A FAIR AND FRIENDLY INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY, BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF THE BIG FIVE
An intelligent, thought-through understanding of the teachings, history and beliefs of the world’s major faiths is relevant and necessary in our modern age—arguably more than ever. While the questions each religion has attempted to answer throughout the ages remain the same, the answers offered vary enormously.
Now fully revised and for the first time with a teacher’s manual, A Doubter’s Guide to World Religions explains the central beliefs, history and areas of agreement and disagreement of the world’s major faiths, in John Dickson’s compelling and engaging style.
Duration
7 lessons offering at least a term’s worth of work.
Teacher’s manual $59.95 Code 8011
Student handbook $10.95 Code 8012
Digital student handbook $9.95 Code e8012
A Doubter’s Guide to World Religions (textbook)* $29.95 Code 8002
* NB: Students will require access to this book—either as a class set or their personal copy—as well as their own Student handbook.
View full Scope and Sequence online cepstore.com.au/stage5
Ǫ More online resources support this unit cepteacherslounge.com
Religion is far more than a dinner party topic of conversation.
It is fair to say that nothing has influenced the world—for good and ill—more than the world religions. Much of the world’s art and music grew out of religious devotion. Music historians will often tell you how rock ’n’ roll grew out of gospel, and how classical grew out of medieval church music. It is also clear that many of the social laws of various societies were shaped decisively by religion.
The big questions addressed by the world religions are truly universal: Who are we? What is our worth? How should we live? Are we alone? Because of this, I’ve often described the religious inclinations of humanity as common sense. My atheist friends don’t like this description very much, but I think it is nonetheless true.
The human fascination with religion is like the human interests in music, art and learning. They are all found throughout the world. They are, if you like, among the few universally shared pursuits of Homo sapiens throughout time. I cannot speak authoritatively for art or music, but it is no exaggeration to say that every single society about which anthropologists and historians know anything significant has made religion a central part of its cultural life.
John Dickson, A Doubter’s Guide to World Religions, pages 8–9.This unit aims to help students develop an appreciation, respect for and understanding of the five major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It also encourages students to reflect on their own beliefs, to consider the unique claims of Jesus Christ and to grapple with how those claims might apply to their lives.
As with all CEP curriculum, we offer this content in a range of learning styles so you can select and adapt the material to suit your class and timetable.
By the end of the unit students will know about:
• different world religions—their origins, history, beliefs and practices the complexity of religious beliefs and truth claims
• the importance of understanding world religions in making sense of our world
• the basis of the Christian faith and its claims about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
By the end of the unit students will be able to:
• explain different approaches to making meaning in our world, as represented by the five major world religions
• assess the various truth claims made by the world religions
• discuss the major world religions with a degree of knowledge and expertise
• bring a biblical understanding to world religions to formulate a Christian response, even if it is not a personal one
understand the basis of the Christian approach to making sense of life and God’s purpose for humanity and all creation.
By the end of the unit students will have the opportunity to:
• critically examine contemporary examples of the lived expressions of each religion
demonstrate an understanding of the major beliefs and practices of the five major world religions
• analyse different approaches to framing and answering the big questions of life
demonstrate oral and written communication skills in approaching matters of faith and belief
• develop skills in presenting arguments and adopting the position of people with different points of view to themselves
• consider the implications of the unique claims of the Christian faith for the choices they make in their own lives
be challenged to consider the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and their personal response to him.
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Part 4: Judaism, the way of the Torah
Chapter 12—Many Judaisms
Chapter 13—Foundational Judaism
Chapter 14—Interim Judaisms
Chapter 15—Classical Judaism
Chapter 16—Modern Judaisms
Suggested lesson allocation: 2–3 lessons
The context and key points of Chapters 12–16 are:
• Chapter 12 clarifies the use of terms like Jew and Israel and introduces the four Judaisms
• Chapter 13 provides an overview of the origins of Israel as portrayed in Jewish scriptures
• Chapter 14 outlines changes to Judaism during the interim period before Classical Judaism emerged victorious
• Chapter 15 explains the main groups, teachings and festivals of Classical Judaism
• Chapter 16 describes three modern forms of Judaism and their distinctives.
• An introduction to the origins, history, beliefs and practices of Judaism.
• The importance of the Torah as central to Jewish beliefs, practices and lifestyle.
• The significance of the temple, forgiveness and Messianic hope.
• An explanation of the various forms of Judaism.
Students will know about:
• the origins, history, beliefs and practices of Judaism
• the various forms of Judaism and how they have developed
• the importance of understanding Judaism in making sense of our world.
Students will be able to:
• explain the approach of Judaism to making meaning in our world
• assess the various truth claims made by Judaism
• discuss Judaism with a degree of knowledge and expertise
• explore personal beliefs and responses to Judaism.
Students will have the opportunity to:
• critically examine contemporary examples of the lived expressions of Judaism
• demonstrate an understanding of the major beliefs and practices of Judaism
• analyse different approaches to framing and answering the big questions of life
• demonstrate oral and written communication skills when approaching matters of faith and belief
• develop skills in presenting arguments and adopting the position of people with different points of view to themselves.
