Living the Jewish Life
Public Worship in the Synagogue
Jewish public worship centres on the synagogue. Services include prayer, readings from the Torah, and often a sermon from the rabbi. Psalm 116:12–19 asks “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?” and answers by describing vows kept in the presence of all the Lord’s people — showing that worship is meant to be shared with the community, not only carried out alone. Full communal prayer requires a minyan — ten adult males in Orthodox Judaism, while Reform and Liberal synagogues count men and women alike. Synagogue worship matters to the individual because it connects personal prayer to the whole community, and it matters to the community because it keeps Jewish identity and practice alive across generations.
Psalm 116:12–19 shows worship carried out “in the presence of all his people” — the named source for the communal purpose of synagogue worship. A minyan of ten adults is needed for full communal prayer.
The Tenakh and the Talmud
The Tenakh is the Hebrew Bible, made up of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), the Nevi’im (Prophets) and the Ketuvim (Writings). It is the written law and the most sacred text in Judaism. The Talmud is the oral law: the Mishnah, plus the Gemara, which is rabbinic commentary explaining how to apply it. Perkei Avot 2 teaches that Torah study should be combined with a worldly occupation, since study on its own, without work, can lead a person into sin. This shows how the Talmud takes the Tenakh and turns it into guidance for daily life.
Kashrut: Jewish Food Laws
Kashrut governs what Jews eat. Kosher food is permitted; treifah food is forbidden. Deuteronomy 14:3–10 lists forbidden animals, such as the pig, and permitted animals, such as cattle and sheep, which chew the cud and have split hooves. Meat and dairy must also be kept separate, so many kosher kitchens keep two sets of pans and dishes.
Orthodox Jews keep these rules strictly at all times, seeing kashrut as a direct command from the Almighty. Many Reform Jews keep some food laws as a mark of Jewish identity and tradition but treat others as optional, seeing kashrut as a guide rather than a fixed rule for every meal. This divergence matters because it shows ‘living the Jewish life’ looks different across the community today.
Prayer at Home
Alongside synagogue worship, Jews pray privately, usually three times a day — morning, afternoon and evening. Psalm 55:16–23 describes calling on the Almighty “evening, morning and noon” and being answered — the source used to explain why Jews pray at set points across the day. Private prayer can happen anywhere, in any language, and does not need a minyan, so it gives individual Jews a direct, personal connection with the Almighty outside formal services.
The Shema and the Amidah
The Shema is Judaism’s central statement of faith, taken word for word from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” It is recited every morning and evening and affirms belief in one God. A Mezuzah containing the words of the Shema is fixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes, so believers touch or glance at it every time they enter or leave — keeping the declaration part of daily life.
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) — “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one” — is recited twice daily and kept in the Mezuzah on the doorpost as a constant reminder of the covenant.
The Amidah is recited standing, in silence, facing Jerusalem, at every Jewish service. It contains nineteen blessings covering praise of the Almighty, requests for personal and community needs, and thanksgiving. Together, the Shema (a declaration of belief) and the Amidah (a structured prayer of praise and request) form the backbone of Jewish worship, in the synagogue or alone at home.
Marking Life's Milestones
Brit Milah (circumcision) is performed on a male infant on the eighth day of life, fulfilling the covenant given to Abraham in Genesis 17. Genesis 21:1–8 describes Isaac’s birth and his circumcision at eight days old, the first example of the covenant being kept at this age. Leviticus 12 sets out rites of purification for the mother following childbirth.
Bar Mitzvah (boys, usually 13) and Bat Mitzvah (girls, usually 12 or 13) mark the point at which a young person becomes responsible for keeping the Mitzvot. In many synagogues the young person reads from the Torah scroll for the first time. Orthodox synagogues do not allow women to read the Torah during services, so an Orthodox Bat Mitzvah is often marked differently to a Reform one — a clear example of divergence within Judaism.
Jewish marriage rituals mark the couple's union as a religious covenant. Jewish mourning follows set stages, beginning with a rapid, community-organised funeral, then shiva (seven days at home receiving the community’s support), avelut (thirty days, then the first year, of gradual return to normal life) and yahrzeit (the yearly anniversary of the death, marked with a memorial candle). Orthodox and Reform Jews broadly share these stages but differ on how strictly the details, such as the length of formal mourning, are kept today.
Shabbat
Shabbat is the weekly day of rest, kept from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. Exodus 31:12–18 records the Almighty commanding Shabbat as “a lasting covenant” between Himself and the Jewish people, kept “for the generations to come.” Families mark its start by lighting candles and saying blessings over wine and bread, then rest from work, attend the synagogue and spend time together. This matters to the community because it sets the whole of Jewish life to the same weekly rhythm, and to the individual because it guarantees regular rest and family time.
Jewish Festivals
Leviticus 23 sets out the calendar of festivals the Almighty commands Jews to keep. Rosh Hashanah begins the year with reflection and the sounding of the ram's horn (shofar). Ten days later comes Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, kept with a full day's fast and repentance.
Pesach remembers the escape from slavery in Egypt and is kept with a special meal that retells the story. Shavuot, fifty days after Pesach, celebrates the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Sukkot remembers the forty years spent wandering the desert by building temporary outdoor shelters.
Orthodox Jews keep festivals for their traditional length and follow all associated restrictions strictly. Many Reform and Liberal Jews keep the same festivals but may shorten some observances or adapt them, seeing the meaning behind the festival as more important than following every rule exactly. This shows that festivals bring different Jewish communities together around shared events while still being lived out in divergent ways.
Features of the Synagogue
Every synagogue holds its Torah scrolls in the Ark, which faces towards Jerusalem, and reads from a raised platform called the bimah. Proverbs 14:28 states that “a large population is a king's glory” — used to explain why a full, gathered congregation matters for synagogue worship. Orthodox synagogues seat men and women separately; Reform and Liberal synagogues seat families together, reflecting different beliefs about the roles of men and women in worship.
A yad is used to follow the words of the Torah scroll during reading, protecting the sacred parchment from touch. Above the Ark burns the ner tamid (eternal light), commanded in Exodus 27:20–21, where the Almighty instructs that a lamp be kept burning continually. A menorah is often displayed, recalling the lampstand once used in the Temple. Together, these features make the synagogue both a place of worship and a physical reminder of the covenant and its history.
Key synagogue features: the Ark (holds the Torah, faces Jerusalem), the bimah (raised reading platform), the yad (pointer for Torah reading) and the ner tamid (eternal light, commanded in Exodus 27:20–21). Orthodox and Reform/Liberal synagogues differ in seating arrangements.