Student2Student_OrientationMaterials

Student to Student
Orientation and Training Session
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97204414932
Meeting ID: 972 0441 4932
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Introductions – the same introductions you’ll give at the start of presentations
a. Your first name and pronouns
b. What school you attend, your year, what branch of Judaism you identify with
c. Your interests and any activities you participate in
3. Why Student to Student?
4. What is a Presentation?
5. Presentation Strategies
6. Logistics of Student to Student
7. Discussion Session: Challenging Questions
8. Conclusion

Student to Student 2020-2021 Mock Presentation – Developed by St. Louis
Breindy, Joe, Naava, and Sela
1. Introduction—Joe
a. Explanation of JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) and the Student to Student program
(“We’re here to talk about our lives as Jewish teens.”)
b. Each person introduces first name [NOT last name], school, grade, main activities/interests, and branch
[NOT sect] of Judaism, giving brief definition/explanation of branch.
i. Reform - Choice through knowledge: Knowing the laws and traditions of Judaism but choosing those
practices that are most meaningful to you.
ii. Conservative – (Not in the middle!) Seeking to conserve the laws and traditions while taking a more
flexible approach to interpretation of the law and being open to some change in ritual and practice.
iii. Orthodox – Adhering as closely as possible to the laws of the Torah.
c. Some basics of Judaism:
i. Monotheistic (belief in one God).
ii. Our holiest book, the Torah, and related texts are our guidebooks that teach us how to treat others, how
to make the world better, and how to practice our religion.
d. Welcome questions!!!!
2. The Jewish Life Cycle—Naava
a. Birth:
i. Bris (or brit milah) for boys: circumcision [no need to go into details] on baby boy’s 8th day; linked to
Abraham’s covenant with God in the Book of Genesis.
ii. Simchat Bat for girls: naming ceremony (translates as celebration of the daughter).
b. Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Explain: “son/daughter of the commandment,” coming of age event.
i. Pass around Chumash or Tikkun [and miniature Torah, if one is available].
ii. Personal experiences, including possible mitzvah projects.
iii. If possible, chant (and translate or give synopsis of) a couple verses from a Torah portion or haftorah. You
can always chant the V’ahavtah.
iv. Show and explain siddur, kippah, tallit, and tefillin, if available. Possibly talk about mitzvah project.
c. Jewish Wedding - Explain symbolism of chuppah--home that the couple will create together [demonstrate
by holding up tallit as canopy], groom stomping on glass--reminder that even on this happiest of days, we
remember the world is broken and the Holy Temple that once stood in Jerusalem is gone.
i. Celebration includes joyful dancing, raising bride and groom on chairs as an expression of joy.
d. Death – Funeral: we bury the body as soon as possible, taking turns shoveling soil into the grave.
i. Shiva: the community takes care of the mourning family, traditionally for seven days.
e. Questions?
3. Shabbat—Breindy
a. Explain: Shabbat is the “Jewish Sabbath,” which begins each week at sunset Friday and ends at sundown
Saturday. Torah sources: the Book of Genesis—six days of creation, seventh day rest; and the Ten
Commandments.
b. Light then say and translate prayers over candles, kiddush [with cup], motzi over challah; then pass it
around for each student to tear off a piece [leave it in the plastic bag for hygienic purposes].
c. Each participant explains personal observance of Shabbat; its significance to them, and favorite part.
d. Props and explain: Havdalah, which means separation between Shabbat and rest of week.
e. Questions?
4. Holocaust/Antisemitism Discussion—Sela
a. Share experiences of family members whose lives were affected by the Holocaust.
b. If available, pass around “And Every Single One Was Someone.” Explain: Nazis didn’t see Jews as individuals;
the single word “Jew” is repeated 6 million times in the book, but if you consider that each word represents
a person who lived and had a name, who had a family, love, a home ... then that simple word means so
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much. Each page has 4,800 words. Perhaps just one column could represent the number of people in your
grade or on your street.
c. Because of our experience, Jewish people and organizations are often involved in social justice causes and
often work to prevent and end genocide.
d. Ask them what they think are the percentages of Jewish people in the U.S. and in the world. Explain that
Jews make up less than .2% of the world population and 2% of U.S. population (and 2% of STL).
e. The FBI has reported that 58% of all religious-based hate crime incidents target Jews in the U.S. target Jews.
f. Discuss antisemitism and share any incidents that have happened to you or your family.
g. Questions?
5. Israel—Naava
a. Importance of Israel as homeland for the Jewish people, location of our holiest sites.
b. Jewish people pray facing towards Jerusalem and the Kotel--from the U.S., we face east.
c. Jews have lived in Israel for thousands of years--state established in 1948 by U.N. mandate.
d. Culture and democracy:
i. Similarity to U.S.— Play music and show them Hebrew kids’ books, e.g. Harry Potter.
ii. Israel is the only real democracy in Mideast, which is why it’s a close U.S. ally.
iii. Because it’s a democracy, Israel has religious freedom and great diversity among its people.
e. Technology pioneers—ask “How many of you use cell phones, texting, thumb drives, e-books?” All invented
or developed in Israel. Show them the “pill cam,” if available.
f. “How Big is Israel?” Pass out map in your folder, have them find Israel--note its size.
g. Personal significance, visits, photos. Explain what Israel means to each group member.
h. Explain Hebrew language. Write their names in Hebrew [always a popular activity!]. Teach a Hebrew line,
e.g., ? /“Mah Nishmah?”/ (“What’s up?”) and בָּ‏ בָּ‏ ה ‏(”‏Sababa”/“Awesome‏“)סַ‏
i. Questions?
מַ‏ נִ‏ השְׁ‏ מָ‏ ע
6. Kashrut—Joe
a. “Kosher” means “fit to eat.”
b. Torah source for kashrut: Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
c. Basic laws of Kashrut:
i. Meat/milk separate, different sets of dishes; from “Don’t boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk.”
ii. Land animals must have split hooves and chew their cud (multiple stomachs), e.g., cows. Pigs have split
hooves, but do not chew their cud, so they’re not kosher.
iii. No birds of prey or shellfish; fish must have fins and scales. Give examples.
iv. Humane, painless killing of animals.
v. Processed foods need supervision and certification/hechsher. Write common symbols on the board:
, , , etc. Ask “Have any of you ever eaten kosher food? If so, what?”
d. Pass out kosher candy or cookies [Oreos are always popular]--ask students to find the hechsher (kosher
symbol) before they eat the cookies.
e. Personal practices/differences
f. Questions?
7. Most Recent Holiday (e.g., High Holy Days) [If there’s time during a class period]—Breindy Show Jewish
calendar [if available], explain lunar aspect of the calendar.
a. Blow shofar, which wakes us up on Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) for personal reflection: How can we be
better people? [Also wakes up students in the classroom! ]
b. Personal observances of Rosh Hashana: apples and honey, introspection, asking family/ friends for
forgiveness ….Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement--fasting, significance of the day.
c. If discussing Chanukah, Purim, or Passover, talk briefly about historical reasons for the holiday and how we
celebrate it. For Chanukah, explain why it has such a “high profile”; bring a chanukiyah (menorah) and
dreydel (explain its history), maybe even chocolate gelt. For Purim, bring a gragger, a megillah (if you have
one), and hamantaschen. For Passover, bring a haggadah, seder plate, and matzah.