• What is the place of divine revelation in guiding our life choices?
• What is the nature of sin and the way of forgiveness?
• How does humanity find sustaining hope in the midst of suffering?
• What is the goal of human existence and how is it attained?
Remember, extra material designed to assist you in delivering this unit can be found at cepteacherslounge.com
Seek out some volunteers to make a short video clip during the week, asking fellow students the questions in the Perceptions section. Play the clip as a discussion starter for this topic. Alternatively, have students share their answers to questions 3 and 4 from Perceptions.
After this, consider watching a summary video on the history, beliefs and practices of Judaism such as ‘Judaism Explained’ by Cogito (17:01), available at youtube.com/ watch?v=0VAylWxDQfk
Take a moment at the beginning of this topic to reflect with students on the opening paragraphs of ‘Many Judaisms’ on page 115 that reference the Holocaust (Shoah).
How do you think such experiences might shape your personal faith, family stories and national identity if you were a Jew? What alternative responses might be expressed to such suffering?
As you read about Judaism, write the term beside the correct definition.
Exodus / Passover / Atonement / Judas Maccabeus
Sadducees / Essenes / Zealots / Pharisees
Synagogue / Mishnah / Talmud / Messiah
Sabbath (Shabbat) / Bar/Bat Mitzvah / Torah
Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men: Essenes
Israel’s constitution—instruction regarding legal, environmental, religious and social matters: Torah
Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem: Synagogue
Spoken Torah—second holy book of Classical Judaism: Mishnah
Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift of God’s judgement away from the sinner: Atonement
Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt: Passover
Rabbis who developed intricate rules for personal piety/purity: Pharisees
Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC: Judas Maccabeus
Violent opponents of Roman dominance: Zealots
Interpretation of Mishnah: Talmud
The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery: Exodus
Awaited promised King from the line of King David: Messiah
Weekly holy day: Sabbath (Shabbat)
Ceremony marking transition from childhood to adulthood: Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Conservative 1st century Jews—cooperated with Romans: Sadducees
Before reading the chapters on Judaism …
1. What experience, if any, do you have of Judaism or Jewish people?
2. What information do you have about Judaism, and how did you find it?
3. From that information, what would you say Judaism is about?
4. What are your impressions of how Jewish people live?
Read Chapter 12, ‘Many Judaisms’, until the end of ‘Which Israel?’
5. Explain the differing uses of the terms ‘Jew’ and ‘Israel’.
‘Jew’ can mean either someone whose ancestry connects them with the Hebrew-speaking people of ancient Israel or someone who follows the religion of Judaism. So, it can be either an ethnic or cultural term, or a religious term.
‘Israel’ in the modern age refers to the political State of Israel formed in 1948. Before that, ‘Israel’ referred to the Jews as a collective people, no matter where they lived. It was thus a spiritual and cultural term.
The Exodus from slavery in Egypt and the giving of the Torah are foundational moments in Jewish history and religious identity. Summarise for students the life of the Israelites in Egypt as slaves and monotheists in a polytheistic culture for nearly 400 years (Exodus 1–12).
The death of the Egyptian firstborn may trouble some students and seem cruel or unjust. In context it is recounted as God’s judgement on 400 years of genocide involving the death of many Hebrew children.
Extension Reflection question:
• After nearly 400 years in slavery in Egypt, reflect on why it was important for the Ten Commandments to focus on monotheism and stipulate what could not be done rather than dictate what could be done.
Read Chapter 13, ‘Foundational Judaism’.
6. Explain the significance of circumcision to Jewish people and its link to Abraham.
Circumcision was commanded by God as a perpetual reminder that he would fulfil his promise to transform Abraham’s descendants into a great nation through which all nations would be blessed. The ritual of circumcision takes place on the eighth day of a boy’s life and acts as a ceremony to welcome him into the promises of God and Jewish life.
7. In pairs, discuss what is meant by the author when he says, ‘Today, Jews recall this Exodus event as a microcosm of their entire history and as a symbol of their future …’ Briefly summarise your discussion.
Jews can look back at the Exodus and see that God saved them. They can similarly look at numerous episodes throughout their history—both recorded within the Bible, such as the captivity into Babylon, and since biblical times—and see that God has again and again saved his people. Jews can thus trust God with their future; no matter what their suffering is, God will continue to strive for them.
The Student handbook provides interview material from practitioners of each world religion. It is important to allow the voices of such people to be heard in a course like this. As an alternative to reading and discussing the interview of Simona, you may decide to invite a practitioner of Judaism as a guest to speak with your class and answer questions. If so, it is important to brief them of the learning intentions of the course. Taking questions in advance from students may also be beneficial. You may also have a student or parent who is prepared to share their experience as a practising Jew.
If you have Jewish students within your class, you might invite them to contribute a personal perspective on their faith, if they are comfortable to do so. Ensuring that students are respectful when others share their views is particularly important if this is done.
