Introduction to Judaism
Gender
Modesty is very important to the Jewish. Some Jewish patients may not feel comfortable being examined or nursed by the opposite sex. However, they also have a high regard for medical practitioners so their concerns of modesty may be assuaged. In any case, it would be best to assign nurses or doctors of the same sex to Jewish patients if possible.
In Jewish customs, boys get circumcised on their 8th day of life. Usually this happens in the family home with the male relatives present. There is no female circumcision in Judaism.
Food
Kashrut, a part of Jewish law that dictates what foods can and cannot be consumed and how to prepare these foods.
Universal Rules:
1. Certain animals are completely forbidden to
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2. All permissible mammals and birds must be slaughtered according to Jewish laws for it to be permissible to consume. The slaughter method is a quick and deep cut across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade. The butcher, called a shochet, must be a pious man who is well trained in Jewish law, particularly that which relates to kashrut.
3. All the blood must be drained or broiled out of the meat before consumption as blood is prohibited to consume. This does not apply to the blood of fish.
4. Animals that have died of natural causes or that have been killed by other animals are not permissible nor are animals that have diseases or flaws in the organs at the time of slaughter. This is only applied to birds and land mammals.
5. Certain parts such as the sciatic nerve and the blood vessels adjoined to it as well as the fat that surrounds the liver and vital organs (known as chelev) of permissible animals cannot be eaten.
6. Dairy foods are not permissible to eat with meat; fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables is permissible to eat with either. When dairy is consumed there should be a six hour waiting period before meat can be eaten and vice
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Grape products can only be eaten if made by Jews.
Death & Dying
In Judaism, life is considered precious and the preservation of life is important. Jewish law permits one to break all 613 commandments if it means saving a life. To save one life it is considered as saving the whole of mankind and to destroy one life it is as if the whole of mankind has been destroyed since humankind started with one person (i.e. Adam). Therefore, suicide, euthanasia and assisted suicide is completely forbidden in Judaism. If, however, death is certain and the patient is suffering immensely then it is permitted to cease extraordinary measures of prolonging the patient’s life.
In Jewish tradition, burials are to happen as soon as possible after the patient dies. Also, in respect to the body, autopsies are not permitted unless necessary (in cases where the autopsy may help save a life or is ordered by the Medical Examiner). Amputated limbs may also be requested to be available for burial.
When a patient dies, the eyes are closed, the body is placed on the ground and covered, and then candles are lit around the body. Also there should always be someone present with the deceased body as a sign of respect, this is usually a family member if not most Jewish communities have people called shomerim who volunteer to stay with the deceased until after burial, to say prayers for the
that it be embalmed"(IRN 6). After the body is brought to the funeral home, you
The bodies of the dead would undergo a special ritual before they are disposed of. Religious leaders would officiate These rituals in the presence of family members or close friends to the deceased. If the deceased died in the house, those people around would assemble to clean the body. If the
In the USA, newborn male circumcision is a very common procedure, three-quarters of American men are circumcised. Though the rate of infant circumcision has always been high in the USA, the number varies depending on the State, “Circumcision rates vary wildly across the country - from more than 80% of newborns in states including Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Kentucky, to around 20% on the West coast, according to some calculations” (Hebblethwaite, C.,2012, August 21). However, in other countries, such as The UK, rates dropped after the National Health Service (NHS) rules that circumcisions was not medically necessary, so it would not be covered. In 1948 one-third of UK men were circumcised and now about 9% of men are. On the other hand, countries
Cremation usually takes place on the day of death and the family prepares the body in a special ritual (Wendt Center, 2015).
For instance, all blood must be removed (either by draining or broiling) before it is consumed; certain parts of animals are still forbidden.
Meat: Jewish people can only eat meat that comply with certain restrictions. Cattle and game may only be eaten if; they have ‘cloven hooves’ (e.g. split hooves like a pig) and ‘chews the cud’ (cud is food that is regurgitated from the stomach to be eaten again). If the animal does not comply with both restrictions then it cannot be eaten. Furthermore, Jewish Law prohibits inflicting pain upon animals; therefore the animal must be unconscious (in way way that happens instantaneously) and then killed instantaneously. In addition, the animal is prepared in such a way that certain forbidden fats and veins, as well as blood, are removed.
