Judaism

==Jewish observances==

===Jewish ethics===
{{Main|Jewish ethics}}
Jewish ethics may be guided by ''halakhic'' traditions, by other moral principles, or by central Jewish virtues. Jewish ethical practice is typically understood to be marked by values such as justice, truth, peace, loving-kindness ([[chesed]]), compassion, humility, and self-respect. Specific Jewish ethical practices include practices of charity ([[tzedakah]]) and refraining from negative speech ([[lashon hara]]). Proper ethical practices regarding sexuality and many other issues are subjects of dispute among Jews.

===Prayers===
{{Main|Jewish prayer}}
[[File:YemeniJew1914.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.9|right|A Yemenite Jew at morning prayers, wearing a [[kippah]] skullcap, prayer shawl and [[tefillin]]]]
Traditionally, Jews recite prayers three times daily, [[Shacharit]], [[Mincha]], and [[Ma'ariv]] with a fourth prayer, [[Mussaf]] added on [[Shabbat]] and [[Jewish holiday|holidays]]. At the heart of each service is the ''[[Amidah]]'' or ''Shemoneh Esrei''. Another key prayer in many services is the declaration of faith, the ''[[Shema Yisrael]]'' (or ''Shema''). The ''Shema'' is the recitation of a verse from the Torah ([[Deuteronomy]] 6:4): ''Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad''—"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God! The Lord is One!"

[[File:For alive and fallen (The Western Wall).jpg|thumb|An Israeli female soldier prays at the Western Wall]]
Most of the prayers in a traditional Jewish service can be recited in solitary prayer, although communal prayer is preferred. Communal prayer requires a [[quorum]] of ten adult Jews, called a ''[[minyan]]''. In nearly all Orthodox and a few Conservative circles, only male Jews are counted toward a ''minyan''; most Conservative Jews and members of other Jewish denominations count female Jews as well.

In addition to prayer services, observant traditional Jews recite [[List of Jewish prayers and blessings|prayers and benedictions]] throughout the day when [[List of Jewish prayers and blessings#Everyday prayers and blessings|performing various acts]]. Prayers are recited upon [[Modeh ani|waking up in the morning]], before eating or drinking different foods, [[Birkat Hamazon|after eating a meal]], and so on.

The approach to prayer varies among the Jewish denominations. Differences can include the texts of prayers, the frequency of prayer, the number of prayers recited at various religious events, the use of musical instruments and choral music, and whether prayers are recited in the traditional liturgical languages or the vernacular. In general, Orthodox and Conservative congregations adhere most closely to tradition, and Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues are more likely to incorporate translations and contemporary writings in their services. Also, in most Conservative synagogues, and all Reform and Reconstructionist congregations, women participate in prayer services on an [[Egalitarianism|equal basis]] with men, including roles traditionally filled only by men, such as [[Torah reading|reading from the Torah]]. In addition, many Reform temples use musical accompaniment such as organs and mixed choirs.

===Religious clothing===
[[File:Flickr_-_The_Israel_Project_-_Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|Jewish boys wearing [[tzitzit]] and [[Kippah|kippot]] play soccer in Jerusalem]]
[[File:Praying_at_the_Western_Wall.jpg|thumb|Men wearing [[tallit]]ot pray at the Western Wall]]
{{Further|Jewish religious clothing|kippah|tzitzit|tefillin}}
A ''[[kippah]]'' (Hebrew: כִּפָּה, plural ''kippot''; Yiddish: יאַרמלקע, ''yarmulke'') is a slightly rounded brimless skullcap worn by many Jews while praying, eating, reciting blessings, or studying Jewish religious texts, and at all times by some Jewish men. In Orthodox communities, only men wear kippot; in non-Orthodox communities, some women also wear kippot. ''Kippot'' range in size from a small round beanie that covers only the back of the head to a large, snug cap that covers the whole crown.