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Presentation Strategies
Helpful Tips:
Possible Props to Bring:
Questions You May Be Asked:
• Plan “group bonding” activities PRIOR to
presentations (e.g., meet at a Starbuck’s, drive to
presentations together with the advisor, bake
challah, which you bring to the presentation)
• Meet, or at least talk, before presentations with
your group to go over who will introduce each
topic, bring which props, transportation details
• Be enthusiastic and encourage questions
• Bring lots and lots of props
• Use English translations, especially the first time
you use a term. Remember, most of the students
will not know the meaning of “shul,” “Shabbat,”
“Torah,” daven, etc. Instead, say
synagogue/temple, Sabbath, Bible, pray ....
• Bring food and when you talk about kashrut,
have the students find the kosher symbol(s)
• Use the advisor as a resource
• Dress appropriately, but no need to dress up
• Before your first presentation, look at the outline
and read up on your topic if you’re
unfamiliar with it
• Please don’t read directly from your notes—
practice if you need to.
• Talk about your own branch of Judaism; avoid
generalizations about Judaism
• Keep track of time
• When referring to Conservative, Orthodox, and
Reform Judaism, use ‘branches’ or ‘streams’ of
Judaism, NOT ‘sects’
• Shabbat candlesticks, candles, and matches
(light candles with teacher’s permission)
• Kiddush cup
• Challah and challah cover
• Havdalah set
• Shofar (please blow it...or at least try!)
• Props to go along with the holiday your
group may be discussing, e.g.,
o Lulav and etrog
o Chanukiyah, candles, dreidels, chocolate
gelt
o Megillat Esther, gragger, masks(!)
o Seder plate, matzoh, haggadah
• Mezuzah
• Kippot, tallit (as prayer shawl and chuppah,
and tefillin
• Parents’ wedding photo (to show chuppah)
• Photos from Israel
• Israeli flag, Israeli soda cans, etc.
• Israeli music (on your phone)
• Hebrew books, e.g., siddur, chumash, (perhaps
child’s Torah scroll), Harry Potter (a favorite!)
• Food with visible kosher symbol on packaging
• Jewish calendar
• SMILE
• Do you date non-Jews?
• What do you believe about Jesus?
• How can Israelis make peace with the
Palestinians?
• You don’t celebrate Christmas?!
• Will you go to a Jewish college?
• To those who keep kosher: You mean you’ve
never had a cheeseburger?!
• Are you allowed to go out on Shabbat?
• Are you allowed to get tattoos?
• Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?
• What do Jews think about abortion?
• Do you celebrate birthdays?
• Do you celebrate American holidays, like
Thanksgiving?
• Can I have your number?
Helpful books and websites:
• Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
• Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to
Beliefs, Customs and Rituals by George
Robinson
• www.jpost.com —Jerusalem Post
• www.timesofisrael.com—Times of Israel
• www.ynetnews.com—Ynet
• www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
• www.myjewishlearning.com
• www.bimbam.com
• www.sefaria.org
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Suggestions to enrich your presentation. (These help if you need to wake up the class!)
ü Write students’ names on the board in Hebrew.
ü Pass out food (it often helps people open up).
ü If a class says a morning prayer and the teacher asks you to offer a Jewish prayer, recite something in Hebrew.
The Sh’ma is a good choice. Be sure to translate it and explain its significance as a statement of monotheistic faith.
ü Ask questions of the class. For example, ask if students have attended a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or seen a Jewish wedding in a film or on TV.
Before speaking about kashrut, ask if anyone has ever eaten kosher food (many people don’t realize that much of what they eat
is kosher). You can also relate your information to the experiences that the students have had.
ü Do holiday-appropriate activities. For Chanukah, show them dreidels and hand out chocolate gelt. For Purim, if possible, read from
a megillah. Make noise with a gragger!
ü Remember to invite questions. Explain that you love questions and are there to answer them.
ü Have a sense of humor (which eases tension) and be creative! J
Be aware of your audience and be sensitive to their beliefs. Remember that you may be the only Jewish people the students have ever
met ... or may ever meet.
DO
ü Make sure to respond promptly when given a potential date for a presentation
ü Talk as a group to plan your presentations
ü Dress appropriately, e.g., no low-cut shirts, short skirts, or short tops
ü Be sure to arrive at the school with time to spare so you can check into the office and locate the classroom where you’ll be presenting
ü Focus on your life as a Jewish teen
ü Make your presentations as lively as possible
ü Use “props” and personal anecdotes as much as possible
ü Help the students to be part of your presentations by encouraging questions and even asking them questions, e.g., “Have you ever been
to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?” “Have you ever eaten anything kosher?”
ü Feel free to say, “I don’t know” to a question and offer to find the answer
ü Treat all questions respectfully
ü Be flexible …. If the class isn’t responding, move on to another area
ü Always remember that you may be the only Jewish person your audience will ever meet
DON’T
ü Lecture
ü Speak for other people in your group
ü Make generalizations about Judaism
ü Get into theological discussions
ü Chew gum
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Quick Reference Guide to Jewish Topics
Afterlife: The Jewish tradition contains a variety of opinions on the subjects of heaven. Very little is
actually written about the Jewish beliefs of the afterlife, probably because proper, ethical, and moral
behavior in this life (or this world, olam ha-zeh) seems to be more central to Judaism , and has its own
intrinsic reward) than what will happen in the next world (olam ha-bah). Although the Torah is vague
about the afterlife, the Talmud accepts the concept of an immortal soul, that there is a world after this
one, that some form of reward and punishment is carried out in the afterlife, that there is a place in the
next world for all righteous people of any faith, as well as a belief about the messianic era.
Bar Mitzvah: The occasion on which a boy of thirteen is formally ushered into the adult Jewish
community, and is expected to assume full religious duties, including responsibility for his own actions
for which his parents had been accountable. The occasion is generally celebrated by a young man
being called to the Torah for an honor during Shabbat services, when he is also honored by being
permitted to chant aloud the haftorah of the week (usually a section of the Prophets that relates to the
Torah portion of that week). The Bar Mitzvah usually delivers a speech about his Torah portion, a d’var
Torah. Some boys also chant from the Torah and/or lead services. The occasion is often celebrated by
a festive reception. The Bar Mitzvah celebration of today was not known in Biblical times.
Bat Mitzvah: The equivalent of Bar Mitzvah, celebrated by girls, generally at the age of twelve or
thirteen. Depending upon the branch of Judaism or the congregation, the Bat Mitzvah is called to the
Torah, delivers a d’var Torah, reads from the Torah and haftorah, and/or leads services. The Bat
Mitzvah is expected from that point on to assume the responsibilities of a young Jewish woman. Here,
too, the religious ceremony is generally followed by a festive reception.
Birth: God’s first mitzvah, commandment, to people is “be fruitful and multiply” and in Judaism, children
are thought of as a blessing, thus, it is only natural that when a child is born, a great celebration takes
place to welcome the baby to the world and to a Jewish life. For a boy, a brit milah, or circumcision, is
celebrated; for a girl, a simchat bat takes place.
Brit Milah: (also known as a Bris) Brit milah (literally "covenant [of] circumcision") is a religious
ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the
Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a mohel ("circumcisor") in the presence
of family and friends. In the Book of Genesis, our forefather Abraham was the first to have the
commandment of a brit milah, thus it links a newborn Jewish boy to a 4,000 year history and
tradition. A brit milah takes place on the eighth day of a baby boy’s life, regardless of whether it is
Shabbat or a holiday (unless the baby is not healthy enough, in which case the ceremony is
delayed). It is at this time that a baby boy is given his name, and therefore his identity in Jewish
life. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal (seudat mitzvah).
Simchat Bat: Literally, “celebration of daughter” (also called zeved habat, “celebration
of the gift of a daughter”) is a newer form of celebration and is therefore not attached to a specific
ceremony, though often, the baby girl will be named at this celebration.
Calendar: In the Jewish calendar, months are determined by lunar transitions, but years are measured
by the rhythm of the sun. The Jewish year is unique in that it sometimes has an additional month; leap
years have a thirteenth month—Adar II. To determine the Jewish year from a year in the Gregorian
(solar) calendar, add 3,760 years to the year. This new year is 5781. Jewish days begin in the evening
before the day itself.
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Candle lighting: On the eve of Shabbat or holidays in many Jewish homes, candles are lit, a specific
blessing is recited, and Shabbat or the holiday is ushered into the home. This ritual was traditionally
performed by women, but can be performed by anyone in the home. (All Jewish holidays and the
Sabbath begin in the evening preceding the day itself.) Customarily two candles are lit; in some
households the number is increased, sometimes to parallel the number of members of the family. When
lighting the candles, the person taking on this responsibility sometimes covers their head with a scarf or
hat or kippah (yarmulke). They light the candles, stretch their hands towards them and wave their hands
three times as if gathering the light towards themselves, ushering in the “Shabbat Queen.” (A Sephardic
custom is to wave the light away from oneself, symbolically sending the light into the world.) They then
cover their eyes and recite the blessing, then exclaim “Shabbat shalom,” "Good Shabbos" (or Chag
Sameach--"Happy Holiday"--when appropriate) to those who are present.
Chai: Eighteen is the numerical equivalent of two Hebrew letters, ח chet and י yud, that spell “chai,”
the Hebrew word for “life.” Gifts or donations to charitable causes are often given as “chai” dollars (or
multiples of 18). In recent years, both men and women may be seen wearing a necklace on which the
word hangs -- as a good luck charm, and sometimes as a display of Jewish identity.
Charity: (Tzedakah in Hebrew) The Hebrew word is related to tzedek ("justice"), since the giving of
material help to the needy has always been a primary Jewish principle. In a famous statement,
Maimonides tabulated eight degrees of charity--the highest form of which was to help the needy person
to help himself out of his impoverished circumstances. Jewish homes often have a tzedakah box,
sometimes called a pushka, a small container into which coins are placed just before the kindling of
Sabbath candles. When full, the container is emptied and the contents sent off to a deserving charity.
Children are encouraged from an early age to develop the habit of regular donations to worthy causes.
“Chosen” People: According to Jewish law, many Jews believe we have a special responsibility to uphold
Jewish ethical teachings, and for observant Jews, to keep the 613 commandments of the Torah. Thus, it
is interpreted by Jewish thinkers as a responsibility, and is in NO way an attempt to describe Jews as
superior or unique. Converts to Judaism are considered to be equal to born Jews in this concept of
“chosen-ness.”
Conduct: (Derech eretz in Hebrew) Both the Bible and post-Biblical literature stress the importance of
good conduct, including manners, etiquette, dignified behavior, hospitality, teacher-student relations,
and other social contacts. "Derech eretz not only precedes Torah," the Rabbis taught, "but without
derech eretz there is no Torah."
Congratulations: "Mazal Tov!" is a well-known expression of congratulations that literally means “Good
luck!” and is offered on many different occasions. "L'chayim” ("to life") is a popular toast, while the wish
that a birthday celebrant live to be 120 reminds us of the age to which Moses lived.
Conservative Judaism: One of the three major branches of Judaism in the U.S, this American-inspired
religious movement originated in the 20th century, with some ties to earlier groups in Europe. The
movement seeks to conserve the traditions of Judaism while being open to change in ritual and
observances. Conservative Judaism holds that the laws of the Torah and Talmud are of divine origin, and
thus require the following of halacha (Jewish law). Conservative Judaism strives to combine a positive
attitude toward modern culture, acceptance of critical secular scholarship regarding Judaism, and
commitment to Jewish observance. Those in the branch believe that scholarly study of Jewish texts
indicates that Judaism has constantly been evolving to meet the needs of the Jewish people in varying
circumstances, and that a central halakhic authority can continue the halakhic evolution today.
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Death / Burial / Mourning: The Jewish laws associated with death help mourners to confront the
inevitable in what many consider to be a therapeutic manner. Acts performed for the deceased are acts
of loving kindness, chesed shel emet, since no reciprocation can be expected. The Chevra Kadisha, burial
society (literally, holy society), prepares the body for burial. Bodies are buried as quickly as possible. The
mourners for the deceased (father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, and spouse) make a ritual
tear in a piece of their clothing (a symbol of their torn hearts) and will wear their torn garments for a
week of mourning. During burial, family members and friends shovel dirt in the grave to help the burial
process, which is often seen as a way of closure. Once the family members return home from the
cemetery, the period of mourning (traditionally a week), called shiva (meaning seven) begins. During this
period, mourners do not work and instead “sit shiva,” often in the home of the person who has died.
While sitting shiva, mourners traditionally sit on low chairs, do not shave or cut their hair, and have their
mirrors covered since they need not be concerned about their personal appearance. Friends and other
family members come to comfort and prepare food for them. Mourners recite the kaddish during
services to honor the deceased and, traditionally, continue to do so for eleven months.
Ethics: Jewish ethical teachings and the Jewish code of moral conduct are based on the biblical principles
of man being created in the image of God and on the command to “love one's neighbor as oneself.”
Hillel's famous summary of Judaism's ethical philosophy said: "What is hateful to you, do not unto thy
fellow man." The Ethics of the Fathers, also called Pirkei Avot, is devoted to the teaching of ethical
behavior for all people in most conceivable situations. In the east European yeshivot, where Talmudic
studies emphasized intellectual stimulation, Rabbi Israel Salanter achieved great renown by emphasizing
the importance of ethical behavior as the primary goal of Jewish religious life.
Hasidism: 18th-century East European religious-mystical-revival movement that spread to many parts
of the world. A Hasid (Hebrew for "pious one") is the term for a follower of Hasidism. Although study is
encouraged, adherents of the Hasidic movement are urged to approach Judaism through the heart far
more than through the mind. In major U.S. cities, Lubavitch (or Chabad) Chasidim urge other Jews to
return to a life of religious observance.
Kaddish. A prayer that praises God. Mourners recite this to reaffirm their faith.
Kashrut / Dietary Laws: Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed “kosher” in English, from
the Hebrew term kasher, meaning "fit" (in this context, fit for human consumption). Food not in accord
with Jewish law is termed treif, "torn.” The laws for kashrut come directly from the Books of Leviticus
and Deuteronomy in the Torah, with their details set down in the oral law (the Mishnah) and the
Talmud and codified by the Shulkhan Arukh and later rabbinical authorities. The basic laws followed by
people who keep kosher:
• Land animals must have split hooves and chew their cud, e.g., cows or sheep.
• Eating birds of prey or scavengers is prohibited. Chicken, duck, and turkey are kosher.
• Any water creature that has fins and scales is kosher, thus fish like tuna, trout, and salmon are
kosher, while shellfish like lobster, shrimp, clams, and oysters are prohibited.
• Animals that suffer during slaughter are considered unkosher, even otherwise kosher animals.
They must be killed as quickly and painlessly as possible.
• Meat cannot be eaten together with dairy, derived from the verse stating that a baby goat must
not be boiled in its mother’s milk. An interval of time must follow after a meat meal before dairy
foods may be eaten.
• Symbols of kosher foods used in the U.S., such as , , , indicate a particular supervising
agency.
The purpose given for the laws of kashrut is holiness. Kashrut is one of the ways to elevate ordinary,
mundane activities, such as eating, to a new level of holiness and connection with God.
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Kiddush: A blessing recited over wine or grape juice at the beginning of Sabbath and holiday meals that
proclaims the holiness of the day.
Kippah: Also referred to as a yarmulka, a kippah is a head covering worn as a sign of humility in
relationship to God, and of Jewish identification. Traditionally, the kippah is worn only by men, but in
modern times some non-Orthodox women also wear them. Some Jews wear kippot only while praying,
saying blessings, or studying Jewish religious texts; many traditional Jews wear kippot the entire day.
Magen David : (Hebrew for David’s shield) The six-pointed star at the center of the flag of the State of
Israel is also seen as the symbol of Judaism. Others see it as the symbol of infinite harmony and peace.
Originally, the symbol was related to Kabbalah. The symbol was not called “Magen David” until the 14 th
century, when it was chosen in reference to the magical powers of David’s shield. In the 19 th century,
the symbol came to refer to Judaism.
Mezuzah: (Hebrew for "doorpost") Small piece of parchment on which are inscribed the first two
paragraphs of the Sh’ma, tightly rolled and placed inside a small case. The mezuzah is affixed at an angle
to the right side doorposts of Jewish homes, in accordance with the Biblical directive to “write [the words
of the Sh’ma] on the doorposts of your house ....” Some Jews touch the mezuzah on entering and leaving,
then lightly kiss their fingers.
Minyan: Traditionally a quorum of ten adult (over the age of Bar Mitzvah) male Jews, a minyan is held
for the purpose of communal prayer, usually within a synagogue, but may be held elsewhere. Women
are counted as part of the minyan in most non-Orthodox synagogues and prayer gatherings.
Mitzvah: The Hebrew word for "commandment." The word is used in Judaism to refer to (a) the laws
enumerated in the Torah (five books of Moses), or (b) any Jewish law at all. There are 613
commandments in the Torah. The term "mitzvah" has also come to express any act of human kindness,
such as helping someone less fortunate. According to the traditional teachings of Judaism, all moral laws
are, ultimately, divine commandments.
Orthodox Judaism: One of the three major branches of Judaism in the U.S., Orthodox Judaism adheres
to a strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics found in the Talmud ("The Oral Law") and
later listed in the Shulkhan Arukh ("Code of Jewish Law"). It is governed by these works and all the
rabbinical commentary and further codification of them written throughout the last millennium. The
role of rabbi in Orthodox Judaism is to interpret and apply classical rabbinical rulings and logic to any
given question or situation. Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah, including both the Written Law and
the Oral Law, was given directly from God to Moses.
Reconstructionism: American-born religious movement led by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, that stresses that
Judaism is an evolving civilization responding to changes all around it, and concentrates on the ethical
teachings of the religion, striving for Israel's becoming a worldwide spiritual homeland for all Jews.
Reform Judaism: One of the three major branches of the Jewish religion in the U.S. Reform Judaism
affirms the central tenets of Judaism--God, Torah, and Israel-- while viewing halakhah (Jewish religious
law) as changeable and adaptable, and does not require strict observance of the laws. (Orthodox and, to
a large extent, Conservative Jews believe halakhah should not be tampered with.) Members of the
Reform branch practice traditions that they find to be relevant for their lives. Reform Judaism began in
Germany in the early 19th century, and was launched in its present form in the U.S. in the 1870's.
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Shabbat: Weekly rest day observed from Friday sunset through Saturday sunset. One of the Ten
Commandments is to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." A day a week is set aside for rest, as
a reminder that in the Torah, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Traditionally,
the seventh day of the week is set aside for spiritual and physical rest in an atmosphere of tranquility,
with every person in the household required to rest. According to tradition, Shabbat is seen as a 24-hour
period of prayer, study, festive meals, song, and renewal, and a break from daily labor. It is said of the
Sabbath observance: "More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel." At services
there are special Shabbat prayers, and congregants often dress up. At home, meals are specially
prepared. Candles are lit before Shabbat, and the candlesticks remain in place through the day. Before
the special Shabbat meal, a kiddush over wine or grape juice is sung or recited and a blessing is said over
challah, the special Sabbath bread. In traditional homes, zemirot--festive songs--accompany the meals.
In traditional homes, on Shabbat, parents sometimes discuss the week's Torah portion with their
children. Shabbat is seen as a most holy day of spiritual refreshment and pleasure.
Just as lighting candles officially begins Shabbat, havdalah, literally “separation,” is the ceremony that
concludes it, separating Shabbat from the mundane, ordinary work week. There are three objects used
in the havdalah ceremony: wine (or any beverage other than water), a candle with multiple wicks, and
fragrant spices. The candle symbolizes a return to the work week, in which lighting a fire and performing
work are permitted. A Jewish folktale teaches that each Jew is given a second, extra soul for Shabbat,
which departs at the end of the day. For this reason, sweet smelling spices are used to lessen the sadness
of the body’s loss of the extra soul as well as to mark the end of the holiday.
Sh’ma: The Sh’ma is a one of the central prayers in Judaism that most children learn at a very young age.
It is a declaration of monotheism, stating that there is only one God. The first line of the Sh’ma reads:
“Sh’ma Yisrael Ado-nai Elo-heinu Ado-nai Echad,” meaning “Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord
is One.” A small scroll of parchment with the Sh’ma is found inside both the mezuzah and tefillin
(phylacteries), as commanded in a later paragraph of the Sh’ma, and as a testament to the importance
of the prayer.
Tallit: Also known as a tallis, a tallit is a prayer shawl, a large, four-cornered shawl-like garment with
tzitzit, fringes at the corners, traditionally worn by men during morning services. The biblical
commandment to wear tzitzit applies only to four-cornered garments, so a tallit is worn by those who
want to fulfill that commandment. Traditionally, a tallit is wool, but one can find them made in other
materials, such as silk. In some Ashkenazi congregations, only married men wear the tallit, except for
those being called to the Torah or participating in the service. In recent years, women have also begun
to wear tallitot in some Conservative and Reform synagogues. The tallit is worn at evening services once
a year -- at the Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) eve service, as well as throughout the day on Yom Kippur.
Talmud: The collection of ancient rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara,
constituting the basis of religious authority in traditional Judaism. The Babylonian Talmud was written
in Hebrew and Aramaic, while the Jerusalem Talmud is in Aramaic with Greek and other foreign terms.
The Talmud is a storehouse of Jewish history and customs, as well as laws. The Babylonian Talmud has
been translated into several languages, including English, and has itself been the subject of numerous
commentaries. The Mishnah consists of six orders, each divided into tractates, and each of these
subdivided. The Mishnah, a legal codification of basic Jewish law dating to 200 C.E., contains the basic
oral law transmitted throughout the generations from the time of the giving of the Torah. Gemara is the
commentary on the Mishnah. Broadly, the Talmud contains laws, legends, ethics, and comments on
philosophy, medicine, agriculture, astronomy, and hygiene--making it a source of study for generations
of Jews.
Page 10

Tanakh ‏:תנ’’ך is a name used in Judaism for the Hebrew Bible in its entirety. The name is an acronym
formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the scripture’s three traditional ת—‏subdivisions (T) for Torah
(also known as the Five Books of Moses, or Chumash), נ (N) for Nevi'im (Prophets), and ך (K) for Ketuvim
(Sacred Writings, e.g., Psalms and Proverbs) — TaNaKh.
Tefillin: (Hebrew for "phylacteries") Based on a Biblical command, traditional boys over 13 and men are
required to don a pair of tefillin each morning at services (except on Sabbath and holidays). The tefillin
consist of a small leather case, one for the head (the mind) and another for the arm (the heart), and
contain the Sh’ma and Biblical injunctions for their use. They are held in place by leather straps, with the
one for the arm resting on the inner side of the forearm, close to the heart, and the strap entwined down
the arm and knotted loosely on the fingers. The purpose of the tefillin is to direct the user's thoughts to
God. The knot on the hand is formed in the shape of the letter shin, representing one of God’s names.
Some women wear tefillin in some Conservative synagogues.
Torah: Generally refers to the Five Books of Moses, also known as the Chumash (Pentateuch), the first
third of the Bible. The term is also used broadly for the whole Bible as well as the Oral Law; it has also
come to mean all of Jewish teaching. Study of Torah has always been considered a fundamental, lifelong
obligation, and historians view it as the source of Jewish spiritual strength and survival. Torah is
sometimes translated as "the law,” but this word is misleading since the Torah contains not only laws
but also history, legend, and moral and ethical teachings. The scroll of the Torah (Sefer Torah), which
contains a handwritten parchment transcript of the Chumash, read aloud in the synagogue, is the holiest
Jewish religious object.
Traditional Judaism: Congregations in this branch affiliate with the Union for Traditional Judaism (UTJ)
that sees itself as trans-denominational and works to encourage traditional observance among all Jews.
The UTJ is often viewed as representing a denomination inhabiting an ideological space between
Conservative Judaism and Orthodox Judaism.
Wedding: The wedding is one of the most important days in a person’s life, as two people are joined to
become one, and is considered sacred and likened to Yom Kippur. Immediately after the signing of the
ketubah (marriage certificate), before the wedding ceremony begins, the Bedeken (Veiling Ceremony)
takes place. The groom is accompanied by his parents and other guests, amidst joyous singing, and is led
to the bride to lower her veil over her face. The tradition of the Bedeken arose because of the confusion
that occurred when the biblical Jacob, about to marry his chosen bride Rachel, for whom he had worked
seven years, was tricked by her father Laban into marrying her older sister Leah. Laban concealed Leah's
identity with an opaque veil. Therefore, as is the custom, the groom must lower the veil of his bride
himself.
The wedding ceremony takes place under a chuppah, or wedding canopy, open on four sides, which is a
symbol of the new home that the couple will share, open to the community in which they will be included
and which they want to include. There is a custom that the bride circles the groom seven times, to
protect and encompass him, according to the prophet Jeremiah. Two blessings are recited over a cup of
wine: one for the wine and the other describing the holiness of marriage. In a traditional service, the
groom gives the bride a ring that must be solid and without stones, a symbol of their never-ending love.
In a less traditional service, the bride and groom exchange rings. Sometimes the ketubah is read. Seven
blessings are then said over wine, and include blessings over those assembled, thanksgiving for creation
of people, joy in Jerusalem, and blessings for the couple as they start their lives together.
Page 11

The ceremony concludes with the groom stomping on a glass (wrapped in a cloth), which reminds us
that even in the most joyous of occasions, there is sadness in the world and we still remember the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and our longing for it to be rebuilt. Following the ceremony,
there is a festive meal with much joyful song and dance, as it is considered a mitzvah to celebrate with
the bride and groom. For traditional couples, for a week after the wedding, parties called Sheva Brachot
(literally, seven blessings) are held in which people gather to celebrate the new couple and say the seven
blessings, wishing the new couple much happiness.
Sources:
Dictionary of the Jewish Religion by Dr. Ben Isaacson, Bantam Books, 1979
Symbols of Judaism by Marc-Alain Ouaknin, Barnes and Noble Books, 2003
Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals by George Robinson, Pockets
Books, 2016
Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History
by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, William Morrow and Co., 2008
Other great sources for more information:
What You Thought You Knew about Judaism: 341 Common Misconceptions about Jewish Life by
Reuven P. Bulka, Jason Aronson Press, 1989
The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism by Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, Simon & Schuster,
1981
Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals (Updated in 2016) by George
Robinson, Atria Books, 2016
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary by Michael Strassfeld, HarperCollins
Publishers, 1986
The Jewish Home: A Guide for Jewish Living by Daniel B. Syme, Urj Press, 2003
On the web:
• Judaism 101 website has basic information about Judaism: www.jewfaq.org
• The Israeli daily newspaper, The Times of Israel: www.timesofisrael.com
• The Israeli daily newspaper, The Jerusalem Post: www.jpost.com
• The Israeli daily newspaper, Haaretz: www.haaretz.com
• The Israeli daily newspaper, Yedidot Ahronot: www.ynetnews.com
• Analysis of Middle East situation and events: www.washingtoninstitute.org
• Jewish Virtual Library: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org, including “Myths and Facts about Israel”
• www.myjewishlearning.com
• www.bimbam.com (Jewish videos that explain the basics of Judaism)
• www.sefaria.org (an open source digital library of Jewish texts)
Page 12

MAJOR DATES IN JEWISH HISTORY
1800 B.C.E.
1280 B.C.E.
1000 B.C.E.
586 B.C.E.
516 B.C.E.
165 B.C.E.
70 C.E.
200 C.E.
500 C.E.
950 C.E.
1096 - 1492 C.E.
Abraham introduces the concepts of monotheism, and
receives God’s promise that the children of Israel will
receive the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance.
Israelites flee from Egyptian slavery, and receive the Ten
Commandments at Mount Sinai.
King David comes to power and the first Holy Temple is
built by David’s son, King Solomon.
First Holy Temple is destroyed by Babylonians, and the
majority of Jews are exiled.
Destroyed Temple is rebuilt. Ten of original twelve tribes
are lost forever.
Maccabees lead revolt against the Assyrian Greeks who
control the Jewish homeland, thereby cleansing Temple of
pagan worship. Origin of Chanukah festival.
Second Holy Temple destroyed by the Romans, majority of
Jews are exiled.
Rabbi Judah HaNassi assembles the Oral Law, the Mishnah,
and records it for permanent use.
Compilation and recording of Babylonian Talmud is
completed.
Spain emerges as Center of Golden Age of Jewish learning,
producing such giants as Halevi, Ibn Gabirol, Ibn Ezra, and
Maimonides.
Crusades sweep the European Jewish communities,
causing untold hardship. In this period, Jews are expelled
from England and France.
1492 C.E. The Jews of Spain are ordered to leave the country.
1654 C.E.
1789 C.E.
1861 C.E.
1881 C.E.
Handful of Jews, fleeing from persecution in Brazil,
reaches New Amsterdam (NYC), where they are
reluctantly given asylum.
French Revolution ushers in a new era of
emancipation for Jews in western Europe.
Early Zionist settlements begin to appear in
Palestine, as Jewish national homeland movement
begins to develop.
Anti-Semitic legislation in Czarist Russia sets off
large-scale East European Jewish migration to US.
1917 C.E. British issue Balfour Declaration, promising
establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Rising anti-Semitism in Europe accelerates
1920 - 28 C.E. migration of Jews to Palestine, the U.S., and Latin
America
1933 C.E.
1939 - 45 C.E.
1947 C.E.
1948 C.E.
Nazi era begins, with Jews marked as objects for
destruction.
World War II sees a third of the world’s Jewish
community--6 million Jews--murdered in Nazi
program to annihilate all Jews.
UN proposes the establishment of two separate
states, one Arab and one Jewish. Arabs reject the
plan.
State of Israel proclaims independence, wins
immediate recognition by U.S., and defeats attacks
of neighboring Arab countries
For additional dates and more history and facts, go to www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
Note: B.C.E. = Before Common Era; C.E. = Common Era
Resource developed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
Page 13

Jewish Holidays
Rosh Hashanah/Jewish New Year (literally the “head of the year”) is a September holiday of celebration and
introspection, of repentance from sin and hope of renewal. For many in the American Jewish community, this
includes synagogue attendance, where special prayers are said and, as is instructed in the
Torah, the shofar (ram’s horn) is blown, calling upon us to reflect. The celebration also
includes festive meals with symbolic foods (including apples dipped in honey and round
challahs). Some people participate in a ceremony called tashlich when sins of the past
year (symbolized by bread crumbs) are symbolically thrown into a flowing body of water.
An important activity associated with this holiday comes between Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur: trying to repair relationships and ask for forgiveness from family and friends
in the previous year.
Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement is the most solemn and introspective day on the Jewish calendar, taking place in
September or October. It emphasizes personal responsibility for one’s actions and collective confession. A tradition
is to wear white clothing and sneakers with dress clothes since there is a prohibition against wearing leather.
The most prominent tradition of the Yom Kippur holiday is a 25-hour fast from all food and drink from sunset to
sundown the next day. Many spend the entire day in synagogue engaged in study and prayer. The holiday ends with
a festive (often dairy) break-the-fast.
Sukkot is a seven-day festival that takes place in September or October and celebrates the fall harvest and also
commemorates the time when the Hebrews lived in the Sinai wilderness on their way to the Promised Land of Israel. The
holiday is celebrated by building (and then dwelling in) ceremonial huts called Sukkot, waving of four
different plant species (palm, myrtle, willow and citron), and many food-filled festive gatherings in the
Sukkah. In ancient times when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, this was a pilgrimage holiday to
celebrate the harvest.
Shemini Atzeret literally means the “8th day of assembly.” It is a festive day after the week-long
festival of Sukkot, and is marked by the annual prayer for rain recited in synagogue. In Israel and in liberal (Reform,
Reconstructionist, Renewal) communities outside of Israel, it is combined with the holiday of Simchat Torah.
Simchat Torah. Every week all over the world, the same Torah portion is read in Jewish communities. On Simchat
Torah (literally the Rejoicing of the Torah), which takes place in September of October, the Torah reading cycle ends
and begins again. This is accompanied by parading the Torah scrolls around with singing and spirited dancing.
Chanukah celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164
BCE. This is a holiday that celebrates freedom of worship and religion, and the ability to find light and hope in the
darkest of times. It is also known as the Festival of Lights and takes place in late November or December, when the
days are shortest in the northern hemisphere. The main observance is lighting the candles in a menorah called a
chanukiah. Rabbinic tradition explains the length of the festival to a miraculous bottle of oil that burned for eight
days after the Maccabees reclaimed the desecrated Temple, when it was expected to last for only one.
Playing with a top called a dreidel is another fun tradition. We eat fried food like potato latkes (pancakes and
sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), reminding us of the oil that lasted for eight days.
Tu B’Shevat (literally the 15 th of the Hebrew month Shevat) is the Jewish New Year for Trees. Observances include
planting of trees, purchasing trees to be planted in Israel, and eating different kinds of fruits and nuts. Tu B’Shevat,
which takes place in the winter, is a time to think about trees and the environment.
Page 14

Purim (literally lots) is the story recounted in the Book of Esther, telling of how the Jews of Persia were saved from
destruction. During the time of King Ahashuerus, one of his ministers, Haman, sought to destroy the Jews in revenge
for being snubbed by the Jew Mordecai, who refused to bow down to him. With the king’s authority, he drew purim
(lots) to determine the fateful day, which fell on the 13th of the month of Adar. Learning of this decree, Mordecai
approached the new queen, his cousin Esther, to intercede with the king. Esther, who had not revealed her Judaism
publicly, fasted for three days in preparation for this task. At a banquet, she denounced the evil Haman, who was
eventually hanged. The days following the Jews’ victory over their enemies (the 14th and 15th of Adar) were
declared days of feasting and merrymaking, today celebrated as Purim. On Purim we read the Book of Esther, wear
costumes, eat hamantaschen/triangular cookies and other treats, and use noisemakers (often groggers). It’s also
traditional to give money to charity, send packages of goodies to your friends (called mishloach manot or shaloch
manos). Many communities hold carnivals emphasizing the playful element of this holiday.
Pesach or Passover refers to Exodus 12:23, when God “passed over” the Israelites, on the night of the tenth plague,
during the killing of the firstborn. The holiday celebrates God liberating the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and is
probably the single most theologically important holiday in the Jewish calendar. The holiday, which takes place in
March or April, lasts eight days, though in Israel and in some Diaspora communities, people may
celebrate only a week. Pesach is one of the three pilgrimage holidays when Jews brought
offerings to the Temple that once stood in Jerusalem. Traditionally, Jews eat no bread or
leavened food on Passover, and do eat matzah, an unleavened bread. A big holiday meal called
a seder retells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Seder follows the Haggadah (hah-GAHDah),
a book that tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Symbols of the holiday include matzah,
horseradish (bitterness of slavery), spring vegetables (season of renewal), salt water (symbolizing tears), charoset (a
blend of fruit and nuts symbolizing the mortar used by slaves to construct Egyptian buildings).
Yom Ha-Shoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place in April or May, a date chosen to honor Jewish sresistance
during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, an act of Jewish heroism during the horrors of the Nazi genocide. Many Jewish
communities hold commemorative events. Some light special yahrzeit (annual memorial) candles.
Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) commemorates the soldiers who have fallen fighting for Israel’s independence and
defending its security. This holiday falls the day before Israel’s Independence Day.
Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) celebrates the independence of the Modern State of Israel, taking
place in April or May. In Israel the day is marked with fireworks, barbecues, and outdoor revelry. For Jewish
communities outside ofIsrael it is a time to gather and celebrate our pride and connection to the Jewish homeland.
Lag B’Omer marks the 33rd day of the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. This 7-week period called “the
Omer” (a unit of measure) is also a period of partial mourning in memory of a plague during the life of Rabbi Akiva.
