Judaism

When wearing tefillin, it's important to remember that the knot is always supposed to face in towards the heart. Make sure you are wearing your tefillin correctly with guidance from a Rabbi in...

A shofar is blown from the right side of the mouth and will begin with a long sound to start with. Find out how to prepare and blow a shofar with guidance from a Rabbi in this free video on Jewish...

A kippah can be made out of any material and is worn on the top of the head to remind you that there is something above. Satisfy this Jewish obligation with help from a Rabbi in this free video on...

When caring for a shofar, make sure to clean it out with bleach and water to eliminate any odors that might accompany it at first. Discover how to care for a shofar with advice from a Rabbi in...

A mezuzah is hung typically within the top third of the doorway on the right side of the entrance. Learn how to properly hang a mezuzah with help from a Rabbi in this free video on Jewish practices.

When laying tefillin, you'll make your blessing once the wraps are on the sides of your head. Find out how to correctly lay the head tefillin with help from a Rabbi in this free video on Jewish...

To wear a tallit, start by holding it over your head while holding both edges of the embroidered edge. Discover how to wear a tallit with guidance from a Rabbi in this free video on Jewish culture.

Wearing tassels, or tzitzit, has been a Jewish tradition since the time of Moses. The tassels are traditionally worn on the four corners of the prayer shawl, the tallit. In the biblical book of...

Tefillin are small black boxes worn by observant Jewish men on their heads and arms. The boxes contain biblical verses inscribed in small scrolls.

Simchat Torah literally means Happiness of the Torah. It marks the conclusion of a year's reading of the Torah--the five books of Moses--and the immediate beginning of the next year's reading. It...

The eight day celebration of Chanukah comes from the story in the Bible of when Mattathias and his son Judah Maccabee overcame the Syrians in battle to recapture the Temple in Jerusalem. When...

Learning Hebrew letters requires practice and skill. Hebrew is somewhat different than English. Be prepared to study the words of the Hebrew alphabet in order to learn Hebrew words properly. A...

If you are new to keeping kosher, you may feel nervous about cooking for the first time. The thought of having to keep two separate sets of kitchen equipment organized makes you dizzy, and you...

Shofars are carved from rams' horns, and are blown by Jewish people as a wake-up call to do teshuva (repentance). Traditionally, the horns are blown from the first day in Elul through Yom...

The tribe of Levi was one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribe, according to the Bible, was chosen by God to lead in different areas of tabernacle and later temple worship. The scope of Levites'...

The Shema is Judaism's most important prayer. Deuteronomy 6:4 states that "you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a frontlet between your eyes." This verse refers to the...

The Jewish High Holidays -- Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- are among the most sacred days of the year. They are days of self reflection and of prayer to a higher power. Many people attend...

The menorah, a set of decorative candlesticks, serves as one of the oldest and most identifiable symbol of the Jewish tradition. Although most commonly associated with Chanukah, the menorah...

The laws that explain and dictate what Jews can and can't eat, and how to prepare these foods is called kashrut or the more common term, kosher. The laws are complex and extensive; they're listed...

The prayer shawl, also known as a Tallit, is known as the most authentic Jewish garment and is used as a physical reminder of the Lord's commandments.

In the Jewish religion, a Narazite is one who has made a certain vow prescribed in the book of Numbers. Although the subject is mainly of historical interest, there are a few Jewish people in more...

Many Jewish individuals or families have at least one mezuzah inside their homes. This traditional item, a scroll made of parchment paper with verses of the Bible on it, can be handed down from...

According to Orthodox Jewish tradition, women cover their hair after they are married. The hair covering may be a wig (sheital), hat, bandanna or head scarf (tiechel/snood). Head scarves are...

Some Jews, particularly in orthodox communities, wear a tallit katan, a square undershirt with string fringes tied to the corners. The practice of wearing a tallit katan derives from a commandment...

Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrating the freedom of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. While many Jewish households keep kosher throughout the year, there are more particular guidelines for the...

Nearly 900 documents make up what is referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were found in the Qumran region near the Dead Sea. The documents include some of the oldest texts in existence of...

Following the death of an immediate family member, an observant Jew has many complex obligations to fulfill. The first seven days after a loved one's death are when the closest relatives of the...

This brief article lists the basics of conversion to Orthodox Judaism. It is meant to be an overview and not the details

A yamaka, or yarmulke, is a small, round cap worn either all the time or just during prayer or other religious activity by devout Jewish men. Also referred to as a kippah, the yarmulke is not...

Many Jews wear a head covering called a kippah or yarmulke. Orthodox or conservative Jewish men commonly wear kippot (plural for kippah), but several other movements have kippah customs. ...

Many local temples and shuls are entirely self supporting. Congregation members typically pay into a building fund when they join the temple as well as annual membership dues. Unfortunately, such...

Every Jewish boy who is serious about his religion must go through the bar mitzvah. It is an important moment, in which he becomes a man in the eyes of his religion. The bar mitzvah is also a...

The art of creating a home cooked meal can be a deeply satisfying act. Turning vastly different ingredients into a unified whole is something that should be mastered by everyone. Learning how to...

Affixing a Mezuzah is one of the easiest mitzvot(commandments) to observe in Judaism and is observed by a majority of Jews from Orthodox backgrounds to even secular backgrounds. This article will...

Choosing a Prayerbook can be quite easy for others and difficult for others, heres how to choose the right Jewish prayerbook(siddur) for you.

Fasting in Judaism is one of the oldest ways to show our respect for G-d. Learn how to prepare to fast, last minute.

Tefillin are black boxes or Batim containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with certain verses from the Bible. They are worn by Jews as a sign of their reverence to God and as a symbol of their...

Kippahs, or kippot in the Hebrew plural, are an instantly recognizable mark of Jewishness. They're a Jewish uniform.

Whether you're planning a casual chat with a Jewish child or have been asked to help one learn about the faith, start by matching the child's age with his or her ability to master esoteric...

In Judaism, the tefillin are a pair of black leather boxes containing pieces of parchment that bear passages from the Torah. For those Jews that wear the tefillin during prayer, it is a deeply...

Red string bracelets have been spotted on several celebrities, launching what seems like a religious Hollywood fashion craze based on the practice of Kabbalah. This has caused some people to think...

"Kosher" is frequently used as a synonym for Jewish foods. But is kosher really synonymous with Jewish food? Kosher, meaning "fit" in Hebrew, refers to the Jewish dietary laws, as regards the...

This will tell you the steps you need to take when preparing to visit an Orthodox Service.

Sukkot is a seven-day Jewish holiday in the autumn. According to Temple Sinai of Toronto, "Sukkot is the last of three pilgrimage festivals when ancient Jews would pack the best of seasonal crops...

If you have been invited to a bar mitzvah and do not know what gift to offer, don't worry. Finding the right gift to honor a young man's coming of age is a straightforward process. Armed with...

Kabbalah (Hebrew for "received tradition") is a school of Jewish mysticism dedicated to exploring the nature and relationships of God, man and the universe. It is also known as Kabala, Cabala or...

Whether or not a Jewish boy and his family choose to celebrate his bar mitzvah, on his 13th birthday he becomes a man according to Jewish tradition. That means he becomes obligated to obey the...

Tefillin are small leather boxes containing Biblical texts that Jews bind to their foreheads and hands with leather straps during morning prayer. Although, their purpose, to remind the wearer to...

A shofar is a musical instrument made from the hollowed-out horn of a ram or antelope. It is ritually blown at certain services leading up to and during the Jewish High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah...

Jewish food rules are determined by the Kashrut, part of Jewish law. Despite popular belief, foods to not have to be blessed by a rabbi to make them kosher. A food is considered kosher by the way...