''[[Tzitzit]]'' (Hebrew: צִיציִת) ([[Ashkenazi Hebrew|Ashkenazi pronunciation]]: ''tzitzis'') are special knotted "fringes" or "tassels" found on the four corners of the ''[[tallit]]'' (Hebrew: טַלִּית) (Ashkenazi pronunciation: ''tallis''), or prayer [[shawl]]. The ''tallit'' is worn by Jewish men and some Jewish women during the prayer service. Customs vary regarding when a Jew begins wearing a tallit. In the Sephardi community, boys wear a tallit from bar mitzvah age. In some Ashkenazi communities, it is customary to wear one only after marriage. A ''tallit katan'' (small tallit) is a fringed garment worn under the clothing throughout the day. In some Orthodox circles, the fringes are allowed to hang freely outside the clothing.

[[Tefillin]] (Hebrew: תְפִלִּין), known in English as phylacteries (from the Greek word φυλακτήριον, meaning ''safeguard'' or ''amulet''), are two square leather boxes containing biblical verses, attached to the forehead and wound around the left arm by leather straps. They are worn during weekday morning prayer by observant Jewish men and some Jewish women.<ref name="publishers" />

A ''[[kittel]]'' (Yiddish: קיטל), a white knee-length overgarment, is worn by prayer leaders and some observant traditional Jews on the [[High Holidays]]. It is traditional for the head of the household to wear a kittel at the Passover seder in some communities, and some grooms wear one under the wedding canopy. Jewish males are buried in a ''tallit'' and sometimes also a ''kittel'' which are part of the ''[[tachrichim]]'' (burial garments).

===Jewish holidays===
{{Main|Jewish holiday}}
Jewish holidays are special days in the Jewish calendar, which celebrate moments in Jewish history, as well as central themes in the relationship between God and the world, such as [[Creation myth|creation]], [[revelation]], and [[salvation|redemption]].

====Shabbat====
{{Main|Shabbat}}
[[File:Shabbat Challos.jpg|upright=1.15|right|thumb|Two braided Shabbat [[challah|challot]] placed under an embroidered [[challah cover]] at the start of the Shabbat meal]]
''[[Shabbat]]'', the weekly day of rest lasting from shortly before sundown on Friday night to nightfall on Saturday night, commemorates God's day of rest after six days of creation. It plays a pivotal role in Jewish practice and is governed by a large corpus of religious law. At sundown on Friday, the woman of the house welcomes the Shabbat by lighting two or more candles and reciting a blessing. The evening meal begins with the Kiddush, a blessing recited aloud over a cup of wine, and the Mohtzi, a blessing recited over the bread. It is customary to have [[challah]], two braided loaves of bread, on the table. During Shabbat, Jews are forbidden to engage in any activity that falls under [[39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat|39 categories of ''melakhah'']], translated literally as "work". In fact, the activities banned on the Sabbath are not "work" in the usual sense: They include such actions as lighting a fire, writing, using money and carrying in the public domain. The prohibition of lighting a fire has been extended in the modern era to driving a car, which involves burning fuel and using electricity.<ref name="JEsabbath">{{JewishEncyclopedia|author-link1=Emil G. Hirsch |last1=Hirsch |first1=Emil G. |display-authors=etal |title=Sabbath|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12962-sabbath}}</ref>

