The Story of Judaism

1. The roots of our faith… The Story of Judaism

2. It really started with Abraham • The Jews consider themselves to be the “covenant people”: a group of people that have a sacred bond (promise) with God. • Abraham was the first person to be called into this covenant. Therefore, Abraham is the forefather of Judaism. • As Catholics/Christians we are historically connected to Judaism. Therefore, Abraham is the forefather of Christianity as well. • Why?

3. The test…. • Abraham was tested by G-d (Yahweh). • Sacrifice Isaac • Ram’s Horn • Connection to “Yom Kippur” Abraham proved faithful and therefore God made a covenant/sacred promise with God. God’s agreement: Abraham’s agreement: Reward:

4. Abraham’s Story(Desperate Housewives) • At this time, polygamy was common. • One legitimate wife and several “slave” wives • Abraham’s legitimate wife was Sarah • Abraham and Sarah had 1 child: Isaac • Isaac married Rebecca and had twin sons: • Esau and Jacob (tricked Isaac into inheritance) • 12 tribes of Israel—become the Hebrews • Eventually become the Jews

5. The other side of the Story • Abraham had a slave wife: Hagar • Hagar was pregnant before Sarah • Sarah’s concern with legitimacy • Abraham’s response • Ishmael is the result of this relationship • The Muslims become the descendants of Ishmael and Abraham • Therefore, Abraham is the forefather of THREE Religions. (Term is Patriarch) • What are they? Explain.

6. What is the pattern? • The Hebrew (Old Testament) stories follow a similar pattern: • Cain and Abel • Tower of Babel • Noah • Joseph • God establishes a covenant, people sin and break the rules, God finds out becomes angry, re-establishes a covenant. Repeats. • How does this relate to us? • What is the theological message for Judaism?

7. The Law • The Hebrews referred to scripture for Laws. • These laws are found in the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers. • Sacred Scripture called: The Torah • Jews STUDY the Torah • Depending on the Branch of Judaism (for example: Orthodox Judaism) • All Jews are expected to read from the Torah at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah (in HEBREW)

8. The Story Continued…. • Joseph ends up in Hebrews • His brothers join him there, due to the Famine in Canaan. • They settle in Egypt and eventually become slaves to the Pharoah. • The Exodus Story • Moses (one of the most important figures in Judaism)

9. Moses • Two families: Hebrew and Egyptian • The Burning Bush: Yahweh (sacred name) • Sacred Ground: The Kippah • Moses agrees to trust God • 10 Plagues • Parting of the Red Sea • GOD ACTS IN THE WORLD TO PROTECT HIS COVENANT PEOPLE

10. Suffering • Suffering is a reality • It is expected if living in covenant with God • It is a form of repentance • There is value in suffering • God will relieve suffering and restore the covenant

11. Passover • Very important moment of the Exodus story • Angel of Death • Commemorated every year with the celebration of Passover (closely connected to Easter) • Catholic connection to Mass

12. The O.C. “The Nana” • Seth • Summer: “Haggadah”/ “Hadith” • Preparation for Seder • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrcKq3-H9ac&feature=related

13. Years of Wandering • The Hebrews spent 40 years migrating from Egypt to the “land of milk and honey” which becomes Jerusalem. • They could have entered immediately but they sent out 12 SPIES to search the land. They came back with news of giants saying: “We must stay here –there is no way we can defeat them”. • God becomes angry and punishes the Hebrews: • God tells the Jews that because they displayed this lack of faith after He had brought them so far, they are doomed to wander in the desert for 40 years (One year for every day they spied out the land) until the entire adult male population).

14. Years of Wandering • Punishment 2:   God tells the Jews that because they cried on this day for no good reason, they will cry on this day in history for some very good reasons. • TishaB’Av: Celebration of suffering (Spies, destruction of the temple, Holocaust). • Sukkot: Commemorate the 40 years in the desert.

15. Moses Good-Bye • Deuteronomy begins with a farewell address. He realizes it is not his destiny to bring the Hebrews into the promised land. He tells them: • Keep the Torah • Be faithful to God • Take care of each other

16. Warning…. • If these are broken: • “If you keep the laws between ‘man and God’ and between ‘man and man’, everything will go fine for you. No other nation will touch you. You’ll have material prosperity, and you will live to change the world. But if you don’t keep the Torah, if you break your end of the bargain, then the land will vomit you out, your enemies will attack, and you will suffer.”

17. Consequence for Worldview… • All experience impacts Worldview and as a nation this warning collectively stayed with the Hebrews (later known as the Jews) • The late 19th and 20th centuries were the first time in Jewish history where large numbers of Jews left God (by choice and not by force, a la the Expulsion from Spain in 1492) , and were left wondering, “Where is God?” World War One broke out on the Ninth of Av. The German sweep into Eastern Europe beginning in 1914, uprooted Jewish communities and demolished centuries of tradition. It was the precursor to the horrendous Holocaust.

18. Consequence continued • Throughout the rest of Jewish history, Jews in even the worst circumstances have viewed external problems, even the worst problems like being slaughtered en masse in the Crusades, as divine retribution for their mistakes. You will rarely find Jews, until the 20th century, saying “Where is God?” They are almost always saying, “It’s because of wrongdoing that God has done this to us.”

19. Quote from a Survivor • A Holocaust survivor writes: “The quintessential element that distinguishes this event (the Holocaust) was the search for God. Every Jew who remained in the ghettos and the camps remembers “the God Syndrome” that shrouded everything else. From morning till night we cried out for a sign that God was still with us… We sought Him, but we did not find Him. We were always accompanied by the crushing and unsettling feeling that God had disappeared from our midst.” (Machshavot Magazine, Vol. 46, p. 4) • \\Mdoy-s\vol1\Staff\Laureen Damaren\Grade 11 open\Introduction\Grade 11 UC Religion\History of Dehumanization.doc

20. Dehumanization • Reduce one’s rights a human being. The process of which removes humanity: • Remove from society (loss of jobs, removal from school, removal from homes). • Remove evidence of contributions (destruction of businesses, destruction of literature, science, burning of the synagogues). • Identified in public by the star • Required to show and carry passport/ ID card: “J” stamp • Removal of food (rationed) • Slave labour • Remove hair

21. Dehumanization continued… • Removal of clothing • Removal of privacy (living in community barracks) • Removal of name (number—tatoo) • Doctrine of fear • Manipulation, lies, betrayal • Genocide (gas ovens) • G:\Grade 11 open\Introduction\Excerpt from Night.docx

22. Roles during the Holocaust • Perpetrator • Bystander • Victim • Assistor • Resistor

23. Are these roles applicable today? • Bullying • Facebook/Twitter/ Text (BBM) • Rumors

24. What is the difference? • Obedience • Conformity • Blind Obedience

25. And I said nothing….. “IN GERMANY THEY FIRST CAME FOR THE COMMUNISTS AND I DIDN’T SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WASN’T A COMMUNIST. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS, AND I DIDN’T SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WASN’T A JEW. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE TRADE UNIONIST, AND I DIDN’T SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WASN’T A TRADE UNIONSIT. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE CATHOLICS, AND I DIDN’T SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WAS A PROTESTANT. THEN THEY CAME FOR ME AND BY THAT TIME, NO ONE WAS LEFT” ~Niemöller