8. Explain how the constitution of the people of Israel was given to them. What areas of life were covered in this ‘law’ or constitution?
Moses was called up to the top of a mountain in Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were given to him by God. The law, or Torah, covered social welfare, criminal law, religious rituals, environmental policy and more.
9. Explain the significance of Torah.
Fundamental to the Torah was the teaching that there is only one God and no other gods were to be worshipped. This was unheard of at the time— religions of the Near East typically had many, many gods. This monotheism gave rise to a refusal to worship images of the deity (idolatry), the Jewish sense of national mission and exceptionalism, and the universal ethic of justice toward every person. It fundamentally shaped Jewish culture.
The importance of the Torah’s instructions on how to live cannot be understated. They are God’s words to his people with the purpose of establishing Israel as a divinely blessed nation, through whom all other nations would be blessed.
The temple and forgiveness highlight Jewish notions of sin, sacrifice and forgiveness. Take time to explore with students their understanding of right and wrong, sin and forgiveness, in response to this material.
Extension question:
• ‘Without a concept of sin there is no possibility of forgiveness.’ Discuss this statement.
Read 2 Samuel 11 and Psalm 51:1–10 from the Old Testament.
10. What do they record about David’s failings and his prayer to God?
2 Samuel 11 records David’s abuse of his royal power, resulting in his adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his military commanders, Uriah, and his successful plan to have Uriah killed in battle after David failed to cover up Bathsheba’s pregnancy.
Psalm 51:1–10 concerns David’s cry to God for mercy and forgiveness. He acknowledges his sins and asks God to ‘wash him clean’ and ‘create in him a pure heart’.
11. What is significant about the reporting of David’s failings in the Jewish Scriptures? Discuss in pairs.
The reporting of David’s adultery with Bathsheba (and the reporting of his other failings elsewhere in the Tanakh) is extraordinary as ancient cultures tended to describe their favourite leaders only in glowing terms. David is clearly shown as far less than perfect through these incidents.
12. Explain why David came to occupy such an important place in the life of the Jewish people. Discuss in pairs.
In addition to David’s humanity (as seen through his failings with Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah) and his musicality (he wrote a good portion of Psalms, which cover the full range of emotions towards God), David was the first good—indeed, great—king of Israel. He extended the borders of the land of Israel and captured the Holy City of Jerusalem. He was also chosen by God—according to the prophet Nathan—as the founder of a kingdom and dynasty that would last forever. This promise to David gave rise to the enduring hope of a Messiah, an anointed one, an eternal king by whose reign Israel would fulfil its purpose.
13. What is your understanding of the term ‘Messiah’? Messiah, or Christ (the same word in Greek), is the ‘anointed one’, a reference to the ceremony of pouring oil over a king’s head as a symbol of divine power and blessing. The Messiah would fulfil God’s promise through David that his kingdom and dynasty would last forever. He would be God’s eternal king.
LESSON Teacher’s manual sample Lesson 4
14. What was the significance of the great temple to Jewish people and why was it so important to them? Although the Jews knew God was everywhere, they also believed that at the temple they could approach him in a tangible way. It represented the throne room of God. The temple served as the centre of sacrifice for the Jewish people; animals, grain and bread were sacrificed to God for people’s sins. The sacrificial system was a key component in how God dealt with sin and it taught the Jews that sin mattered to God and it must be paid for.
15. Explain the symbolism and importance of ‘Yom Kippur’, the Day of Atonement.
Yom Kippur celebrates the mercy of God towards Israel. Two goats were involved. One was sacrificed and its blood sprinkled on the temple’s altar to symbolise God’s judgement falling on the goat rather than the Jewish people. The other goat would be released into the wilderness after a priest at the temple had laid his hands on its head and confessed to God the sins of Israel. This goat symbolised God’s forgiveness.
4—JUDAISM, THE WAY OF THE TORAH 69
16. What does Yom Kippur reveal about the Jewish understanding of both human nature and God’s character? How does this view of God and humanity fit with your understanding of life?
Yom Kippur teaches that people sin and need forgiveness. It also illustrates through the two goats that people cannot, of their own accord, pay for or make up for their sins. Someone, or something, must pay on their behalf.
Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! ey have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
ISAIAH 1:4
is is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths’. e law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
ey will beat their swords into ploughshares. and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
ISAIAH 2:1–4
17. How do you respond to the author’s comment that, ‘The Tanakh is strange in its honesty about God’s people’. In your response, refer to the Isaiah quotes or similar passages from the Tanakh.
You might like to suggest that it is strange that a religion’s holy book would be so condemning of the followers of that religion and so clearly spell out their ongoing willingness to disobey God—even murdering the prophets sent by God. It might seem more natural for such embarrassing and sinful episodes of Jewish history to be swept under the carpet. Why remind every generation thereafter of their ancestors’ failings?