====Three pilgrimage festivals====
{{Main|Shalosh regalim}}
Jewish holy days (''chaggim''), celebrate landmark events in Jewish history, such as the [[Exodus from Egypt]] and the giving of the Torah, and sometimes mark the change of seasons and transitions in the agricultural cycle. The three major festivals, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot, are called "regalim" (derived from the Hebrew word "regel", or foot). On the three regalim, it was customary for the Israelites to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the Temple:
* [[File:Farhi_Haggadah_736756_0024.tif|thumb|A [[haggadah]] used by the Jewish community of Cairo in Arabic]] [[Passover]] (''Pesach'') is a week-long holiday beginning on the evening of the 14th day of [[Nisan]] (the first month in the Hebrew calendar), that commemorates the [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] from Egypt. Outside Israel, Passover is celebrated for eight days. In ancient times, it coincided with the barley harvest. It is the only holiday that centers on home-service, the [[Passover Seder|Seder]]. [[leavening agent|Leavened]] products ([[chametz]]) are removed from the house prior to the holiday and are not consumed throughout the week. Homes are thoroughly cleaned to ensure no bread or bread by-products remain, and a symbolic burning of the last vestiges of chametz is conducted on the morning of the Seder. [[Matzah|Matzo]] is eaten instead of bread.
* [[Shavuot]] ("Pentecost" or "Feast of Weeks") celebrates the revelation of the [[Torah]] to the [[Israelite]]s on Mount Sinai. Also known as the Festival of Bikurim, or first fruits, it coincided in biblical times with the wheat harvest. Shavuot customs include all-night study marathons known as Tikkun Leil Shavuot, eating dairy foods (cheesecake and blintzes are special favorites), reading the Book of Ruth, decorating homes and synagogues with greenery, and wearing white clothing, symbolizing purity.
* [[File:Sukkoth_-_IZE10160.jpg|thumb|A [[sukkah]]]] [[Sukkot]] ("Tabernacles" or "The Festival of Booths") commemorates the Israelites' forty years of wandering through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. It is celebrated through the construction of temporary booths called ''sukkot'' (sing. ''[[sukkah]]'') that represent the temporary shelters of the Israelites during their wandering. It coincides with the fruit harvest and marks the end of the agricultural cycle. Jews around the world eat in ''sukkot'' for seven days and nights. Sukkot concludes with [[Shemini Atzeret]], where Jews begin to pray for rain and [[Simchat Torah]], "Rejoicing of the Torah", a holiday which marks reaching the end of the Torah reading cycle and beginning all over again. The occasion is celebrated with singing and dancing with the Torah scrolls. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are technically considered to be a separate holiday and not a part of Sukkot.

[[File:Breaking_of_Yom_Kippur_fast_with_Roti_and_Samosas_(8034851404).jpg|thumb|Jews in Mumbai break the Yom Kippur fast with [[roti]] and [[samosa]]s]]

====High Holy Days====
{{Main|High Holidays}}
The High Holidays (''Yamim Noraim'' or "Days of Awe") revolve around judgment and forgiveness:
* [[Rosh Hashanah]], (also ''Yom Ha-Zikkaron'' or "Day of Remembrance", and ''Yom Teruah'', or "Day of the Sounding of the [[Shofar]]"). Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year (literally, "head of the year"), although it falls on the first day of the seventh month of the [[Hebrew calendar]], [[Tishri]]. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the 10-day period of atonement leading up to Yom Kippur, during which Jews are commanded to search their souls and make amends for sins committed, intentionally or not, throughout the year. Holiday customs include blowing the shofar, or ram's horn, in the synagogue, eating apples and honey, and saying blessings over a variety of symbolic foods, such as pomegranates.
* [[Yom Kippur]], ("Day of Atonement") is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is a day of communal fasting and praying for forgiveness for one's sins. Observant Jews spend the entire day in the synagogue, sometimes with a short break in the afternoon, reciting prayers from a special holiday prayerbook called a "Machzor". Many non-religious Jews make a point of attending synagogue services and fasting on Yom Kippur. On the eve of Yom Kippur, before candles are lit, a prefast meal, the "[[seuda mafseket]]", is eaten. Synagogue services on the eve of Yom Kippur begin with the Kol Nidre prayer. It is customary to wear white on Yom Kippur, especially for Kol Nidre, and leather shoes are not worn. The following day, prayers are held from morning to evening. The final prayer service, called "Ne'ilah", ends with a long blast of the shofar.

