Judaism Questions

1) The Synagogue serves as a meeting place, a learning center, and a worship space.

2) In the Synagogue, men and women are seated in separate sections. The ark (where the Torah scrolls are kept when they are not being used) is located on the Eastern wall of the Synagogue. Torah scrolls contain all of Jewish law and tradition. The Ten Commandments are the laws that G-d gave to Moses. They are above the door in a Synagogue.

3) A rabbi is the community leader of a Jewish community who has undergone extensive study of the Torah. One becomes a rabbi through studying the Torah and passing some insanely hard exams on the Torah and Talmud, bro. Chill with that. No but really, a rabbi is different from a clergyman. He is essentially a regular Jew with the role of interpreting and explaining the Torah for his community, he doesn't have to dress or act differently. 

4) The Shabbat is a day of rest, spiritual enrichment, and holiness, occurring once a week on Sundays. 

5) The Torah primarily refers to the first five books of the Bible, but can also encompass the entire Old Testament or even the complete body of Jewish teaching and law. Talmud is the teaching not encompassed in Torah, similar to tradition in the Catholic church. 

6) Orthodox Jews believe the Torah has remained unchanged since God gave it to Moses on Mount Sinai and place those first 5 books above all else. Reform Jews promote reggie stop licking my leg moral law and monotheism due to changes in European life following the Enlightenment. Conservative Jews are the Episcopalians of Judaism, awkwardly caught between Orthodox and Reform. 'Nuff said. Theodore Herzl was this guy that created Israel, basically. Zionists are all about the creation (and conservation) of a Jewish state. It's political, dude. 

7) Hebrew is an ancient Jewish language that made one of the greatest comebacks in sports history in the 19th century and now leads the Israeli Language League in total speakers. 

8) Yiddish is a Germanic language spoken by Ashkenazic Jews. 

9) Mazal Tov - good luck, congrats

Shalom - Peace

Mitzvah - Law from God

10) Bar Mitzvah -  age of responsibility for the commandments. At this age one is responsible for adhering to Torah

Brit Milah - circumcision EWWWWW

Jewish Marriage - a big party. the jewish believe matches are made in heaven, and the actual ceremony is filled with symbolism and rite.

11) Rosh Hashanah -a solemn Jewish feast day celebrated on the first or first and second of Tishri; note for the blowing of the shofar

Yom Kippur - a solemn and major fast day on the Jewish calendar; 10th of Tishri; its observance is one of the requirements of Jewish law
Hanukkah - an eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC
Passover - a Jewish festival celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

12) I knew that the Bar Mitzvah was the point at which boys and girls have to take responsibility for their own adherence to Torah

13) I had no idea Hebrew had fallen out of practice for hundreds of years.

14) Marriages in Judaism are symbolic and filled with ritual, similar to Christian weddings.

15) I do not have a specific day when I take responsibility for my religious life.