18. Identify aspects of the prophet Isaiah’s message that reflect both warning of judgement and the promise of hope.
The first passage (Isaiah 1:4), while not mentioning judgement explicitly, clearly shows that God (‘the Holy One of Israel’) is displeased with the people’s great guilt. From an understanding of Jewish teaching on the seriousness of sin and the necessity of the temple sacrificial system (see the previous questions on Yom Kippur and page 127 in the textbook), one might reasonably read this passage as a warning of coming judgement.
The second passage (Isaiah 2:1–4) begins with a description of the mountain of the Lord, where all nations—not just the Jewish people—will gather to learn his ways (‘walk in his paths’). The end of this passage promises a time when swords will be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks (images associated with war replaced with images associated with tending a garden, that is, a time of peace).
Read in Chapter 14 the section ‘The dramas of the second temple’.
The Greeks
19. Outline the events in Israel from the Hellenistic King Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the coming of the Romans.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed thousands of Jews and set up an idol to the pagan god Zeus Olympios in the temple in Jerusalem. In response, the Jews rebelled under Judas Maccabeus and were successful in restoring Jewish worship to the temple and re-establishing Jewish priest-kings. This lasted for around 100 years, ending in 63 BCE with the arrival of the Romans.
The Romans
20. What does the author suggest was the lasting significance of Roman rule? Why?
The invasion of the Romans in 63 BCE and the almost complete destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 CE ended both the Jewish political state (with its Jewish kings) and the most important building in Jewish life—a building central to the public worship of God and the sacrificial system demanded by God for the forgiveness of sins. This devastation caused the Jews to propose different versions of what Israel could and should be.
Read Chapter 14 from ‘Sadducees: Aristocrats and priests’ to ‘Followers of Yeshua: heretics of a false Messiah’.
21. Write a three-minute speech assuming the character of a follower of one of the four groups outlined. Explain the appeal of this group’s vision to its followers in contrast to the others.
Read Chapter 15 until the end of ‘The Pharisees, the temple and the synagogues’.
22. Briefly describe the rise of the Pharisees as a dominant group in Jewish life. Explain the role of the destruction of the temple and the emergence of synagogues in the development of this movement.
The Pharisees were a marginal Jewish group who arose in the time of the priest-kings of Israel (after 164 BCE). They taught the importance of individual purity and complete obedience to the Torah as the key to living a pure life. When the temple was
destroyed in 70 CE, the centrality of the temple in Jewish life was also destroyed, and the role of the priests was greatly diminished. However, outside of Jerusalem there were many synagogues where Jews met together to read the Torah, sing and pray. Here, the way of the Pharisees (i.e. obedience to the Torah) emerged as the most sensible path forward, leading to the dominance of the Judaism of the Pharisees.
Read Chapter 15 from ‘The rise of the dual-Torah’ to ‘Midrash and the Talmud’.
23. Define the terms Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash and Talmud.
Tanakh: the whole of the Jewish Bible, comprising the Torah, the Nevi’im and the Ketuvim, or Law, the Prophets and Writings (textbook, page 123).
Mishnah: the second holy book of Classical Judaism, comprised of the sayings and legal opinions of about 150 rabbis from the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.
Midrash: meaning ‘investigation’, it offers interpretations of the Tanakh, and so ancient texts are recast to have contemporary significance.
Talmud: meaning ‘study’ or ‘learning’, it interprets the Mishnah. There are two versions: the Palestinian Talmud (400 CE) and the Babylonian Talmud (600 CE).
24. Explain the history and relationship between the written and spoken Torah.
Classical Judaism contends that when God spoke to Moses at Sinai, only part of that revelation was written down. This became the written Torah. The rest of the revelation was passed on from generation to generation orally: the spoken Torah. This ‘second’ Torah was eventually recorded in the Mishnah, which gave rise to the idea of a dualTorah.
Read in Chapter 15 the section ‘Five annual festivals of classical Judaism’.
25. Outline the five main festivals on the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah (New Year): a sombre festival where the Jewish people are reminded of their important duties as the people of God.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): a day marked by prayer and the confession of sin, it recalls the original Yom Kippur held at the temple with the two goats (textbook, page 127).
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles): an eight-day festival that recalls the period when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai and lived in tabernacles (tents).
Pesach (Passover): a week-long celebration of God’s rescue of the Jewish people out of Egypt.
Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): the celebration of God’s giving of the Law at Sinai.
26. Choose one of the festivals and write the diary entry of a young Jewish person as he or she participates in the festival. Include information on what the festival means to the young person and the Jewish people.
Read Chapter 16, ‘Modern Judaisms’.
27. How did the Jewish mindset of separation help them cope with centuries of exclusion?
Separation from an impure world was a core part of the Jewish mindset through the ages. Jews stuck to their own districts, dressed in their own way, ate their own food and managed their own communities, so exclusion wasn’t the issue for Jews it might otherwise have been.
28. What was emancipation and how did it change things for the Jews?
Emancipation brought rights and freedoms that the Jews had never had before in Europe. Jews were invited to enter wider society. It forced Jews to ask themselves: How much can I integrate into the non-Jewish world and still be a part of God’s holy people? Much reform of Judaism followed as a result.