====Purim====
{{Main|Purim}}
[[File:Jerusalem Purim street scene.jpg|right|thumb|Purim street scene in Jerusalem]]
[[File:Hanukkah-US-Military-GITMO-Dec-28-08.jpg|thumb|Jewish personnel of the US Navy light candles on Hanukkah]]
[[Purim]] (Hebrew: {{Audio|He-Purim.ogg|פורים}} {{transl|he|Pûrîm}} "[[Cleromancy|lots]]") is a joyous Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the [[Persian Jews]] from the plot of the evil [[Haman (Bible)|Haman]], who sought to [[genocide|exterminate]] them, as recorded in the biblical [[Book of Esther]]. It is characterized by public recitation of the Book of Esther, mutual gifts of food and drink, [[Alms|charity]] to the poor, and a celebratory meal (Esther 9:22). Other customs include drinking wine, eating special pastries called [[hamantash]]en, dressing up in masks and costumes, and organizing carnivals and parties.

Purim has celebrated annually on the 14th of the Hebrew month of [[Adar]], which occurs in February or March of the Gregorian calendar.

====Hanukkah====
{{Main|Hanukkah}}
[[Hanukkah]] ({{lang-he|חֲנֻכָּה}}, "dedication") also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of [[Kislev]] ([[Hebrew calendar]]). The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of lights on each of the festival's eight nights, one on the first night, two on the second night and so on.

The holiday was called Hanukkah (meaning "dedication") because it marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration by [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]]. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the "Miracle of the Oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] following the victory of the [[Maccabees]] over the [[Seleucid Empire]], there was only enough consecrated oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days—which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.

Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Bible and was never considered a major holiday in Judaism, but it has become much more visible and widely celebrated in modern times, mainly because it falls around the same time as Christmas and has national Jewish overtones that have been emphasized since the establishment of the State of Israel.

====Fast days====
{{Main|Tisha B'Av|Seventeenth of Tamuz|10th of Tevet|Tzom Gedaliah}}
[[Tisha B'Av]] ({{lang-he|תשעה באב}} or {{lang|he|ט׳ באב}}, "the Ninth of [[Av (month)|Av]]") is a day of mourning and fasting commemorating the destruction of the [[First Temple|First]] and [[Second Temple]]s, and in later times, the [[Alhambra Decree|expulsion of the Jews from Spain]].

There are three more minor Jewish fast days that commemorate various stages of the destruction of the Temples. They are the [[Seventeenth of Tamuz|17th Tamuz]], the [[10th of Tevet]] and [[Tzom Gedaliah]] (the 3rd of Tishrei).

====Israeli holidays====
{{Main|Yom Hashoah|Yom Hazikaron|Yom Ha'atzmaut}}
The modern holidays of [[Yom Ha-shoah]] (Holocaust Remembrance Day), [[Yom Hazikaron]] (Israeli Memorial Day) and [[Yom Ha'atzmaut]] (Israeli Independence Day) commemorate the horrors of the [[Holocaust]], the fallen soldiers of Israel and victims of terrorism, and Israeli independence, respectively.

There are some who prefer to commemorate those who were killed in the Holocaust on the [[Tenth of Tevet#Day of general kaddish|10th of Tevet]].
[[File:ReadingOfTheTorah.jpg|thumb|A man reads a torah using a [[yad]]]]

===Torah readings===
{{Main|Torah reading}}
The core of festival and [[Shabbat]] prayer services is the public reading of the [[Torah]], along with connected readings from the other books of the Tanakh, called [[Haftarah]]. Over the course of a year, the whole Torah is read, with the cycle starting over in the autumn, on [[Simchat Torah]].

