." Write youths' answers on the sheet of newsprint. If you do not hear "righteousness," "lawfulness," or "fairness," you might suggest them.
Remind youth of the previous workshop on Judiasm and the concept of tikkun olam, "heal the world." Say, in your own words:
Justice-making can be a way to heal the world. While the Torah is considered "the Law" in Judaism, Jews believe that to seek true justice we must be ready to interpret the law. Since ancient times, Jewish text, commentary, and traditions have dealt with questions of justice. A famous story "The Judgment of Solomon," told in the Book of First Kings, is one example.
Invite five volunteers to perform a skit. Give each a copy of Leader Resource 3 and distribute the props. Allow the actors time to review their scripts before they perform.
After the skit, inform the group that Solomon is not always considered a prophet in Judaism, but his counterpart in Islam (Suleimain) is considered one. Yet, to Jews, he is still an important figure and a wise king.
Invite youth to share their initial responses to the story. Prompt discussion with these questions:
Say:
Solomon's decision reflects the Jewish desire for a justice not based merely on written laws, but ultimately on compassion. Like other religions, Judaism is a living faith that helps adherents live in the grey space that can arise between "law" and "justice." As Solomon was clever in seeking to apply a law fairly, living Judaism looks to the Torah for law, yet the lens that God wants us to live together in a climate of compassionate justice. Interpreting and analyzing the teachings and stories of the Torah is central in all movements in Judaism, from ultra-Orthodox to contemporary humanist. While the "baseline" Jewish belief is that Torah contains all God's laws for people, it is also true that Judaism has long been lively with debate about how to interpret "the Law" so we may live, in our modern circumstances, the obedience to God and the compassionate justice toward one another that God asked of the ancient Hebrews 5,000 years ago.
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group around the chalice. If needed, relight the chalice.
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: EVERY BITE YOU TAKE
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute Handout 3 and say, in your own words:
Remind participants that food is part of our everyday life and is necessary for our survival. Use these questions to prompt discussion about spiritual practice related to food:
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Review today's workshop with your co-leader. As a continuation of the group's exploration of Judaism, did the youth grasp the additional concepts introduced? Did they appreciate the strength of connection between Judaism and Unitarian Universalism? Many youth, experiencing the strong emotions of adolescence, feel they have deep understanding of suffering; how did the Viktor Frankl activity (Alternate Activity 2) resonate for them? Consider how to use your answers to these questions to shape future workshops.
Workshop 9, Activity 3 involves a guest speaker. If you plan to lead this activity, read the instructions now so you can issue an invitation in plenty of time.
TAKING IT HOME
In a free society, some are guilty. But all are responsible. — Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, 1944; 1964
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. — Psalms 1:1-3 (New Revised Standard Version of the Bible)
IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we learned Judaism's core story about Moses and the Ten Commandments, and considered the relevance of the Ten Commandments to our lives today. We learned about some prophets in Hebrew scripture and acted out a story about King Solomon that explores justice. We learned more about concepts and practices of Judaism and sought connections between Jewish practices and values and our own faith.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
EXPLORE THE TOPICS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST LECTIONARY (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants discuss merits of a lectionary and explore what they would like to see in a Unitarian Universalist lectionary.
Tell the group:
Judaism is the first of the great faiths to establish a lectionary—a cycle of readings. Most Jewish congregations read the entire Torah in worship services over the course of either one or three years. Many other faiths have lectionaries of their sacred texts, including most Christian denominations, Islam, and many others. Many Christian groups use a three-year cycle to work their way through the biblical material they want to include. The lectionaries are widely used, so in a given denomination, congregations all over the world are pondering the same readings and themes on any given day of worship.
Ask participants if they can see the value of worshipers in a denomination sharing some parts of their worship experience with other people all over the world. Would that serve as a unifying force within a denomination?
Point out: One important purpose of using a lectionary is so members are exposed regularly to the most important sacred literature of their faith. Ask the youth: Do they think it could it strengthen Unitarian Universalism to have texts that nearly all Unitarian Universalists knew well?
If so—and many Unitarian Universalist ministers and theologians think it could—then how would we choose? The six Sources of inspiration we cite are:
We could create a lectionary with a different reading every single day for ten years, and not cover all the texts offering wisdom from these Sources! But because it very well could strengthen our faith to have texts we all actually knew something about and because it is worthwhile to think about what is most important...
What If... ?