29. Discuss in pairs. Write a dialogue between a follower of Reform Judaism, an Orthodox Jew and a Conservative Jew. In the conversation, have each of the people express the difference between their version of Judaism and that of the other two. Refer to the distinctive ideas found in each form of Judaism as you prepare your script. This might well be a lively conversation! If time permits, present this to the class in a dramatic form.
30. Which form of Judaism is the most attractive to you? Which looks the most authentic? Is there a difference?
31. What is your response to the Zionist Movement? Consider its positive and negative impact on both Jews and Palestinians.
32. How did the movement gain such momentum after 1945?
The horrors of the Second World War led the newly formed United Nations to resolve to give the Jews a homeland where they had historic roots and ostensibly where they would be safe. The land chosen was Palestine.
Turn to the centrespread and fill in the table on ‘What Judaism has to say about …’.
33. In what ways have your perceptions of Judaism changed through the study so far?
34. Summarise the meaning and purpose of life as understood by religious Jewish people.
Note: As the author explains at the outset of the chapter (textbook, page 116), ‘When is a Jew a Jew?’), the term ‘Jew’ can be used non-religiously as a cultural or ethnic term. Hence, we’ve included ‘religious’ in this question as there are many nonreligious Jews whose meaning and purpose of life would look very different to that of a religious Jew.
Therefore, a suitable answer might include the following: For the religious Jew, the key question of life is how should God’s people (Israel) live in order to fulfil their divine calling in the world? For many Jews, life is determined by the teachings of the Torah, God’s instructions written down by Moses. Others also add the Mishnah (the writings of the ancient rabbis) as the second Torah to follow.
35. How compelling or appealing do you find these explanations personally? Discuss in pairs.
For the next chapter, ‘Christianity’, if you choose to arrange an excursion to a church, this will require advance planning both within the school and with the institution that you wish to visit. Consider recruiting some volunteers to do vox pop interviews in preparation for the introduction to Christianity, as per Get thinking.
The following material may be used for extension work or possible assessment tasks.
• The First Jewish Revolt in 66 CE
• The Siege of Masada in 70 CE
• The Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE
• Pogroms of Jews in Russia from 1881–1884 CE
• The Balfour Declaration in 1917, when the British government gave support to the founding of a Jewish national state in Palestine
• Jewish migration to the USA
• Jewish marriage ceremonies
• Theodore Herzl and the foundation of the Zionist movement
• Details of significant Jewish festivals: Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, Omer, Shavuot/Pentecost, Shabbat
• The preparation of Kosher food
A visit to a synagogue is another way students can develop a broader appreciation and understanding of Judaism.
The daughter of a conservative Jewish family is living in a Western country. She has been raised as a Jew and the family devoutly follows the practices of the Jewish faith. She is turning 18 and leaving home to attend university. Many of her friends are not Jewish, and she is questioning the value of continuing to practise her Jewish faith. She goes to her parents for advice.
What could they tell her to convince her of the value of maintaining her Jewishness and continuing in the faith? What should the parents focus on?
Have students research the symbols associated with the five annual festivals of classical Judaism and explain their symbolism.
Design a pamphlet, PowerPoint or website to communicate the main beliefs of Judaism. Include a summary of the distinct beliefs of Judaism. Also provide an overview of its key historical events and figures, main documents and major festivals.
In pairs
Review the key beliefs and practices of Judaism. What aspects of this faith do you find appealing? What aspects are less attractive to you? Explain your thoughts and feelings.
In groups
Discuss the implications of your findings as to how credible Judaism is in explaining the meaning and purpose of life.
‘Without the shared Jewish experience of suffering, Judaism would not have developed in the way that it has.’
Make a collection of online and/or print media articles reporting on Judaism that have been published in the last 12 months. Reflect on the tone of the articles and offer an explanation for the positive, negative and neutral attitudes conveyed.
Present to the class a conversation between a Jew and a nonJew who has limited or no understanding of the faith. Outline key elements of the faith using appropriate terminology.
Describe and explain the Jewish understanding of the world and our place in it. What aspects of this belief system and lifestyle do you find helpful or appealing? Evaluate its effectiveness in providing an explanation for the meaning and purpose of life and the world as you know it.
Research the history of the sculpture ‘Let us beat swords into ploughshares’ that stands outside the UN in New York. What does it symbolise? Why was it gifted? Reflect on the last 50 years of UN peacekeeping and the limits of human success in preventing war. You might also like to reflect on the ‘Isaiah wall’ in Ralph Bunche Park, which also stands opposite the UN.
Useful websites:
• ‘Let us beat swords into ploughshares’, United Nations <un.org/ungifts/let-us-beat-swords-ploughshares>
• ‘Isaiah’s echo: progress, prophecy and the UN Charter’, European Journal of International Law <ejiltalk.org/ isaiahs-echo-progress-prophecy-and-the-un-charter/>.
