Judaism

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 GCSE A Level Moral Issues Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Sikhism

Judaism is the oldest of the Middle Eastern Religions. It began over 4000 year ago, when Abraham left Ur to travel to Canaan (now Israel). The story of his descendents, and of their struggles to establish themselves as a nation state, are included in the Bible. Jews have been the victims of some of the worst persecution in the History of the Human Race - in Year Nine we study the Holocaust, and the effect that it had on Jewish family life. Judaism is particularly well known for the strict Orthodix way of life, which is practiced by a large number of Jews.

Introduction to Judaism - BBCi Any on-line investigation of Judaism should begin with this excellent guide from the BBCi Website Festival Dates Find out when the major Jewish Festivals will be during 2002. The Jewish Virtual Library This site contains a huge amount of information useful to anyone researching a project on Judaism. There are interesting sections on the Holocaust and on well known Jewish women. A lot of the site is devoted to facts and figures about the State of Israel, and the whole site is supported by a charity that promotes closer co-operation between Israel and the US. Jewish festivals Research the Jewish Festivals from this link. Click here for another site that explains some Jewish festivals. Virtual Jerusalem This is an eye-catching site, which gives you a wide range of informative pages on Judaism. Hanukkah Research the popular festival here. The Jewish Studies Network This is a link to a site suitable for more advanced research. The Synagogue There are pictures and a useful glossary of terms, and an e-mail a Rabbi service, on this site! Explore the Synagogue The BBC have this on-line visit to a Synagogue, with excellent notes to explain the various features. The Wall This link is to a general site about Judaism, including live pictures from the Western Wall. Beth Shalom Beth Shalom is the UK's Holocaust Memorial Centre, based near Newark in Nottinghamshire. Years ago we ran a series of conferences on the Holocaust for Year 10, and we were proud to welcome two survivors from the camps, who now work as volunteers for the centre. This link is to a virtual tour of the centre - if you want to see the whole site, click here! Holocaust History This gives you a basic (and interactive) survey of the Holocaust. Recommended! Badges of the Holocaust This site is a part of the "Jewish Virtual Library". It shows examples of the various badges that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, and also has some background to the Nuremburg Laws and their impact on people's lives. Holocaust Memorial Day The Government instituted a Holocaust Memorial Day in order to provide a national mark of respect for all victims of Nazi persecution and demonstrate understanding with all those who still suffer its consequences Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. This site is essential to anyone researching the Holocaust. It includes a vast range of pictures and information about the Memorial. The Simon Wiesenthal Centre. Simon Wiesenthal has devoted his life to bringing the Nazis who escaped after WWII to Justice. He spent time in a Concentration Camp himself. The Wiesenthal Centre includes a vast amount of information, including the "Children of the Holocaust" pages. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Click here to view a range of resources archived by the USHMM. There is a good resource which explains the events and background of Kristallnacht. Click here to see it. Don't Let The Light Go Out This is a part of the Holidays site - follow the link to see a multi-media exhibition in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The video clips come from the "Lest We Forget" CD ROM that you might have used with the RE Department's computer. The Imperial War Museum Click here to see the pages that support the excellent new Exhibition at the IWM on the Holocaust. Frank Foley Frank Foley was a British Spy working as a Passport Control Officer in Berlin just before WWII. He bent rules to give visas to thousands of Jewish people wanting to escape from the Nazi German rule. Recently a plaque was unveiled to remember his heroism. Read the story from the Independent of 25th November 2004. He died in Stourbridge (in the West Midlands) in 1958, and the town has a plaque to remember him - click here to read more. Another version of Foley's story is here. Virtual Reality Jerusalem See a live webcam link to the Western Wall in Jerusalem! High Holy Days Research these important festivals from this site. Jewishnet This is a large resource which includes a Jewish newsgroup. Kashrut, the Jewish food laws To research Kosher food, click here. This will be useful to GCSE Catering and Food students researching special diets - you can tour a Kosher Supermarket! Virtual Reality Kosher Supermarket Tesco Direct and Sainsburys On-line offer groceries to your door. The Kosher Club does exactly the same for Jews who want to follow the Food Laws of Judaism. The only snag is that this is only available in the USA! The Jewish families in Norwich who keep Kosher will travel down to Cambridge or even London to buy their Kosher food. You might also be interested in Kosher.Com's range of Jewish artefacts - click here! Some students have used this site to research for their Catering coursework on special diets. Kosher Basket This on-line Kosher supplier is based in Manchester. They offer a full range of Kosher products for nationwide delivery - perhaps Jewish families in Norwich are making use of this service! Pesach (Passover) Find out about the Seder Meal, and other details about this festival, here. For the story of the escape of the Hebrew Slaves from Egypt, click here. Purim This is a popular festival with children. Click here to find out about the celebrations, and the story of Esther. Shavuot Bar Mitzvah Click here to research the Ceremony that marks a boy's entry into Judaism as an adult. Totally Jewish For most Jews, Judaism is not so much a religion as a culture as well. Many Jews are "secular" (non-religious), but they keep many of the customs and traditions of Judaism as a mark of their origins and background. I think that the perfect family to explain this is the Pickles family in "The Rugrats" (click here to read about Grandpa Boris). "Totally Jewish" is a "lifestyle" site which gives a vast range of information about Jewish life. Follow the link to see how the Jewish Community in Britain is living in the 21st Century, including advice on Parenting, Weddings - there's even a set of downloadable screensavers featuring dancing Rabbis.