All of the practices treat the body with the utmost respect. In addition, it is important for family members to be around for the burial ritual. However, Muslims and Catholics have a few burial practices in common. Both religions, pray for the body after death and hope the deceased enters heaven. However, Muslims pray from the heart for the deceased and perform a funeral prayer called Janazah right before the body is buried. Catholics have vigils for 9 days before burying the body. The Hawaiian tradition practices Mana-- keeping the bones of the deceased, because it is believed that the bones hold divine power. Whether the soul enters heaven is unclear. When it comes to the time frame of the burial ritual it varies. Muslims bury the body ideally within 24 hours, however, there are a few exceptions. Catholics burial time frame varies. Hawaiian’s old tradition keep the bones and bury the bones in a basket” (Abdilahi, Fowler, Raschein,
Genesis states that the first person to be circumcised was Abraham. God had told Abraham to not only circumcise himself, but his children, his slaves, and any males in his household as well. This was a practice that was to be done from generation to generation. In early history during BCE, this was used as a way to separate the Israelites from the Philistines. Years earlier, there wasn’t much difference between the Israelite community and its neighboring people. But with the arrival of the Philistines changed how they identified themselves as a separate group of people. As time progresses, so do the opinions when it comes to circumcision.
Circumcision has been a debating procedure for many years. It is a procedure that means cutting off the foreskin, or ring of tissue that covers the head of the penis. Circumcision is said to have started many years ago and is a big part is some religions. For example, according to the book of Genesis in the Torah, god made a covenent with Abraham (a Jewish patriarch) in which Abraham and his decendents would be given great land riches, and success. There was only one catch, Abraham, his descendants, any slaves purchased or born in his house hold by the eighth day of life. If any failed to do so then they would be separate from his people and live without the favor of god. Untill this day Jewish people have lived by that and is a strong religious belief. This procedure on the Jews was called a bris or brit milah.
The Jewish funeral and burial follows practices which last for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The family and friends gather to honor the departed individual. In the funeral, no flowers are allowed as it offset the smell of the decaying body. The donation is given to the charity under the name the deceased person. The body of the deceased can be wrapped in a shroud to ensure that the body and the casket decay at the same time.
Women who perform the circumcisions to continue tradition outside of Africa are known as “excisers”. People who practice it think its barbaric so they choose to hide what they do. Reports from the United Nations, and other public health groups say wealthy immigrants have paid Western physicians in Europe and the United States to circumcise their daughters.While most experts agree U.S. courts would likely consider female circumcision child abuse, no one has tested that law. Opponents say explicit legislation banning the practice is long overdue. There is little research on the incidence of female circumcision in the United States and just a few informal surveys of circumcised women living there. Some doctors in the United states have started to “deinfibulate” which undoes the procedure of FC/GM to expose the tissues under the scars. With this procedure women will be able to have natural births and be able to urinate and mensturate with out pain
Not all regions where Jews live celebrate life and death in the same way. This is because Jews had to assimilate to local cultures after they began to disperse to various parts of the world. This caused traditions to be pushed aside all together or to be blended with local cultures (Parkes, page 99). However, there are many core values that never faded and area consistently practiced in most parts of the world. Death in Judaism is an important part of life. As described in Death and Bereavement Across Cultures, “Two of the most important commandments in Jewish tradition are to honor the dead and comfort the mourner.” (98) Respect for the dead is known as, kavod ha-met and the comfort given to the living is known as, nihum avelim (Rich). When
Societies dispose of bodies after death in a wide variety of ways. Burial takes place in some, both under and above ground. Some bodies are placed in coffins in their graves, others are kept in a mausoleum, others may be mummified. Some societies also use cremation in a variety of ways, including the use of a crematory or a funeral pyre. Families help prepare and dispose of the body in some societies, others seek the expertise of outside professionals for this task.
Circumcision has been completed for thousands of years now, and has been done by a good number of different cultures. Here are facts about the procedures (both male and female) that many people don't know.
Every culture has their own way to deal with the dying and dead. Some like to bury their dead, some will cremate, and others will just leave the body in the open. Every culture has their own special and specific way to do things. Some might mourn and others will celebrate.