LESSON II: JEWISH PRAYER

1.

Before class, write on the board the following sentence: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."  Explain that this central prayer of Judaism is called the "Shema", which is Hebrew for the first word of the prayer, "hear".  Ask students to consider the following two questions (it may be helpful to have them write a journal-like reflection on them):

-What beliefs/values are expressed in this prayer? -If you had to write one sentence which summed up the most important beliefs/values you have, what would it be?

Handout on Jewish Prayer (to be either distributed and read aloud with the class, or to be used as a resource for lecture material)

2.

3.

Activity: Have students read the following blessing (either put it onthe board, use the overhead projector, or make handouts for them): "Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has made creatures different."  Explain to them that this blessing is to be recited when you see someone who looks strange or different.  Now ask students to do the following:

-Think of one event in their lives which happens fairly regularly, like going to school (or getting out!), going to a party, having a meal with family or friends, etc... -Compose a berakhah for this event.  It should begin with the following formula: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe..." and continue to express gratitudeto God for the event, or acknowledge God's power, etc...

NOTES:

-According to Jewish tradition, Jews are to recite berakhot 100 times a day.  It may be a good topic to raise with students:  If they were to thank God 100 times a day for even the smallest things, how would their attitude/outlook on life change? -Shabbat will be covered in the lesson plan on Jewish holidays.  Click here to go to that lesson plan. -The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, but a Moslem monument built around the rock traditionally believed to be the site where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac.  Muslims claim that it is also the rock from which Mohammed ascended into heaven, and in fact, if you visit the Dome of the Rock, you can touch an indentation in it which is revered by Muslims as Mohammed's footprint. -Many Jews today will not go near the Dome of the Rock, for fear of stepping on the spot which once housed the Holy of Holies-- the inner sanctum of the Temple where God's presence dwelled.  The Holy of Holies was the most sacred part of the Temple, and could only be entered by the high priest, once a year. There is absolutely nothing left of the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD.  The Western Wall, or "Wailing Wall", is part of a retaining wall which helped to form a level foundation upon which the Temple was built. -Be sure that students understand that using the word "temple" to describe a Jewish place of worship will be offensive to some Jews, and so it may be more appropriate to use the term "synagogue".

7.

Vocabulary words: Shema, Shabbat, berakhah (pl. berakhot), siddur, baruk

Click here for worksheet on Jewish Prayer.