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Bat and Bar Mitzvah – When does someone become an adult? Emily recently had her Bat Mitzvah at an Orthodox Synagogue and is now a Daughter of the Commandment and responsible for her own actions. She talks about the ceremony and compares it to her friend Ben’s Bar Mitzvah.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 1 - The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Judaism – Practices - Family life and festivals - Rituals and their significance: • Ceremonies associated with birth including Brit Milah; Bar and Bat Mitzvah.

 

Edexcel

Area of Study 3 -Section 3: Living the Jewish Life -The importance of ritual for Jews today: the nature, features and purpose of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies

 

OCR

Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices- Rituals • The meaning and importance of rites of passage • The form and meaning of Jewish birth ceremonies including: •• The welcoming of a baby girl •• The connection between Brit Milah and the covenant with Abraham •• The circumcision •• The roles of the father •• Mohel and Sandek •• The importance of birth rituals for the community • The form and meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah including: •• The preparation •• The nature of the service •• Subsequent preparations •• The meaning and nature of Bat Chayil

 

WJEC

.2 Unit 2 PART A - Judaism- Core beliefs, teachings and practices Beliefs –Practices -Jewish identity  Symbols: the mezuzah and Magen David  Brit Milah ceremony and symbols (including the roles of the mohel and sandek)  Bar/Bat Mitzvah as ceremonies marking Jewish identity; Ceremony, significance and symbols  The use and importance of the tallit, tefillin and kippah; symbolism and significance of each  Festivals and commemorations: Yom Hashoah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Pesach; significance, preparation and celebration of these festivals (Exodus 12:14)

 

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route B) Study of a World Faith: Judaism: Practices : Rituals ➢ The role and importance of Brit Milah: Covenant, identity, features of the ceremony ➢ Bar Mitzvah: Law and personal responsibility, features of the ceremony

Bat and Bar Mitzvah

Emily         Here's a question for you. At what age do you think we become an adult?

Passer-by  I think at the age of 18.

Passer-by  16.

Passer-by  Uh, 18.

Emily         Different people think different things. Yes. At 21, you can become a member of parliament. Hello. At 17, you can drive. You can drink alcohol when you're 18. For Jewish people, the answer is simple. When Jewish boys are 13 and Jewish girls are 12, we have to take responsibility for everything we do. So as far as our religion is concerned, we are adults and we have a special ceremony known as a bar mitzvah for boys and a bat mitzvah for girls.

Emily         My name's Emily and I'm 12. I had my bat mitzvah last month. This means I am now, according to Jewish tradition, an adult. Girls have their bat mitzvah one year earlier than boys, as it is believed that girls mature slightly faster than boys. Bar means son and mitzvah means commandment, or rule, so bar mitzvah means son of the commandment, which basically means a son who must obey God's rules. Bat mitzvah means daughter of the commandment. We believe that before I became bat mitzvah'd, God would hold Mom and Dad responsible for anything I did. But now I'm old enough to take that responsibility for myself. Bye, mom.

Emily         This is my synagogue where my bat mitzvah took place. My preparation began by learning a piece of Hebrew called the Eishet Chayil. For boys however, they have to learn from this. This is the Torah. It's precious to the Jews, as the New Testament is to Christians and the Qur'an to Muslims. During all bar mitzvahs, the boy will be expected to read from the Torah. The difficult thing is that we both have to read in Hebrew, which is the traditional Jewish language. I had to practice for weeks, but with the help of my rabbi, who is the leader and the teacher at the synagogue, I got there in the end.

Emily         What's the importance of the reading?

Rabbi Yehuda The bat mitzvah girl will prepare reading the Eishet Chayil, a poem from the Bible, which explains the importance of a Jewish woman and what her ability can be, and what the bat mitzvah girl should strive to be. The Bar Mitzvah boy will read a Torah portion. The first Torah portion, which he can read, now that he is part of the congregation.

Ben           (Ben reads from the Torah)

Emily         This is what I wore on my bat mitzvah, but boys have to wear tallit and kippah. Hi, Ben. How was your bar mitzvah?

Ben           Yeah, I was a bit nervous, and it, because there was a lot of people here, my family, my friends, and I was also very excited to have my big day. I stood on the bimah. I had to read from the Torah with the yad. I like to use the yad because I like to go through the Hebrew reading. It took me a year to prepare it.

Emily         At the end of my Bat mitzvah, everyone threw sweets at me.

Ben           Me too.

Rabbi Yehuda It is on a bar mitzvah boys day or a bat mitzvah girls day, that we want them to be showered with as many blessings as possible, and so to symbolise this, we throw sweets at them.

Emily         And now it's party time when everyone comes together to sing, dance and celebrate becoming an adult.

Emily         Who's had their bat mitzvah.

All             I have.

Emily         Did you enjoy it?

Friend 1    I really enjoyed mine because I had mine together with my brother, because we're a year apart. I don't feel that much different, but my parents definitely give me more freedom now, and they treat me a bit more like an adult, I think.

Friend 2    I was given a bit more respect and trust as well, to look after my sisters and to go out with my friends and everything. So that was good

Emily         For Jewish people. The bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are important events in a young person's life, and a celebration that we will always remember. This is because the bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are about becoming a young adult, taking responsibility for themselves, maturing and continuing life's journey. And although the ceremony is about becoming an adult, we can still behave like children sometimes afterwards if we really want to.

Bat and Bar Mitzvah

Video length - 5.23
Published date - Dec 2013
Keystage(s) - 2 and 3
Downloadable resources

How Islam began in under ten minutes? Not a problem. The turbulent tale is told against the clock, with all the names, dates and events on a timeline. Animation by Ceiren Bell.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices- Islam - Practices, Duties and Festivals. Tawhid - (the Oneness of God), Qur’an Surah 112 Hajj: the role and significance of the pilgrimage to Makkah including origins, how Hajj is performed, the actions pilgrims perform at sites including the Ka’aba at Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and their significance.

 

Edexcel

Area of Study 1- Islam - Section 1: Muslim Beliefs - Islam - The nature of Allah: how the characteristics of Allah are shown in the Qur’an and why they are important: Tawhid (oneness), including Surah 16: 35–36, immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice, Adalat in Shi’a Islam.
Section 3: Living the Muslim Life - Islam Hajj as one of the Five Pillars: the nature, role, origins and significance of Hajj, including Surah 2: 124–130; 22: 25–30; how Hajj is performed and why Hajj is important for Muslims; benefits and challenges from attending Hajj for Muslims."
OCR
Componet Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment. Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah. The importance of practices - Islam as a way of life, lived in total submission to Allah • The importance of the Five Pillars of Islam to Sunni Muslims • The meaning of the Five Pillars: •• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith •• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day •• Zakat/Zakah: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy •• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan •• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca • The analogy of the house and pillars
WJEC
2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A - Islam - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Beliefs - The Nature of God  Allah as one God: Tawhid (Qur'an 3:18)  The qualities of Allah in the Qur'an; e.g. immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, merciful (Qur'an 46:33), the 99 names of Allah  The meaning of Islam as 'submission' to Allah and how Muslims live a life in submission to the will of Allah, including the importance of Greater Jihad  Shahadah as a statement of faith in Allah, shirk as sin against Allah  Reasons for the prohibition of images of Allah or any human figure
Eduqas
Component 3 (Route A): Study of a World Faith: Option 3: Islam:The Nature of Allah ➢ The teaching about the nature of Allah: the belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid): Qur'an 3:18 ➢ Nature of Allah: immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice: Qur'an 46:33 ➢ Adalat in Shi'a Islam Prophet hood (Risalah) ➢ The nature of prophet hood; why are prophets important? Qur'an 2:136 ➢ The importance of Adam as the first prophet ➢ Ibrahim as father of Isaac and Ishma'il and his significance for the Muslim religion ➢ Isa as a prophet for Muslims: Qur'an 2:87 ➢ Muhammad as the seal of the Prophets Angels (Malaikah) ➢ The significance of angels in Islam: Qur’an 2:97-98,Qur’an 2:285 ➢ Diversity in belief between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims regarding angels and free will ➢ The significance of Jibril's revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad: Qur’an 2:97-98 ➢ The significance of Mika'il placed in charge of plants and rain ➢ The significance of Israfil to announce the Day of Resurrection Akhirah (Afterlife) ➢ Al-Qadr (Predestination):Implications for human freedom ➢ Akhirah: Human responsibility and accountability; Muslim beliefs and teachings about the afterlife ➢ Human Freedom and its relationship to Day of Judgement ➢ Heaven; Muslim beliefs about the nature, stages and purpose of heaven ➢ Hell; Muslim beliefs about the nature and purpose of hell. Festivals and commemorations: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ Id-ul-Adha: The festival of sacrifice. How Muslims celebrate IdulAdha in Britain and worldwide ➢ Id-ul-Fitr: The festival of fast-breaking following Ramadan. How Muslims celebrate Id-ul-Fitr in Britain and worldwide ➢ Ashura: The Day of Remembrance (Shi'a). How Shi'a Muslims celebrate Ashura in Britain and worldwide ➢ The Night of Power: the importance of the revelation of the Qur'an and how it is viewed and treated in Islam

How Islam Began – In Ten Minutes

How Islam began in under ten minutes. Not a problem. We've started. Okay, so travel back in time with me to a land far, far away. And long, long ago. Mecca and Arabia, but the year 570. Makkah is important for two reasons. One, the Kaaba is there, an ancient temple built to worship God, and two, Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born in Makkah. Now, problem, I can't show you Muhammad because it wouldn't be right. I'll tell you why in a bit, but in the meantime, here's his name in Arabic. Nice.

Back in the day, Makkah was a lawless place. The only way to be safe was to have backup. Lots of rich big brothers who'd beat up anyone who got in your way. So the place was ruled by the most powerful families who could do pretty much what they wanted. And religion didn't help. By this time, the Kaaba had been filled to overflowing, with 360 idols that did nothing to help anyone. So it was a tough place to grow up if, like Muhammad, you were a poor orphan and believed in just one God you couldn't see, like the Jews and the Christians. He called him Allah, the God, in Arabic there.

