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Baby Showers
In Jewish tradition, baby showers were taboo. Gifts were thought to draw the attention of dark spirits, marking the child for disaster. To this day, many Orthodox Jews will not even say the name of a baby until that baby is born, because they fear it will invite the evil eye. -
Circumcisions
The rite of circumcision is performed on the eighth day of a boy's life. (There aren't any circumcision practice for girls, and "female circumcision" has nothing to do with Judaism.) It usually takes place in the morning at the family's home. -
Discipline
"Spare the rod, despise the child." In the Talmudic age the strap replaced the rod, and by all accounts, strict punishment was meted out both in the home and at school. From the third century on, however, there was a reduction of physical punishment; instead, alternative disciplinary measures were used. -
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Bar/bat mitzvahs happen automatically when a Jewish boy reaches the age of 13 and for a girl age 12. The ceremony that today occupies center stage is actually a historical afterthought, Because the ceremony marks reaching the age of majority, many traditional Jews observe it on the Sabbath immediately following the child's birthday. -
Rebellion
The period of adolescence is between childhood and adulthood. Teenagers no longer play like children but don’t yet have the knowledge and experience to be an adult. Youth is one of the most precious periods of a person’s life, and yet one of the most difficult. -
Occupation
In the recent population study of American Jews, about 40% of those interviewed claimed to work in the professional or technical field, as compared with just under 30% of Americans in general. -
Marriage
Marriage is strongly encouraged in Judaism. The celibate life has never been considered more holy than the married life. Judaism's high view of marriage is a direct result of its view of the home and family as the center of religious life. -
Parenthood
While having children is ideal, restraining it is not completely rejected in Judaism. In situations where the mother's life is in danger physically or psychologically, certain birth control methods may be used. -
Divorce
In Judaism, divorce is viewed as a great tragedy, but a sometimes necessary one. According to the Talmud, "When a man puts aside the wife of his youth, even the very altar weeps." Yet allowances for divorce have always been a part of Jewish law. -
Senior Homes
They have assisted living communities that are steeped in the Jewish Tradition. -
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah
83-year-old men who celebrate a second bar mitzvah, having lived a life span of 70 years since the first. However adult Bar/Bat Mitzvahs happen at many ages and for many reasons. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah isn't a mandatory rite of passage; by Jewish law, a boy reaches adulthood when he turns 13 and a girl at 12, no ceremony required. -
Death
Upon the death of a Jew, the eyes are closed, the body is covered and laid on the floor, and candles are lit next to it. The body is never left alone as a sign of respect. Those who stay with the body are called shomerim (guards). Eating, drinking, or performing mitzvot are prohibited near the body, as such actions would mock the person who is no longer able to do such things.
