Kosher and Synagogue Practice

Kosher facts

Kosher, a translation of the Hebrew word Kashrut,

is the name Jews give to the laws about the kind

of food that they may eat. Their holy books specify

certain kinds of food that are all right to eat, and

that other kinds should not be eaten.

The Kosher laws say that products classified as meat must not be eaten in the same meal with
dairy products. Fish, fruit, and vegetables are considered neutral, called pareve (pronounced
"PAR-veh"), and may be eaten with either meat or dairy meals. Jews who "keep kosher" have
separate utensils for meat and dairy foods, and wait a number of hours after eating one type of food
before eating the other type.

The meat of some animals may not be eaten at all. Animals whose meat may be eaten must be
killed in a special, careful way by a religiously trained slaughterer. Meat that is not fit to eat is called
treif (pronounced TRAYf).

Basic Rules of Kosher

Types of Meat and Drink

● Land animals that chew their cud (ruminate)

and have a split (cloven) hoof may be eaten

(note that animals with toes may not be eaten.

They must be true hooves). This includes

livestock like cattle and sheep, but not pigs (which do not chew their cud) or camels (which
do not have split hooves).

● Animals that eat meat (carnivores and omnivores) may not be eaten. This also means that
birds of prey may not be eaten.
● Specific birds (from a list) may not be eaten. This includes ostrich for example.
● Fish must have fins and scales. Fish without scales (like eels), invertebrates like lobster and
shrimp, and shellfish (like mussels) are forbidden.
● No amphibians or reptiles may be eaten. Examples of these are frogs.
● Most insects may not be eaten, with some exceptions like locusts.
● Wine must be specially made. There are special rules about alcohol and other intoxicating
substances.
Preparing Food

● The animals need to be killed in a special way. The kosher slaughterer has religious training for
this work.
● An animal that dies by natural means, or is killed by another animal or a hunter, may not be
eaten.
● Meat from a sick animal may not be eaten.
● No blood may be eaten. All blood needs to be drained from the meat (by soaking and salting it).
In eggs, not even eggs with just a spot of blood can be eaten.
● Foods made in a factory: manufacturers sometimes label products that have got certification by
adding graphical symbols to the label. These symbols are known as hechsherim.
● A kosher kitchen has separate sets of dishes: one for meat foods, another for dairy foods.
● Food may not be cooked during the Sabbath, which in Judaism is called Shabbat.

Synagogue

A synagogue is a place where

Jews meet to worship and pray to God.

In Hebrew, a synagogue is called

beit knesset, which means, a "house of

gathering". The word "synagogue" comes

from sunagoge, which is a Greek word. In a synagogue, Jews carry out the Jewish services, which
consist of prayers, sometimes with special actions.

A synagogue will usually have a large room for prayers. There might be some smaller rooms for
studying. There will be some offices. There will also usually be a big room for special events.

The front of a synagogue faces towards Jerusalem in Israel. In the front is the holiest part of the
synagogue, the Ark. This is a closet which has the Torah scrolls inside. The Torah scrolls have the holy
writings of Judaism on them. The Ark usually has a curtain in front of it.

On top of the Ark is light which is always lit, called the “Eternal Lamp”. It is a symbol which means that
God is always there. Every synagogue has a raised platform called the “Bimah”. The person who reads
the Torah scroll stands there when he reads. The Bimah is either in the middle of the hall, or in front of
the Ark.

In some synagogues men and women sit in different places. Some synagogues even have a short wall
so that they can not see each other. This is so that the people will think about the prayers better.
Jews may call synagogues by different names. Many Orthodox and Conservative Jews living in
English-speaking countries use the name "synagogue" or the word "shul.", which is Yiddish. Jews
who speak Spanish or Portuguese call synagogues esnoga. Some Jews call the synagogue a
temple.

Jewish worship does not have to be carried out in a synagogue. It can be wherever a minyan of ten
Jews are. It could be in someone's home or anywhere such as a cruise liner or an airplane Some
synagogues have a separate room or torah study, this is called the beth midrash meaning house of
study. Some kinds of Jewish worship can be done alone or with fewer than ten people.

Questions:

1. What is kosher and what does it mean?

Kosher, a translation of the Hebrew word Kashrut,

is the name Jews give to the laws about the kind

of food that they may eat.

2. What is one type of meat that can be eaten and one that cannot? Cows can be eaten, a type of
meat that cannot be eaten is pigs

3. What is the rule on meat and dairy? The rule is meat and dairy cannot be eaten together

4. Can Jews eat chicken? Why or why not? Yes they can eat chicken, domesticated foul can be
eaten

5. Can Jews eat lobster? Why or why not? No, they cannot eat lobster becasue its an invertabrate

6. What’s a synagogue?

A synagogue is a jewish place of worship

7. What’s the holiest part of the synagogue? What’s in it? The holliest part of the synagogue is the
ark, because it has the torah scrolls inside it

8. Do women and men sit together? Why or why not? No they sit apart so there are no distractions

9. What’s the Bimah? A raised platform

10. Do all Jews have to pray in the synagogue? What other choices are there?

They can pray wherever a minyan of ten Jews are, such as a home