Understanding the Jewish Religion: Important and Common Practices

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24 May 2019

Society

Jewish Religion

Judaism is a religion that focuses much more on deeds of individuals, rather than beliefs. It’s also called a practice, rather than just a religion.

Since Judaism is a set of practices, many refer to it as a Way of Life. Those who aren’t familiar with Jewish believes and practices often don’t understand how everything works.

For those who are interested in learning more, they can find some helpful and enlightening information about this religion here. Keep reading to learn more.

Mitzvot: Religious Act or Commandment:

Since WWII, the population of American Jewish individuals has grown significantly. There’s also information about Jewish practices available at KehilatHaNahar.org; however, learning some basic or common principles first can be beneficial.

The practices of Judaism, especially when they are used as vehicles to connect to God, are officially called mitzvot. This is the plural of the mitzvah, which is a word more people are familiar with.

The word mitzvah actually means a religious act or commandment. It consists of both ethical acts and ritual, and they always follow the codifications of the principles outlined in the Torah.

There are some practices that are under the umbrella category minhag (custom). An example of this is wearing the head covering (yarmulke or kippah).

The most well-known mitzvot are the “Decalogue” or the “Ten Commandments.” The Bible never actually refers to these particularly as commandments. The thought behind this is because these are extremely fundamental and basic to the community.

The ten principles, when numbered based on Jewish tradition, actually differ a bit from the Christian numbering.

Ethical Behavior: 

Ethical behavior principles that are elaborated by Jewish thinkers typically start with assumptions related to God along with the expectations God has for Jews, and generally human beings as a whole. This often makes it challenging to separate the quest for holiness from ethical behavior.

While this is true, the Jewish literary tradition offers several works that effectively explore these underlying principles of ethics and that provide detailed explorations of various interpersonal ethics.

Holiness:

Leviticus 18:2 calls on the children of Israel to be holy. The concept of kedushah (holiness) is considered a theological concept.

Specifically, it refers to the quest to live in a manner that brings individuals or that emulates the goal to contact the realm of the divine and the realm of existence that goes beyond what is considered verifiable and objective.

The actual act of living a life of kedushah is considered a practical matter. It means that ideals related to generating codes of behavior, divinity, and alignment are identified and used to bring individuals into harmony with those specific ideals. There are many Jewish thinkers that have provide many suggestions on how to accomplish this, which often goes beyond the “letter” of Jewish law.

Understanding the Jewish Religion:

As anyone can see, there is complicated concept within the Jewish religion that may take time and practice to fully understand. However, for those who live and practice this way of life, it isn’t complicated. In fact, they considerate second nature.

For those thinking about converting to Judaism, getting to know more about religion is important. It can help them better understand if this is something they agree with and believe that they can adhere to or follow now and in the future.

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Social Work

Is Social Work Getting Enough Praise In Today’s Society?

Social work is a profession that is growing by leaps and bounds, but the public does not always recognize the contributions of the many social workers who keep society running. Social work deserves more praise for its wide scope of services and achievements. However, it seems that it is not getting the recognition it deserves. This is not mere observation; it is a fact, as according to a 2020 survey by Social Work England, 76% of the people involved do not think that social work is respected by society. Social work encompasses a broad range of services with an emphasis on prevention; these include assistance with children in care, assisting with homelessness and poverty issues, developing policies that support individual rights, advocating for improved conditions in prisons, or addressing addiction problems, among many others. There are many issues that social workers face that are possibly a foundation for the lack of praise for their field. Let us take a look at them. 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when was jesus baptized

When Was Jesus Baptized In The Jordan River?

