Sept 15.

Jewish Life Cycles.

For Wed: Judaism 101 site:MarriageFunerals

• For Friday: Daily Prayers and Sabbath

• Next week: Calendar and Festivals.

• Week after: Finish Calendar, and Kashrut.

“Sorting Kipa” Kippah

Yarmulke

• Conservative

• Orthodox

• Reform

– Feminist– Reconstructionist.

Birth.

• Judaism is ethnic: people are born Jewish.

• Membership in Judaism has obligations:– Covenant requirements

Next time at: Synagogue

• Father will be given chance to bless the Torah

• Will announce the birth of the child

• If a daughter is born, she will be named at the synagogue.

Boys: Circumcision

• Covenant with Abraham required it, and of all male Jews since.

• “Brit Millah” = Covenant of Circumcision.

8th day of life

Timing very important.

Only medical reasons can postpone it.

Operation must be performed on 8th day, even if it is Sabbath or a Festival.

Child

• Held by godparent sitting in “Elijah’s Chair”– Perhaps child is MESSIAH, child is treated

like a king.

• Operation performed by trained MOHEL

Naming boy

• Abram renamed Abraham

• “noble father” to “Father of Multitudes”

• Baby is given a Hebrew name.

Names

• [BOY’S NAME] ben[FATHER’S NAME

• Isaac ben Abraham

• Isaac son of Abraham

• [Girl’s Name] bat [Father’s Name]

• Sarah bat Baruch

• Sarah daughter of Baruch.

Ben…

• Many times in the modern world ‘ben’ is part of a surname.

• E.g. Ehud Ben Zvi.• Ehud is his first name.• Ben Zvi is his surname:

– Dr. Ben Zvi. – Daugher is: Rivkah Ben Zvi.

Mother.

• Purification rituals after childbirth.

• 7 days for a son

• 14 days for a daughter

• Ritual bath MIKVAH is used.

Redemption of First born SonAge: 31 days

• Bible requires that all first born sons (except priests) belong to God.

• Parents must redeem “buy them back”.

• Post temple: giving of charity to a descendant of the Priests.

Modern Issues around birth

• Abortion: tradition says human life begins when child is half-way out of Mother. Abortion required to save the life of mom.

Issues:

• Gender bias – Purification requirements– More ritual for boys than girls.

• Adoption: If child’s birth parents are not Jewish, child must be converted.

Issues

• Circumcision– Outdated barbarity?– Necessary tradition?– Requirement of God?

Bar Mitzvah

• “Son of the Commandment”

• Bar is Aramaic for Hebrew “Ben”.

• 13 years and 1 day: a boy is religiously adult: responsible for Torah Obligations.

• Can count towards a “MINYAN”, requirement to have 10 adult men for rituals.

Torah Obligations

• A Bar Mitzvah is bound to observe all of the MITZVOT: “COMMANDMENTS”

• A Bar Mitzvah is allowed to read blessings in Synagogue over Torah.

Ceremonies.

• First Synagogue meeting after becoming of age, the boy will be asked to come up to read the blessings over the Torah.

• In modern world, this simple privilege has become a major cause for family reunions, parties, presents etc.

Girls

• Age 12 years and 1 day, Girls are considered religiously adult, and responsible for women’s religious obligations.

• Traditionally, there is no ceremony for girls.

Bat Mitzvah

• “Daughter of the Commandment”

• A new ceremony for girls in some congregations.

Confirmation.

• Some synagogues: age 16 or 18.

• “Graduation” from religious schooling.