===Synagogues and religious buildings===
{{Main|Synagogue}}
[[File:Aškenaška_sinagoga_(14143483781).jpg|thumb|The [[Sarajevo Synagogue]] in [[Sarajevo]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]]]
[[File:Jerusalem Great Synagogue05.jpg|thumb|[[Great Synagogue (Jerusalem)]]]]
Synagogues are Jewish houses of prayer and study. They usually contain separate rooms for prayer (the main sanctuary), smaller rooms for study, and often an area for community or educational use. There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. The Reform movement mostly refer to their synagogues as temples. Some traditional features of a synagogue are:
[[File:Congregation_Emanu-El_of_the_City_New_York.jpg|thumb|[[Congregation Emanu-El of New York]]]]
* The [[ark (synagogue)|ark]] (called ''aron ha-kodesh'' by [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazim]] and ''hekhal'' by [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardim]]) where the [[Torah]] scrolls are kept (the ark is often closed with an ornate curtain (''[[parochet]]'') outside or inside the ark doors);
* The elevated reader's platform (called ''[[Bema#Judaism|bimah]]'' by Ashkenazim and ''tebah'' by Sephardim), where the Torah is read (and services are conducted in Sephardi synagogues);
* The [[sanctuary lamp|eternal light]] (''ner tamid''), a continually lit lamp or lantern used as a reminder of the constantly lit [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]
* The pulpit, or ''amud'', a lectern facing the Ark where the [[hazzan]] or prayer leader stands while praying.

In addition to synagogues, other buildings of significance in Judaism include [[yeshiva]]s, or institutions of Jewish learning, and [[mikvah]]s, which are ritual baths.

===Dietary laws: ''kashrut''===
{{Main|Kashrut}}
The Jewish dietary laws are known as ''[[kashrut]]''. Food prepared in accordance with them is termed [[kosher foods|kosher]], and food that is not kosher is also known as ''treifah'' or ''treif''. People who observe these laws are colloquially said to be "keeping kosher".<ref name="JEdietary">{{JewishEncyclopedia|author-link1=Solomon Schechter |last1=Schechter |first1=Solomon |display-authors=etal |title=Dietary Laws|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5191-dietary-laws}}</ref>{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=212–14|loc="Dietary Laws"}}

Many of the laws apply to animal-based foods. For example, in order to be considered kosher, mammals must have split [[hooves]] and [[ruminants|chew their cud]]. The [[pig]] is arguably the most well-known example of a non-kosher animal.<ref name="The Kosher Pig?" /> Although it has split hooves, it does not chew its cud. For [[seafood]] to be kosher, the animal must have [[fins]] and [[Scale (zoology)|scales]]. Certain types of seafood, such as [[shellfish]], [[crustaceans]], and [[eel]]s, are therefore considered non-kosher. Concerning birds, a list of non-kosher species is given in the [[Torah]]. The exact [[translations]] of many of the species have not survived, and some non-kosher birds' identities are no longer certain. However, [[traditions]] exist about the ''kashrut'' status of a few birds. For example, both [[chickens]] and [[turkeys]] are permitted in most communities. Other types of animals, such as [[amphibians]], [[reptiles]], and most [[insects]], are prohibited altogether.<ref name="JEdietary" />

In addition to the requirement that the species be considered kosher, meat and poultry (but not fish) must come from a healthy animal slaughtered in a process known as ''[[shechitah]]''. Without the proper [[Animal slaughter|slaughtering]] practices even an otherwise kosher animal will be rendered ''treif''. The slaughtering process is intended to be quick and relatively painless to the animal. Forbidden parts of animals include the [[blood]], some [[fat]]s, and the area in and around the [[sciatic nerve]].<ref name="JEdietary" />

''Halakha'' also forbids the consumption of meat and dairy products together. The waiting period between eating meat and eating dairy varies by the order in which they are consumed and by community and can extend for up to six hours. Based on the Biblical injunction against cooking a kid in its mother's milk, this rule is mostly derived from the Oral Torah, the Talmud and Rabbinic law. Chicken and other kosher birds are considered the same as meat under the laws of ''kashrut'', but the prohibition is rabbinic, not biblical.<ref name="shulchan" />

The use of [[Dishware|dishes]], serving utensils, and [[oven]]s may make food ''treif'' that would otherwise be kosher. Utensils that have been used to prepare non-kosher food, or dishes that have held meat and are now used for dairy products, render the food ''treif'' under certain conditions.<ref name="JEdietary" />

