Judaism

Orthodox Jewish women observe a number of dress rituals, each of which is a sacred show of modesty and respect. Long dresses, long sleeves and conservative necklines--plus an absence of jewelry...

A Kosher meal is a meal prepared and served in accordance with Jewish law. Jewish dietary laws are spelled out in the Torah. According to the 2000 National Jewish Population Survey, 21 percent...

Daniel is an old testament prophet most known for being thrown into the lion's den and coming out unscathed. There are two fasts mentioned in his book offering specifics about what was and what...

The first chapter of the Book of Daniel specifies what foods are allowed on what we now call the Daniel Fast. The 10th chapter states what Daniel did not eat during the three weeks of fasting that...

Since ancient times, Jews have used a shofar -- a musical instrument typically made from a ram's horn -- as a signal to gather, to announce a new moon and to ring in the new year.

"Yarmulke" is the Yiddish name for the small, round skullcap worn by many people of the Jewish faith. Another common name for the yarmulke is "kippah," which is a Hebrew word that translates to...

Tefillin are small black leather cubic boxes which contain parchment on which Biblical verses are inscribed. They are worn by observant Jewish men every morning for weekday prayers. The boxes must...

Yarmulkes can be knitted, crocheted or felted. Some carry the famous Nike swoosh or a university logo and some are plain black velvet or suede. No matter what these small, fitted skullcaps look...

Finding a rabbi who speaks to you personally can be an important part of your religious experience. Different rabbis practice different denominations of Judaism, such as Reform, Orthodox, and...

More and more people are discovering the role that the Shofar plays throughout the Bible. Many people want to have their own Shofar but don't know where to start. I will try to walk you through...

Hebrew calligraphy is a well practiced art form. The practitioners, or sofers, of Hebrew calligraphy are proficient in the areas of halakha and the practical application of calligraphy itself. The...

Why do Jewish holidays move around on the calendar? They don't--at least not on the Jewish calendar. Originally based on lunar cycles, the Jewish calendar now in use was created when fourth...

In Jewish tradition, honoring the Sabbath on Friday night at sundown includes lighting a lamp. Often the lamp is lit with candles, but some families and synagogues use oil lamps. Many Jewish...

Kashrut, or "keeping Kosher" means that a person follows Jewish law in what they can/can't eat and how they prepare food. Laws are derived from the Bible, such as not eating pork, as well as...

The Jewish calendar is neither a solar calendar (365.25 days) as the Gregorian calendar is, nor is it a lunar calendar (354 or 355 days) as is the Muslim calendar. According to Jewish belief, the...

A Mezuzah is a Jewish ritual item based on the verse "to write [these words] on the doorpost of your house and on your gates" (Deut. 6:4-9). Traditional belief is that a scroll with these verses...

The tassels, or Tzitzis, on the corners of a Jewish prayer shawl, called a tallit, reminding the wearer of God's commandments and to be mindful not to follow one's own desires, but rather to...

In the holy book of Esther, Esther prepares herself to see the King by anointing herself with myrrh oil. Queen Esther oils are now sold by various retailers to Christians as a means of anointing...

Keeping kosher is an important practice in the Jewish faith. Its foundation is in ancient Jewish dietary laws (kashrut) and requires that Jews eat certain foods and prepare foods in a certain...

The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the most important discoveries in history when it comes to religion and religious historical scholarship. The scrolls have been fawned over by historians...

For a Jewish family, their child's Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah is a day full of pride and joy. The celebration after the Torah service usually begins with the candle lighting ceremony, with...

Are you curious about the bible codes? Do you know what bible codes are? Can you find bible codes? During the 1980s, an Israeli mathematician, named Elijah Rips, found that the first five books of...

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...