The Jordan River is a river in the Old Testament that the ancient Israelites crossed on dry ground. This river is symbolic in nature. The waters of the Jordan are holy, and Jesus was baptized in these waters. Hence, the Sacred waters of the Jordan River are a place of worship for Christians and Jews alike. Bethany, Beyond The Jordan Al-Maghtas (Bethany beyond the Jordan), an archaeological World Heritage site in Jordan, is the original site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. The site has long been revered. The baptism took place in Bethany, which is on the east bank of the Jordan River. how old was Jesus when he was baptized? He was around 30 years of age at that time. Evidence from the Roman period and biblical verses point to Bethany being the location of Jesus' baptism, a place that is often seen on Christian tours. 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The event most likely took place on the Jordanian side, in a perennial river bed called Wadi Al-Kharar. More than 20 early Christian sites have been discovered in this area. The site also contains the ruins of several churches. Yardenit Baptismal Site The Yardenit Baptismal Site is situated on the Jordan River near the Sea of Galilee. The location is considered to be where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. The site is also near Kibbutz Kinneret and the Mount of Beatitudes. The Yardenit Baptismal Site is the largest baptismal site in Israel. Located on the Jordan River shore near the southern end of the Galilee sea, it offers modern facilities, including hot showers and spacious changing rooms. It also has a restaurant and a gift shop. It attracts almost half of a million pilgrims annually. Visitors are greeted with a sign of the baptism account written in the book of Mark, which is available in 80 languages. 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John the Baptist was said to have performed many baptisms along the river. One of the people baptized by him was Jesus himself. The Sacred Water Of Jordan The Jordan River is a holy place for Jews and Christians. It is considered to be the place where the Savior was baptized. The river also played a prominent role in the life of John the Baptist and in the Israelites' crossing of the Promised Land. It is also a symbol of hope and healing. As such, pilgrims from around the world flock to the Jordan River to immerse in the water. The Jordan River is mentioned in the sacred books of the Bible, where several miracles occurred. Prophets like Moses and Joshua were able to cross the river without a ford, and the waters parted for them. It is also mentioned in the Gospels that Jesus was baptized there.  The river comes from Mount Hermon Mountain and bypasses Lake Kinneret. Do you know when was Jesus baptized age? At that time, he was around 30 years of age. 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Trade Show