Furthermore, all Orthodox and some Conservative authorities forbid the consumption of processed [[grape]] products made by non-Jews, due to ancient [[pagan]] practices of using wine in rituals. Some Conservative authorities permit wine and grape juice made without rabbinic supervision.<ref name="rabbinicalassembly" />

The Torah does not give specific reasons for most of the laws of ''kashrut''. However, a number of explanations have been offered, including maintaining ritual purity, teaching impulse control, encouraging obedience to God, improving health, reducing [[cruelty to animals]] and preserving the distinctness of the Jewish community.<ref name="JEdietary" /> The various categories of dietary laws may have developed for different reasons, and some may exist for multiple reasons. For example, people are forbidden from consuming the blood of birds and mammals because, according to the Torah, this is where animal souls are contained. In contrast, the Torah forbids Israelites from eating non-kosher species because "they are unclean".<ref name="leviticus11" /> The [[Kabbalah]] describes sparks of holiness that are released by the act of eating kosher foods but are too tightly bound in non-kosher foods to be released by eating.<ref name="JEdietary" />

Survival concerns supersede all the laws of ''kashrut'', as they do for most ''halakhot''.<ref name="jewishmag" /><ref name="biu" />

===Laws of ritual purity===
{{Main|Tumah}}
The Tanakh describes circumstances in which a person who is ''tahor'' or ritually pure may become ''tamei'' or ritually impure. Some of these circumstances are contact with human [[corpses]] or [[grave (burial)|graves]], seminal flux, vaginal flux, [[menstruation]], and contact with people who have become impure from any of these.<ref name="leviticus15" /><ref name="bamidbar" /> In Rabbinic Judaism, [[Kohanim]], members of the hereditary [[caste]] that served as [[priests]] in the time of the Temple, are mostly restricted from entering grave sites and touching dead bodies.<ref name="Torah tidbits" /> During the Temple period, such priests ([[Kohanim]]) were required to eat their bread offering ([[Terumah]]) in a state of ritual purity, which laws eventually led to more rigid laws being enacted, such as [[Handwashing in Judaism|hand-washing]] which became a requisite of all Jews before consuming ordinary bread.{{sfn|Neusner|1993}}{{sfn|Fonrobert|2005}}{{sfn|Berlin|2011|loc="Purity and Unpurity, Ritual"}}

====Family purity====
[[File:Fauteuil de circoncision ("Fauteuil d'Elie").jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|18th-century circumcision chair [[Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme|Museum of Jewish Art and History]]]]
{{Main|Niddah}}
{{See also|Women in Judaism}}
An important subcategory of the ritual purity laws relates to the segregation of menstruating [[women]]. These laws are also known as ''[[niddah]]'', literally "separation", or family purity. Vital aspects of ''halakha'' for traditionally observant Jews, they are not usually followed by Jews in liberal denominations.<ref name="JEniddah">{{JewishEncyclopedia|author-link1=Wilhelm Bacher|last1=Bacher|first1=Wilhelm|author-link2=Jacob Zallel Lauterbach|last2=Lauterbach|first2=Jacob Zallel |title=Niddah|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11529-niddah}}</ref>

Especially in [[Orthodox Judaism]], the Biblical laws are augmented by Rabbinical injunctions. For example, the [[Torah]] mandates that a woman in her normal menstrual period must abstain from [[sexual intercourse]] for seven days. A woman whose menstruation is prolonged must continue to abstain for seven more days after bleeding has stopped.<ref name=leviticus15 /> The Rabbis conflated ordinary ''niddah'' with this extended menstrual period, known in the Torah as ''[[zavah]]'', and mandated that a woman may not have sexual intercourse with her husband from the time she begins her [[Menstrual cycle|menstrual]] flow until seven days after it ends. In addition, [[Rabbinical law]] forbids the [[husband]] from touching or sharing a bed with his wife during this period. Afterwards, purification can occur in a ritual bath called a [[mikveh]]<ref name="JEniddah" />

