2022

• The home is prepared for the celebration / at least two candles are placed on the table / to observe the commandments to remember and observe Shabbat / all the food is prepared before the celebration / all cooking is completed before the candles are lit.
• Shabbat prayers might be read at home instead of the synagogue.
• Two loaves of challah bread are placed on the table / to represent food provided by God before Shabbat whilst they were wandering in the wilderness.
• Wine or grape juice is placed on the table / drunk to represent joy and celebration.
• A female (or any) member of the family lights two candles / shortly before sunset / waves or beckons their arms around the candles / covers their eyes / as a blessing / prayer asking God to bless the family / although candles may be lit by any Jewish person.
• Children are blessed before the meal / head of household recites the Kiddush blessings / Kiddush cup held up / hands are washed to symbolise purification / and separation between ordinary and holy time / God is blessed for providing bread / it is passed round so everybody has a piece / meal is taken / family time to relax and enjoy the company / Torah stories may be told and Shabbat songs sung.
• Meal ends with a prayer and thanksgiving for food meal blessings called birkat ha-mazon.
• After Saturday morning synagogue service another meal is shared in the home / afternoon spent at home with the family, including children / Torah may be studied.
• The end of Shabbat is marked by the havdallah service / performed after the sun has set / blessings performed over wine / sweet smelling spices / to allow the sweetness of Shabbat to remain even after Shabbat ends / candle with several wicks / to bring light to the house.
• Concluding words / eg ‘Elijah the prophet’ / Shavua tov (have a good week).
• Candidates might include Shabbat prohibitions in the home / for instance not watching the TV / not operating electricity etc.

2018

Arguments in support

• Shabbat is observed every week by Jewish families / it is a designated holy day so that Jews can devote more of their time to prayer and Torah study / this enhances and deepens a Jew’s relationship with God / in modern Jewish communities it is the one day of the week where spirituality takes precedence over all other concerns / Shabbat is important to the entire Jewish community as men, women and children all have a role to play in remembering Shabbat customs
• Jews are commanded to observe Shabbat / Shabbat is a weekly reminder that God gifted the world to the Jews / they are also commanded to remember the freedom from slavery from Egypt on Shabbat / both are reminders of the Jew’s special relationship with God / Shabbat is often referred to as the ‘bride’ or ‘queen’ of all days in the Friday night service / Shabbat is in the Ten Commandments / Leviticus 23 lists the festivals, Shabbat is the first
• Shabbat enables Jewish families to reinforce their bonds with each other as they will spend a great deal of time with each other / the Shabbat meal encourages conversation and religious observance together in the family home / the Shabbat helps to underpin the blueprint of Jewish society through its focus on the family unit / Shabbat is also important to reinforce the distinctiveness of the Jewish community / worshipping at the synagogue together reinforces this / Shabbat strengthens Jewish identity, etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• Festivals are important within Judaism for different reasons / some festivals are important as they focus on the individual / for instance Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur / Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgement for the individual / in the period before Rosh Hashanah Jews are encouraged to repent, forgive and make amends with others and God / Jews have a personal responsibility to consider their individual conduct / Yom Kippur is the day of atonement / it is considered the holiest day of the year / many Jews make special arrangements to attend synagogue on Yom Kippur
• Other festivals are important because they remind a Jew of their history and special relationship with God / Pesach for instance focuses on the story of Moses and the liberation of the Jews from Egypt / Sukkot celebrates the Israelites’ trek through the desert / Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai / and the mitzvot Jews follow to this day etc.

N.B. Accept reference to other festivals and fast days not in the specification.

Spec 1

Arguments in support

• many customs, ceremonies, rituals help to educate and remind family about God, such as the use of mezuzuah containing the Shema which stresses the oneness of God
• God’s continual presence, God’s concern with all aspects of life, and his role as Law Giver and Judge are stressed in keeping Kosher laws and other teaching about the family life. This is 24/7 – all day, every day
• Shabbat ceremony, festivals, prayers and ritual teach of God’s role as protector, king and God’s power in delivering his people etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• worship and prayer outside the home practised regularly enables
  Jews to focus on the nature of God
• the scriptures make clear God’s attributes, so study of the scriptures and their interpretation important to understand what God is like for example, prophets proclaim a holy God who demands moral behaviour
• worshipping and sharing views with other Jews allows individuals to
  deepen their understanding.

