Family Life

For Jews the home, more than the synagogue, is the centre of Jewish life. All those things which are central to the belief and practice of Judaism can be found in the believers home.

As you enter the door of a Jewish house you will see the Mezuzah. It will be fixed to the right front doorpost of most Jewish homes. The mezuzah is a small case, inside of it will be a small piece of paper or parchment. written on this will be a few verses of the Torah. These words will be written in Hebrew but the translation is;

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength. Never forget these commands, teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away. Tie them on your arm and on your forehead as a reminder. Write them on the doorposts of your house"

A Mezuzah on the doorpost shows that God is present in this house, and that the people who live there follow God's laws.

Worship in the home

Prayers will be said three times a day and before and after meals. When Jews pray they will wear certain ritual objects. They will put on small leather boxes with pieces of scripture inside them (Tefillin) One onto their head to show that they think about God and one onto their left arm near to their heart to show that they love God. They will put on a skull cap (Kippur) and wrap a prayer shawl (Tallit) around their shoulders. The Jews also celebrate the Shabbat or Sabbath in their homes (see Shabbat)

Keeping the laws

The most obvious thing to a non-Jew about a Jewish house will be the kitchen. Jews believe that only certain foods should be eaten. These foods are listed in the Torah and are called kosher (see also Kosher). The Torah also lays down roles for the father and the mother of the house:

The Jewish Father must

• support his family.
• study the Torah.
• see that his children study the Torah.

The Jewish mother must

• feed the family with kosher food.
• make sure that her husband and children have the right clothes
• prepare the home for the Shabbat and the festivals
• teach her daughters what they need to know when they grow up

Of course in more liberal Jewish homes these roles will be shared and be the responsibility of both parents.

The home is central for the Jews because of the idea of community. For many centuries the Jews have been persecuted for being Jewish. They find security and trust in the home and in the community. For a long time it was not allowed for a Jewish child to marry outside of the community. This idea of community and family is still very strong today.

Important words

• Mezuzah - A small case containing the Shema, located on the doorpost of most Jewish homes
• Torah - The first five books of the Hebrew Scripture, the books of Moses or the Law
• Tefillin - Small leather boxes contained selection from the scriptures worn during worship
• Kippur / Yarmulke - A skull cap worn during worship, or always by orthodox Jews
• Tallit - A prayer shawl of white material with blue edging, & with 613 fringes (No. of laws)
• Shabbat / Shabbat - Jewish holy day. Starts Friday at sunset, ends Saturday at sunset.
• Kosher - Those foods that a Jew is allowed to eat (see Leviticus chapter 11)