Muhammad's dad died before he was even born, and his mom died when he was just six. So he was brought up by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. And then when he died too, by his uncle Abu Talib, who had the respect of the city's ruling families, so Muhammad was safe, for the time being. Muhammed started out as a shepherd and then became a businessman, travelling about, buying and selling stuff for rich clients. When he did some work for a rich widow called Khadijah, she was so impressed by his honesty and skill that they ended up getting married, and for a while it looked like Mohammed was going places, well he was, but not how you think.

Every year in the month of Ramadan, different calendar, different names for the months, there was a big party around the Kaaba. When people made sacrifices to the idols, Mohammed hated it, so he'd get out of town and sleep in a cave he'd found on top of a nearby mountain. One night, Mohammed's praying to Allah when, wham, there's the angel Jibril, you might say Gabriel, standing right in front of him. 'Read' says the angel, but Mohammed couldn't read, no schools, you see, Jibreel keeps on at him. Three times he says 'read'. Then he grabs hold of Muhammad and wham! Again, it's like Muhammad's learnt the words off by heart. So he recites the message out loud, read in the name of your Lord, who created man from a drop of blood. Read, for your Lord is most generous. He who taught by the pen taught man what he did not know. It was a message from Allah. God was speaking to him just like he'd spoken to the prophets in the Jewish and Christian holy books, which meant he was a prophet too.

The messages continue for the rest of Muhammad's life. Allah gave him the words to say and the prophet recited them. The words were written down by his friends, and years later they were collected together and became the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, which means recitation because Muhammad recited it, you see. Anyway, that was much later, so back to the night of power. Muhammad tells his family, then his friends, and eventually everyone about Allah that he's a one and only God, that he wants everyone to be treated fairly, and long story short, it didn't go down well with the ruling families of Makkah, who liked things just the way they were, thank you very much. You see, Islam means obedience to Allah and Muslim means someone who obeys Allah. And the ruling families didn't want anyone obeying anyone else but them. So the people who believed in Muhammad's message, the Muslims, were given a hard time. Some were even tortured and killed. A few of them managed to escape to Abyssinia, Ethiopia, but most were stuck in Makkah.

Muhammad also had to cope with the death of his wife, and then just a few weeks later, his uncle too. Feeling very down, he went to the carpet to pray to Allah one night. Then the weirdest thing happened. Jibril turns up, sits him on a winged horse called Al-buraq and flies him all the way from Makkah to Jerusalem. He prays with all the prophets who have ever lived. Then he's taken up to the heavens to chat with some of the prophets, and then into Paradise itself, where Allah tells Muhammad to pray five times a day and to stay strong. He's returned to Jerusalem, and then flies back to the Kaaba in Makkah. We call it the night journey, and Muslims still argue whether it was a real experience or a vision, but whatever. It gave Muhammad a much needed boost, and just as well, because there were more tough times ahead. So there was this other city called Yathrib. The people there heard about Muhammad and his message and invited him and his followers to join them. A few at a time, the Muslims left Makkah and made a dangerous journey across the desert to Yathrib. It's known as the Hijra, which means migration, you know, like birds do.

Muhammad and a few of his friends stayed in Makkah until everyone had got away, and then made plans for their own escape. But, the ruling families wanted to kill Muhammad while they still could, so seven sons, one from each family, was sent in the middle of the night to stab the prophet while he slept. But he was way ahead of them, and when they burst into the house, Muhammad was gone. Trackers were sent out to hunt him down. Muhammad and his best friend Abu Bakr took a roundabout route to try and shake off the pursuit, but the trackers were too good and slowly gained on them, so Muhammad and Abu Bakr hid in a cave and pray that no one found them. The trackers found the cave all right, but they didn't bother going in to search. There was no way Muhammad could be inside they thought. There was a spider's web over the mouth of the cave, and a nesting bird at the entrance. He must have given them the slip, so off they went, leaving Muhammad and Abu Bakr protected by a spider and a bird.

Muhammad made it safely to Yathrib, which was renamed Medinat-ul-Nabi, the city of the prophet, but most people just call it Medinah, but Muhammad's worries weren't over yet. There were three big battles between the Muslims and the Meccans. First, the Battle of Badr, when Muhammad and just 313 men faced 1000 Meccan soldiers. Miraculously, the Muslims won. Then, there was a battle of Uhud, which didn't go so well. Some of Muhammad's men disobeyed his orders, and ran off during the battle to evade the Meccans camp, and so the Muslims were outmanoeuvred. Then, there was the battle of the trench. Medinah was protected on three sides by mountains, so when the Meccan forces advanced in the city, the Muslims just dug a deep trench. The Meccans made camp, but the weather was terrible. Pouring rain put out their fires and howling winds blew down their tents. Eventually they gave up, and went back to Mecca. It was all a bit embarrassing. They were losing the respect of the local tribes who were flocking to join the Muslims. So a peace treaty was signed at Hudaibiya, but it wasn't long before the Meccans broke it. Muhammad decided that enough was enough. By now he had over 10,000 men, so he led them across the desert to Makkah. The ruling families realised they'd made a huge mistake, but it was too late. All they could do was surrender and hope that the Muslim army killed them quickly. But Muhammad said there should be no more fighting. He rode into Makkah and went straight to the Kaaba. He circled it seven times anti-clockwise and smashed all the idols, rededicating the Kaaba to Allah, and that's why I'm not going to show you Muhammad. The Muslims wanted to make it totally clear that they only worship the one unseen God, so they didn't have any pictures of Muhammad in case anyone thought he was an idol and they didn't have any pictures of Allah because he's like nothing on earth, so it would be impossible to draw him anyway. So there you go, how Islam began in under ten minutes. How did I do?

How Islam Began – In Ten Minutes

Video length - 8.04
Published date - Sep 2013
Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4
Downloadable resources

The Problem of Evil – If God is all-powerful, all-knowing and he loves us, why do bad things happen to good people? Here’s a very general introduction to the various complicated ways in which different religions have attempted to solve the Problem of Evil.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 2 -Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme E - Religion, crime and punishment- The problem of evil/suffering and a loving and righteous God: the problems it raises for Christians about the nature of God, including reference to omnipotence and benevolence, including Psalm 103; how the problem may cause believers to question their faith or the existence of God; the nature and examples of natural suffering, moral suffering. Good and evil intentions and actions. Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering.

Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme C - Evil and Suffering as an argument against the existence of God.

 

Edexcel

Section 1: Christian Beliefs Section: The problem of evil/suffering and a loving and righteous God: the problems it raises for Christians about the nature of God, including reference to omnipotence and benevolence, including Psalm 103; how the problem may cause believers to question their faith or the existence of God; the nature and examples of natural suffering, moral suffering. 2: Crime and Punishment - teachings about good, evil and suffering: Teachings about the nature of good actions, how they are rewarded, and the nature of evil actions; non-religious attitudes (including atheist and Humanist) about why people suffer, including believing in religion.

 

OCR

Component Group 1 - Beliefs and teachings - Islam - Jihad - Judaism -Nature of G-d - The Question of G-d - Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of G-d in Judaism • The problem of the existence of evil •Human suffering - Buddhism - The Question of Ultimate Reality (dhamma) Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of Ultimate Reality in Buddhism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering - Hinduism - The question of deity Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of deity and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering - Christianity - The problem of evil and suffering and a loving and righteous God.

 

WJEC

PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil - Crime and Punishment PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil – Forgiveness PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil- Good, Evil and Suffering

 

Eduqas

Component 1 (Route A) Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World -Christianity - Theme 3: Issues of Good and Evil - Good, Evil and Suffering ➢ Philosophical perspectives on the origin of evil: Original Sin (free will) and 'soul-making' (Irenaeus and John Hick) ➢ Philosophical challenges posed by belief in God, free will and the existence of evil and suffering.

Component 1 (Route B) Foundational Catholic Theology- Theme 1: Origins and Meaning - Theme 2: Good and Evil - Good, Evil and Suffering ➢ Catholic perspectives on the origin of evil: Original Sin and evil as a “privation”, with reference to St Augustine, The Enchiridion (3.11) ➢ Alternative Christian and non-Christian views on the nature and origin of evil and the difference between moral and natural evil. ➢ Catholic beliefs about the relationship between God’s goodness and the goodness of the created world ➢ Philosophical and non-religious challenges posed by belief in God’s goodness, free will and the existence of evil and suffering ➢ The meaning of suffering and Catholic ambivalence towards it, with reference to the significance of Christ’s suffering and death and Isaiah 53

The Problem of Evil

Religions say that God loves us completely. They also say that he's omniscient, which means he knows everything and he's omnipotent, which means he can control everything. This is a problem. Every day bad things happen to good people. So if God loves us and he knows about these bad things that happen, and he could stop them from happening, why doesn't he do something about it? This is known as the problem of evil.

Let's take a look at what the word evil actually means. There are two types of evil. First, there's moral evil, and these are things that people choose to do, such as murder, stealing, kidnapping. And second, there's natural evil, these are things that nature does, like tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Different religions have come up with various explanations to help their followers understand why a loving God would let evil things happen to them. The attempt to solve this problem is known as theodicy, and here are a few examples of them.

If God controlled everything we did, we'd be just like puppets on a string. Most religions believe that rather than keeping us as puppets, God set us free by allowing us to choose our own path and make our own decisions. And this is called free will. So you can use your free will to do whatever you want, and some people use it to do good things like helping other people. You dropped this. Oh, thanks very much. Unfortunately, other people use it to do bad things. Oi! Some religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, see life as a test. When we come to the end of our life, we'll be judged. God will look at all the good things we did and all the bad things we did, and decide if we deserve to go to heaven or to hell. By giving us free will, God will be able to see whether we chose to do good or chose to do bad.

