Rabbi Ted Falcon

Many non-Jews (as well as Jews who had little connection with their heritage growing up) find Yom Kippur, which literally means “The Day of Atonement,” baffling. The holiday has no Christian equivalent. But even though most Jews can’t explain why Yom Kippur resonates so deeply for them, they’re drawn to Yom Kippur services, even if it’s the only time they wander into a synagogue all year.

Understanding Judaism begins with looking at significant historical events that shaped the Jewish culture and learning the Hebrew alphabet, Jewish blessings, and Jewish words and phrases.Getting to know the Hebrew AlphabetGetting a grasp on recognizing and pronouncing Hebrew words begins with the alphabet. Get to know the Hebrew alphabet — the names of the letters and how to say them.

Judaism — more than a religion, a set of ideas, or a system of ethics — is a People. Here are five famous Jewish people who have contributed to literature and film. Sholom Aleichem Widely known as the "Jewish Mark Twain," Sholom Aleichem (1859–1916) is perhaps the best-known Yiddish author. Like Twain, he used a pen name (Sholom Aleichem's real name was Solomon Rabinowitz; Twain's was Samuel Clemens), and like Twain he primarily wrote about life in small towns.

The Jewish calendar isn't just a tool for observing the passage of time. Judaism marks and celebrates time in a number of ways — holidays, Shabbat, the weekly readings of specific portions of the Torah, and the rituals of the personal life cycle. Months and years in the Jewish calendar The Jewish calendar, unlike the civil Gregorian calendar, is based both on the cycles of the moon as well as the sun — the months correspond to cycles of the moon and the years correspond to cycles of the sun.

The Jewish text, the Torah, says very little about homosexuality, but one verse has been used to justify the condemnation of a man’s primary relationship with another man: “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman” (Lev. 18:22). The injunction against “spilling seed” effectively means that Orthodox Jews typically restrict themselves from any homosexual acts because procreation cannot result from it.

Many people — Jewish and non-Jewish — get invited to a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremony sooner or later, making it one of the most visible Jewish rituals. Nonetheless, some folks turn down the invitation because they're not sure what is expected of them at a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Here's all you need to know about attending a Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Attendees are rarely expected to do anything at a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremony except look proud of and impressed by the boy or girl.

The most controversial aspect of Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies these days is the party that follows them. Jewish tradition states the family of the child who's having a Bar/Bat Mitzvah must host some sort of seudat mitzvah ("festive meal"). However, in recent decades this little party has too often grown into a grand affair (some would say of social one-upsmanship).

Bar Mitzvah means "son of the commandment," and Bat Mitzvah means "daughter of the commandment." Jewish tradition says that when girls turn 12 and boys turn 13, they take on new responsibilities in the community. In traditional congregations, this is the point at which boys are expected to start donning tefillin and performing daily prayers, and girls are expected to learn the ways of keeping a home.

The Jewish people have made tremendous contributions in politics, law, religion, and science. Here are just a few notable Jewish thinkers — names of people you should know for their contributions to society and the modern world. David Ben-Gurion Rightfully known as Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) led Israel's War of Independence in 1948, and then he guided the country as prime minster for the next 15 years.