Distribute writing materials. Invite the youth to brainstorm the most important things they have ever read. This would be works that affected them profoundly, brought them something they needed at a critical time, left them thinking, or even changed their lives. Let youth know this does not have to be something considered "serious," nor does it have to be intentionally instructive... sometimes people's lives are changed by a poem, song, essay, children's book, or portion of a novel. That's one joy of being Unitarian Universalist; we have no limitations in this area; we are free to take wisdom wherever we find it.
Give the youth a few minutes to think and write individually. Then, ask if any are willing to share. Have a volunteer write the ideas on newsprint. After collecting their ideas, further discussion with questions such as:
Ask the youth if they would like to do anything with these ideas. Would they like to pursue thinking about and perhaps creating a more comprehensive list of things to include? Perhaps they would like to share their ideas with their minister, a Unitarian Universalist scholar, or the UUA. Would they want to create a reading cycle for themselves, whether or not their congregation used it?
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: MEANING IN SUFFERING (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. — Viktor Frankl, 20th-century Viennese Jewish writer
Description of Activity
Distribute Handout 1 and pens/pencils, and invite the youth to take a few minutes to respond, in writing, to some of the challenging situations provided on the handout. Allow the youth a few minutes to respond on their handouts. (Or, if the group has done the Welcoming and Entering activity, ask everyone to find their copies of Handout 1 with their notes.)
Now, ask for a volunteer to read the quotation you have posted on newsprint, or, read it aloud yourself. Invite discussion: Do youth agree with it? Why, or why not?
Tell the group Victor Frankl was a Jewish Holocaust survivor who created an approach to psychotherapy based on insights from his experiences in concentration camp. Explain that logos is a Greek word for "meaning." Explain that logotherapy rests on six assumptions:
1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable.
3. People have a will to find meaning in life.
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be meaningful.
6. The individual is unique.
Share this summary:
These assumptions say every human is a unique combination of body, mind, and spirit. Our lives are composed of unique experiences. We make meaning out of these experiences, which help us make future decisions and more experiences. Every person always has freedom to find meaning in any and all experiences. Finding meaning in our lives is our primary motivation for living.
Now share this excerpt from Frankl's most famous book, Man's Search for Meaning:
And as we stumbled on for miles, slipping on icy spots, supporting each other time and again, dragging each other up and onward, nothing was said, but we both knew: each of us was thinking of his wife...
A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth—that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man[kind] can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man[kind] is through love and in love....
The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. ... Man(kind) can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress....
If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an eradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete.
Ask participants:
Invite the youth to refer to their individual copies of Handout 1, What Now? Ask them how their answers might differ now. Allow a few moments.
Remind the group that Frankl survived extreme suffering and emerged with his spirit strengthened. Ask: Does it always work that way for everyone? Affirm that there can be times when anyone may feel they have too much pain to bear. That does not mean one's spirit is weak or faulty. In those times, we need to turn to the supports that can help our spirits stay strong. Religion might be one of these. Friends, family, and loved ones can help. It is important to reach out to others when we need support and to be there for others when they need support.
Suggest that the youth, too, might have within them the strength of a Viktor Frankl, the ability to discover the power of love in times of suffering.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 3: PASSOVER SEDER
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Eliyahu Ha Navi,
Eliyahu Ha Tishbi,
Eliyahu, Eliyahu,
Eliyahu Ha Giladi.
Bimhera yavo elenu,
Im Mashiach ben David. (2x)
(Translation: Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Giladite, May he soon come to us, with Mashiach the son of David.)
Description of Activity
Youth gain a greater understanding of Passover and celebrate Jewish heritage with other people of faith.
As Unitarian Universalists, we celebrate the diversity of faiths in our world. One way of doing this is to celebrate holidays with people of other faiths. Most communities have synagogues or Jewish organizations that invite non-Jews to Passover seder. Jewish members of your congregation might celebrate Passover with a seder. As a group, prepare for and attend a seder at Passover.
One way to prepare would be to invite a Jewish member of the congregation to speak to the group about the meaning of Passover. Your minister might speak to the group. You could also download information from the websites above.
Before the seder, obtain a copy of the haggadah (the text that sets out the order for the seder) used. Review the parts of the haggadah. What meaning does it hold for them? More generally, what meanings from Passover do they see reflected in our Unitarian Universalist faith?
Ask youth how they think the haggadah and the seder might hold different meanings for Jews and non-Jews. Invite any youth who identify as Jewish to reflect on the different meaning they might draw from the Passover rituals, as Unitarian Universalists who are also Jewish.