Spec 2

Arguments in support

• many Jews would say that the home is where Judaism is taught to children by parents. Parents are expected to raise children with high moral standards and to contribute to society/much of this learning takes place through day to day life and decisions faced in a family context/parents are expected to be good Jewish role models for their children/the man and the woman will assume different but
  complementary roles etc
• a great number of Jewish rituals are kept at home. For instance Shabbat rituals are mainly focused around the home and a Shabbat meal together as a family/likewise many Jewish festivals such as Passover have a very strong link to family practices/Kosher food rules can be observed through the preparation of food in the Jewish household etc
• a Jewish child will be surrounded by ritual items of significance in the home setting/for instance the Shabbat candlesticks/Kiddush cups/challah plates/the kitchen will be set out to accommodate Kosher food rules/all of these items will make a Jewish home distinct from other faith groups and homes therefore teaching children what it is to be Jewish etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• there are many other ways for Jewish children to learn about their faith. From an early age Jewish children attend Shul to study more about the faith/many Jews see Shul as learning from experts within Judaism/some see this as superior to the knowledge of Judaism passed on from parents/studying Hebrew at Shul with the support of rabbis versed in Jewish laws enables a child to learn Judaism to
  a higher level etc
• many Jewish rituals demand the use of the synagogue. For instance, Bat and Bar Mitvahs require the child to read the Torah in the presence of the wider community/Shabbat observance within Orthodox communities require men and boys to attend the synagogue and pray together/festivals such as Yom Kippur require Jews to attend the synagogue etc
• Jewish children can learn most about the faith from living a Jewish lifestyle both inside and outside the Jewish home/there are certain standards of their ethical life demanded/for instance Jews are required to live in a righteous manner/this is done through practices such as tzedaka which is concerned with those outside the immediate family etc

2021

Arguments in support

• The home is central to the practice of Judaism
• Celebration of Shabbat in the home every week helps children to be included in celebrating Shabbat / celebrating Shabbat at home involves the whole family / Orthodox women make a significant contribution during Shabbat
• Home is the first place where children start to understand the rituals of their faith
• Shabbat observance at home is less formal and more relaxed / families and friends can spend time together to talk and enjoy each other’s company / sing together / walk together / learn more about their faith together / all these things make Shabbat more meaningful when celebrated in the home
• Rituals at home are more meaningful because there are more of them / such as lighting the Shabbat candles which begins the celebration / eating three meals as a family together / food can be savoured because it is warmed up, rather than prepared from scratch / kiddush blessings are recited over wine / it is customary to bless the children of the household
• Home is the best place to truly rest / because of the commandment to rest, household chores do not happen / it is a mitzvah for a married couple to enjoy sex on Shabbat / there is time for relaxation / it is customary to have a Shabbat sleep, etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• The synagogue is designed for worship therefore it makes sense that celebrating Shabbat is more meaningful in this setting / it allows the wider Jewish community to celebrate together / there are special services on a Friday evening and Saturday morning that are designed to include the whole family / children often make their Bar or Bat Mitzvah which makes celebration in the
  synagogue more meaningful for them
• There is a spiritual atmosphere in the synagogue which makes the celebration of Shabbat more meaningful / attending Shabbat services makes it a special occasion / there are special prayers only said on Shabbat that make it unique. The Torah is read in the synagogue.
• Torah classes may happen in the synagogue on Shabbat
• The structure of a synagogue service makes it easier to concentrate on the true meaning of Shabbat / formality of set prayers / the use of music / listening to the Torah portion allows for reflection / the familiarity of the structure will help a person to concentrate, etc.