Explore the significance of the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall, to Jewish people. Relate this to the importance of the temple in Judaism.
Print off as many copies of Extra resource 1 on page 78 as you need for your class.
The crossword clues and answers are the same as on page 28 of the Student handbook and page 79 of this manual.
Print off as many copies of Extra resource 3 on page 81 as you need for your class.
God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you nd me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.
The Message version
1. What does the poem reveal about the poet’s understanding of God?
2. How do you feel about this image of God?
3. What is your reaction to the final stanza?
1. Spoken Torah—second holy book of Classical Judaism
Down: Across:
1. Spoken Torah—second holy book of
3. Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift of God’s judgement away from the sinner
ACROSS
2. Violent opponents of Roman dominance
2. Violent opponents of Roman dominance Classical Judaism
4. Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem
9. Interpretation of Mishnah
9. Interpretation of Mishnah
10. The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery
3. Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift
10. The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery of God’s judgement away from the sinner
5. Rabbis who developed intricate rules for personal piety/purity
6. Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men
7. Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC
5. Rabbis who developed intricate rules for
11. Conservative first century Jews—cooperated
11. Conservative first century Jews— cooperated with Romans
4. Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem with Romans
12. Weekly holy day
12. Weekly holy day personal piety/purity
13. Israel’s constitution
8. Awaited promised King from the line of King David
6. Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men
13. Israel’s constitution
14. Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from
14. Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt
7. Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC Egypt
8. Awaited promised King from the line of King David
A DOUBTER’S GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS
80 LESSON 4—JUDAISM, THE WAY OF THE TORAH
DOWN
1. Spoken Torah—second holy book of Classical Judaism Mishnah
Down: Across:
1. Spoken Torah—second holy book of
3. Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift of God’s judgement away from the sinner Atonement
ACROSS
2. Violent opponents of Roman dominance Zealots
2. Violent opponents of Roman dominance Classical Judaism
4. Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem Synagogue
9. Interpretation of Mishnah Talmud
10. The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery Exodus
9. Interpretation of Mishnah
3. Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift
10. The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery of God’s judgement away from the sinner
5. Rabbis who developed intricate rules for personal piety/purity Pharisees
6. Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men Essenes
11. Conservative first century Jews—cooperated
11. Conservative first century Jews— cooperated with Romans Sadducees
4. Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem with Romans
12. Weekly holy day Sabbath
5. Rabbis who developed intricate rules for
7. Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC Judas Maccabeus
8. Awaited promised King from the line of King David Messiah
12. Weekly holy day personal piety/purity
6. Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men
13. Israel’s constitution Torah
13. Israel’s constitution
14. Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from
14. Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt Passover
7. Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC Egypt
8. Awaited promised King from the line of King
David
A DOUBTER’S GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS LESSON 4—JUDAISM, THE WAY OF THE TORAH 81
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Essenes Torah
Jewish
Passover Rabbi
Sabbath
Judas MaccabeusJerry SeinfeldBat Mitzvah
Pharisees
Bar Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah
Bar MitzvahAnne FrankJerusalem
Jerusalem
Judas Maccabeus
Sadducees
Zealots
SynagogueKing DavidAtonement
Talmud
King David
Anne Frank
Synagogue Mishnah Sacrifice Atonement
Exodus
Pharisees Sacrifice Sadducees
Messiah
Mishnah Messiah Passover
Sabbath Temple Jewish
Torah Essenes Zealots
Talmud Exodus Rabbi
Temple
Jerry Seinfeld
Teacher’s manual sample Lesson 4
A DOUBTER’S GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS
82 LESSON 4—JUDAISM, THE WAY OF THE TORAH
Judas Maccabeus Jerry Seinfeld Bat Mitzvah
Bar Mitzvah Anne Frank Jerusalem
Synagogue King David Atonement
Pharisees Sacrifice Sadducees
Mishnah Messiah Passover Sabbath Temple Jewish
Torah Essenes Zealots
Talmud Exodus Rabbi
1800 BCE Call of Abraham
1600–1300 Slaves in Egypt
1300 Exodus
1200–1300 Moses
1000 King David
Foundational
900 Divided kingdom
700 Mid-to-late 700s—Northern kingdom conquered
586 Destruction of first temple
538 Return to holy land. Building of second temple
Interim
164 Judas Maccabeus—Jewish rebellion
63 Romans enter Palestine
70 CE Destruction of the temple
Classical
200 Mishnah codified under Rabbi Judah
400 Jerusalem Talmud completed
1096 Massacre of Rhineland Jews during First Crusade
1492 Expulsion of Jews from Spain
1648-9 Massacre of Ukrainian Jews
Modern
1800 ‘Emancipation’ of minorities in European society
1850s Reform / Orthodox / Conservative Judaism
1897 World Zionist Foundation established
1933–45 Nazi persecution of the Jews— Genocide
1948 Creation of the state of Israel—Arab/ Israeli war—state of Israel declared May 1948
1967 Six-day War—Israel captures West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and Sinai
As you read about Judaism, write the term beside the correct definition.