Share with the group that it is controversial that some UU congregations hold seders. Do they feel this is cultural misappropriation? What if UUs of Jewish heritage lead the Seder? Does that change things?
Including All Participants
Determine the accessibility of the seder location. Make arrangements so everyone in the group will be able to participate fully.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
STORY: MOSES AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
From Hebrew scripture, the Book of Exodus.
Exodus, Chapter 19, Verses 16-25
It came to pass on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder claps and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very powerful blast of a shofar, and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered. 17 Moses brought the people out toward God from the camp, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. 18 And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently. 19 The sound of the shofar grew increasingly stronger; Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice.
20 The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the peak of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the peak of the mountain, and Moses ascended. 21 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people lest they break [their formation to go nearer] to the Lord, and many of them will fall. 22 And also, the priests who go near to the Lord shall prepare themselves, lest the Lord wreak destruction upon them."
23 And Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot ascend to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, Set boundaries for the mountain and sanctify it." 24 But the Lord said to him, "Go, descend, and [then] you shall ascend, and Aaron with you, but the priests and the populace shall not break [their formation] to ascend to the Lord, lest He wreak destruction upon them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and said [this] to them.
Exodus, Chapter 20, Verses 1-15
God spoke all these words, to respond:
2 "I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.
4 You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.
5 You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, 6 and [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.
7 You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain.
8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.
9 Six days may you work and perform all your labor,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your beast, nor your stranger who is in your cities.
11 For [in] six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.
12 Honor your father and your mother, in order that your days be lengthened on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.
13 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
14 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor."
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
HANDOUT 1: WHAT NOW?
Does your attitude about life, your base level of happiness and hope for the future, change when bad things happen to you? When bad things happen, do you tend to be: Happy and positive no matter what? Upset but generally trusting that good will come eventually? Recognizing things could be good again, but generally dejected and negative? Absolutely depressed? Angry or frustrated? Would humor play any part in your response?
Think about what your attitude about life would be if any of the following things happened to you. Write your response in the space below each event.
Discuss your responses with friends. On the above list, do you think some events might affect your life outlook more than others? What factors contribute to how "big" your reaction is to an event, or how far-reaching a change it might bring? What is your thought process when something bad happens? Is your inclination to incorporate humor in your response? Do you think it would be better if you reacted differently than you usually do? If you do think it would be better to react differently, how could you go about changing?
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
HANDOUT 2: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Traditional adaptations from Hebrew scripture, Exodus 20:2-14.
Jewish Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord your G-d.
2. You shall have no other gods before me; You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your G-d.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (lie).
10. You shall not covet anything belonging to your neighbor.
Protestant Ten Commandments
Preface: I am the Lord your God.
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make unto you any graven images.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
10. You shall not covet anything belonging to your neighbor.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
HANDOUT 3: LAWS OF KASHRUT
"Kashrut" means "fitness." Food that has been prepared according to the laws of kashrut is kosher—"fit"—for consumption by an observant Jew. Many Reform Jews do not keep kosher; Orthodox Jews eat only kosher food; Conservative Jews usually follow the laws of kashrut but less strictly than their Orthodox counterparts.
NOTE: Sometimes restaurants will call a dish "kosher style" but this is a misnomer. "Kosher" refers to a process—the how, not the what. Any style of food (Chinese, Indian, Mexican, etc.) may be prepared kosher or non-kosher.
Kosher (permitted) | Trayf (forbidden) |
Animals that chew their cud, have cloven hooves, are not diseased or flawed, and have been ritually slaughtered (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats, deer) | Pork (ham, pork bacon, pork sausage, pepperoni), camel, rabbit, rodents, reptiles, any animal that died of natural causes or was killed by another animal |
Domesticated fowl: chicken, turkey, quail, geese, ducks | Birds of prey and scavengers (eagle, hawk, vulture) |
Sea animals with fins and scales, such as salmon, tuna, carp, herring, cod | Sea animals lacking either fins or scales (all shellfish: crab, lobster, shrimp, clam, octopus, swordfish, sturgeon) |
Meat or dairy, as long as they are eaten several hours apart | Meat eaten with dairy (e.g., a cheeseburger, tuna with a glass of milk) |
Wine or grape juice made in a kosher facility (under rabbinic supervision) | Any other wine or grape juice |
Soft cheese and kosher hard cheese | Most hard cheese |
All fruits, vegetables, and grains are permitted except grape products (see above) | Insects |
Food Preparation and Eating
Pots, pans, dishes and utensils carry the status of the food last heated in them. Kosher homes have at least two sets of cookware, dishes, and utensils, one set for preparing and eating meat and the other for dairy.
