Part I: Video Library: The videos embedded below are used in the "The Basics of Judaism Video Quest" activity. Scroll down to view the entire lesson plan!
“The Book of Genesis Overview - Part 1 of 2”: The first part of Genesis, chapters 1-11, trace the story of the God of Abraham and the whole world from creation all the way to the tower of Babel.
“The Book of Genesis Overview - Part 2 of 2”: God makes a promise to a man named Abram (Abraham) that all nations of the earth will be blessed through his family. The second half of the book of Genesis follows this man's family for four generations.
"The Book of Exodus Overview - Part 1 of 2": The first half of the book of Exodus is the story of Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. African American slave spirituals from the pre-Civil War era were heavily influenced by the story of Moses and the pharaoh.
"The Book of Exodus Overview - Part 2 of 2": In the 2nd half of Exodus, Moses meets God at Mt. Sinai. The Israelites make a covenant with him, receive rules by which to live, build a tabernacle (barn) where God will dwell with them.
"The Book of Leviticus Overview": Leviticus describes Jewish rituals, rules for Jewish priests, and purity laws which are still followed today. The Jewish "kosher" rules come from the book of Leviticus.
"The Book of Numbers": The book of Numbers is Israel's epic road trip through the wilderness on their way to the promised land.
"The Book of Deuteronomy": The final chapter in the Torah, Moses makes predictions of Israel's future...including their exile from the "promised land".
"TED-Ed: The five major world religions”: Judaism is the world's oldest monotheistic religion. Humans have been grappling with questions, like "Where do we come from?" and "How do I live a life of meaning?" for thousands of years. These questions are central to the five major world religions we learn about in Global Studies.
“Introduction to Judaism | Belief | Oprah Winfrey Network": Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California discusses the Jewish faith as a cornerstone to the other two major monotheistic world religions. Traditional Jewish ceremonies are also discussed.
“Judaism Explained: Religions in Global History”: Keith Hughes reviews Jewish beliefs and traditions.
Part II: Video Enhanced Lesson Plan: See the embedded lesson plan and worksheet below.