Traditional [[Ethiopian Jews]] keep menstruating women in separate huts and, similar to Karaite practice, do not allow menstruating women into their [[temples]] because of a temple's special sanctity. Emigration to Israel and the influence of other Jewish denominations have led to Ethiopian Jews adopting more normative Jewish practices.<ref name="Karaites" /><ref name="Women and water: menstruation in Jewish life and law" />
[[File:PikiWiki_Israel_32596_Bar_mitzva.jpg|thumb|Two boys wearing [[tallit]] at a [[Bar and bat mitzvah|bar mitzvah]]. The torah is visible in the foreground.]]

===Life-cycle events===
Life-cycle events, or [[rites of passage]], occur throughout a Jew's life that serves to strengthen Jewish identity and bind him/her to the entire community:
* {{lang|he|[[Brit milah]]}}&nbsp;– Welcoming male babies into the covenant through the rite of [[circumcision]] on their eighth day of life. The baby boy is also given his Hebrew name in the ceremony. A naming ceremony intended as a parallel ritual for girls, named ''[[zeved habat]]'' or brit bat, enjoys limited popularity.
* [[Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah|Bar mitzvah and Bat mitzvah]]&nbsp;– This passage from childhood to adulthood takes place when a female Jew is twelve and a male Jew is thirteen years old among Orthodox and some Conservative congregations. In the Reform movement, both girls and boys have their bat/bar mitzvah at age thirteen. This is often commemorated by having the new adults, male only in the Orthodox tradition, lead the congregation in prayer and publicly read a "portion" of the Torah.
* [[Jewish views on marriage|Marriage]]&nbsp;– Marriage is an extremely important lifecycle event and an ideal human state.{{sfn|Jacobs|2003|loc="Marriage"}} A wedding takes place under a ''[[chuppah]]'', or wedding canopy, which symbolizes a happy house. At the end of the ceremony, the groom breaks a glass with his foot, symbolizing the continuous mourning for the destruction of the Temple, and the scattering of the Jewish people. An [[interfaith marriage in Judaism|intermarriage]] is prohibited, except as within Reform Judaism:{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=381–2|loc="Intermarriage"}}
[[File:Moshe Rynecki- Le Get (divorce).jpg|thumb|''Le Get'' (The Divorce) by [[Moshe Rynecki]], {{circa|1930}}]]
* [[Divorce]]&nbsp;– Divorce is allowed in accordance with Halakha. The divorce ceremony involves the husband giving the short {{lang|he|[[Get (divorce document)|get]]}} document written in Aramaic into the hand of the wife in rabbinical court, that is all. But, since the 11th century among the Ashkenazim and many Sephardim a divorce became prohibited against will of a wife, than a man had way for [[polygamy]].{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=216–7|loc="Divorce"}} The ''get'' contains declaration: "You are hereby permitted to all men."
[[File:תמונת הילולא כט אייר.jpg|thumb|The Bereavement (Yahrtzeit) Hasidic ''[[Tish (Hasidic celebration)|tish]]'', [[Bnei Brak]], Israel]]
* [[Bereavement in Judaism|Death and Mourning]] ({{lang|he|Avelut}})&nbsp;– The ''Torah'' requires burial as soon as possible, even for executed criminals.<ref>[[Deuteronomy]] 21:23</ref> Judaism has a multi-staged [[mourning]] practice. The first stage is called the [[shiva (Judaism)|shiva]] (literally "seven", observed for one week) during which it is traditional to sit at home and be comforted by friends and family, the second is the ''shloshim'' (observed for one month) and for those who have lost one of their parents, there is a third stage, ''avelut yud bet chodesh'', which is observed for eleven months.{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=205–6|loc="Death"}} A [[cremation]] within Orthodox Judaism permited only by some leading rabbis in West Europe.{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=193–4|loc="Cremation"}}