Keeping kosher away from home requires making sure of ingredients as well as kosher preparation.
Foods sold in grocery stores are marked with specific symbols if they have been certified kosher by a rabbi or the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. Most common of these are a "K" inside a circle (but not a "K" by itself), a "P" inside a circle (meaning fit for Passover), and "pareve" (PAR-uh-vah), meaning "neutral." Pareve foods can be eaten with either meat or milk products.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: ADDITIONAL JUDAISM BACKGROUND
In our previous workshop on Judaism, we learned that Judaism is monotheistic (believes there is one God), covenantal (based on a covenant of faith and practice between its believers and God), varied in its expressions, and geared to raise awareness and gratitude for every aspect of life. We also recognized that Judaism, grounded in the Torah and its stories, birthed both Christianity and Islam and has comprehensively influenced Western philosophy, culture, and thought.
Here are some other important things you should know about Judaism.
A People, and a Faith
Judaism is both a nation and a faith. In ancient Jewish history and in Hebrew scripture, the two aspects of Judaism were intertwined. However, in our contemporary society, an individual who identifies as Jewish by heritage may or may not also consider themselves Jewish by religion. Further, there is great variety among Jews' religious beliefs and practices. A Jew might belong to a synagogue in Judaism's Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or Reconstructionist movement; to a faith community which follows a particular leader, such as the Chasidic Lubavitch community; or to an informal faith community called a chaverah (ha-veh-RAH) which meets for worship, without a rabbi, in people's homes.
Many Jews consider themselves "cultural" Jews; while they do not embrace Jewish theology or observe religious rituals, they may affirm faith-based principles and values associated with Judaism. They may honor some combination of ethnic and religious practices at home.
The State of Israel is a political entity. Its identity is based on the nationhood of the Jewish people. However, in Israel one will find as broad a spectrum of Jewish religious identity and beliefs as one sees among Jews in the U.S.
The Diaspora
A central feature of Judaism is the historical fact of the diaspora (dee-AS-por-uh), or scattering, of the Jewish people across the globe. The homeland of the ancient Hebrews was the kingdom of Judea in Jerusalem in the 6th century BCE. The heart of the kingdom was its Temple. When the Babylonians conquered Judea, they destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and exiled most of the Jewish population. Many traveled and settled together, but Jews fanned out in every direction and many have never been "home," that is to Jerusalem, since.
Destruction of the Second Temple
Over the next several hundred years, Jews regained Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, again according to biblical instruction. However, in the year 70 CE, just after Passover, the Jerusalem city walls were breached by Titus Caesar, son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian. It took Roman soldiers another three weeks to defeat Jews defending their city, but they slaughtered everyone left in the city and on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, the very same day the First Temple had been destroyed, the Romans burned the Second Temple to the ground.
The destruction of the Second Temple is one of the most important days in Jewish history. The Jews who escaped the massacre in Jerusalem fled for their lives, and the diaspora was renewed. Today, all Jews living outside the State of Israel are considered to be living in diaspora.
Matrilineal
Judaism has traditionally been matrilineal, meaning it follows the female bloodline. Someone born to a Jewish mother is considered Jewish. In biblical times, the community might not know a child's father but would usually be sure of who a child's mother was; that is sometimes given as an explanation for the matrilineal tradition. The Torah indicates the matrilineal principle, in Deuteronomy (7:3-4):
Thy daughter thou shalt not give to his son, nor shalt thou take his daughter to thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods.
This clearly implies that the ancient Hebrews believed a child's loyalty to Judaism followed the mother. Matrilineal descent was codified into Jewish law before the 2nd century CE and remained incontestable until the 20th century. In the U.S. and other Western countries, interfaith couples where the woman was not Jewish began bringing children into Judaism. These couples became dissatisfied that their biological children needed a conversion ceremony in order to be considered Jewish. In 1983, the Reform movement of Judaism—the most religiously liberal—agreed to accept children of Jewish fathers as Jews, without a conversion ceremony, if they had been raised as Jews. This is still absolutely rejected by Conservative and Orthodox Jews, however, who accept anyone as Jewish with a conversion ceremony, but only automatically consider someone Jewish who had a Jewish birth mother.
