Jewish Worship & Practices “I do not recall a Jewish home without a book on the table.” Elie Wiesel

Berakhah, means “blessing” Berakhah (blessing), the foundation of Jewish prayer. Through Berakhah, Jews believe they acknowledge, praise, thank, and petition God. The basis of communal worship; integral to private prayer as well. There are three types of blessings.

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The First type of Blessing is a thanks to God for the enjoyment of the 5 senses. A common example would be the Kiddush; a blessing recited when drinking specially sanctified wine on the Sabbath or another holy day. A Second type of Blessing is one that is recited before performing a Mitsvah (good deed) to acknowledge that the act is divinely given. A Third type of Blessing is recited to praise, thank, or petition God. This blessing is recited at the beginning of each festival.

Minyan When Jewish people pray communally, a minyan, or a quorum of ten males over the age of thirteen is required.

The morning service is recited any time after dawn until 10 a.m. There are three daily worship services held in the evening, the morning, & the afternoon. In Jewish tradition, the day begins and ends with the sunset, so the evening service is the 1st of the day. The morning service is recited any time after dawn until 10 a.m. The afternoon service is a much shorter version of the morning service.

Torah reading is central to worship services. The Torah is divided into 54 sections & one portion is read each week so that the entire Torah is read during the course of a year (2-weeks have double portion).

The Sabbath is the most important ritual for the Jewish people. Shabbat (Sabbath) The Sabbath is the most important ritual for the Jewish people. A time to put aside work, shopping, housework & schooling so that one can focus on rejuvenation. Opportunity to set aside time for the important things in life: family, prayer, friends.

Kashruth (keeping Kosher) Kashruth refers to the Jewish dietary laws. Kosher means: legitimate, acceptable, permissible; and comes from Hebrew term Kasher, meaning “fit.” Food that is not in accord with Jewish law is called treif (torn), and refers to improperly slaughtered meat. Meat from a non-kosher animal is considered “unclean.”

Many of the basic laws of Kashrut are derived from the Torah’s Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, with their details set down in the Oral Law - The Mishnah and Talmud.

Key Principles of Kashruth Only meat from particular species permissible Mammals that both chew their cud and have cloven hooves. This does not include the camel or hare (no cloven hooves) and the pig (does not ruminate). This does include: cattle, goats, sheep, bison, deer, wildebeest, antelope, llamas, giraffes.

Birds must fit certain criteria as well; birds of prey are not kosher. Fish must have fins & scales to be kosher; shellfish and non-fish water fauna are not. Insects are not kosher A wild animal must be trapped and ritually slaughtered, rather than shot as most wild game is obtained. Meat and milk cannot be mixed, i.e. meat & dairy products are not served at the same meal, served or cooked in the same utensils, or stored together.

Body is medically checked post-slaughter. Mammals and fowl must be slaughtered in a specific fashion, and slaughter is done by a trained individual using a special method shechita (Deuteronomy 12:21). The technique of slaughter is intended to avoid any unnecessary pain to the animal. Body is medically checked post-slaughter. Blood is removed as much as possible. Also wine, cheese & bread must be prepared by in a special way. Islam has a related dietary system.