Okay, so this might explain moral evil, but it doesn't explain why natural evil happens, like earthquakes and tsunamis, which kill thousands of people. Some people believe, however, that this is part of the test and gives people a chance to prove that they are morally good by helping and responding to those people in need.

Earthquake appeal!

Other religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism believe that rather than going to heaven or hell when you die, your soul will be reborn into a new body, and this is called reincarnation. These religions believe that people who do evil things could be punished in the next life, and that's known as karma.

Shh!

So if something bad happens to us, it's because we did something bad in the past or even in a past life. Might even be something as small as killing a fly. These people believe that all life is valuable, which is why a lot of people who believe in karma are vegetarians. These people also believe that natural evil is caused by human actions. So if we don't learn to take care of the planet, we'll be punished through things like earthquakes and tsunamis. With the law of karma, good is rewarded and bad is punished.

Some Christians believe in the idea of original sin. This comes from the Bible, when Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden, and Eve disobeyed God by eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Because Eve did this evil act, and she's the mother of all mankind, it means that each of us has a little bit of evil in us and sometimes do bad things. It also explains why sometimes people need to be punished through things like natural disasters. The final group we're going to look at is atheists. For atheists who don't believe in a god, there is no problem of evil. Atheists are scientific and rational in their view of the world, and because they don't believe in a God, they look for other reasons as to why people do bad things. These reasons might include problems in society, a person's background, or even their biology.

Now, people who don't believe in God often use the problem of evil to support their argument. If God is all loving, omnipotent, and omnipresent, then why do injustices happen in the world such as war and famine, tsunamis and earthquakes which kill thousands upon thousands of innocent people? Atheists often say that the easiest way to explain this is that there is no god. No god, no problem.

The problem of evil, bad things happening to good people is something that people have thought about for hundreds and hundreds of years. But what's going on here? Is it free will? Punishment? Original sin? Karma? Or perhaps you believe there is no God, maybe you've got another explanation of your own. It may be difficult to come to an exact answer, but it does make for a very interesting discussion. So why do you think there's evil and suffering in the world?

Oh, I think it's...

The Problem of Evil

Video length - 6.15
Published date - Sep 2013
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4
Downloadable resources

Passover: Read All About It! – Moses made the headlines for the whole of his life… or he would have done if they’d had newspapers 3500 years ago. So here is the story of the Passover as told by the headlines of the day. Animation by Ceiren Bell.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA 

Component 1 - The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Judaism - Family life and festivals - Festivals and their importance for Jews in Great Britain today, including the origins and meaning of Pesach.

Edexcel 

Area of Study 2 - Section 3: Living the Jewish Life- Jewish festivals: the nature, history, purpose and significance of Jewish festivals; the origins and meaning of specific festivals, including , Pesach, divergent understandings of why festivals are important different forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism today.

OCR 

Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices - Festivals • The origins and importance of Rosh Hashanah, including Teshuva, the Shofar, symbolic foods, the synagogue service and Tashlich • The origins and importance of Yom Kippur, including the connection to Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life, Kapparah, the rules of Yom Kippur, the importance and nature of fasting, the synagogue services and Neilah •The origins and importance of the Pilgrim Festivals, including the story of the Exodus, the importance of chametz and the Seder meal • The origins and importance of Sukkot, including the building of sukkah and the four species • The origins and importance of Hanukkah • The origins and importance of Pesach

WJEC 

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Judaism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices -Practices -Jewish identity - Festivals and commemorations: Yom Hashoah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Pesach; significance, preparation and celebration of these festivals (Exodus 12:14)

Eduqas

Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 4:Judaism - Beliefs and teachings - Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The origin, meaning and celebration of the following festivals among different Jewish communities in Britain ➢ Rosh Hashanah ➢ Yom Kippur ➢ Pesach: Exodus 12:14

Passover: Read All About It!

Fears of a slave revolt are sweeping across Egypt, after census figures revealed that the Hebrew population is growing at an alarming rate.

They breed like rabbits.

Said Mrs. Imhotep in Thebes.

Coming over here doing our jobs for us, something needs to be done.

Pharaoh has unveiled radical plans to deal with the slave problem.

We can't have our country overrun by foreigners, even if we did enslave them and bring them here in the first place. Until further notice, all male babies born to Hebrew slaves will be killed.

Surprise greeted the announcement that Pharaoh's daughter is celebrating the arrival of a baby boy. The princess has named the child Moses and firmly denies rumours that she found him floating in a basket on the Nile. However, some members of the press have noted that the baby.

Looks a bit Hebrew.

Prince Moses wowed the crowds when he arrived to see the completion of a new pyramid, destined to become Pharaoh's final resting place.

I'm sure my grandfather will be very happy here, although hopefully not for many years yet.

Moses has shrugged off gossip about his true parentage to top polls as most popular royal ever.

Prince Moses is wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Mr. Marina-bay, a slave driver from Thebes. The victim's wife made an emotional appeal for witnesses.

He was only doing his job, but they're saying he was done away with by that Moses standing up for his Hebrew brothers. Cos it's all come out, he was a Hebrew all along, and if his real mother had done the decent thing and had killed him at birth, my hubby would still be whipping slaves.

It is believed that Moses has fled the country and is heading for Midian. Moses, 40, was recently revealed to be of Hebrew descent. As a baby. He escaped the slave cull when his mother hid him in a basket and sent him drifting down the Nile in a desperate attempt to save his life. He was found and adopted by the princess, who unwittingly employed Moses mother to nurse him.

I feel such a fool.

Said the princess.

Today's top of the odd comes from Midian, where a shepherd has returned from Mount Sinai with reports of an ever burning bush in the desert.

It was on fire, but it wasn't burning up, and I heard God talking to me from the flames. He gave me a mission to free all the slaves in Egypt.

Good luck with that.

Moses 80. The disgraced prince who left Egypt following the murder of a slave driver has been sighted in the Hebrew settlement at Goshen.

It's unlikely we'll be pressing charges, said Inspector Ankhesenpepi. It was 40 years ago and our only witness is long dead.

Rumours suggest that Moses is trying to gain support for a Free the Slaves campaign.

Moses met with Pharaoh yesterday for talks about Hebrew rights. However, negotiations quickly broke down after Pharaoh refused to consider even a short holiday for the slaves. The palace issued the following statement.

The economy just will not stand any slackening in production at present. In fact, the slaves work quotas are due to rise in the coming weeks.

A Palace insider reveals weird goings on in government. Moses proved his claim to be on a mission from the Hebrew god by turning his staff into a snake, but Pharaoh just ordered his court magicians to perform the same trick.

The floor was alive with snakes, but Moses snake ate all the others and then turned back into a staff, wild.

Moses warned that if Pharaoh refuses to free the slaves, they'll be horrible consequences for Egypt.

The River Nile has turned blood red, baffling the boffins.

In fact, all bodies of water have turned red and smelly.

Said a health official.

We are advising people to dig new wells and drink only from them until further notice.

A plague of frogs has infested Egypt. Millions of the foul amphibians have oozed out of the Nile to fill the streets and invade people's homes.

Lice are on the loose and the whole country is scratching. Doctors advise a daily bath in asses milk.

It stops the itching, but you might smell a bit cheesy.

As flies buzz all over Egypt. Hygiene inspectors are warning people to check their food for maggots. Only the Hebrew Quarter in Goshen has escaped the recent plagues, fuelling rumours that they are signs from the God of Moses.

Following the unexplained death of all livestock, farmers have appealed to Pharaoh for help.

It's time he listened to us.

Said Mr. Menkheperraseneb.

You go down to Goshen, where the Hebrews live. Have their cows died? No. Have their sheep died? No. That Hebrew God is punishing us because Pharaoh won't free the slaves. Well, we've had enough.

The palace declined to make a statement.

Health officials have issued the following advice to deal with the present epidemic.

Don't squeeze your boils, it will only make them worse. Just dab them with crocodile dung. And when they burst, try not to pick the scabs.

In the worst weather since records began, a violent hailstorm has flattened all the crops that were due to be harvested, but farmers are remaining upbeat.

That's all the barley and flax gone. But we've still got the wheat harvest to come.

The wheat harvest has been destroyed by a swarm of locusts. Only Goshen remains unaffected by current events, leading to further calls that Pharaoh should free the slaves before Egypt starves.

The royal astronomers are at a complete loss to explain why it has been dark for the last three days.

We are at a complete loss to explain why it has been dark for the last three days.

Moses emerged from another unsuccessful meeting with Pharaoh today and went straight to Goshen. There he joined the slave community, who have all returned to their homes for a religious ritual. A Mrs Benjamin described what happened.

Moses told us that every family should kill and cook a lamb. The bloods got to be painted around our front door. My husband can do that. Then we eat the meal together and stay indoors until after midnight. Very strict about that, he was.

Grief consumes Egypt. Every household awoke to discover that their first born son had died during the night from an unknown cause. Only Hebrew homes, identified by Lamb's blood around the doors, were untouched by the tragedy.

Bowing to increasing pressure, Pharaoh decreed yesterday that the Hebrew slaves were free to leave Egypt. However, more recent reports indicate that Pharaoh now regrets this decision. He is mustering an army to pursue the Hebrews and wreak a terrible revenge.

Pharaoh has died in a freak drowning accident, along with hundreds of charioteers, horsemen and foot soldiers. He led his army across the desert towards a Hebrew encampment on the shores of the Red sea.

I saw the dust rising in the distance.

Said Mr. Levi.

Pharaoh's army was coming right at us, and we had nowhere to run. But Moses gets up and waves his staff, and the sea just parts. There was this corridor between walls of water straight through to the other side.

The Hebrews made it across, but the pursuing Egyptians were still in the danger zone when the sea came crashing down, drowning every single one of them.

We're free at last. Just need to find this promised land Moses keeps on about.

Passover: Read All About It!

