Bereavement in Judaism

After my visit to Emanuel Temple, I learned two things: Christianity and Judaism are very similar, but also are very different.Emmanuel Temple. Which is in Oak Park. This structure was built for its inhabitants to practice the belief of Judaism. The interior of the temple is pretty typical. The layout is as follows:rows of wooden pews, similar layout to an auditorium. There is golden structure of a flame at the altar. Glancing around the synagogue you would see some Hebrew written. This Church…

How To Read The Jewish Bible, authored by biblical scholar, and professor, Marc Zvi Brettler, is an enlightening text, guiding people on how to read the Hebrew scriptures in a more purposeful way. Brettler reveals that this book provides a response to the frustration many readers hold with the Hebrew Bible, based on the accustomed tendency to filter it through the lens of present day culture. Generally, he argues, as a result this leads one to either misconstrue passages, or the arrive to the…

An Israelite’s Journal I cannot believe we escaped Egypt. I was sure I was going to die stacking bricks for Pharaoh’s tomb. How Moses convinced the Pharaoh to release us, I cannot fathom. Today was the most terrifying day of my life. Pharaoh sent out his men to retrieve us and enslave us again. We were hemmed by the Red Sea in front and the army behind. I, at the time, wondered what Moses would do because all he had done was cry out to G-d. Today I walked across the Red Sea on…

blended in like the ‘Zelig” character of the cinema. Their attitude was, “We will pay taxes. Leave us alone.” Shtetlach were governed by The Council of the Four Lands – Great Poland ;( Posen); Little Poland (Cracow; Red Ruthenia around Lemberg and Volhynia, now North-west Ukraine). The Jews of Poland formed a nation within a nation. After In 1764 the Polish Parliament (Diet) dissolved the Council of Four Lands, Kahillas (decentralized Councils) replaced them as its judicial, religious, and…

Freedom of religion is certainly a privilege for which we all have to be thankful. Chanukah is the perfect occasion for celebrating this freedom. In the special "Al Hanissim" Prayer that we add on Chanukah to our regular daily prayers and grace after meals we recall what the wicked Hellenist Greeks tried to inflict upon our ancestors. They made an effort to force assimilation upon them by causing them to forget the Torah and to follow this by abandoning their fulfillment of the G-dly commands.…

A nation long ago that had to Increase its defensive measures in order to survive remains standing victorious. This country which goes by its Hebrew name of Israel which means “God may prevail”, has continually been defending themselves against the imperialistic form of the Arab Palestinians. Israel at all times being surrounded by their adversary are constantly watching their back, figuratively speaking. This relentless tussle has been going on for thousands of years. It has been said to…

Paul was a person who murdered people. He persecuted God’s people because he felt that they were not keeping the purity of Christ. When it comes to Paul and his old perspective, it is said that he opposed Jewish legalism. “What Paul rejected about Judaism is that it was a legalistic system.”(Gombis, 2010) In other words, they felt that if they did good things they can have a little leverage to give to God for salvation. In some of the studies it says that before Paul came to the road of Damascus…

have to do what Gentiles had always had to do: to become proseLytes, to take upon themselves Jewish identity, to renounce their own ethnic past and embrace Judaism lock, stock and barrel. Wright, Tom. Acts for Everyone Part 1. : SPCK, 2008. pp140" Gentiles had to repent and believe on Jesus for salvation, but they didn't have to convert to Judaism. The HS had fallen on Jews in Jerusalem in Ch 2, Samaria in Ch 8 and the Gentiles. More interestingly a ROMAN gentile. An empire that was for all…

The Psalter is a book of Holy Scripture that has been both captivating and profitable in my personal journey of faith. Unfortunately they never became much more than a guide for Godly living, comforting words for those in torment or grief as well as songs and poetry that were slightly more anointed than modern hymns and contemporary worship songs. This study of the Psalms has been beneficial as it re-enforced and greatly deepened my understanding of discipleship in the Psalms. It also gave me…

During the Plague, most of Europe was Christian, so Jews were looked at with high levels of suspicion and were the easiest scapegoats for the Plague, being religious outcasts. There was a strong belief among the elites in the European society that the Jews wanted to destroy Christendom. Many Christians viewed the Jews as the Antichrist and irresponsible priests spread rumors that the Jews kidnapped and tortured Christian children. The Jews were also represented as the demon’s attendant on Satan…