HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

Jewish
Piety and Festivities
Jewish piety is determined by the Commandments of the Torah and by centuries of “midrash,”or scholarly
interpretation of the Torah and its meaning. They seek to live a life in accordance with the will of God and
provide structure and significance for day-to-day life and celebration days.
T
O R
Laws of Everyday Life
A
H
The Torah
Dietary laws include avoiding certain types of
meat, such as pork, as well as prohibiting the
common storage and consumption of meat
and dairy products together. All foods that are
permissible to eat by the Commandments of the
Torah are referred as “kosher.” Every week Jews
observe the Sabbath, the seventh day of the
week, as a day off from work.
Worship Services and Festivities
The Torah brings salvation and orientation in all aspects
of Jewish life. Fundamental aspects of the Torah Commandments
include circumcision, observation of the
Sabbath, purity provisions, and dietary laws. The purity
of people reflects upon the sanctity of God. Impurities
include types of skin diseases, bodily excretions, blood,
and above all, contact with the dead. People can retain
purity by immersion within a ritual bath (mikvah) while
impure objects also can be made fit for use through a
method of purification.
Shabbath
Celebrated in the home or synagogue, it is permissible
to break the Commandment of the Sabbath
only when danger is perceived to life and body. (On
Sabbath day, doctors will only operate on those that
are near death. If you`re not about to die, don`t even
bother going to the emergency room on a Friday
night.) In addition, personal piety involves prayers,
fasts, and good works.
The public ceremonies of Judaism are celebrated in the synagogue.
According to the Orthodox Judaism, ten adult Jewish
males must be present during sermon. As common prayer and
reading of the Torah are the focal points of service, within a one
year (three years within Reform communities) the entire text is
recited. Today, the Hebrew Torah is commonly recited within a
sermon held in the local language. Main prayers of the Jewish
service are the “Shema” (“Hear Israel”) and the “Amidah” (“18 Blessings”).
In Orthodox Judaism, a “tefillin”(prayer belt and jacket), a
“tallit” (prayer cloak or shawl), and a “kipa” (cap) are worn during
the prayer.
The annual Jewish festivals and customs were mostly linked with
luminary movements and the vegetative cycle. They were first
established as celebrations of the actions of God such as the
Exodus from Egypt.
Community rituals celebrate each stage of life: The circumcision
of male infants on their eight day; the religious ceremony (“Bar
Mitzvah”) associated with males in their 13th year coming of age
(in Reform Judaism females hold a similar celebration, the “Bat
Mitzvah”); both the proposal and act of marriage, and then finally
death. Important annual festivities are Rosh Hashanah (New Year),
Hanukkah, and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
COOLFACTS
- Zionism
Due to widespread anti-Semitism,
Jewish scholars since the late
19th century have hope for the
modernization of the Jewish
people through the establishment
of Israel as a nation.
Theodor Herzl (also an important
street in Tel Aviv named after him)
is considered as the founder of
the Zionist movement with his
work “The Jewish State” (1896).
The seventh World Zionist Organization
in Basel voted for the
establishment of Palestine as the
homeland for Jews throughout
the world. In May 1948, the Israeli
Declaration of Independence was
publicly read in Tel Aviv.
The ascent to power by the
National Socialists in Germany
overshadowed the 18th Zionist
Congress in Prague in 1933.
- Middle Ages to
the Early Modern Period
Judaism achieved a cultural period
of bloom in the Middle Ages,
primarily on the Iberian Peninsula
and the German cities. However,
it also experienced persecutions
and expulsions.
High points of terror came with
the Crusades, which were increasingly
accompanied by pogroms
– organized persecution- of the
Jews as well as their expulsion
from England (1290) and Spain
(1492). Around 12,000 Jews lived
in Germany at the start of the
Early Modern period.
The first Jews settled in North
America in 1646.
- Enlightenment to
the Foundation of Israel
Different branches of Judaism
began developing from the 19th
century onward in Western Europe
and the U.S. as a reaction to the
Enlightenment. While Orthodox
Jews chose a more isolationist position,
others sought assimilation.
More than ever before, Jews strove
to gain equal rights within societies
in which they were a minority.
This was first achieved in France
following the French Revolution.
The Nazi ascension to power in
Germany in 1933, resulted in unprecedented
anti-Semitic actions.
With the Wannsee conference in
January 20, 1942, the systematic
mass murder of Jews living in the
German-controlled regions was
decided.
On May 14, 1948, David Ben
Gurion proclaimed the state of
Israel, which was successfully
established.
Israel`s main airport is named
after David Ben Gurion.