Video length - 7.51
Published date - Sep 2013
Keystage(s) - 2 and 3
Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Hinduism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Rupal is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Hinduism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA                                                                                                                                                                             Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Hinduism - What is Hinduism? How Hinduism is a variety of practices and beliefs that have developed over time but there are central tenets of the faith. It is a faith found in India but also in other parts of the world, including the UK. Ideas about the nature of God and existence: Beliefs about Brahman -Brahman: ultimate reality as divine consciousness (nirguna) and manifestation of God in form (saguna); spiritual worlds. Beliefs about the nature of human life: the concepts of atman, samsara, karma and moksha. - The concept of atman, as individual, eternal inner self, distinct from material mind and body. The cycle of birth and death (samsara), moral action and reaction (the law of karma), and types of liberation (moksha)

Edexcel
Area of Study 1 -Section 1: Beliefs and Teachings - Hinduism- The nature of Brahman: the nature of Brahman as spirit, ultimate reality or absolute truth; how the characteristics of Brahman are shown in Hindu scriptures - The nature of the individual and life within Hinduism: the nature and importance of the atman (eternal self), karma, the cycle of samsara, moksha; divergent Hindu understandings of the nature of the individual and life Area of Study 3 -Section 2: Philosophy of Religion - Revelation as proof of the existence of God; revelation as shown in the scriptures including in the Vedas Area of Study 3 - Section 3: Living the Hindu Life - Hindu sacred festivals: the nature, history, purpose and significance of Hindu sacred festivals; the origins and meaning of specific festivals, including Diwali

OCR                                                                                                                                                                           Component Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment

WJEC                                                                                                                                                                       Component 2 - Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Hindu perspective - The existence of Ultimate Reality and Deity - Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of deity and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering • Hindu understandings of the concept of deity-God,gods and Ultimate Reality including: •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about what Brahman is like •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about Brahman’s relationship with the world •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about Brahman’s relationship with humanity •• The role and significance of other deities •• Reasons for different views •The relationship between concepts of deity and Ultimate Reality • Hindu beliefs and views on Brahman and goodness

Eduqas                                                                                                                                                                     Component 3 (Route A) - Option 2: Hinduism - Beliefs and teachings - Nature and features of Brahman/Bhagavan  ➢ As spirit, ultimate reality, absolute truth; Chandogya Upanishad 3:14.1 ➢ Everywhere and within the heart; Katha Upanishad 5:2 ➢ A personal and loving God; Bhagavad Gita 14.27 ➢ Belief in Brahman as nirguna (without qualities) and saguna (with qualities) Bhagavad Gita 11.8 ➢ Diversity of views within Hinduism: monist and monotheist Hindu Gods/deities ➢ Nature and role of the trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their consorts); Kūrma Purana 1.6, 1.9 ➢ The importance of Krishna and Shakti ➢ The nature and role of avatara; Bhagavad Gita 4.5 ➢ Importance and role of murti in worship; Bhagavad Gita 12.5 ➢ Diversity of views towards trimurti: Vaishnavism and Shaivism The Eternal Self ➢ Atman; trapped in matter, distinct from body and mind: Bhagavad Gita 2.12, 2.17 ➢ Diversity of views: Advaita Vedanta and Dvaita Vedanta ➢ Karma (action and reaction), samsara, reincarnation: Bhagavad Gita 2:22, Moksha: Bhagavad Gita 2.13, 8.6, 15.9, 2.15 Human Life ➢ Four aims: (dharma as duty/righteousness, artha, kama and moksha); sanatana dharma and varnashramadharma: Bhagavata Purana 1.2.6, The Mahabharata, Book 9.60 ➢ Free will and responses to suffering and maya: Bhagavata Purana 5.5.8, cycle of birth and death, Bhagavad Gita 2.60 – 63 ➢ Importance of knowledge of human life. Practices - Places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ Features and importance of daily puja in the home ➢ Features and importance of congregational puja in the mandir ➢ Diversity of views and practices: Vaishnava and Shaiva bhakti ➢ Hindu mandirs in Britain compared to those in India ➢ Features and importance of worship at outdoor shrines Worship/meditation ➢ The significance of different forms of worship/meditation; havan, puja, arati, darshan Bhagavad Gita 9.26, bhajan/kirtan, japa: Bhagavad Gita 3.19, 4.38, 6.11–12 ➢ The importance of focuses of worship and representations of the divine; one god, other deities, holy land, plants and animals: Bhagavad Gita 16.24 ➢ Honouring Gurus and elders Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The diverse origins, features and meaning of: ➢ Diwali – with reference to how this festival is practised by different Hindu communities in Britain ➢ Holi – with reference to how this is practised by different Hindu communities in Britain ➢ Raksha Bandhan: myths of King Bali and Lakshmi (Vishnu Purana) and Indra and the demon (Bhavishya Purana)

Speakers Alien Abduction: Hinduism

 

Robot Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Rupal Patel Rupal Patel.

Robot              Religion.

Rupal Patel   Hindu.

Robot              Holy book.

Rupal Patel   There are lots, um, but the key ones are the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Robot              Holy building.

Rupal Patel   Uh, the mandir or also known as a Hindu temple.

Robot              Symbol.

Rupal Patel   The om.

Robot              You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Standby. Choose the first category.

Rupal Patel   Uh, God.

Robot              What do you believe about God?

Rupal Patel   Um, Hindus believe there's one supreme god. Um, he's the all doer. He's come down on this Earth, and he's known by different by different names. We call him Bhagwan. Um, he is ultimately the creator, sustainer, and the destroyer. Um, also known as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv, and seen in Hindu temples in lots of different forms.

Rupal Patel   Uh, life after death.

Robot              What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Rupal Patel   Um, Hindus believe that each life form has an atman, um, this, in essence, is an immortal soul. Following death, the atman moves into a new life form, and this cycle of birth, death, and rebirth we call reincarnation. Um, during each life we do lots of good things, lots of bad things, which is called karma, and we're trying to do lots of good things to move up and, um, have a better life. Um, and ultimately, our chief aim is to go and live with God by having lots of good karma.

Rupal Patel   Beginnings.

Robot              How did your religion begin?

Rupal Patel   Um, Hinduism is unique in that it doesn't have a single founder. Um, we see it as an eternal religion and never really started, but it was it was revealed to us. Um, it was revealed through, um, scriptures or religious texts like the Vedas, um, and also, um, through the incarnation of God on this Earth, um, for example, for some Hindus, um, Lord Krishna.

Rupal Patel   Everyday life.

Robot              How does your religion affect everyday life?

Rupal Patel   For me, I will start each day, um, by praying to God in front of my home Mandir, um, and that we call a puja. Um, I have a strict vegetarian diet, Hindus believe in non-violence. Um, our scriptures also give us lots of detail in terms of our duty to our family, our duty to society, our environment. In essence, we're trying to be good people and get lots of good karma so we can go and, um, sit or be with God. Um, yeah. Festivals.

Robot              What is the most important festival in your religion?

Rupal Patel   Hinduism is full of lots and lots of festivals, including Holi, Ankot, um, the most, one of the most popular and well known is, is Diwali, which is the Festival of Light. We have loads of fireworks, we light diyas, um, and in essence, we're, um, marking the return of, um, Sita and Rama from 14 years in exile. Um, for us, it marks, well we're celebrating, um, the defeat of darkness, um, with with, with light.

Rupal Patel           Rites of passage.

Robot                  What happens at a Hindu funeral?

Rupal Patel           Hindus are generally cremated. Um, that's the burning of a body. We feel that the at- it helps to release the atman from from the body. Um, we wear white, we sprinkle water over the body, we sing lots of prayers. And following the cremation, the ashes will be distributed in water, ideally the river Ganges. Just like, um, the, a river flows into the sea, we're aiming for the atman to to go back to God.

Rupal Patel           Random.

Robot                  Why do so many Hindus have a dot on their foreheads?

Rupal Patel           The dot is a chandlo, um, it's traditionally made out of red pollen paint, um, and it's a mark of our faith and our commitment to God. Um, we will apply it, um, during puja or during worship, and often you'll see married women wearing a chandlo, and that's a marker of their commitment to their husbands.

Robot                  Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams. Powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human.

Rupal Patel           Thank you.

Robot                  Goodbye

Alien Abduction: Hinduism

Video length - 5.33
Published date - Jul 2013
Keystage(s) - 3
Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Buddhism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Srivati is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Buddhism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA                                                                                                                                                                           Component 1 - The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship - Temples, shrines, monasteries (viharas), halls for meditation or learning (gompas) and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings. Puja - The significance and role of puja/devotional ritual, including chanting, mantra recitation, use of malas. Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation - Samatha (concentration and tranquillity) including mindfulness of breathing. Festivals and retreats and their importance to Buddhists in Great Britain today, including the celebrat-ions, origins and significance of - Wesak Ethical teaching - Kamma (karma) and rebirth. Compassion (karuna), Loving kindness (metta).

Beliefs and teachings and practices -The relationship between beliefs and practices in Buddhism. Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme B - Religion and life - The origins and value of human life - Religious teachings, beliefs and attitudes about death and an afterlife.
Edexcel                                                                                                                                                                                      Living the Buddhist Life - Meditation: the nature, purpose and significance of meditation in Buddhism; the different types of meditation: samatha (concentration), metta bhavana (loving kindness) and vipassana (insight); meditative practices, including mindfulness breathing and zazen; divergent understanding of the nature and importance of visualisation of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, including Amitāyus Meditation Sutra; how the different practices are used by Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists and the benefits from their use. Puja: The nature and purpose of puja in the vihara and the home, including reference to Mangala Sutta; examples of the different types; when each type might be used and why; the importance of having different types of worship and their use in different Buddhist contexts. Area of Study 1 – Buddhism - Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs - Buddhist ethical teachings: divergent Buddhist understandings of the nature, purpose and importance of kamma, including Dhammapada 181–187 and the Khuddakapatha, merit and rebirth, karuna (compassion), metta (loving kindness), pancha sila (the five precepts) and the paramitas (six perfections); the divergent applications of each of these ethical teachings in Buddhist life today.