Prophetic Tradition
Most of the names we think of as from the Bible are from the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament, and they almost all are prophets, meaning human beings who have received truth directly from the Source, personified in the Bible as God. Jonah, Deborah, Samson, Miriam, David, Daniel, Moses—55 in all—are people in Hebrew scripture considered prophets in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Unitarian Universalism also proudly follows a prophetic tradition. While we do not always call our religious sources prophets, and we do not always call our source of truth God, we honor the truth that human beings receive directly from their own experience and intuition, and honor the sacred calling to share what truth we come to know.
Our story this workshop is about one of the most important prophets of the Hebrew Bible: Moses.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: TEN HEBREW PROPHETS
Category: Daniel
Category: Deborah
Category: Elijah
Category: Isaiah
Category: Jeremiah
Category: Jonah
Category: Joshua
Category: Miriam
Category: Noah
Category: Samuel (Shmuel)
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: THE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON
Adapted from Hebrew scripture, 1 Kings 3:16-28.
Narrator: Now the guard brought two women to King Solomon. They stood before him.
Guard: These women bring a dispute before you, my Lord.
First Woman: My Lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There was no one in the house but the two of us.
Second Woman: But the night after my baby was born, her baby died. And now she is saying I took her baby.
First Woman: Yes! Her baby died in the night and she switched him for my baby.
Second Woman: In the morning, she found her baby dead, and now she wants to take mine! Don't let her take my baby, my Lord.
First Woman: When I got up to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked closely at him in the morning light, I saw it was not my son who was dead. It was hers.
Second Woman: The living one is my son. The dead one is yours.
First Woman: No! The dead child is yours. The living one is mine.
Solomon: Hold! You each say the same: My son is alive and your son is dead.
[Solomon turns to Guard.]
Solomon: Bring me a sword.
Narrator: So they brought a sword for the king.
[Guard holds out the sword.]
Guard: And now, my Lord?
Narrator: King Solomon then gave an order.
Solomon: Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.
[Guard turns toward the baby and raises the sword.}
First Woman: Oh, wait! Please, my Lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!
Second Woman: Neither you nor I shall have him. Cut him in two!
[Guard again raises the sword.}
Solomon: Guard, stop! Do not kill the child. Give the living baby to the woman who wished him spared. She is his mother.
Narrator: When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw King Solomon had wisdom from God to administer justice.
FIND OUT MORE
Ten Commandments
The website of the Biblical Heritage Center offers a comparison of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant versions (at www.biblicalheritage.org/Bible%20Studies/10%20Commandments.htm) of the Ten Commandments.
Viktor Frankl
On the Logotherapy Institute (at www.logotherapyinstitute.org/About_Viktor_Frankl.html) website find information on logotherapy and its founder, Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), a Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning.
The PBS website has a biography of Viktor Frankl and some writings (at www.pbs.org/wgbh/questionofgod/voices/frankl.html).
Ritual Eating and Ethical Eating in Judaism
Read about varied and evolving perspectives on keeping kosher in Reform Judaism (at www.beth-elsa.org/be_s0119a.htm) in a thoughtful, 2001 sermon by Rabbi Barry H. Block.
The online "Kosher Wizard: A Guide to Eating Jewishly (at www.chabad.org/generic_cdo/aid/113424/jewish/Kosher.htm)" from the Chabad-Lubovitch organization is an excellent comprehensive resource for Jewish dietary law and keeping kosher.
An article on the website of the London-based organization, Liberal Judaism, describes the biblical basis and practical interpretation of the laws of kashrut (at www.liberaljudaism.org/written-word-resources/values-and-affirmations/123-ethical-eating.html). The article explains where laws of kashrut and principles of ethical eating do, and do not, intersect.
The Union for Reform Judaism (at urj.org/) and Hazon (at www.hazon.org), a Jewish environmental organization, jointly created the curriculum Food for Thought (at urj.org/life/food/?syspage=document&item_id=27461). Appropriate for grade-school through adult learners, its chapters include "Gratitude, Mindfulness and Blessing Our Food;" "Food and Ethics: The Implications of Our Food Choices;" and "Today's Golden Calf: How Much Red Meat Is Enough?"
An article by Aaron Gross in Tikkun Magazine, "When Kosher Isn't Kosher (at www.jewishveg.com/media11.html)," is posted on the website of Jewish Vegetarians of North America. The book Eating Animals, by Jewish American writer Jonathan Safran Foer (Everything Is Illuminated), brings a moral perspective to ecological and humane concerns related to meat-eating.
Passover
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Judaism provides a comprehensive Passover resource guide (at www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm).