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Judaism

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the day of the Jewish New Year, falling on the first day of the autumn month of Tishri.

daven

Daven is a Yiddish word meaning “to pray”. Davening commonly refers to the traditional Jewish prayer mode involving highly personal rote recital of prayers in a soft voice, often swaying back and forth.

Judaism

Judaism is the worldview, the way of life, and the religious practice of the Jewish people, living in covenant with God and in response to Torah, the laws and ethics which guide the pattern of Jewish life. Jews today interpret their three thousand year old heritage in a wide variety of ways and identify themselves along a spectrum of practice and belief, from liberal Reform Jews to Orthodox Jews. As a way of life, Judaism also includes the social and cultural history of a widespread and diverse community of people, some of whom do not think of themselves as “religious.”

civil religion

Civil religion is a term used to describe the world view, mythic narratives, ethical commitments, ritual enactments, ceremonies, and festivals that shape and give purpose to a civil society and function as a “religion.” The sociologist Robert Bellah writes that the United States has developed a civil religion that serves to unite and inspire the political community.

Israel

Literally “Wrestler with God”, Israel is the name given to the Jewish patriarch Jacob and came to refer to the entire nation, bound in an eternal covenant to God. Historically, Jews have continued to regard themselves as the continuation of the ancient religious nation of Israel. In modern times, Israel also refers to the political state of Israel.

rabbinic

Rabbinic Judaism is the Judaism descended from the rabbis, the teachers, who compiled the Mishnah and the Talmud between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE, and all the tradition and learning of Judaism that has issued from them.

Tu B’Shevat

Tu B’Shevat, or the Festival of the New Year of Trees, falls on the 15th of the month of Shevat. A minor holiday in the Jewish Ashkenazi tradition, it is celebrated in modern Israel as a tree-planting holiday. Sepharadim call the holiday the Feast of Fruit, have more liturgy associated with the festival, and hold a special “order” much like the Passover seder.

bat mitzvah

Bat mitzvah means, literally, daughter of the commandment: a Jewish girl who has achieved the age of 12 and is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. In non-Orthodox communities it is also the ceremony in which the girl marks this important rite of passage by reading from the Torah in the synagogue for the first time. The practice was first instituted in the 20th century.

hesed

Hesed is generally translated as meaning “loving-kindness” in Hebrew. In the Jewish mystical tradition, the “Kabbalah”, it refers to one of the ten creative forces that intervene between the infinite, unknowable God, and our created world.

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism affirms its commitment to the unchanging divine revelation of Torah, with the theological views and scrupulous ritual observances that accompany this understanding of the divine law.

On the eve of Rosh Hashana, fewer are paying for High Holy Day seats

September 27, 2019
Congregation B’nai Amoona in St. Louis is expecting some 3,000 people for Rosh Hashana services next week, and the 137-year-old congregation, which prides itself on inclusion, wants to be welcoming. The building is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It has a wheelchair ramp leading up to the bimah, or sanctuary stage, and Bluetooth headsets for the hearing impaired. This year, it’s also taking another step toward inclusion. For the first time anyone can remember, nonmembers will not be required to buy tickets for High Holy Day services. Source: ... Read more about On the eve of Rosh Hashana, fewer are paying for High Holy Day seats

For synagogues, High Holidays welcome is complicated by security needs

September 27, 2019
On a Friday night not long after 11 people were killed by a gunman at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last October, Edmund Case was standing in the entryway of Temple Shalom in Newton, Massachusetts, having volunteered to act as an usher for that night’s services. A man Case didn’t know, and whose look struck Case as “off,” entered the building and asked, “Could I look around?” Internally, Case felt a zing of alarm. “Why would someone come on a Friday night and want to look around?” he thought. The man turned out to be new to town and looking for a synagogue to join. For Case, the... Read more about For synagogues, High Holidays welcome is complicated by security needs

Who is a Jew?

Who is a Jew?The question “Who is a Jew?” is complicated in the United States. Traditionally, Jewish identity was determined by matrilineal religious commitments. However, the major Jewish denominations vary in whom they consider Jewish. Even further, new Jewish movements like Jewish Renewal and Jews for Jesus have expanded and complicated the definition of Judaism itself.... Read more about Who is a Jew?

American Jews and Israel

American Jews and IsraelParticularly after the Six Day War in 1967, many American Jews have felt a strong religious and political obligation to support Israel. However, since Israel has become more secure and powerful, and tension with Palestinians has increased, some American Jews have tempered their support for Israel.... Read more about American Jews and Israel

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