OCR                                                                                                                                                                                    Buddhism-Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/04) - Buddha and Enlightenment • The life of Buddha •• The early life of Buddha •• The Four Sights •• Defeat of Mara •• Enlightenment •• Nibbana • Issues related to the life of Buddha, including the importance of Buddha for Buddhists in the modern world • Common and divergent emphases placed on the life of Buddha by different Buddhist groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups 

WJEC                                                                                                                                                                                                  2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - Morality  Divine command/absolutist and situational/relativist approaches to ethical decision making  Teachings of Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 25:31-46)  Love / agapé (Luke 10:25-37; John 13:34-35)  Forgiveness (Matthew 6:5-13; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 23:34 Matthew 5:43-44)  Treasures on earth / in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:19-31)

Eduqas                                                                                                                                                                              Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 1:Buddhism - Beliefs and teachings - The Buddha ➢ Stories of his early life: pre-birth, birth, prophecy, palace ➢ The Four Sights: old age, sickness, death, the holy man ➢ His Enlightenment following renunciation and meditation The Dhamma/Dharma ➢ Dependent origination/conditionality (pratityasamutpada) ➢ Three Marks of Existence (lakshanas);Suffering/unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), impermanence (anicca); no fixed self, essence or soul (anatta): The Story of Nagasena and the Chariot (The Milindapanha) The Four Noble Truths ➢ Suffering (dukkha); types and causes of suffering; Three Poisons (ignorance, greed, hatred): Dhammapada 1, 5 Interpretations of nirvana, samsara and enlightenment; Practices - Buddhist places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance of features and functions of temples and viharas; statues, shrines, stupa and meditation area. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist temples in Britain compared to those in countries where Buddhism is widely practised. ➢ Offerings: food, light, flowers, incense, offerings of food to monks (dana) Meditation ➢ The significance of meditation; Dhammapada 282, Surangama Sutra ➢ Mindfulness of breathing (samatha meditation) ➢ Loving kindness (mettabhavana meditation) ➢ Insight meditation (vipassana meditation) ➢ The importance and role of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; example of Gautama Buddha (enlightenment through meditation). Buddhas and bodhisattvas as the focus of devotion and meditation Devotional practices ➢ The role and significance of chanting; chanting the Triratna (importance of Three Jewels): Dhammapada 190 ➢ Use of malas to count mantras or breaths in meditation (Japanese and Tibetan forms of Buddhism) ➢ Role of mantra recitation to evoke enlightenment ➢ Significance of puja – indevotional ritual in different Buddhist contexts; veneration rather than worship. Use of mudras to identify with buddhas and bodhisattvas Death and mourning ➢ The significance of ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning as practised in Theravada communities: transferring to rebirth. Cremation practices and almsgiving

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Robot      Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Srivati      Srivati.

Robot      Religion.

Srivati      Buddhist.

Robot      Holy book.

Srivati      We've got many holy books. Um, a particularly large collection is known as the Pali Canon. I like the Dhammapada.

Robot      Holy building.

Srivati      They go by different names, often Buddhist temple, Buddhist Vihara. We call ours the Buddhist centre.

Robot      Symbol.

Srivati      The eight spoked wheel. That represents eight excellent teachings on how to lead a good Buddhist life.

Robot      You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Srivati      As I'll ever be.

Robot      Stand by. Choose the first category.

Srivati      Well, let's start with God.

Robot      What do you believe about God?

Srivati      Well, I've not been taught, we're not taught in Buddhism that there there is a god. Some people think that we see our Buddha as a god, but he was a human being. Just a very extra special one. Life after death.

Robot      What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Srivati      I believe, along with most Buddhists, that when we die, our body is finished. We can cremate or bury it, but that our consciousness, that's like our thoughts and feelings, that can take rebirth in a new human body. And it makes a difference how we've behaved in this life, so if I'm full of anger and getting annoyed and being impatient, then I won't have such a good life in the sense that there'll be plenty of problems for me to deal with, but if I'm practising patience, being kind, it'll turn out better. Beginnings.

Robot      How did your religion begin?

Srivati      It began 2500 years ago in northeastern India, with a man called Siddhartha Gautama. He was a prince, and he was really concerned about why there was so much and is so much suffering in the world. So he tried all kinds of things, trying to get answers and understanding. In the end, he gained enlightenment, which is hard to describe, but people were aware that he was so different. He became known as the Buddha, the fully awakened one, because he understood how things are. Everyday life.

Robot      How does your religion affect everyday life?

Srivati      Well, ideally it would affect every moment of daily life. Everything from what I say, what I do, even what I'm thinking, and there are lots of Buddhist teachings to help with that, including the Noble Eightfold Path, but especially the practice of the Five Precepts. For example, the first precept is about non-harm or non-violence, which means I'm vegetarian. Also really important is the practice of meditation, because that gives you a direct way of working with your mind, developing your awareness, and becoming more kind as well.

Srivati      Festivals.

Robot      What is the most important festival in your religion?

Srivati      I think our most important festival is Buddha Day. In other parts of the world, it's called Wesak or Vaisakha and it's a celebration of when the Buddha gained his enlightenment. We do lots of different things on a day like that, we might meditate together, listen to a talk, definitely do a puja which is like Buddhist devotion, and that can include chanting mantras, making special offerings, for example, of flowers, candles and incense. And definitely it's a chance to come together as a spiritual community, which we call Sangha.

Srivati      Rites of passage.

Robot      How did you receive your name?

Srivati      I received my name at my ordination ceremony. Ordination is like a training, and it's in order to become a more fully committed member of a particular Buddhist group. And the name itself has a meaning, so Srivati, my name, means she who is full of beauty, radiance and loveliness, which has always felt like a tall order, especially because it's about how positive I am, the more positive, patient, kind I am, the more lovely I'll be.

Srivati      Random.

Robot      Why do Buddhists shave their heads?

Srivati      Well, as you can see, not all of us do. The shaven heads go with the people who practice in a monastic tradition. That means people who are known as monks and nuns. The nuns are the women, and they shave their heads basically to keep life really simple. That's how they manage their hair. And it also helps them from not getting vain about their appearance. So really, Buddhists can look all kinds of different ways. They may have hair or not. They wear may wear robes or not, just ordinary clothes. You can't necessarily recognise a Buddhist when you see one on the street.

Robot      Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Srivati      Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Video length - 6.09
Published date - Jul 2013
Keystage(s) - 3
Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Sikhism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Baldeep is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Sikhism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA 

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism - Introduction to Sikhism - General facts about the religion Introduction to Sikh festivals - The bigger festivals of Vaisakhi and Divali will be covered later. As the gurpurbs link to the Gurus they are covered now. The nature of God linked with the worship of God in Sikhism. - The Mool Mantra and how Sikhs pray and meditate mainly at home.

Worship in the gurdwara is included but there will be more about the gurdwara later.
God as Creator -The different aspects of God's relationship with the creation. The examples of treating others equally (fairly) in the stories of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh.
Teachings and examples of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and the importance of equality in Sikhism.
Human life as part of the cycle of reincarnation and governed by the law of karma - The Sikh beliefs about the human condition and why we need liberating. The Festival of Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) - The what, how, why, who, when of the festival.

Edexcel 

Area of Study 2 – Sikhism - Section 1: Sikh Beliefs - The nature of God: how the characteristics of God are shown in the Mool Mantar, Guru Granth Sahib 1, and why the characteristics are important and why the Mool Mantar is significant for Sikhs.
God as Creator: the nature and importance of God as creator (Karta Purakh) for Sikhs; Sikh teachings on God as creator, including Guru Granth Sahib 12 and 94. Sikh beliefs about life after death: the nature of karma, rebirth and mukti (liberation); how they are shown in the Guru Granth Sahib, including reference to Guru Granth Sahib 2, 11 and 78; divergent understandings of how and why karma, rebirth and mukti are important for Sikh life today.
Gurpurbs and commemorations: divergent understandings of the nature, history and purpose of gurpurbs and commemorations; why they are important for Sikhs today; the origins and meaning gurpurbs, including Guru Nanak’s birthday, Vaisakhi, including reference to the account of the events found in Gurbilas Patshahi 10, Divali: the origins and meaning of commemorations, including the martyrdom of Guru Arjan and Guru Tagh Bahadur Ji.

