Early World Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 14A | Judaism 243 Show image 14A-4: Miriam
Today I am celebrating the holiday of Pesach [PAY-sock], or
Passover, with my family. It is one of our most important Jewish
holidays. Passover is when we celebrate the freedom of our
people from slavery in Egypt and their journey back to Canaan.
I am going to the synagogue to hear the story of Moses once
again. Won’t you come along?
Show image 14A-5: Synagogue or temple
This is my synagogue or temple. You can tell it apart from other
houses of worship because it has the Star of David on it. King
David was one of our fi nest kings and his six-pointed star has
become a symbol of the Jewish faith. Let’s go in!
Show image 14A-6: Synagogue entrance bearing the Star of David^9
Inside, I will introduce you to my uncle, the rabbi. A rabbi is a
religious leader for the Jewish faith. He will read from the Torah, a
beautiful handwritten scroll.
Show image 14A-7: Torah scroll
The Torah refers to all of the Hebrew scriptures, but most often
when Jewish people say “Torah” they mean the fi rst fi ve books
that are mostly about Moses. Show image 14A-8: Rabbi in the synagogue
There’s my uncle. We are a little bit late. He has already begun
reading the story. He reads in Hebrew, the ancient language of the
Jewish people.
Show image 14A-9: Miriam’s family around a Seder meal
Tonight, as part of our celebration, we will tell the Exodus story.
Would you like to join my family at our Seder? Seder is the name of
our special Passover dinner. It’s a lot like our weekly Shabbat [sha-
BAHT] or Sabbath, our holy day of rest on Saturday when the whole
family gathers together for a big, special meal. The youngest person
in the room who can speak is the one who begins the Seder by
asking, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”9 What do you see in the entrance?