Exodus / Passover / Atonement / Judas Maccabeus
Sadducees / Essenes / Zealots / Pharisees
Synagogue / Mishnah / Talmud / Messiah
Sabbath (Shabbat) / Bar/Bat Mitzvah / Torah
Ultra-devout apocalyptic holy men
Israel’s constitution—instruction regarding legal, environmental, religious and social matters
Jewish meeting place outside Jerusalem
Spoken Torah—second holy book of Classical Judaism
Sacrifice of an animal symbolising the shift of God’s judgement away from the sinner
Celebration of God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt
Rabbis who developed intricate rules for personal piety/purity
Leader of victorious Jewish rebellion 164 BC
Violent opponents of Roman dominance
Interpretation of Mishnah
The Jewish escape from Egyptian slavery
Awaited promised King from the line of King David
Weekly holy day
Ceremony marking transition from childhood to adulthood
Conservative 1st century Jews
—cooperated with Romans
Before reading the chapters on Judaism …
1. What experience, if any, do you have of Judaism or Jewish people?
Read Chapter 12, ‘Many Judaisms’, until the end of ‘Which Israel?’
5. Explain the differing uses of the terms ‘Jew’ and ‘Israel’.
2. What information do you have about Judaism, and how did you find it?
3. From that information, what would you say Judaism is about?
Read Chapter 13, ‘Foundational Judaism’.
6. Explain the significance of circumcision to Jewish people and its link to Abraham.
4. What are your impressions of how Jewish people live?
7. In pairs, discuss what is meant by the author when he says, ‘Today, Jews recall this Exodus event as a microcosm of their entire history and as a symbol of their future …’ Briefly summarise your discussion.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022, ‘Religious affiliation in Australia’, ABS, July 4 2022, <abs.gov.au/articles/religious-affiliation-australia>.
Being Orthodox Jewish is the key to who Simona is. ‘It sort of is me’, she says of her faith. ‘All the things that I think, all the things that I do are centred around the fact that I am Jewish’. This means that a strict code of dress, eating and behaviour is part of her everyday existence. ‘I get up early every morning to pray; the foods I eat are different’, she says brightly, as she explains the supervision of Kosher foods. All food has to be checked by a Rabbi, and meat has to be cut in a particular way. The way she dresses is regulated as well. ‘For ladies you always have to have your elbows covered, we always have to have our knees covered, and we have to wear skirts. Ladies have to have their collarbones covered, and for men they have to have a head covering’.
All of this provides something of a challenge, but for Simona, it is not such a big deal. ‘I think when you have grown up with it, you don’t think of it as a restriction’—although she admits her
friends do not always understand the reasons for her decisions.
Simona aims to be guided in her life by her Jewish teachings, and finds such a guide gives her an advantage in life that she feels not everyone has. ‘Nowadays everything is so materialistic—everything is about possessions and money’, she says. This, believes Simona, breeds jealousy and bitterness, and competitive and complex relationships. She feels that the wisdom of Jewish teaching, drawn from a time when life was much simpler, continues to be a good guide to living now.
Looking around her at the society at large, Simona is grateful for her faith. ‘Perhaps I feel that I have a bit more direction than others. I know that I want to raise my kids and have my home a certain way—I think for some people who don’t have any religion—they
are just open to anything that comes to them’, she says. One of the best things about being Jewish, according to Simona, is the strong sense of family and community and togetherness. Having gone through a small school from kindergarten to year 12 with the same group of girls provided a special bond. ‘Everyone is still very close—that is very nice’, she says. ‘In the Jewish community we have a lot of festivals that promote family time. There is lots of food and fun times. Every Saturday everyone has to stop everything’, she explains in reference to the Jewish practice of Sabbath. ‘It forces you to have time together as a family—I don’t know how people survive who don’t have that enforced rest’, says Simona.
1. What are the practical ways in which Simona’s faith impacts her life?
2. What do you think are the most valuable things that Simona’s faith gives her?
3. How much of a burden do you think creating a ‘place where the presence of God will return to earth’ places on the life of a Jewish believer?
4. How do you respond to Simona’s belief that her faith gives her ‘a bit more direction than others’?
5. Write down questions you would have for Simona regarding her faith and her beliefs. Discuss these in class.
So what are the motivating forces in Simona’s life? ‘I guess I want to be the best person I can be. We believe that each person is created for a specific purpose and I aim to fulfil that’, says Simona. Simona says that since Adam and Eve in the garden, God’s presence is not as obvious, and that the role of people is to create a place where the presence of God will return to earth in a much more tangible and direct way. ‘If I am being the best person I can be, then maybe I am doing my part … in the big picture’, she suggests.
And what about other faiths? Does Simona see room for other expressions of religion? ‘I definitely don’t think that everybody has to be Jewish. We don’t think that if you don’t follow the same path that you are doomed to hell or something like that. I think at the end of the day we all believe in God and whether people believe in a different pathway to God, I don’t know why it has to be who’s right and who’s wrong, if ultimately we all believe in the one creator’, she says.