OCR 

No link to GCSE spec

WJEC 

PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil – Christianity - Crime and Punishment  What makes an act 'wrong'?  Religious and ethical responses: relative and absolute morality, conscience, virtues, sin  Beliefs and attitudes about the causes of crime and the aims of punishment: justice, retribution, deterrence and reformation  The treatment of criminals and the work of prison reformers and prison chaplains  Varied Christian responses to the Death Penalty, including interpretations of Christian teaching: Exodus 20:13, Matthew 5:38-39, 43-47

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route A) - Option 5: Sikhism - Beliefs and teachings - The Nature of God ➢ Beliefs and teachings about the nature of God as expressed in the Mool Mantra: Guru Granth Sahib 1 ➢ God as Creator: GGS 294 ➢ God's relationship with human life: Guru Granth Sahib : 921 The Oneness of Humanity ➢ Beliefs and teachings about the equality of all human beings, including equality of men and women: GGS 349 ➢ Examples of equality in the lives of the Gurus and in Sikhism today, including practice of the Langar, Guru Amar Das appoints women preachers ➢ The priority of service to others: Daswandh (Guru Amar Das) Gurmukh (Godcentred) ➢ The importance of being God-centred (gurmurkh): GGS125, 1054-55; ➢ The elimination of haumai (pride/ego): GGS 226, 538, 466 The sangat ➢ The role of the sangat (community) in spiritual edification and progress of an individual: Guru Nanak - GGS 72, GGS 1098, ➢ As a centre of religious and ethical training: Guru Arjan - GGS 266 ➢ Basis for acts of sewa (selfless service), nihangs, khalsa The Afterlife ➢ Teachings and beliefs about karma and rebirth: GGS 2, 78. Practices: The gurdwara: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance and the role of Bhatra and Ramgarhia gurdwaras in Britain as places of worship, social and community functions ➢ Religious features: artefacts, Guru Granth Sahib, langar (as an expression of sewa - selfless service to others) and associated practices Worship ➢ The role and importance of prayer in the home ➢ Significance of the practice of meditating on the name of God ➢ The importance of the Akand Path Ceremonies ➢ The meaning and significance of birth and naming ceremonies ➢ The significance of Amrit Sanskar: (the initiation ceremony): Bhai Gurdas Var 3.11. The significance and use of the names Singh and Kaur ➢ The different views of khalsa and non-khalsa (sahaj-dhari) Sikhs towards Khalsa and the Five K's Amritsar ➢ The importance and significance of Amritsar as a place of Sikh pilgrimage; the spiritual centre of Sikhism ➢ The Harmander Sahib in Amritsar (Golden Temple): features and practices of pilgrimage to the Golden Temple Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The origins and practices of gurpurbs and melas and how these are celebrated by different Sikh communities in Britain. ➢ Guru Nanak’s birthday, commemorations of the martyrdoms of Guru Arjan and Guru Tagh Bahadur Ji ➢ Vaisakhi ➢ Divali

Alien Abduction: Sikhism

Robot       Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Baldeep Kaur  Baldeep Kaur

Robot       Religion.

Baldeep Kaur  Sikh.

Robot       Holy book.

Baldeep Kaur  Guru Granth Sahib.

Robot       Holy building.

Baldeep Kaur  The gurdwara, but some people call it the Sikh temple.

Robot       Symbol.

Baldeep Kaur  The Kunda.

Robot       You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Baldeep Kaur  Yes.

Robot       Stand by. Choose the first category.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, God.

Robot       What do you believe about God?

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, we believe there is one God, and he is known by different names. Most Sikhs would often refer to him as Waheguru, the glorious Guru, the one that will help you to understand the world. Others would refer to him as Satguru or Rab. Um, we learn about him and his qualities through the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib in something called the Mool Mantar. Um, I'm referring to him as a him, but he has no gender, he has no form, he created the whole world, he's within us, um, he's everywhere.

Baldeep Kaur  Um, life after death.

Robot       What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, all Sikhs believe that we have a soul called the atman that originated from Waheguru, and the aim of our life is for that, for that soul to merge back with Waheguru. Um, how that happens is based on our actions. We call them karam, and often we understand it as karma. Um, this basically means if you do lots of good actions, then in your next life, your soul will be reborn into a new body which will have less challenges than you had in this life, but if you did bad things, then you have more challenges in the next life.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh. Beginnings.

Robot       How did your religion begin?

Baldeep Kaur  The religion began in the Punjab region, which is in Pakistan and India today, by someone called Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the early 1500s. He was born into a Hindu family, but he had friends from lots of different walks of life and different religions, and he really preached about equality and bringing people together. One day he went to have his normal bath in the river, but disappeared for three days, and when he re-emerged, he said, there is no Hindu or Muslim, basically saying there's no difference between us and we should treat each other nicely, and all the other gurus followed on the same message until he went into the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, everyday life.

Robot       How does your religion affect everyday life?

Baldeep Kaur  There are three main principles. One is Naam Japna. So that's reciting God's name and appreciating him in everything, and there are five daily prayers which most Sikhs do. There is also kirat karna, earning a living by honest means, so no cheating, no lying. There is also vand Chhakna which is sharing everything you have, Sikhs believe in equality and that everyone is equal. You can see this in the Gurudwara where there is the Lungar which is the free community kitchen that everyone can go to eat. In all the food there is vegetarian. A lot of Sikhs are vegetarian like me, but you don't have to. It's personal choice.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, festivals.

Robot       What is the most important festival in your religion?

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, Vaisakhi, this was started by the 10th and the final guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Um, it was at time of harvest, so there was a festival then anyway, a lot of Sikhs had congregated at this time. Guru Gobind Singh had given everyone the opportunity to stand up for their faith and to become committed to it, because there was a lot of persecution at the time. Five Sikhs took this opportunity, and today you can see that in gurdwaras as well, where other people decide to become initiated into the religion, it is known as the birth of the Khalsa, the community of the pure.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, rites of passage.

Robot       What is the Amrit ceremony?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, the Amrit ceremony is where Sikhs who want to show that they are committed to the faith, would take the sugary sweet water which is called Amrit. It was started by Guru Gobind Singh at the birth of the Khalsa in 1699. Um, Sikhs would go to the Gurudwara and take part in this ceremony to show they, they belong to the faith, after which they would make sure they keep the five KS, the kesh, the uncut hair, the kachera, the shorts, the kirpan, the small sword, the kangha, the small comb, the kara, the steel bangle, and they may also take the surname Singh or Kaur depending if they are male or female.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, random.

Robot       Why do Sikhs carry a knife?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, only those Sikhs that have been initiated into the Khalsa, would carry the knife, which is known as the kirpan. Um, it symbolises fighting all types of injustices. At that time, in 1699, and in that era, a lot of Sikhs and non-Sikhs were being persecuted for their various beliefs. So Sikhs were defending not only themselves but everyone else, especially those that could not defend themselves. Today it will be used as a sign to fight all types of injustices, um, whether they're social, political or violent.

Robot       Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Baldeep Kaur  Thank you. Bye!

Alien Abduction: Sikhism

Video length - 6.01
Published date - Jul 2013
Keystage(s) - 3

Alien Abduction: Islam – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Ajmal is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Islam.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices – Beliefs and teachings - Key Beliefs - Islam -

Tawhid - (the Oneness of God), Qur’an Surah 112.

Akhirah (life after death), human responsibility and accountability, resurrection, heaven and hell.
Risalah (Prophethood) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad

Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il.

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices- Islam -Practices and Duties - Five Pillars of Sunni Islam

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices- Islam - Practices, Duties and Festivals. -Festivals and commemorations and their importance for Muslims in Great Britain today, including the origins and meanings of Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr.

 

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 - Section 1: Muslim Beliefs -The nature of Allah: how the characteristics of Allah are shown in the Qur’an and why they are important. Tawhid (oneness), including Surah 16: 35–36, immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice, Adalat in Shi’a Islam.

Akhirah: Muslim teachings about life after death; the nature of judgement, paradise and hell; how they are shown in the Qur’an, including Surah 17: 49–72; divergent ways in which Muslims teachings about life after death affect the life of a Muslim today.

RiSalah: the nature and importance of prophethood for Muslims, including Surah 2: 136; what the roles of prophets teach Muslims, exemplified in the lives Adam, Ibrahim, Isma’il, Musa, Dawud, Isa, Muhammad.

"Malaikah: the nature and importance of angels for Muslims; how angels Jibril,
Izra’il and Mika’il are shown in the Quran, including Surah 19, 32: 11 and 2: 97–
98, and their significance for Muslims today."
Section 3: Living the Muslim Life - The nature, origins, activities, meaning and significance of the celebration/ commemoration of Id-ul-Adha, with reference to Surah 37: 77–111, and Id-ul-Fitr
in Sunni Islam.

 

OCR

Componet Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment. Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah. The importance of practices - Islam as a way of life, lived in total submission to Allah • The importance of the Five Pillars of Islam to Sunni Muslims • The meaning of the Five Pillars: •• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith •• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day •• Zakat/Zakah: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy •• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan •• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca • The analogy of the house and pillars

 

WJEC

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Islam - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam -Prayer/ Salat  Adhan call to prayer, praying at mosque and Friday Jummah prayer (Qur'an 15:9899, 29:45)  Praying at home, private prayer (Du'ah)  The preparations and intention for prayer: wudu and niyyah  The significance and symbolism of the different prayer positions that make a rakat (sequence of prayer) Obligatory Acts  Shahadah: the Muslim profession of faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad; occasions when the Shahadah is recited, e.g. aqiqah ceremony, conversion to Islam  Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit others, what zakat tax may be used for, and additional charity (saddaqah)  Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan. How and why Muslims fast during Ramadan and rules about halal and haram diet (Qur'an 2:183)

 

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route A): Study of a World Faith: Option 3: Islam:Beliefs and teachings: The Nature of Allah ➢ The teaching about the nature of Allah: the belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid): Qur'an 3:18 ➢ Nature of Allah: immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice: Qur'an 46:33 ➢ Adalat in Shi'a Islam Prophet hood (Risalah) ➢ The nature of prophet hood; why are prophets important? Qur'an 2:136 ➢ The importance of Adam as the first prophet ➢ Ibrahim as father of Isaac and Ishma'il and his significance for the Muslim religion ➢ Isa as a prophet for Muslims: Qur'an 2:87 ➢ Muhammad as the seal of the Prophets Angels (Malaikah) ➢ The significance of angels in Islam: Qur’an 2:97-98,Qur’an 2:285 ➢ Diversity in belief between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims regarding angels and free will ➢ The significance of Jibril's revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad: Qur’an 2:97-98 ➢ The significance of Mika'il placed in charge of plants and rain ➢ The significance of Israfil to announce the Day of Resurrection Akhirah (Afterlife) ➢ Al-Qadr (Predestination):Implications for human freedom ➢ Akhirah: Human responsibility and accountability; Muslim beliefs and teachings about the afterlife ➢ Human Freedom and its relationship to Day of Judgement ➢ Heaven; Muslim beliefs about the nature, stages and purpose of heaven ➢ Hell; Muslim beliefs about the nature and purpose of hell

Alien Abduction: Islam

Robot      Survey ship Pantheon. Orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: various. More information required. Scanning for samples.

