Bonus Round
How do observant Jews keep up with modern changes when trying to follow the mitzvot and what is this interpretive process called?
This process part of the continuing development of halakhah called "responsa"
Names and descriptions of three yearly holidays in Judaism.
What are Passover (remembering and celebrating the freedom of the Israelites from enslavement under the Egyptians), Rosh Hoshanah (Jewish New Year--lunar calendar), Yom Kippur (Holiest High Holiday--Day of Atonement), Sukkot (a week-long Jewish holiday that commemorates the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt. It is also a harvest festival that celebrates the fall harvest. Key observances include building and dwelling in temporary outdoor huts called sukkas)
Three rites of passage and short descriptions
What are "bris" (circumcision), "bar/bat mitzvah" (at puberty to acknowledge the status of an adult within the community), "mikvah" (smaller rite of passage--a ritual immersion in water to mark purification after a menstrual cycle or childbirth or before Yom Kippur for some orthodox Jews), marriage (involving different rituals such as being married under a "chupah", signing a "ketubah", breaking a glass underfoot)
The three stages of a rite of passage according to the anthropologist Victor Turner
What are "departure" (leaving one status in life, like being single), "liminal phase" (betwixt and between or the period where the main ritual takes place and can be very powerful, such as the wedding ceremony in a marriage), the "return" (re-entering the community with a new status, such as a "married" couple)
Three distinctive groups within Orthodox Judaism and a short description
What are
Hasidic Jews are a specific group within Orthodox Judaism distinguished by their emphasis on emotion and mysticism and who wear distinctive clothing and hairstyles that signify their community identity
Traditional Orthodox Jews in America follow Jewish law fully. Cannot deny the authority of the Torah as interpreted by the rabbis. Both Hasidic and Orthodox (Haredi sometimes referred to as “ultra orthodox”) strive to stay separate from modern society with a greater focus on religious studies. Distinguished by clothing.
Modern Orthodox is also a group within the larger Orthodox community–Don’t deny the authority of the Torah but make small changes to integrate with modern society For instance allowed to shave their beards and attend secular educational programs and have jobs within the secular community.