Religion & Spirituality

Jewish Living

From Lisa Katz, former About.com Guide

Jewish Living

From About.com

Between family, work and community obligations, the days, weeks and years of your 21st century life fly by. So why spend time incorporating Judaism into your life? Because while Jewish living can be challenging, it can be rewarding too. Culturally enriching and spiritually uplifting, Judaism can add meaning to each day, week and year.

With input from all streams of Jewish thought, this site can help you integrate enduring Jewish traditions into your modern world. Why give your baby a Hebrew name? How can you hang a mezuzah? How do you light Sabbath candles? Why join a synagogue? Find ways Judaism can enhance your life.

Welcoming Jewish Babies
Raising Jewish Children
Learning about Judaism
Celebrating Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
Traveling to Israel

Having a Jewish Wedding
Keeping Kosher
Observing the Sabbath
Being an Interfaith Family
Following Jewish Mourning Rituals

Welcoming Jewish Babies

Read about Judaism's naming customs. Find Hebrew names for boys and girls. Learn about traditional welcoming rituals for Jewish babies such as the Bris, Pidyon HaBen, and Simchat Bat ceremonies. Find ways to welcome your Jewish baby into the world.

Raising Jewish Children

Raising Jewish children today is challenging. Since America is so welcoming to Jews and most American Jews do not live in insulated Jewish bubbles, the non-Jewish world wields great power over Jewish children. Should Jewish children celebrate Halloween? Should Jewish kids participate in their school’s Christmas play? Is a Jewish Day School education worth $10,000? Which Jewish summer camp is best for your child? How can you make Passover Seder fun for your children? Find ways parents can give their children knowledge of and love for their Jewish heritage.

Learning about Judaism

Torah, which literally means instruction, contains God’s laws for the Jewish people. From the moment that Moses brought the Torah down from Mount Sinai, learning has been an essential part of Judaism. Study was key to understanding God’s laws, and education was key to passing them on to the next generation. In fact, with the loss of political independence, Jewish survival became dependent on learning Torah. “Every Jew must study Torah, whether poor or rich, healthy or ailing, young or old” (Yad, Talmud Torah 1:8). Find ways you can learn about Judaism.

Celebrating Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Bar Mitzvah literally means “son of the commandment”, and Bat Mitzvah “daughter of the commandment.” When a Jewish boy or girl becomes a bar or bat mitzvah, they accept God’s commandments ( mitzvoth) and enter into the adult Jewish community. While the various branches of Judaism may differ in their definitions of these ( mitzvoth), all branches of Judaism view a child’s entrance into Jewish adulthood as a joyous occasion. Find ways you can celebrate your child’s bar or bat mitzvah.

Traveling to Israel

Israel's rich history, religious significance, and interesting landscapes attract tourists of all religious and cultural backgrounds. But Jews living in the Diaspora can gain something especially significant from visiting Israel. Research has shown that travel to Israel strengthens Jewish identity. Feel like climbing Masada, praying in Jerusalem, shopping in Tel Aviv, snorkeling in Eilat, or exploring archaeological findings in Ceasaria? Find ways to make your trip to Israel meaningful, memorable and fun.

Having a Jewish Wedding

Judaism's view of marriage as holy, as a sanctification of life, has contributed greatly to Jewish survival. Jews have succeeded to preserve their religious and cultural heritage for thousands of years, despite being dispersed throughout the world and oppressed by other nations, partly due to their belief in the sanctity of marriage and the resulting stability of the family. The Jewish wedding ceremony celebrates the holy nature of marriage. Find ways to enhance your wedding with enduring, meaningful and uplifting Jewish traditions.

Keeping Kosher

Keeping kosher means following Jewish Dietary Laws, which have been derived from Biblical laws and rabbinical extensions. By keeping kosher we elevate the act of eating from mundane to holy, follow the Torah, lead a Jewish lifestyle, identify with the Jewish People, and pass Jewish traditions on to the next generation. How can you make your kitchen kosher? Can you make your mother’s silver cutlery kosher? How can you keep kosher on the road? Are there kosher restaurants at Disney? Which kosher symbols can you trust? Find ways you can keep kosher.

Observing the Sabbath

Just as God rested after six days of work creating the world, Jews are commanded to rest on the seventh day of their work week. The fourth of the Ten Commandments says “remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.” The Jewish Sabbath, Shabbat, begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening. Shabbat is a day in which work is put aside to make room for sacred matters to enter into our lives. What is the blessing for lighting Sabbath candles? Can your son observe Shabbat and still play on the school soccer team? How can you make Shabbat a fun family day? Find ways you can make Shabbat a part of your life.

Being an Interfaith Family

33 percent of American Jewish families today are interfaith, and over 50 percent of American Jews today marry non-Jews. Find helpful answers and resources for intermarried couples and interfaith families.

Following Jewish Mourning Rituals

Judaism views death as natural and inevitable, as a part of God’s plan. Jewish practices relating to death are meant to show respect for the dead (kavod ha-met). And Jewish mourning rituals are meant to comfort the living (nihum avelim). What is Mourner's Kaddish? How do you light a Yahrzeit (Memorial) candle? Should you send flowers to the home of a friend sitting Shiva? Should you send invitations to an unveiling ceremony? Find ways that Jewish mourning rituals can help ease the pain of a loss.

Judaism