Robot      Welcome to survey ship pantheon. Our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Ajmal       Ajmal Masroor.

Robot      Religion.

Ajmal       Islam, and therefore I'm a Muslim.

Robot      Holy book.

Ajmal       the Qur'an.

Robot      Holy building.

Ajmal       The Ka'bah that is in Makkah, mosques as well as masjids.

Robot      Symbol.

Ajmal       People associate Crescent and the star with Islam.

Robot      You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Ajmal       Yes.

Robot      Standby. Choose the first category.

Ajmal       God.

Robot      What do you believe about God?

Ajmal       God in Islam is known as Allah. He is one and the only, he has no partners, in other words, there is nobody else like him. He does not have a father or a mother. He is absolute, he is most powerful, his most kind, most merciful, most loving. He is present everywhere. He is in control of the whole universe. He decides on our future and he, out of his love and mercy, has created everything for us. We must have a good relationship with him and that relationship must be direct without anyone else.

Ajmal       Okay, life after death.

Robot      What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Ajmal       We will all die, but will be raised again in our flesh and blood with a soul and all our actions, good and bad, to be present in front of God. We'll be asked questions about what we did on this Earth with our time, with our good looks, with our youth, with our money, with our family and everything that we had. If we were good, we would be given heaven as a return, and if we were wicked and bad, we would be sent to hell. Hell is a place where people will be punished and tormented. Whereas heaven is a place where people will live forever in happiness and bliss.

Ajmal       Beginnings.

Robot      How did your religion begin?

Ajmal       It began a long time ago, in fact, with Adam, but Muhammad, specifically, the prophet of God being the final messenger, who was born in Makkah. In the year 610, when he was around 40 years old, he was meditating in a cave near his home, wondering, what should I do with life? Suddenly, God sent his archangel Gabriel, Jibra'il, with message, message of reading, writing and enlightening people, becoming better, being good to God and being good to human being. Having the right to live on this earth freely and without any fear.

Ajmal       Everyday life.

Robot      How does your religion affect everyday life?

Ajmal       It's about being aware of good and bad. It's being aware of God's presence in your life. It's being about, leading a good life, eating halal food, eating organic food is probably most close to halal food, actually. Being good to your fellow human beings, being kind, sharing, caring with your neighbours, praying five times a day, giving charity, fasting in the month of Ramadan, going to Hajj once in your lifetime, but most importantly, being decent with your fellow human beings and being good and loyal to God.

Ajmal       Festival.

Robot      What is the most important festival in your religion?

Ajmal       Most important festival in Islam is Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr, those two. Eid ul-Fitr follows Ramadan 30 days of fasting. You have not eaten, you have not drunk whole day for 30 days, and that's an achievement that you celebrate by joining your friends and families eating, celebrating, and that's called Eid-ul-fitr. Eid-ul-adha follows Hajj people who have gone to Hajj once in a lifetime opportunity for them. That achievement is marked by you and I in our own home by celebrating, enjoying and doing the same thing.

Ajmal       Rites of passage.

Robot      How does a Muslim family celebrate the birth of a baby?

Ajmal       As soon as the baby is born, we do call to prayer into the ear of the baby, it's called the adhan. We believe every child is born a Muslim in their natural state, we would like to reconnect them with God. We celebrate also by shaving their hair, weighing their hair against gold or silver, and giving that money to the poor and the needy, the first act of charity for this baby. Some babies, boys especially, would have circumcision done in the earlier days or later. We also do aqiqah, where we slaughter an animal and eat the meat and celebrate with friends and family.

Ajmal       Random.

Robot      Why do Muslim women cover themselves up?

Ajmal       In the Quran, God says men and women must dress up modestly. Part of modesty for a woman is to cover her entire body except her face and her hands. Some don't, but that's their choice. Most do, to keep themselves within the lines and teachings of Islam, of modesty. Shyness and bashfulness is a good trait Islam celebrates.

Robot      Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

 

Alien Abduction: Islam

Video length - 5.48
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3
Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Judaism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Rabbi David is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Judaism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Judaism - Introduction to Judaism - Introduction to the idea of common and divergent views within Judaism. Key beliefs: The nature of God - God as one. Key beliefs: Beliefs about life after death - Beliefs about life after death, including judgement and resurrection. The origins and value of the universe - Religious teachings about the use and abuse of animals, including animal experimentation and the use of animals for food. Family life and festivals - Festivals and their importance for Jews in Great Britain today, including the origins and meaning of Pesach. The synagogue and worship - Shabbat in the home and synagogue and its significance. Worship in the home and private prayer.

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 – Judaism - Section 1: Jewish Beliefs - The nature of the Almighty: how the characteristics of the Almighty are shown in the Torah, and why they are important in Jewish life today, including One, Creator, Law-Giver and Judge. Jewish beliefs about life after death: divergent Jewish understandings of the nature and significance of life after death including reference to different forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism; Jewish teachings about life after death including interpretations of Ecclesiastes 12; the nature of resurrection and judgement; why belief in life after death may be important for Jews today. Section 3: Living the Jewish Life -The nature and purpose of Jewish public acts of worship: the nature, features and purpose of Jewish public worship, including interpretations of Psalms 116:12–19; the nature, features and importance of synagogue services for the Jewish community and the individual. Jewish festivals: the nature, history, purpose and significance of Jewish festivals; the origins and meaning of specific festivals, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, including interpretations of Leviticus 23 (Rosh Hashanah); divergent understandings of why festivals are important to different forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism today. Section 4: Matters of Life and Death - Jewish teachings about life after death: Jewish teachings and beliefs that support the existence of a life after death 

OCR 

Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices- Rituals • The meaning and importance of rites of passage • The form and meaning of Jewish birth ceremonies including: •• The welcoming of a baby girl •• The connection between Brit Milah and the covenant with Abraham •• The circumcision •• The roles of the father •• Mohel and Sandek •• The importance of birth rituals for the community • The form and meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah including: •• The preparation •• The nature of the service •• Subsequent preparations •• The meaning and nature of Bat Chayil The meaning and importance of burial rites including: •• The nature of burial •• The tearing of clothes •• The Kaddish Dietary laws • The origin and nature of dietary laws •The mitzvoth and traditions regarding the slaughter and consumption of animals •The mitzvot and traditions regarding the consumption of poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables •The mitzvot and traditions regarding the consumption of meat and milk together • The importance and impact of dietary laws on Jewish lifestyle • The meaning of the terms Kosher and Terefah • Issues related to the dietary laws, including pikuach nefesh and breaking the laws of kashrut • Common and divergent emphases placed on the dietary laws by different Jewish groups, including the preparation of food by non-Jews
Festivals • The origins and importance of Rosh Hashanah, including Teshuva, the Shofar, symbolic foods, the synagogue service and Tashlich • The origins and importance of Yom Kippur, including the connection to Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life, Kapparah, the rules of Yom Kippur, the importance and nature of fasting, the synagogue services and Neilah •The origins and importance of the Pilgrim Festivals, including the story of the Exodus, the importance of chametz and the Seder meal • The origins and importance of Sukkot, including the building of sukkah and the four species • The origins and importance of Hanukkah • The origins and importance of Pesach
Law• The form and content of the Tenakh (the Written Law) • The Chumash and the Sefer Torah • The nature of the Talmud (the Oral Law) •The relationship between the Talmud and the Torah, including the ways in which the Talmud is used in relation to the Torah • The use of the Torah in the synagogue • The use of the Tenakh in private worship • The way that the Torah provides structure to the life of a Jew, including the use of the Neviim and Ketuvim in public and private worship •The significance of the use in daily life of the Tenakh and the Talmud •Issues related to the law, including the different views held amongst religious Jews regarding the nature of the Torah and the Talmud • Common and divergent emphases placed on the Tenakh and Talmud by different Jewish groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Jewish groups Beliefs and Teachings - Sanctity of life• The meaning and concept of sanctity of life •The siginifcance that Judaism places on the sanctity of human life • The concept and meaning of Pikuach Nefesh (the obligation to save life) •The significance of Pikuach Nefeshin Jewish personal, social and community life •Issues related to the sanctity of life, including what kinds of life are sacred • Common and divergent emphases placed on the concept of the sanctity of life by different Jewish groups, including the difference between human and non-human lives • Common and divergent emphases placed on the concept of Pikuach Nefesh by different Jewish groups, including whether the principle extends to relieving suffering/illness Nature of G-d• The meaning of the terms G-d as One, Creator, Law-Giver, Judge and Eternal •The signifa nce of the following characteristics for Jews: •• All-powerful •• All-good •• All-knowing •• Everywhere •• Beyond time and space •• Concerned with humanity •• Intervening in the world •• Transcendent and immanent • Issues related to the nature of G-d, including the problem of evil and suffering • Common and divergent emphases placed on these characteristics by different Jewish groups, including beliefs about the Last Day of the world as Judgement day and the judgements made by G-d on Rosh Hashannah Promised Land • The concept of the Promised Land: to whom was it promised and in return for what? • The origins of a belief in the Promised Land in the Covenant with Abraham •The significance of the Covenant with Abraham • The role of Abraham and his importance in Judaism • Issues related to the Promised Land, including whether this concept is equally important for all religious Jews
WJEC

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices – Practices - Church  Diversity of Christianity: Catholic, Anglican, Church in Wales, non-conformist churches and chapels  Role of the local church  Diverse features of churches and chapels and diversity of worship practices.  Importance of prayer, communal and private - Matthew 6:5-13, Matthew 18:20  Social and community functions of churches, examples in Wales: food banks, the work of the Salvation Army, the work of Shelter Cymru  Christian groups working for Social justice, Reconciliation, Inter-faith dialogue e.g. Interfaith Council for Wales, World Council of Churches, Christian-Muslim Forum, Council of Christians and Jews  Persecution of Christians in the modern world (Matthew 10:22)

