5.3.2

Public Acts of Worship

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Branches of Judaism

There are two main branches of Judaism: Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism.

Orthodox Jews

Orthodox Jews

  • Follow the laws set out in the Torah and Talmud.
  • There are clear rules for men, women and children. These rules are followed strictly.
  • The Torah is the word of God and so its rules cannot be changed.
Reform Jews

Reform Jews

  • Focus on the ethical rules of Judaism.
  • Kosher rules and Shabbat rules are a personal choice.
  • Believe that the Torah is inspired by God but not the direct word of God, so laws can change over time.
  • Do not believe that religious roles are gender-specific.
    • E.g. there can be female Rabbis and chazzan (prayer leaders) and girls at bat mitzvah read from the Torah.
Reform Synagogues

Reform Synagogues

  • Many reform synagogues don't hold daily services and only meet on Shabbat (the Sabbath).
  • Men and women sit together.
  • Prayers are led facing the congregation and can be led by either a man or a woman.
  • Services are in English and Hebrew and are much shorter than in Orthodox synagogues. Services have musical accompaniment.
  • Most men will cover their heads and some women will too.

Daily Service

Prayer in the daily service builds a person's relationship with the Hashem (‘the Name’ – used to refer to God). The prayers are taken from Psalms and describe the greatness of God. Praying as a community strengthens the bonds of the community.

Morning and night service

Morning and night service

  • During morning prayers men over the age of bar mitzvah (13 years) wear the tefillin.
  • Married men will wear a tallit (a prayer shawl) - but in some communities, all men over 13 will wear one.
    • Attached to each corner is the tzitzit (tassels on the prayer shawl) which remind Jews of the Mitzvot (commandments) and their duties to God.
  • The night service begins with blessings and describes God in History as a redeemer.
The tefillin

The tefillin

  • Tefillin are black boxes which are wrapped around the arm and head containing Torah paragraphs that deal with the past, present and future purpose of the Jewish people.
  • The arm piece faces the heart and the headpiece is above the brain. This suggests that Jews must have an emotional and intellectual relationship with God.
The main prayer

The main prayer

  • The main prayer of each service is a lengthy standing prayer made up of 19 Blessings that deal with different aspects of personal and communal life.
  • The blessings include requests for healing, wealth, repentance, intelligence, justice, the rebuilding of the Temple and peace.
Prayer out of the synagogue

Prayer out of the synagogue

  • Jews can also pray outside of the fixed times whenever they need to.
  • These prayers can be in any language.
Jump to other topics
1

Buddhism

1.1

Key Beliefs

1.1.1The Dhamma1.1.2The Five Skandhas1.1.3Aspects of Human Life1.1.4The Buddha1.1.5The Ascetic & Enlightened Life1.1.6Dhukka1.1.7Samudaya1.1.8Nirodha1.1.9Magga1.1.10The Wheel of Life1.1.11End of Topic Test - Buddhism Key Beliefs
1.2

Practices

1.2.1Places of Worship1.2.2Objects of Worship1.2.3Puja1.2.4Meditation1.2.5Death1.2.6Festivals1.2.7End of Topic Test - Buddhism Practices
1.3

Ethics

1.3.1Kamma1.3.2Five Moral Precepts1.3.3End of Topic Test - Buddhism Ethics
2

Christianity

2.1

Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God2.1.2The Problem of Evil2.1.3Monotheism2.1.4Creation2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation2.1.6The Trinity and Creation2.1.7Afterlife2.1.8Heaven and Hell2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs
2.2

Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human2.2.3The Crucifixion2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension2.2.6Sin2.2.7Original Sin2.2.8Punishment2.2.9The Means of Salvation2.2.10Achieving Salvation2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation2.2.13Theories of Salvation2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation
2.3

Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship2.3.2Prayer2.3.3Sacrament2.3.4Baptism2.3.5Other Sacraments2.3.6Eucharist2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations2.3.8Christmas & Easter2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals
2.4

Community

2.4.1Local Community2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth2.4.3Worldwide Church2.4.4Reconciliation2.4.5Persecution2.4.6Caring for Those in Need2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices
3

Catholicism (Christianity)

3.1

Key Beliefs

3.1.1The Trinity3.1.2Creation3.1.3Incarnation3.1.4Redemption3.1.5Life After Death3.1.6Heaven and Hell3.1.7End of Topic Test - Catholic Key Beliefs
3.2

The Seven Sacraments

3.2.1Meaning & Significance3.2.2Baptism3.2.3Confirmation3.2.4Reconciliation3.2.5Anointing of the Sick3.2.6Marriage3.2.7Holy Orders3.2.8The Eucharist3.2.9End of Topic Test - The Seven Sacraments
3.3

Practices

3.3.1Prayer3.3.2Popular Piety3.3.3Pilgrimage3.3.4Pilgrimages HyperLearning3.3.5Funeral Rites3.3.6The Duty to Love Our Neighbour3.3.7Catholic Agencies3.3.8Catholic Social Teaching3.3.9Justice3.3.10War3.3.11Mission & Evangelism3.3.12End of Topic Test - Catholic Practices
4

Islam

4.1

Key Beliefs

4.1.1Oneness of God4.1.2Six Articles of Faith4.1.3Five Roots of Usul4.1.4The Nature of God4.1.5Angels4.1.6Freedom4.1.7Life After Death4.1.8Human Responsibility4.1.9End of Topic Test - Muslim Key Beliefs
4.2

Authority

4.2.1Prophethood4.2.2The Holy Books4.2.3The Imamate4.2.4End of Topic Test - Muslim Authority
4.3

Practices

4.3.1Worship4.3.2Ten Obligatory Acts4.3.3Shahadah4.3.4Salah & Its Significance4.3.5Mosques4.3.6Rak'ahs4.3.7Sawm4.3.8Zakah4.3.9Hajj4.3.10Jihad4.3.11Festivals & Commemorations4.3.12End of Topic Test - Muslim Practices4.3.13Exam-Style Questions - Muslim Practices
5

Judaism

5.1

Key Beliefs

5.1.1The Nature of God5.1.2God as One5.1.3God's Name5.1.4God as Creator5.1.5Free Will5.1.6God as Law Giver and Judge5.1.7The Divine Presence & Beliefs5.1.8Role of the Messiah5.1.9End of Topic Test - Jewish Key Beliefs5.1.10Exam-Style Questions - Jewish Beliefs
5.2

Covenant & The Mitzvot

5.2.1The Promised Land5.2.2Abraham5.2.3The Covenant5.2.4The Covenant at Sinai5.2.5The Covenant at Sinai 25.2.6Key Moral Principles5.2.7End of Topic Test - Covenant & The Mitzvot
5.3

The Synagogue & Worship

5.3.1The Synagogue & Its Importance5.3.2Public Acts of Worship5.3.3Shabbat5.3.4Worship & Law5.3.5End of Topic Test - Synagogue & Worship

Practice questions on Public Acts of Worship

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Who do Orthodox Jews believe that the rules in the Torah apply to?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Which of the following is true of Reform Jews?True / false
  3. 3
    The beliefs of Reform Jews about gender-specific roles:True / false
  4. 4
    Which of the following is true of Reform synagogues?True / false
  5. 5
    What do most unmarried men over the age of bar mitzvah wear during morning prayers?Multiple choice
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The Synagogue & Its Importance

Shabbat