Lag B’Omer is an exception. Bonfires, outdoor parties and revelry rule the day, which is also a popular Jewish
wedding date.
Shavuot, meaning “weeks,” is the culmination of the counting of the seven weeks of the Omer (a
measure of barley) that begins during Passover. Shavuot, which takes place in May or June, celebrates
the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai and was one of the three biblical pilgrimage holidays. Farmers
brought the first fruits of their four-year-old trees. Dairy foods are traditional on Shavuot. One
traditional food is blintzes. One of the traditional texts for Shavuot is the book of Ruth. Some Jews
follow the custom of an all-night study session, called a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, on the eve of Shavuot.
Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av) is a fast day that commemorates the Roman destruction of
the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. In the medieval period, Jews began attaching other calamities to the day,
including the expulsion from Spain in 1492, making it a general day of mourning. The main activity is the chanting of
the book of Lamentations in the synagogue, during which it’s traditional to sit on the floor in a darkened room lit
with candles. Medieval Jews wrote long dirges for the holiday that are also part of the services in some synagogues.
Page 15

How Big is Israel?
Israel in the Middle East
Missouri is more than 8
times the size of Israel
Page 16

ISRAEL: The Student to Student Go-to-Guide
WHERE:
Israel shares a border with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian territories of the West
Bank and Gaza. Israel has shores on the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Sea of Galilee.
Despite its small size, it is geographically diverse with mountains, sea, and 60 percent desert. The
city of Tel Aviv is a major tech and financial center, not just in Israel, but in the world. The capital of
Israel is Jerusalem. As of May 2019, there are more than 9 million (9,036,300) people living in Israel.
WHO:
Jewish 74.5%
41.4% Secular
30.5% Traditional and Traditional-religious (Masorti)
27.9% Religious
12% Ultra-religious (part of the religious group)
Arab Muslims and Christians 20.9%
Non-Arab Christians, Bahai, Druze, etc. 4.6% 1
In Contrast, the United States is:
70.6 % Christian
1.9% Jewish, 0.9% Muslim, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.7% Hindu.
0.3% other non-Christian
22.8% unaffiliated, 15.8% no religion 2
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
DID YOU KNOW? 3
● You can cross the length of the entire country in six to eight
hours.
● The Knesset is the “greenest” parliamentary building in the
world with a solar field roof that is 4,560 meters long and
meets 10 percent of the building’s electricity needs.
● Israel has the highest number of museums per capita in the
world.
● Jerusalem was the first city in the world to have complete
Wi-Fi coverage.
Tel Aviv is second only to Tokyo for sushi bars per square meter.
The USB stick was invented in Israel.
Waze navigation system was invented in Israel.
Israel is the only place in the world where the number of trees increases year by year.
Israel has the highest concentration of start-ups outside of Silicon Valley.
Israeli scientists have developed treatments for Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and
Alzheimer’s.
Israel is ranked in the top ten for life-expectancy.
Israel is ranked 14th on the World Happiness Index out of 156 countries.
1
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/latest-population-statistics-for-israel
2
http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
3
Source: Official YouTube Channel of the State of Israel, https://www.youtube.com/user/Israel/about
Page 17

HISTORY:
The area today known as Israel was predominantly Jewish until the 3rd century. It gradually became
more Christian after the 3rd century and Muslim after the 7th century. It was a place of conflict
between Christianity and Islam between 1096 and 1291. Following the Crusades, the area was
controlled by the Syrians, the Ottoman Empire, and then by British Mandate from the end of World
War I to 1948. About 43% of the world's Jews live in Israel today, the largest Jewish community in
the world.
Empires who controlled the land known as Israel:
• 3000 BCE – Kingdom of Egypt
• 1600 BCE – Hittite Empire
• 1050 - 930 BCE - United Kingdom of
Israel (Kings Saul, David, Solomon)
• 930 – 733 BCE – split into two
kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel
(including the cities of Shechem and
Samaria) in the north and the Kingdom
of Judah (containing Jerusalem) in the
south.
• 733 - 627 BCE – Assyrian Empire
• 627 - 539 BCE – Babylonian Empire
• 539 - 332 BCE – Persian Empire
• 332 - 63 BCE – Macedonian Empire
• 63 BCE – 313 AD – Roman Empire
• 324 - 629 – Byzantine Empire
• 629 - 636 - Sassanid Empire
• 636 - 1077 – The Caliphate
• 1077 - 1098 – Seljuk Empire
• 1098 – 1291 – Crusader Kingdoms
(First Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
(1099–1187); Ayyubid period and
Second Crusader Kingdom (1099-
1250)
• 1250 - 1516 – Saladin’s Empire
• 1516 – 1917 - Ottoman Empire
• 1917 - 1947 – Great Britain (British
Mandate)
• 1947 - 1948 – UN Partition Plan
• 1948 – Israel declares Independence
ZIONISM
Zionism is the belief in the Jewish people’s right to
self-determination in their ancestral homeland. It is a
Jewish national movement which emerged in the late
19th century both in reaction to waves of antisemitism
and alongside many other nationalist movements
emanating from the Enlightenment period. Being a
Zionist does not mean you can’t also support a twostate
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Zionism is the Jewish people’s liberation movement,
and as such it has the potential to not only coexist
with, but also support and energize, other liberation
movements from women’s liberation to Palestinian
nationalism.
The Israeli Knesset (parliament) building
Page 18

When Speaking about Israel …
In any situation where nuance and passionate opinions are involved, the best way for people to
understand why you have an opinion is to connect that opinion to an experience you have personally
had, telling them a story. Stating facts will not persuade anyone but encouraging them to see things
from your point of view has the potential to open minds.
Start by: Telling the audience about your connection to Israel. Explain why the country, the land, the
people, the culture, or the history are important to you and your practice of Judaism.
What Works:
• Do: Talk about your vision for a peaceful future and how you or groups you support are
investing their time, energy, or resources into creating that reality. Explain that the true path to
peace is through dialogue, and will only come about when both the Israeli and Palestinian
narratives are recognized.
• Do: Tell the audience that placing the blame of a lack of peace on one party is detrimental to
achieving peace.
• Do: Explain that Jewish people, like any other ethnic group, have the right to national selfdetermination.
• Avoid: “We are right and they are wrong.”
• Avoid: Historical arguments. They often fail to persuade especially in the case of Israel.
People critical of Israel paint a picture in the present tense. Telling them something that
happened in the past may seem like it would change opinions. It rarely does.
Possible responses to questions:
Student in class: What do you think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Student to Student participant: I think that it is a complicated situation and that both Israelis and
Palestinians have a right to peace and security. I also know that I am an American Jew who lives in
the U.S. and I have not lived the same experiences as Israelis and Palestinians.
You could add something like this: Criticism of Israel is difficult, yet important, to discuss, but any
discussion that implies that Israel should cease to exist or cease to be a Jewish state makes me
uncomfortable because ... and then share your personal feelings about why. This might include talking
about what Israel means to you and/or has meant to your own family (e.g., for some families, Israel
provided a sanctuary after the Holocaust, or family members have lived in Israel for several
generations).
You could also say:
• We have seen what happens when Jews don’t have a safe place to go .... and/or
• It implies that our liberation movement is less legitimate than that of others.
The key: It’s most effective to use your own voice and share your personal feelings/stories about
Israel.
Resource developed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
Page 19

SHOULD WE ALSO MEMORIALIZE OTHER GENOCIDES?
Yes, without question or hesitation. The Holocaust does not
and should not devalue the suffering of other peoples who
have been victims of genocide, nor should it diminish their
memory in world history. At the same time, the occurrence of
other genocides does not, and should not, diminish the
uniqueness of the Nazi genocide of the Jews.
An appropriate way of confronting the abomination of genocide
is to acknowledge both the uniqueness and universality of
each genocide and to remember the lessons so future generations
will not again suffer such horror.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLAIM THE HOLOCAUST IS A
HOAX, THAT THE FIGURE OF 6 MILLION JEWISH
DEATHS IS GREATLY EXAGGERATED. WHO ARE THESE
PEOPLE AND WHAT IS THEIR MOTIVATION?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, is among those
who claim that the Holocaust has been exaggerated, despite
meticulous record-keeping by the Germans who detailed their
atrocities. Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner Elie
Wiesel calls the Holocaust "the most documented tragedy in
recorded history.”
Holocaust denial and revisionism unite a broad range of radical
right-wing hate groups--from Ku Klux Klan segregationists
to skinheads seeking to revive Nazism to radical Islamists
seeking to destroy Israel.
Emaciated survivors of the Buchenwald
concentration camp soon after
the liberation of the camp. Germany,
after April 11, 1945.
Much of the material for this pamphlet has been compiled from the Encyclopedia Judaica
and from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org.
Prewar photograph of
three Jewish children
with their babysitter.
Two of the children
perished in 1942. Warsaw,
Poland, 1925-
1926.
Questions Asked About
The Holocaust
WHAT IS THE HOLOCAUST?
The Holocaust (also called Shoah in Hebrew)
is unquestionably the most tragic period of
Jewish Diaspora history. It was the systematic,
intentional, and industrialized murder of
approximately six million Jews of all ages--
including one million Jewish children under the
age of 18. Ultimately two-thirds of Europe’s
Jews were decimated...one-third of world
Jewry. With the rise of the anti-Semitic Nazis
to power, the Holocaust began in Germany on
January 30, 1933 and ended on May 8, 1945
with the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. The
twelve years of Nazi rule were marked by an
ever-increasing barbarism in ever-expanding
Nazi-controlled areas. Consequences of the
Holocaust are still evident and will be experienced
for generations to come.
WHY IS THE HOLOCAUST UNIQUE?
Not only Jews died at the hands of the Nazis. Some six to eight million
non-Jews, including Gypsies, gays and lesbians, Russians,
Poles, political prisoners, and priests and ministers, were put to
death by the Nazis during their reign. Tens of millions of others,
soldiers and civilians, died fighting the Nazis. It is important, however,
to understand the Holocaust as a destruction process that primarily
targeted for death every person who was either Jewish or
had at least one Jewish grandparent.
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they proclaimed race as
the criterion for citizenship and institutionalized racial anti-
Semitism. “Aryans” were German citizens, while “non-Aryans”
were stripped of their citizenship and all their civil rights.
The Nazi party’s attitude toward Jews was expressed in the words
of a Storm Trooper song, “Wenn das Judenblut vom Messer spritzt,
denn gehts nochmal so gut.” (“And when Jew blood spurts from the
knife, things will go twice as well.”) Every issue of the Nazi newspaper
Der Sturmer carried the slogan “Die Juden sind unser ungluck.”
(“The Jews are our misfortune.”)
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WHAT WAS UNIQUELY JEWISH ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST?
The term “Holocaust” describes the Jewish situation of being a
people marked for total annihilation during the war. Or, as historian
Lucy S. Dawidowicz put it, “Never before in modern history
had one people made the killing of another the fulfillment of an
ideology, in whose pursuit, means were identical with ends.”
The uniqueness of the Holocaust resulted from the following:
1. The destructive will of the Nazis was aimed at the totality of
the Jews, and consequently the victims included women, children,
and old people. Indeed, the “Final Solution to the Jewish
Question” was to be achieved immediately, during the
war.
2. Hitler’s war against the Jews had priority over his war against
the Allies as is evidenced by orders to give the assignment of
trains for transporting Jews to death camps a higher priority
than the transporting of troops and weapons to the Front, despite
desperate shortages.
3. With respect to Jews alone, it was deemed more important to
kill every Jew rather than using them to fill the insatiable appetite
for slave labor of the Nazi military-industrial complex.
While some Jews were pressed into slave labor, the Nazi intention
was to work them to death in horrible and inhumane
conditions.
HOW WAS THE HOLOCAUST CARRIED OUT?
Prior to the beginning of World War II, German Jews were systematically
excluded from German life. Eventually, with the enactment
of the Nuremburg Laws “for the protection of German
blood and honor,” German Jews were stripped of their livelihood,
possessions, and property, and were thus impoverished. The art
and literature of German Jews were destroyed in an effort to
purge any “Jewish influence” from German culture. Even Albert
Einstein’s work was purged from German academia for being
“too Jewish” and eventually Einstein fled to the U.S. On the
night of November 9-10, 1938, hundreds of synagogues and
thousands of Jewish shops and homes were attacked nationwide
leaving broken glass in Germany’s streets and giving that
date its infamous name, “Kristallnacht” (”night of broken glass”).
Hundreds of German and Austrian Jews were killed and thousands
were deported to concentration camps.
Piles of corpses, soon
after the liberation of the
Mauthausen camp. Austria,
after May 5, 1945.
Hitler’s invasion of Poland triggering
World War II also marked the start of the
second phase of Nazi anti-Jewish policy.
It began with lawlessness and pauperization,
intensified with ghettoization,
starvation, and forced labor, and ultimately
culminated in the mass murder of
the Jewish population throughout Nazioccupied
Europe. All this was done under
the code name “The Final Solution
to the Jewish Question.”
When the Germans attacked the Soviet Union, Einsatzgruppen
(mobile killing units) followed the German army, murdering Jewish
men, women, and children by shooting them into mass
graves that the victims often had dug themselves. Over one million
Jews were massacred in this manner.
In order to expedite “The Final Solution” and murder even larger
numbers of Jews, the German authorities planned and began
construction of special stationary gassing facilities at centralized
killing centers in concentration camps.
HOW CAN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE GO PASSIVELY TO THEIR
DEATHS? WAS THERE ANY RESISTANCE?
The Nazis never told their victims of their fates, but used euphemisms
such as “resettlement in the East” for their deportation to
death camps via cattle cars. At the camps, the subterfuge continued:
gas chambers were made to look like shower rooms;
Treblinka’s charming train station was a façade leading directly to
gas chambers; prisoners were made to write positive letters to
relatives just prior to being killed. The Nazis even built an entire
camp, Theresienstadt, as a “model” to be shown to the International
Red Cross and to be featured in Nazi propaganda films.
Yet word did get out about the death camps and many Jews revolted.
The Warsaw Ghetto uprising, led by Zionist leader Mordecai
Anielewicz, is one example. Others include the revolts at
the Sobibor and Treblinka death camps and sabotage at Auschwitz;
the revolts in the Bialystok, Vilna, and Tuczyn Ghettoes; the
Jewish resistance in Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, and the Jewish partisans
in Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and elsewhere.
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