EDUQAS

Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 4:Judaism - Beliefs and teachings - The nature of God ➢ Issues of God as: One, Creator: Genesis 1: 3-5; 1: 26-28, The Shema ➢ Law-Giver and Judge: Exodus 20:1-15 ➢ The nature and significance of shekhinah (the divine presence) Messiah (Mashiach) ➢ Different views within Orthodox and Reform Judaism about the nature and role of the Mashiach (Messiah); special person who brings an age of peace, ourselves, his arrival as signaling the end of the world, praying for his coming, concerned more with living life according to the mitzvot Covenant ➢ The meaning and significance of the Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12:1-3, 17:6-8, 17:11-14 including the importance of the ‘Promised Land’ ➢ The meaning and significance of the Covenant with Moses at Sinai: Exodus 3:11-15 including the continuing importance of the idea of a ‘Promised Land’ ➢ Importance of the Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:2-14 The afterlife ➢ Orthodox and Reform beliefs and teachings about life after death, judgement and resurrection; spiritual and/or bodily resurrection, immortality of the soul and the belief that we must focus on this life in preparation for whatever happens in the next. Practices - Worship: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The nature and importance of Orthodox and Reform synagogue services; Shabbat service, the significance of prayer including the standing prayer (Amidah) ➢ Worship in the home; siddur, recitation of Shema and Modeh Ani, display of mezuzah. The importance of preparing for and celebrating Shabbat: Exodus 20:8-10 ➢ Items worn for worship; tallith, tefillin and kippah The Synagogue ➢ Features of different synagogues in Britain: significance of bimah, aron hakodesh, Torah scrolls, ner tamid, seating, minyan; Exodus 20:4-5 ➢ Worship, social and community functions of Orthodox and Reform synagogues serving Jewish communities in Britain. Rituals ➢ The role and importance of Brit Milah: Covenant, identity, features of the ceremony ➢ Bar Mitzvah: Law and personal responsibility, features of the ceremony ➢ Orthodox and Reform views regarding Bat Mitzvah and Bat Chayil and features of the ceremonies ➢ Marriage: Genesis 2: 24, features of the ceremony ➢ Mourning rituals: onan, kaddish, sheva, yarzheit. Role of chevra kaddisha Daily life ➢ Significance of use of the Tenakh and the Talmud in daily life; ➢ Dietary laws: kosher/treyfah, parev, the prohibition of milk with meat, requirements of a kosher kitchen: Leviticus 11:1-23 ➢ Keeping kosher in Britain: benefits and challenges Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The origin, meaning and celebration of the following festivals among different Jewish communities in Britain ➢ Rosh Hashanah ➢ Yom Kippur ➢ Pesach: Exodus 12:14 

Alien Abduction: Judaism

Robot          Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Rabbi David Lister      Rabbi David Lister.

Robot          Religion.

Rabbi David Lister      Judaism.

Robot          Holy book.

Rabbi David Lister      Torah.

Robot          Holy building.

Rabbi David Lister      Synagogue, sometimes referred to as a shul.

Robot          Symbol.

Rabbi David Lister      The Star of David or a seven branched lamp called a menorah.

Robot          You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Rabbi David Lister      Yes.

Robot          Standby. Choose the first category.

Rabbi David Lister      God.

Robot          What do you believe about God?

Rabbi David Lister      We believe that God is a creator, just the one, and he made everything in the universe, and he looks after people in this world by giving them a spiritual job to do. If they do that job very well, then they will develop themselves, and after death they will be able to enjoy a special closeness to God.

Rabbi David Lister      Life after death.

Robot          What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Rabbi David Lister      A person's body is put in the ground, their soul is released from the body and returns to God. The better we have worked in this life on doing the things that God has asked us to do, the more we will be able to understand and appreciate what it's like to be with him after we die. We don't understand much about what it's like after death, but we know that it is a good thing to be in that state.

Rabbi David Lister      Beginnings.

Robot          How did your religion begin?

Rabbi David Lister      It started when God spoke to Abraham, nearly 4000 years ago. Abraham had a family that went down to Egypt, and their descendants came out of the slavery in Egypt after 210 years there. We went to Mount Sinai in the Sinai desert. God came down on the mountain, spoke to us, said the Ten Commandments, and then we received the Torah from Moses.

Rabbi David Lister      Everyday life.

Robot          How does your religion affect everyday life?

Rabbi David Lister 2   In lots of different ways. We have rules about what we eat so all our food must be kosher. We have rules about what we wear. We're not allowed to wear a garment that has both wool and linen in it. Jewish men are supposed to wear a kippah on their heads. We have to pray. We have to behave to each other in a kind and gentle way, and most of all, I think, we're supposed to think about ourselves and the world in a cheerful and positive way. Festivals.

Rabbi David Lister      In lots of different ways. We have rules about what we eat so all our food must be kosher. We have rules about what we wear. We're not allowed to wear a garment that has both wool and linen in it. Jewish men are supposed to wear a kippah on their heads. We have to pray. We have to behave to each other in a kind and gentle way, and most of all, I think, we're supposed to think about ourselves and the world in a cheerful and positive way.

Rabbi David Lister      Festivals.

Robot          What is the most important festival in your religion?

Rabbi David Lister      There are many important times in our year. There's Pesach or Passover when we remember and relive the Exodus from Egypt. And there's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is a big new start for everybody. My favourite festival, if you can call it that, is Shabbat, which happens every single week. That's our Sabbath starts on Friday afternoon and finishes Saturday night. It's a time when we can't do lots of things, and we have to calm down and listen to each other.

Rabbi David Lister      Rites of passage.

Robot          What is a bar mitzvah?

Rabbi David Lister      Bar mitzvah means son of commandment. It's a time when a boy turns 13, and we celebrate the fact that he's now obliged to keep the commandments like every other Jewish adult. He will normally celebrate this by going to the synagogue and reading a portion of the Torah, and having a party afterwards. A girl will have a bat mitzvah, which means daughter of the commandment, when she turns 12, and she will also celebrate this by going to the synagogue and perhaps reading a speech.

Rabbi David Lister      Random.

Rabbi David Lister      What's so bad about pigs?

Rabbi David Lister      Um, pigs aren't such a big deal in Judaism. They're part of a non-kosher group of animals, like the horse, the rabbit, um, any animal that doesn't have both split hooves and many stomachs is not kosher, and we may not, we may not eat it. We're a bit worried about the symbolism of the pig, because on the outside it looks kosher, because it has split hooves, but inside it only has the one stomach, so it's regarded as a faker.

Robot          Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Judaism

Video length - 5.44
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3

Alien Abduction: Christianity – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Reverend Harry is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Christianity.

Alien Abduction: Christianity

Robot      Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon. Our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Harry       Harry.

Robot      Religion.

Harry       Christian.

Robot      Holy book.

Harry       The Bible.

Robot      Holy building.

Harry       The church.

Robot      Symbol.

Harry       Um, that would be the cross or a crucifix.

Robot      You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Harry       Yep.

Robot      Stand by. Choose the first category.

Harry       God.

Robot      What do you believe about God?

Harry       I believe that God created the whole world, the universe and everything in it. That God created humanity for a purpose and a reason, and that God wants to know us and wants us to know him. God revealed himself to us through the Trinity. There is one God, but there are three parts of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and God lives through us through the Holy Spirit, he's with us in the power of the spirit always.

Harry       Life after death.

Robot      What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Harry       Um, Christians believe that death is really the beginning, not the end, so when we die, we can go to be with God in heaven. The Bible teaches that there's some kind of judgement, God wants to judge sin and remove sin from his ultimate creation, so all of us will stand before God and will be judged. The good news is, is that Jesus takes that judgement for us, so the Bible says that if we turn to Jesus, then he will bear that judgement for us. So that's what I believe.

Harry       Beginnings.

Robot      How did your religion begin?

Harry       The beginnings of Christianity are in Judaism. Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was a Jew, he lived as a Jew, but he developed Judaism and taught his own message. So Jesus lived his life in a in a provocative way, he performed miracles, he taught different teachings. But ultimately the beginnings of Christianity, certainly the beginnings of the church, are in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that's when our religion began and broke away from Judaism, and that's where we are today.

Harry       Everyday life.

Robot      How does your religion affect everyday life?

Harry       Um, as a Christian, I try and read my Bible and pray every day, but also as a Christian we have to try and live the teachings of Jesus. So everything that Jesus taught, we have to put into action. That means we need to love people, we need to show justice, we need to seek to change the wrongs that are in the world and really demonstrate the love of God to everyone we meet. That's not always easy, but every day we need to be trying to do that, to demonstrate the love of God for his creation. Festivals.

Robot      What is the most important festival in your religion?

Harry       The biggest festival in our religion is probably Christmas, that's the one that most people know, but I don't think it's the most important. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and Jesus had to be born, but the central message of what Christians believe is that Jesus died and rose again, and we celebrate that at Easter. At Easter we remember that Jesus died, he was crucified, nailed to a cross, but he rose again three days later. The festival of Easter celebrates that, his death, his coming back to life, his rising again.

Harry       Rites of passage.

Robot      What is a baptism?

Harry       Oh, good question, baptism. There's two kinds of baptism. Sometimes we baptise babies, and often that's with a sprinkling of water, sometimes when we baptise adults, it's by a full immersion, fully underwater. Baptism marks a new life, so the sprinkling of water is washing away our old life and our old sins, or even in a full immersion, we're kind of buried under the water, and then we come back out into new life. It's a symbol of new life, new beginnings and starting again.

Harry       Random.

Robot      Why are there so many different types of Christian?

Harry       Oh gosh, good question. There are different kinds of Christians, like, there are Roman Catholics, Church of England, Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists. Not because they believe different things, largely we believe the same thing, but because people express themselves in different ways. So we all like different types of music or different food or things like that, and so the different types of Christians emerged, because we want to talk to God in different ways, and we hear from God in different ways, and that's why different types of Christians emerged today.

Robot      Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Christianity

Video length - 6.05
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3