A summer spent in Israel for Simona Barukh confirmed her appreciation of the Jewish religion. ‘I learnt more there in six weeks than in the whole of high school’, she says.
‘I guess I was looking for more—trying to understand why we do the things we do. I want to be able to share the things I learned with others younger than me, and hopefully my [own children] one day’, she adds with enthusiasm.
‘We believe that each person is created for a specific purpose and I aim to fulfil that ...’
MEMO 8. Explain how the constitution of the people of Israel was given to them. What areas of life were covered in this ‘law’ or constitution?
�� 11. What is significant about the reporting of David’s failings in the Jewish Scriptures? Discuss in pairs.
�� 12. Explain why David came to occupy such an important place in the life of the Jewish people. Discuss in pairs.
SQUARE-USER 13. What is your understanding of the term ‘Messiah’?
MEMO 9. Explain the significance of Torah.
MEMO 14. What was the significance of the great temple to Jewish people and why was it so important to them?
DAVID
BOOK-BOOKMARK Read 2 Samuel 11 and Psalm 51:1–10 from the Old Testament.
MEMO 10. What do they record about David’s failings and his prayer to God?
MEMO 15. Explain the symbolism and importance of ‘Yom Kippur’, the Day of Atonement.
SQUARE-USER 16. What does Yom Kippur reveal about the Jewish understanding of both human nature and God’s character? How does this view of God and humanity fit with your understanding of life?
ANNE FRANK (1929–1945) was a German-born Jewish girl who kept a diary in which she documented life under Nazi persecution while hiding in her family’s Amsterdam attic.
Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! ey have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
ISAIAH 1:4
is is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths’. e law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. ey will beat their swords into ploughshares. and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
ISAIAH 2:1–4
17. How do you respond to the author’s comment that, ‘The Tanakh is strange in its honesty about God’s people’. In your response, refer to the Isaiah quotes or similar passages from the Tanakh.
18. Identify aspects of the prophet Isaiah’s message that reflect both warning of judgement and the promise of hope.
Read in Chapter 14 the section ‘The dramas of the second temple’.
The Greeks
19. Outline the events in Israel from the Hellenistic King Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the coming of the Romans.
There were eight Jewish convicts on the first fleet.
The Romans
20. What does the author suggest was the lasting significance of Roman rule? Why?
All that remains of the Second Temple today is a 100-metre section of the western wall, known as the Wailing Wall, where modern Jews cry out to God for the restoration of his temple.
Read Chapter 14 from ‘Sadducees: Aristocrats and priests’ to ‘Followers of Yeshua: heretics of a false Messiah’.
21. Write a three-minute speech assuming the character of a follower of one of the four groups outlined. Explain the appeal of this group’s vision to its followers in contrast to the others.
Read Chapter 15 until the end of ‘The Pharisees, the temple and the synagogues’.
22. Briefly describe the rise of the Pharisees as a dominant group in Jewish life. Explain the role of the destruction of the temple and the emergence of synagogues in the development of this movement.
Read Chapter 15 from ‘The rise of the dual-Torah’ to ‘Midrash and the Talmud’.
23. Define the terms Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash and Talmud.
26. Choose one of the festivals and write the diary entry of a young Jewish person as he or she participates in the festival. Include information on what the festival means to the young person and the Jewish people.
Read Chapter 16, ‘Modern Judaisms’.
27. How did the Jewish mindset of separation help them cope with centuries of exclusion?
24. Explain the history and relationship between the written and spoken Torah.
Read in Chapter 15 the section ‘Five annual festivals of classical Judaism’.
25. Outline the five main festivals on the Jewish calendar.
28. What was emancipation and how did it change things for the Jews?
29. Discuss in pairs. Write a dialogue between a follower of Reform Judaism, an Orthodox Jew and a Conservative Jew. In the conversation, have each of the people express the difference between their version of Judaism and that of the other two. Refer to the distinctive ideas found in each form of Judaism as you prepare your script. This might well be a lively conversation! If time permits, present this to the class in a dramatic form.
30. Which form of Judaism is the most attractive to you? Which looks the most authentic? Is there a difference?
Melbourne’s first synagogue was opened in 1847. Between 1881 to 1920 following massacres and pogroms in Russia, around 10,000 Jews came to Australia. The largest immigration occurred after World War II. Since the 1960s there have been three main groups of Jewish immigrants: Russians, Israelis and South Africans.
31. What is your response to the Zionist Movement? Consider its positive and negative impact on both Jews and Palestinians.
Turn to the centrespread and fill in the table on ‘What Judaism has to say about …’.
33. In what ways have your perceptions of Judaism changed through the study so far?
32. How did the movement gain such momentum after 1945?
34. Summarise the meaning and purpose of life as understood by religious Jewish people.
35. How compelling or appealing do you find these explanations personally? Discuss in pairs.
JERRY SEINFELD (1954– ) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. He is best known for playing a semi-fictionalised version of himself in the sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998).