Execute the Perfect Expo with This Trade Show Checklist

Are you heading to a trade show? Anyone who's ever tried putting together a public product launch knows a trade show checklist is essential to standing out. After all, your competition includes anywhere from 50-250 companies as hungry as yours. Each one will bring passion and planning to their table. You have to assume that anyway. With that assumption in mind, here's what your to-do list should look like. 1. Get the Budget on Paper Any preparing for a trade show checklist should start with the finances. How much money do you have allocated for things like marketing, travel, personnel, and materials? Will you be there for the launch of a new product? Or will your attendance be more informational in nature? Either way, there's going to be overheard. Will that overhead, justify the projected cost-benefit you hope to achieve from the trade show itself? This isn't something you should ballpark. Details reduce expenses and create profits. They also provide a benchmark for future trade show marketing efforts. Some other benefits of budgeting include the following: Ensuring you don't overspend Helping achieve profitability if you plan on selling anything Providing relevant numbers for tax purposes Giving you a clear idea of which spending efforts are producing the best results And that's just a start. You also may be able to create partnerships from these exhibitions that inform data such as the cost of customer acquisition or indirect revenue generation. 2. Make the SMART Objectives Any trade show exhibitor checklist will need to be written in the form of objectives. Objectives are specific things you hope to accomplish in the planning, execution, and breakdown of your trade show exhibition. But for objectives to be effective, they need to be SMART, not smart. (Okay, maybe it's both.) By SMART, we mean: Specific: Your list shouldn't say, "Pack up all trade show materials." It should say, "Pack booth into box truck rental." In other words, each item or group of items should have tailored directives. Measurable: You should be able to look at your objective and determine whether (and how) it was accomplished. This ensures you remember to pack the important stuff. It also helps avoid partial shipments. Action-oriented: Each piece of your inventory or each goal you hope to achieve should be attached to an action verb. Think "employ," "carry," "ensure," etc. Realistic: Can it actually be done? Or are you trying to do too much, too quickly? Time-sensitive: Being time-sensitive keeps you on track. It makes sure everything gets the level of attention it deserves. Make sure your trade show preparation aligns with these components. Doing so will ensure all your objectives are SMART ones. 3. Learn Your Audience Another essential step in how to prepare for a trade show is getting to know the people who will be there. Take the annual San Diego Comic-Con, for example. Superhero, horror, and fantasy films and TV series earn billions of dollars each year. But that's from general audience support. The audience at Comic-Con is a lot different. A lot more, shall we say, fanatical? Playing to their sensibilities have made Comic-Con one of the largest and most successful trade shows in the world. Exhibitors give the people what they want. These "fanatics" create a culture of fandom that helps put whatever property they're supporting on the radar of general consumers. Only when exhibitors fail to make that connection to the fanatics do their films/TV shows fall flat. So make sure your audience is priority number one. 4. Make Early Reservations Content should be your primary focus. You need your attention on it early and often. So get room and space reservations out of the way early. Determine how many are going, how many rooms you'll need, and when you plan on arriving. It usually doesn't cost anything to make a room reservation, especially when you get ahead of it. 5. Dot I's and Cross T's What are the legal terms of your attendance? Is there anything you may be overlooking? Don't just assume you can show up and be good to go. Read the fine print. It's not a bad idea to hand it off to your attorney either, especially when the contracts are written in legalese. 6. Figure out Your Materials Will you have any tents with your logo on them? Printed marquees or business cards? Flyers, handouts, reports, books - what will help you leave your mark so the audience doesn't forget you after visiting 40 other booths? Now's the time to figure it out. Don't be afraid to try something no one has thought of before. 7. Test Your Wares Launching a product at the trade show? You don't want the show itself to be the first test run you give to it. If it's possible for the product to break or malfunction, make sure it happens long before accepting your first customer. 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Make Sure You Document It What good is a successful trade show if you can't blast out pictures on social media? Whether paid or organic, the exposure you can get from a few well-tagged, well-captioned photos gives you a lot more bang for your buck - and meaningful relationships - than a dozen Super Bowl ads. 11. Identify Your Neighbors (And Competitors) Part of getting comfortable with the surroundings in which you'll be operating is reaching out to the people around you. You're both in a strange new setting. Even if you're competitors, it's not going to hurt to introduce yourself and share pleasantries while waiting for the crowds to build. Beyond passing the time, however, identifying your neighbors and competition gives you a chance to learn from them and they from you. Watching each other work in the same environment will tell you whether it's a positive or negative interaction, and it can give you ample ideas for next time. 12. Actively Promote Yourself on Social Media Promoting the event is important before, during, and afterward. It's important before for a rather obvious reason - you want people to show up. During the event? Just as essential. That's because you can pick up impulse traffic with your social media posts or provide updates to followers who couldn't feasibly be at your location. Finally, afterward is a nice time to reflect, post pictures, tag new and existing contacts, and make a new checklist of the things you'll do the same (and differently) next year. One final tip here is to consider building a paid marketing campaign before the event. That said, you can go a long way with organic if you bring your relationship marketing skills to the social network. 13. Bring Your A-Game to the Event In many cases, trade shows are the biggest events of the year for a business. They're a great way to get whatever you do in front of the people or companies who can help take them to the next level. As such, you don't want your B-Team working the room. As mentioned before, bring your most knowledgeable and outgoing people to the event. But don't stop there. Ensure they've prepared a list of personal objectives for the event. Make sure they get the proper rest and show up to the event in proper attire and ahead of schedule. 14. Ensure Demobilization Finally, demobilization is an important part of the trade show experience. That's because conference halls often limit the amount of time you have to clear out your displays and materials before they start charging past the contracted time. Either hire a moving company ahead of time or ensure you bring along the appropriate amount of muscle to disband and transport trade show materials away from the location. And it helps to have an effective portable trade show display going into the event. Make Your Trade Show Checklist a Priority Your trade show checklist will be one of the most important documents you have when gearing up for a major event. The other stuff is important too - exhibits, materials, accommodations, but something inevitably will fall by the wayside if you wing it. And while you're here, check out our top tips to help you build a brand for your small business.

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