Lesson 2 - a ritual of Judaism

• Levensbeschouwing
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Lesson 2

A ritual of Judaism

Lesson goals & lesson structure

• Knowledge: the concept 'ritual', a Bar Mitzvah in Judaism
• Skills: actively engage in quiz questions, doing some simple Google research

1. Explanation: a ritual
   
2. Explanation: Bar Mitzvah
3. Video + quiz questions
4. Working independently 
5. Reflection: what do we know now?

Ritual

• A ritual is a ceremony or pattern of actions used in a worship (although rituals aren't exclusively religious). 
• Rituals are usually performed on 'special occasions': a prayer, a ceremony in a religious building or coming-of-age-rituals.
• These coming-of-age-rituals are mostly performed on important moments in human life (birth, marriage, death).

Bar mitzvah

• An important ritual in Judaism is called 'Bar mitzvah'.  
• Bar mitzvah refers to the coming-of-age ritual in Judaism; 
• According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" a bar mitzvah, at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. 

00:37

From which book does Ethan has to read something?

1. Torah
2. New Testament
3. Midrash
4. Talmud

01:22

Ethan reads a strange language. Which is it?

1. Greek
2. German
3. Hebrew
4. Egyptian

02:15

Ethan does his Bar mitzvah in the honour of someone who died at a dramatic, historical event. Which one?

1. The First World War
2. 9/11
3. The Cold War
4. The Holocaust

Working independently

• Do some simple Google searches again. Answer the following questions (write down your answers in a Word-document):

1. What's the coming-of-age-ritual at birth for boys in Judaism? Find the Hebrew and English word. 
2. Who administers the ritual? Who performs it?

• You got five minutes.

What's the coming-of-age-ritual at birth for boys in Judaism?

Who administers the ritual? Who performs it?

Reflection: what do we know now?

• A ritual is a ceremony or pattern of actions used in a worship (although rituals aren't exclusively religious). 
• Bar mitzvah refers to the coming-of-age ritual in Judaism. 
• There are other coming of age-rituals: Brit milah (circumcision) and a chuppah (wedding ceremony) and a Jewish funeral. These are also important rituals in Judaism.