What you'll learn
How Jewish people practise their faith at home, in the synagogue and through festivals.
Worship and the synagogue
- The synagogue as a house of prayer, study and assembly; the Torah scrolls in the Ark.
- Prayer and the role of the rabbi.
- Shabbat: the day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, remembering creation.
Home and lifestyle
- Kosher food laws (kashrut): permitted foods and the separation of meat and dairy.
- Rituals of life: Brit Milah (circumcision), Bar/Bat Mitzvah, marriage and mourning.
Festivals
- Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) — the High Holy Days.
- Pesach (Passover) recalling the Exodus; Sukkot and Shavuot.
Exam tips
- Link practices to beliefs (e.g. Shabbat recalls God resting at creation).
- Compare Orthodox and Reform observance.
Common mistakes
- Thinking 'kosher' just means 'blessed food' — it is a set of dietary laws.
- Mixing up the festivals and what they commemorate.